Support & FAQ

  • What is Carbon Monoxide, and is it harmful?
  • What is a Thermostat?
  • When should I get my system Serviced?
  • Isn't the air conditioner the same as the heater if it's a package?
  • Do you have Financing?
  • Are your products new or used?
  • What do all those ratings mean?
  • What's a ton when you say for example, 3 ton unit?
  • What's a compressor?
  • What's a packge unit or dual pak?
  • What's a coil or evaporator coil?
  • What is refrigerant? And, what is it for?
  • What is Energy Star? Is it beneficial?
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    Support/FAQ
    What is Carbon Monoxide, and is it harmful?        
    Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless poisonous gas.  It is extremely toxic and may cause hospitalization or even death if inhaled.  You can get exposure to such gases from a crack in your heat exchanger or poor ventilation in your unit.

    What is a thermostat?
    A thermostat is the control for your unit.  It may be centrally located on a wall in your house, they can be electronic programmable or mechanical. It monitors and controls the system.  Programmable is considered the most efficient because of the ability to program the thermostat to lower or higher temperatures at certain times of the day or night for maximum temperature control.

    When should I get my unit serviced? 
    It is recommended to get your heater serviced in the fall, and your air-conditioner serviced in the spring, (seperate from your heater).

    Isn't the air-conditioner the same as the heater?
    No.  Your air-conditioner and your heater are usually in the same unit, but require seperate means of care.

    Do you have financing? 
    We do not have financing at this time due to the economic turndown. We can refer you to our representative at CitiFinancial to get information on qualifying for their home improvement loans.  Financing through CitiFinancial is available for new unit installs. (OAC) Ask us about how to apply.

    What about the products you install? 
    All of the products we install are brand new and never used. We carry many lines of products so that you may find what suits your home and budget best.  Call us for a complete line of products.

    What do all those ratings mean? 
    The federal government requires all air conditioning and heating equipment to be rated as to efficiency. The higher the rating, the more efficient the model. For cooling, the rating is SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating); heat pump heating is HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) and gas furnaces are rated with AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency).  The government's minimum rating as of the year 2006 was raised to a minimum rating of 13. (It is comparable to mpg in a car) All of these ratings can be compared by asking the technician.

    Why are the units measured in tons?
    "Ton" is not the weight of the unit.  Example: A 3 1/2 ton unit means there is 3 1/2 tons of cooling capacity.  It is a unit of measurement used for determining the cooling capacity. 1 ton is equal to 12,000 BTU's per hour.  It will not fall through your roof.  The actual weight of the unit is considerably light.  Air conditioner capacity is rated at 95°F outside with an inside temperature of 80°F and 50% relative humidity. Each ton of air conditioning is nominally 12,000 Btu/h (this comes from the fact that it takes 12,000 Btu to melt a ton of ice). While an air conditioner may be called a three ton unit, it may not produce 36,000 Btu/h in cooling. There is a wide variety of actual capacities that are called "three tons."

    What's a compressor? 
    It is the heart of an air-conditioning or heat pump system.  It is part of the outdoor unit and pumps refrigerant in order to meet the requirements of the system. It is one of the major parts in a system and in most cases the most expensive.

    What is a package unit or dual pak?
    A package unit, also known as a dual pak is located outside your home more commonly on the roof, sometimes beside the house, or in some cases in the attic.  Both the heating and cooling system are in one package in the same cabinet.

    What is a coil or evaporator coil? 
    A coil is where the refrigerant evaporates as it absorbes heat from the air that passes over.  It is a component located in the air conditioning side of the system.

    What is refrigerant? 
    Refrigerant is a chemical that produces a refrigerating effect in the a/c system.  This chemical is otherwise known as R-22 freon.  It is used in approximately 95% of the older air-conditioning units in the U.S. today.  The newest type of refrigerant recently released and is now widely used is R410-A.  This refrigerant has been introduced in some of the highest efficiency units available for residential and has become the new minimum requirement in new systems.  Most companies sell the R410-A systems now, it also requires a separate more technical means for maintenance and handling compared to R-22 freon.  Within the next few years, R-22 freon will not be available as a resource any longer.  The cost of trying to obtain it has and will continue to rise.

    What is Energy Star?
    Energy efficient choices can save families about a third on their energy bill with similar savings of greenhouse gas emissions, without sacrificing features, style or comfort. ENERGY STAR is a government-backed program helping individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency and to help them make the energy efficient choice.The Energy Star marked products meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and US Department of Energy. Products that have been marked Energy Star are worth the cost of replacment of older products because of how much money they will save you in the long run.  These products will run most efficiantly and even quieter than older models which are not Energy Star.  The minimum Seer made today is 13 seer and it is also Energy Star.