Call me and get AC Service Today 832-475-6895 from Katy, Texas during the summer it’s almost certain that you will want your AC system back on line as soon as possible. I see it quite often running service on the weekends and even on summer holidays not to mention during the week. It becomes clear to me that fast, friendly AC service is often not thought of until the need arises and the cooling stops.
A fair number of my customers come to me this way. I am given a big responsibility to these customers that I will not let them down. Certainly I can perform AC repairs for most of them with in 3 hours of getting the call depending on the current demand for AC repairs. I think many people that stumble across my AC services are surprised at the speed and efficiency of which I operate.
You see just as there can be heavy AC repair demand, there are also a good number of lulls in demand as well. I use these lulls to do various tasks and functions like writing blogs and so on. I know for you looking from the outside in and comparing me to other AC companies that I probably look much larger of a company than what I am.
This is merely to show you, the customer there is someone “At The Wheel” that cares. I can’t be all things to all people, I try to be the best at service and quality of that service and let the chips fall where they may. I offer timely solutions to your HVAC problems and I know a good many of people see the value in that.
Air Conditioning Replacement
There are times in running service calls that your air conditioning system may not be able to be repaired or may not be worth trying to repair it. The last thing you want to do is waste money on a AC system that has seen better days.
In situations like these I give good reason for my opinion of repair versus replacement. In some cases I may give you both repair and replacement options and let you decide on your own. This decision isn’t always about me and what I want, it’s about giving you choices for you to decide on your own in some cases.
However, the cost to repair an older system that is most likely a Freon based system is fraught with heavy risk for you. In cases such as these depending on what is wrong with your system I almost always recommend replacement because you need to be aware of what is already here as of this Katy Air Conditioning Repair Service blog post.
AC Repairs Today Call Ray Austin @ 832-475-6895
R22 Freon Is Going Away
You must realize that R22 Freon is going away (January 1, 2020 R22 Production Ceases). The cost of this refrigerant is going up. Amounts of how much anyone can buy at any given time is being restricted in certain cases. As time moves forward this situation will continue to get worse. Therefore, it is in your best interest to make plans now to switch over to the new refrigerant for the High Temp application of Air Conditioning. This new refrigerant isn’t really new. It’s been in use for over 20 years now and is called R410a or Puron.
R410a Puron Is Going Away
As of 2024, R410a is a refrigerant that has been used for over 20 years. It is being phased down for different reasons that R22 Freon. Realize that Freon and Puron are brand names. I come with experience to know the type of refrigerant your system needs. As of 2024 the production limits of R410a have been cut by 40% less than the base line amount years ago. I can still get both types of refrigerants but costs keep going up. Refrigerants are a complicated issue to have with an Air Conditioning system as it implies there is a leak with the system if it is found to be low. If the leak(s) are not fixed, the refrigerant will leak back out. In some instances the reason your system leaked may be due to service practices. Every situation is unique and it’s best for me to inspect your system(s) and then give you some options rather than “guess” here what may or may not be wrong with it.
HVAC is changing make sure you’re not making a big mistake!
This is an old practice of temporarily fixing an AC system that has Freon leaks. Due to higher refrigerant costs this practice is no longer feasible in some cases. Each situation is different and while I can recharge a system temporarily the risk is that this money for recharging is wasted. Many times I may find AC systems in which AC service work was performed poorly and for those reasons feel a refrigerant recharge may work because I have no service history on the system. Even still this is merely a judgment call in which I am not always right. I explain the risks to you and let you decide your own path in certain situations such as this.
It’s important to find the refrigerant leak OR it will just leak back out costing you even more hard earned money.
Guessing What Is Wrong With Your AC System
You shouldn’t try to guess what is wrong with your AC system. Nor should you try to get me to guess over the phone. I realize it matters not one bit what I put here people will continue to do what they have always done. But for the sake of this text I will give you some reasons why you should not guess as to what is wrong with your air conditioner.
Guessing doesn’t fix anything. There are a multitude of parts that make your AC function and do it’s job. You want a professional job don’t you? What part of professional is consistent with guessing?
I think my system is low on Freon? Certainly your system could be low on Freon but did you know that over 90% of the time the problem is more likely to be an electrical or mechanical problem. In some cases it could be electrical as well as a refrigerant problem.
Hire A Licensed AC Professional
It’s tough out there to find an HVAC pro that knows what they are doing. This business is a hard business, it takes many, many years to gain the experience in all things HVAC. Technicians mostly dominate the field because HVAC License holders are mostly older and rarely work out in the field any more. These reasons put me in a class all of my own because I do all of my own work. From repairs to new installations. This hands on approach gives you a better quality product not to mention a HVAC service provider second to none.
There’s only 1 Ray Austin. The best AC service call Today.
This isn’t to mean all Technicians are bad. I was once one of them too many years ago. This is merely a rough example how difficult it can be to find a GOOD one. Once you realize these things I’ve spelled out in this blog post you are much further on your way to making a better decision regarding your home comfort and repairing or replacing your HVAC system.
Air Conditioning Experience in 2024
Over 30 years! That’s a lot of experience. No one knows it all, but the more experience one has? The better the outcome you will have.
Thank you for visiting with me today. I hope your day is comfortable!
About the author of this Katy Texas Air Conditioning blog:
My name is Ray Austin. I am the owner and operator of Austin Air Companie, a Ray Austin HVAC Service Company serving Katy, Texas | Cypress, Texas | Richmond, Texas and some surrounding areas. I am a Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor with over 30 years experience in Air Conditioning and Heating Systems as of 2024. I hold an AOS degree in HVAC/R, EPA universally certified to handle any refrigerant and NATE certified in HVAC installations and repairs. I also own and operate a real estate rental business. It is not likely there is any HVAC company truly like me.
People that use my services like the fact that they only have to deal with 1 person. The same person each and every time. It has always been this way for over 16 years now since I started my HVAC company. There is only one opinion here and I believe it is worth what I charge for it.
A free opinion is usually free because it’s not worth anything. If something is worth doing, it’s doing it the right way. The right way can be misconceived because of the opinion of who you’re talking to. I don’t think I can make this any more clear. You have choices. I can’t tell you how many times a year I find people who made the wrong choice. Choose wisely.
I understand that comfort means different things to different people. I am not here to force something on you I often will provide more than 1 choice. Many of the opinions I provide you are rooted in experience of performing HVAC for a living for over 30 years now. My opinion is not rooted in hearsay, rumors or intimidation of a boss because he “made some deal” with a manufacturer.
Austin Air Companie doesn’t choose equipment / parts / service methods because of some “under handed deal”. I choose equipment based on experience of doing and how that equipment is likely to perform. Is it always perfect? No.
That is what service is all about. You have that number to call when you need it. You will always need a good HVAC repairman, even if you choose me. I don’t provide gimmicks here. Some want to be told if they pick this or that their worries are over. I’m here to tell you that is a gimmick and your mileage will vary. Check out my You Tube videos… all brands break I show you this in butter your eyeballs high definition video.
Austin Air Companie
832.475.6895
“Your home comfort from A to Z”
Air Conditioning | Controls | Heating | Zoning
A Ray Austin HVAC Service Company
For more information:
videos, tips and everything air conditioning and heating
for your home you can always visit me on my main website @
Hi and welcome to the #1 Katy Texas Air Conditioning Blog. In 2024 HVAC for your home is beginning to change in ways that you (as a home owner) may not be aware of. It’s not uncommon for air conditioners to work for several years without much fuss. So if you haven’t had your air conditioner serviced since before the pandemic hit you are probably unaware of the challenges HVAC contractors have faced over the past few years. Equipment availability, part availability etc. To put it mildly it’s been quite the challenge since about 2020.
So as we get away from all those challenges we enter a new era of trouble that is a new refrigerant phase out that began last year with a 10% cut to production of a refrigerant we have been using since early 2000’s. There is an additional cut of 30% this year. The refrigerant in question is R410a Puron, most people still call this Freon today. Freon R22 is the older variety that we’ve used for AC’s since the 1950’s. While R22 Freon has been banned since 2020, I still see this equipment today. I can still buy R22 Freon but it’s very expensive.
Common Air Conditioning Refrigerants R22 Freon & R410a Puron Facing Bans & Phase Downs in 2024
SPECIAL NOTE: If you are a new customer trying to reach me in 2024 it may be best for you to text me your NAME + ADDRESS. While you can call me, it may be a challenge to get thru as I am screening my calls and the app I am using has had problems. Faster service is to text me NAME + ADDRESS failure to follow these directions will probably put your message in my spam folder. This change is due to ROBO callers calling me too much! You can also fill out the contact form on this website. Once your info is updated to my contacts list you can then call me direct.
This 2024 AC service change is due to spam / robot callers. I continue to evaluate this day to day.
Air Conditioning Service & Repair 2024
Austin Air Companie in Katy, Texas is different than other service companies. I get to talk about these differences because it is me (Ray Austin) writing this blog and it is also me who runs the AC service calls. So I get this unique perspective of sharing what I often find at homes in the area I am called to with Air Conditioning Problems. You know like blowing warm air, the AC isn’t cool enough, the AC is noisy or making a weird noise, the AC won’t come on etc. I don’t win every job. No company does that to be honest and HVAC (air conditioning mostly for Katy, Texas area) is changing in profound ways + costs keep going up. Cheap or cheaper will probably cost you more in the long run because things are changing. The longer you wait (2024) the less choices you will have. Don’t put off getting AC systems serviced in 2024.
Things are complicated this year (2024) because R410a is being phased down and the new equipment with the new, new refrigerants aren’t quite here yet. I expect these to come later this year sometime maybe by 3rd quarter of 2024. If you aren’t using someone you trust. HVAC is often times more about waste than anything else. If you spend less money for the sake of trying to save it, that may be a waste of money. What makes this hard is that this isn’t always the case. It will vary due to a wide variety of factors like how old your AC is, what is actually wrong with it, how long you plan to live at your house and so on.
No one, me included is going to live in Katy, Texas without air conditioning. So you have to pick something. The way I operate my HVAC service and repair company is to give you choices and explain the pros and cons of those choices. I can tell you before I even come to your house in 2024 this is challenging. There is no perfect brand of HVAC equipment even since before. They all break. Certainly some are more likely to break than others. It’s not my business model to sell you something for the sake of selling it.
I can tell you other HVAC companies in the area are more about just selling you. They have to because they’ve got the expensive TV ads, or the expensive ads that follow you around on the internet, the constant calling you, the high pressure sales in your home and so on. I know all the tricks, none of this is new to me. I have been doing this job for over 30 years now, 16 years running my own HVAC company. I am not going to stalk you to try to sell you something. It’s your decision. I can’t make it for you all I can do is to educate you on why we are where we are in HVAC land the choices for your home comfort.
Katy, Texas is a hot climate. This isn’t due to climate change, it’s always been hot here. We use our AC’s for the better of 10 months every year. I have helped 100’s and 100’s of your neighbors every year for the past 16 years since I started my own HVAC company. However, you know what people will say on the internet when you say such and such is a hot climate. They will tell you when summer finally gets to the USA as a whole that it’s just as hot here as it is everywhere else, even though we’ve been at those temperatures for months already. This is another reason it’s a fool’s errand to run to the internet for pointers. Differences of opinion for climates with different concerns. Katy, Texas spends more money on AC related expenses than the majority of what you will find on the internet. I also know what I put here isn’t going to change much. I’ve been doing this 30 years, I know what I know from seeing the same worn out myths being applied over and over and over. 30 years ago they called this wisdom, today? Ok boomer whatever you say. (You know let’s provide an excuse for our insanity, what else is it?)
What I Often See First Hand On AC Service Calls
It’s not uncommon to see sloppy AC service practices. These sloppy AC services that you called to your home inadvertently lead to refrigerant losses or electrical problems. Then you call me and I am expected to guess what happened at your home.
If you use me for service I track what I find at your house. Your service records. Things like what was done at your home by me. I know what I did, it will be me coming back if you call me. If your AC on your first visit doesn’t require refrigerant then there is no refrigerant leak. Realize that refrigerant leaks can occur at any time. Your AC equipment does not use up refrigerant, if the AC is low on refrigerant charge it’s because that it was never charged properly to begin with OR the unit has a leak some where.
It costs money to investigate. I can guess, but even with as much experience I have guessing isn’t fool proof. An example of how people waste money to put it bluntly. If the AC isn’t low on refrigerant, there’s no reason to investigate a refrigerant leak? How do you know your AC is low on refrigerant (FREON)? By having it checked. I can’t tell you how many times I get called over the years where someone says I think my AC is low and needs some Freon. Sometimes they are right, often times they are wrong. Electrical problems and AC are sometimes more common typically in the range of 90%.
So can you imagine you have an older AC with an electrical problem the high pressure sales people come tell you your AC is dead ( it could be to be honest ) or it could be a sales guy that needs a sale to stay in the good graces of his company that says “we’ll give you an opinion for free”. Most of them all use this tactic to get in your door. They’ll make it sound so good.
That being said, if your AC is 15 years old or older it may be in your best interest to replace it. In 2024 it’s tricky because anything you buy this summer will likely be R410a which is the last year for this type of AC equipment. It’s obsolete the minute you buy it. This doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get R410a later if you need it, only that it will cost more. Manufacturers exclude refrigerants from any warranty. Remember I keep it real here. I’m not here to hoodwink you. (trick you)
Will it really matter to wait for R32 or R454b AC equipment to arrive? I really can’t answer that 100% right now because we don’t know what those costs will be yet. These new refrigerants will likely only have a 12 year life until they are phased out in 2036. They have to be phased out because the Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol has step down requirements for the USA to get below 350 GWP by 2036. Neither of these refrigerants will reach these lower GWP requirements.
New Refrigerants Require New Equipment, Want A Cheaper Refrigerant Will Require New AC Equipment Again.
AIR CONDITIONING REFRIGERANTS: PROS, CONS & LIMITED LIFESPAN
Refrigerants can not be mixed and matched. If you want to change refrigerants it will require you to buy again all new AC equipment. Remember I am keeping it real here. I am telling you like it is, that is how you know it’s the truth. I can tell you I don’t like it any more than I think you will.
R32 is probably the better choice moving forward. This won’t be the popular choice among manufacturers in the USA. If you choose wrong and have refrigerant issues the cost will be higher for the refrigerant. So for this reason a brand name isn’t going to do much for you. I can’t tell you how many times I quote an AC brand and people want to run to the internet to see what the internet has to say about a particular brand. They all break remember?
Do you honestly think I am going to install a brand that is going to give me nothing but problems? I’ve been doing this for over 30 years? The AC equipment has gone thru how many changes in the past 30 years and you think the internet is going to tell you what is good and what is not?
I know you want to be told with corn pop words “hey this is the best thing since sliced bread, it cuts your AC electric bills, it’s cheaper than anything else, it never breaks, heck you don’t even have to maintain it… and the list of gimmicks goes on and on.
Snap out of it: You get what you pay for and in some cases (due to installation and service practices only, not the brand name) is why things go wrong.
If I had my way I would sell an Inverter AC Unit to every customer because I know what that machine does when installed properly. But this particular AC is a premium HVAC solution. It will cut your electric bill in half*. (*If your home has one AC unit). The price to admission for this solution won’t fit everyone’s budget, although I feel it’s the better choice currently. To find out what it is schedule an AC appointment with me.
Call the AC Guy, He’s the Guy that knows what to do as well as what not to do. Service Records are kept by 1 guy. You see the same guy everytime.
All manufacturers make Inverter AC’s. But they are not created equal. Remember this is more than what a brand name is. Every manufacturer makes more than one model of AC. There are cost differences from one model to another.
You’re paying me to know these things. It will only benefit you if you choose me as your HVAC service provider.
Thank you for visiting with me today. I know you have many choices. I can’t be all things to all people as I am a small 1 man AC company. I have installed complete HVAC systems by myself. I know this isn’t the norm. My mom told me growing up as a kid: “Too many cooks in the kitchen spoils the broth.” I just merely applied this to the HVAC service business.
As always I hope your day is comfortable.
About the author of this Katy Texas Air Conditioning Blog:
My name is Ray Austin, I am a Texas licensed HVAC contractor serving the Katy, Texas area and some surrounding areas. I am universally certified to handle ANY refrigerant. I obtained an AOS degree in HVAC/R Mechanic just over 30 years ago.
I am a capitalist and I make no apologies for it. Austin Air Companie is a for profit HVAC service company. I am not a trainer or teacher I exist to do this job for you, not teach you or others how to do it. I work under the premise if I fixed it once, I can fix it again. Any AC system can break at any time. Austin Air Companie specializes in comfort solutions for the home. From AC repairs to AC upgrades that include Inverter AC units (1% steps up / down in comfort) no costly proprietary signals to operate the HVAC system.
Proven company track record of 16 years in 2024. No outside influence of investors, Austin Air Companie is solely owned AND operated by Ray Austin. I work for you, just as it should be.
Other companies pay for SEO tracking and all kinds of gimmicks to sell you. They will chase you, I won’t. You decide who you want for your comfort solution.
Austin Air Companie
832~475-6895
Air Conditioning | Controls | Heating | Service | Repairs | Zoning
Hello and welcome to Katy, Texas #1 blog post. It’s that time again where you go to your thermostat and kick on the good old AC after a somewhat chilly winter season, (mild but chilly).
Hopefully the AC comes on and works right out of the gate. This coming year (2024) present challenges to the HVAC market that you as a home owner may not be aware of. AC systems can run for years without much fanfare and so while I do my best to inform you of changes there is a wide majority that are shocked to find things in not so good of shape. Probably not a bad idea to get your AC system(s) checked early if you haven’t done this task recently. What makes Austin Air Companie different? You only have me to contend with. I document your service history. When you call again I can look this up for you. Not likely if you are using a big company where you may never see the same AC technician twice. If good service practices for your AC equipment is not followed these things can lead to expensive repairs. If it’s first time for me to your home I have no service history, who was there what was done etc. While age of the equipment often dictates the likelihood of major repairs, in today’s world of HVAC repairs any brand can fail at any time for an assortment of reasons. The more hands that have serviced it, could be partly the reason of trouble aside from age / use related metrics.
If you are a new customer calling me first time 832-475-6895:
New customer how to get thru Robo Screening App. Directions how to reach me. You can also fill out the contact form on this website. Texting will reach me faster.
It may be best for you to text me your name and address and I will call you back to set AC service appt. Robot calls are becoming a big pain, so it may be difficult to reach me if you try calling me as I am sometimes screening my calls and that may seem like voice mail. (It kind of is in a way.)
On top of HVAC service related mishandling, HVAC (air conditioning for your home) often goes thru changes of which if you pay attention to the HVAC market year in and year out the changes can sometimes be like watching grass grow in your yard. When changes actually take effect they can be swift as we saw last year (2023) with the change from SEER to SEER2. Due to that change alone we saw jumps in costs, that invariably have to be passed down to you the consumer of comfort products for your home.
In 2024 the change is more about waiting for new equipment with new refrigerants to show up, understand that when things change in HVAC the changes aren’t always good. We were tricked before and told R410a was environment friendly, now it’s not. So with this understanding I explore the refrigerant changes the HVAC market is undertaking to see if things are as they say rather than just taking the markets “word for it”.
In addition to all that R410a Puron production is being cut an additional 30% from the baseline production numbers for a total of 40% cut to production of this refrigerant in 2024. Supply and demand mean that the refrigerant cost is likely to go up maybe as soon as early summer 2024 time period. We saw price increases in refrigerant last year with only a 10% cut then. This situation only truly effects you if you have a refrigerant leak. The leak(s) will have to be repaired or the costly refrigerant (whatever kind it is) will just leak back out.
This change shouldn’t be confused with the R22 Freon ban of 2020. While R22 Freon equipment is merely an after thought now, I can still buy R22 Freon to service that older equipment. However, due to the cost of R22 Freon it is often times better to apply that money to new AC equipment. With the R410a refrigerant phase out / ban looming this makes these decisions a bit tricky in 2024 as the new equipment with new refrigerants aren’t available just yet. Currently expected to show up in 3rd or 4th quarter of 2024, maybe sooner? No one is saying much right now. (Feb. / Mar. 2024)
So because of all this, the sooner you act in 2024, the better it will likely be for you. I don’t know currently how bad it could get. I am about as well prepared for this as I can possibly be. Things are changing. The sooner you act, the more choices you will have. I am skilled to put a plan for your comfort goals into action. Don’t put it off this year, is about the best advice I can give you right now (March 2024).
Remember that as we move forward with new AC equipment and new refrigerants for that new AC equipment that safety pertains a lot to me as I am in direct contact with these chemicals with a 10 month long air conditioning season in Katy, Texas area. HVAC is a dangerous occupation for more reasons than just hot attics or long grueling summers / dangerous electrical conditions etc. ( I often times have no idea what I am walking into.) I provide small glimpses of this in the embedded video to this Katy, Texas air conditioning blog post as well as information this time around that is rarely if ever talked about in the HVAC industry.
R410a begins 40% reduction in 2024 to end the year with a new equipment ban for any equipment designed for R410a refrigerant.
PFAS CHEMICALS
These are forever chemicals and we’ve been using an assortment of these chemicals since the 1940’s. The governments of the world know they are bad. But they are already out there, you have them in you right now. So lets make this worse and use more of them? This is the thinking to clean up the environment? Why?
You the reader have to understand that my HVAC company is different. I am not here to sell you something just for the sake of selling it. I wouldn’t live in Katy, Texas without air conditioning. So to put this bluntly this isn’t to tell you to do without air conditioning. You have to choose something? Right?
So my real job is to help you make wiser decisions. Is it 100% fool proof? No. Just keeping it real here. I am not in the business of providing gimmicks ok? This is Ray Austin writing this blog. I have over 30 years in HVAC as of 2024 why would I hire someone to type out a blog that likely only has less experience than I do?
It will be me Ray Austin coming to your house if you so choose to use my HVAC repair services in Katy, Texas. I know that is not the norm. The video I’ve embedded here is me in the video. I also know this world is a scam a minute, this isn’t a scam. Certain people like to think that for profit companies are scams. I am a capitalist with no apologies for that. I am a for profit HVAC company. Anything free is a gimmick, you’ll find that out very quickly in today’s world of HVAC for your home.
I am skilled in what I do. I said before it’s not always perfect. Because Katy, Texas area is a 10 month use air conditioning market our AC equipment gets quite the work out. If you’re willing to gamble some I can repair an older system. I am not afraid to do this where many other HVAC companies will not venture down this path. I do this under the notion that if I fixed it once, I can fix it again. These aren’t free services. I spell it out the best I can and ultimately let you make the decision of what to do or not do. Remember brands of equipment won’t truly fix this equation. As all HVAC brands break.
I can’t tell you how many times I have repaired AC and the repairs last and last sometimes to the extent I never go back for years. I can also tell you the handful of times things do not go so well, some times this is warranty thru me but most of the time 99% is going to require more money to repair it again. (repair of an old system typically means it will break again because it’s old.)
The “other company” HVAC market (residential and otherwise) is often geared toward hiring those with 1 to 3 years experience. This isn’t to knock anyone this is to explain the difference of what you get if you call someone else other than me Ray Austin. You may be dealing with a new face every time your AC goes down. With Austin Air Companie you only deal with one person > Ray Austin.
I could have chose to run my HVAC service and repair company the same as others do. I chose not to. I like the variety of what this HVAC service, repair and install offers me. Some days I might work on videos for my You Tube Channel. Other days I might be working in a hot attic replacing an Evaporator Coil, maybe an AC condenser too or in some rare cases installing a complete HVAC system.
I can’t be all things to all people. So I do my best to explain the differences from my company to others. There are limitations and in some cases restrictions to what I can do for you. Due to the nature of the HVAC business these situations are spelled out in person after I investigate your situation in person I am not going to play guessing games with your comfort. Remember I am here to do it for you, I don’t make training videos or offer help so you can do it yourself, that is not my business. If I give you recommendations and you use those to do it yourself or hire someone less skilled to cut me out of it, then our relationship will come to an abrupt end. I only exist to do the work for you, NOT to teach you how to do it yourself.
I often witness nightmares every summer of some xyz HVAC company did this and my AC doesn’t work kind of rhetoric. This is just to illustrate why I have various company policies in place to handle certain people’s illogical illusions to home comfort in lengthy use air conditioning climate like Katy, Texas. (I shouldn’t have to spell this out, but I do it for context so you better understand my position as to why I do what I do and or don’t allow certain people to “throw me under the bus” so to speak.) I am a boss and I act like one. I don’t need help, I’ve been doing HVAC repairs / replacements for over 30 years.
I often say it this way: “If you know more than me, then what are you calling me for?” My opinion is mine and is based on 30 years of actually doing this job in person. I tell it like it is, not what you want to hear or trap you in some form of high pressure sales drama. Comfort solutions I provide you are going to work, if I have doubts I will do my best to tell you what those risks are so you have the understanding to make the necessary changes to your comfort goals what ever that entails. I will let you decide provided I am confident that it’s going to work for at least a single air conditioning season. (If you are considering a repair to old HVAC system old here is typically described as approaching 15 or more years of age.)
The “work definition” I employ here as it relates to air conditioning: If it’s 80F degrees outside it will work. If it’s 100F* outside it will work too.
*limitations: 20F degrees difference indoor temperature from out door ambient temperature. Remember your AC is not a magic box, it works based on science. More or less a heat transferring machine. Takes heat from inside / places it outside. The absence of heat is less heat. (cooling effect)
If you want extreme cooling capability for higher cost, I can provide you those options these types of options often pay for themselves over time due to higher efficiency & less operational cost via savings on your electric bill. Remember comfort cooling for your home in a long AC season climate like Katy, Texas is my specialty this is “WHAT I DO” to put it bluntly. I sleep in 72F air at my house. I know what comfort is to me, my guess is we might have similar tastes in comfort? These things are above and beyond “just fix it mentality” and will likely require a higher investment.
I come with both mentalities not just fix it only as fix it only may not be in your best interest or may not be your intention for the call you set. All you have to do is just tell me your concerns I will provide some comfort solutions for you and you can pick and choose what you want or don’t want. Also note these decisions are more than just a “brand name”. A brand name alone doesn’t make a great HVAC system. They all break, they all require proper installation to work properly, etc.
Thank you for visiting with me today. I hope you obtained the information you were looking for. If I can help you make a decision regarding your comfort at your house and you’ve never used me before I recommend that you either fill out the contact form on this website or for faster AC service text me your name and address to 832-475-6895. I will call you back to set AC service appointment.
If you don’t provide me the proper info Name & Address (local to Katy, Texas area) the filter will likely deem it as spam. Once I have your info I will call you back, make sure to put my number in your contacts. Robot calls are beginning to be a problem for my HVAC service company so if you have trouble getting thru this is the best way to do so. If you are a previous customer just call me from a number you’ve used before and you shouldn’t notice anything different. This 2024 change only effects new callers with numbers my phone doesn’t recognize.
I am evaluating this robot spam situation on a day to day basis, so these options may change again in the future. There is only one reason to call me and that is to schedule HVAC service or repair(s). Thank you for your interest in my HVAC service company.
As always I hope your day is comfortable. ~ Ray Austin.
About the author of this blog post:
My name is Ray Austin, owner and operator of Austin Air Companie. I have an AOS degree in HVAC, universally certified in the handling of any refrigerant as well as the ability to diagnose complex problems associated with refrigerant circuits as they pertain to air conditioning for your home. I am a Texas Licensed HVAC contractor for the past 16 years. Over 30 years overall in the HVAC industry.
I am not influenced by any investor or outside influence at all none period. Austin Air Companie is privately owned by Ray Austin. I am a capitalist for profit HVAC company. I am also a small company in that I run Austin Air Companie entirely by myself. I have always done things this way, this isn’t something new nor some elaborate scheme to brag about. Just stating facts to help you reach a decision if you are considering my HVAC services.
If you like dealing with a single person for your HVAC comfort concerns, I may be the HVAC contractor for you. I service the Katy, Texas area as well as some surrounding areas like Cypress, Fulshear and Richmond, Texas. This list is not all inclusive if you have questions regarding service area contact me with your name and address information I will call you back.
Austin Air Companie
832~475~6895
A Ray Austin HVAC Service Company
Air Conditioning | Heating | Service | Controls | Zoning
Hello and welcome to the #1 Katy, Texas air conditioning blog with video content.
As I often do on this residential air conditioning video blog I like to take real stories that occur naturally in my line of air conditioning service and HVAC repair. I choose to not only write my own AC stories I also choose to tell my HVAC stories with video content. The air conditioning repair video I create has more than one purpose. The main purpose is to show you I am who I say I am, I can do what I say I can do. I am well aware of enthusiasts that are in this for clicks and notoriety. Be very careful exactly who it is you are garnering your information from, your house financial well being is at stake here.
I’ve used the so called professional websites who often times generate a bunch of nonsense that for someone like me ( A Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor TACLB28416E ) all of this is an ever growing challenge to compensate for.
Now that AI is on the scene or even a so called professional text writer has trouble with “context”. Because maybe they are a professional writer or artificial intelligence to mimic one but that doesn’t make them a professional in terms of HVAC equipment and defining what they mean with context. What do I mean by that?
Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor Serving the Katy, Texas area AC repair services TACLB28416E
Most people outside of the HVAC realm typically choose an HVAC system based off the name of the brand. This story is unique because the name of this brand I am talking about today is a well recognized and often considered a premier air conditioning brand in some cases it is called “the best” depending on who you are listening to.
Often times in this situation customers looking for HVAC solutions do not realize there is much more to this than meets the eye as over the years things have changed in HVAC and more changes are on the way. Let’s only look at the box and the name that is on the side of it. Let’s not choose something based on what it does and how it does it. I realize budget constrains can be an issue for some of you. This is partly why my air conditioning website exists to help you make better choices. Running from one HVAC contractor to another based on some perceived “deal” is often regretted in 3 years or less. I tell it like it is here, I am not out to sell you a gimmick. I have repaired more Trane equipment than I have replaced with new equipment. This particular story I tell in the video just so happens to be a time in which replacing part of the system was the better choice for this customer.
If the name on the air conditioning box is one that we recognize and the perception is it’s a good or better brand everything will work out in the end? So this particular story is to put some doubt in your mind as to how good or how bad just choosing a name brand can be. Keep in mind this story has played out countless times with varying different circumstances not to mention entirely different AC brands and I don’t always get the job because the gimmick of Trane equipment in general is a very powerful distraction to the bigger picture that is taking shape in the HVAC market as I type this Katy, Texas air conditioning repair video blog post.
The Trane AC repair video embedded below tells various parts of this better than what I can explain via text. But there are a number of things that the video doesn’t cover or just brushes (touches) the surface of. The HVAC system in your home is complicated for a wide variety of reasons. No two homes are exactly alike. No two people are exactly alike. The comfort goals of the home the people in the home and the budget of such. If this air conditioning subject were “easy” this post or the included embedded video would be a fraction of the length they are.
The Trane AC repair video (embedded below) is nearly 30 minutes long. It’s best to watch the whole video with no distractions. The whole purpose of my Katy, Texas air conditioning repair website is to show you I know how to do it. It is to show you I have the experience and know how to fix your HVAC system (regardless of the brand) and put you in a better position than you find yourself in. There are critical changes to HVAC residential market coming in 2025. These changes are only going to make things more complicated than they are now. ( I don’t make training videos. I am here to do the air conditioning work for you, not teach you or someone else to do it.)
I know you’re reading my Katy, Texas air conditioning blog right now for a reason? People don’t come here without reasons? Yeah it’s me Ray Austin telling you this. HVAC is what I do. I know my business and “if” I come to your house I am going to know your business too. Your HVAC equipment will tell me a story and it will become part of my story if you so choose to trust me with your comfort solution. To be clear my definition of a HVAC solution is not a gimmick. My definition of an AC solution is one that fixes the problem you have now without creating new problems. The AC solution isn’t determined by the name on the side of a box 9 times out of 10. It is to put you in the best possible position with what is coming in HVAC and what you have right now. My solution for you will take into consideration how long you plan to keep your current residence and what your goals may be concerning that situation. I can only do this in person. I am not here to play guessing games with your comfort.
A Trane Air Conditioning Repair Video in Katy, Texas. Come along and see why gimmicks and air conditioning don’t go well together.
HVAC is a very competitive market. Various companies will use various tactics to convince you they are better than some other HVAC company doing the same or similar things for your home cooling needs. Often times they use “free” enticements to lure you into their trap. This isn’t to suggest that replacing your entire HVAC isn’t needed. This is typically determined by age. If you’re not paying for this determination, the odds are you’re likely to be duped. In some situations it could be about the condition of the equipment. To an amateur how would you really know?
It’s not uncommon for home owners to pay me to go back to an AC unit that was repaired by another company. Or take over where that company may have left off due to the lack of real AC repair service. This kind of HVAC service isn’t free. Whether you have a manufacturer warranty or not, there is no warranty of any kind on an AC system that was improperly installed. Improperly installed by another HVAC company in most cases means? It means the AC turns on and off but it doesn’t work. What does work mean? Cool. The climate of Katy, Texas is hot, humid and uncomfortable climate without AC. We separate the men from the boys in the HVAC industry every year when the heat switch flips. The hotter it is outside will determine really fast how good or not so good your air conditioner will perform. Your AC doesn’t cool by magic. Your AC doesn’t cool because of the name on the side of the box. Anyone can install a new air conditioner. Making it work right, is where we separate the men from the boys in the Katy, Texas HVAC market.
Just because your AC turns on and off doesn’t mean it’s working. This machine doesn’t work by magic. Often times people try to self diagnose what might be wrong (even if their AC unit has been serviced in a while).
When the heat wave comes the comfort complaints follow to the tune of things like:
“My AC isn’t cooling that good. I think it might need some Freon”.
If it’s really hot outside it may be something like this:
“My AC is running but it’s blowing hot air…. I think it needs some Freon”.
Maybe someone gets a high electric bill and thinks something like this:
“There must be something wrong with my AC, my electric bill is too high… I think it probably needs some Freon.”
Air Conditioning Repair Katy Texas.
This sort of thing is common as the day is long. You notice a familiar thing mentioned above? Almost always people like to assume all it needs is some Freon (refrigerant). You might be surprised to know that nearly 90% of all air conditioning problems are electrically related. The video embedded above demonstrates this to a Tee. While Freon (refrigerant) leaks are a common problem, it’s not the only problem.
This is why the freebie call is dangerous. What do I mean by freebie? Context is important here because it tells you specifically what is meant and give you little room to “make something up” in your head. It’s not intended to belittle you… it’s intended for clarity so you understand what is meant by what is said.
Let me explain a freebie call to you: There are big HVAC companies that exist for the sole purpose of getting a salesman in your door. That salesman is paid (not by collecting a service fee) but by putting you into a high pressure sales situation. If it’s hot like 95F or hotter and you’re losing sleep, having to take off from work to wait for them to show up… all for the sake of a “free no obligation” opinion that is going to pay that salesman what is good for him and often times not so good for you. The free no obligation opinion is going to cost you time and probably a lot more than that if they sucker you. If you’re younger time is of little concern, you’re more concerned of the cost of something you likely have little to no experience with and you’re scared is my guess. HVAC equipment replacement is typically a once in 15 year event from a national average standpoint. I know this, you reading this probably do not.
The climate of Katy, Texas is mostly warmer. Furnaces here can last a long time, because HVAC equipment failures is often related to how much you use it. We use air conditioning here much more than we do heating. So this is why air conditioning problems here are often always a concern. You better be hiring AC service people you trust. If a tech is paid on commission, his livelihood is directly tied to what stuff the tech can sell you. Often times it’s things like accessories to your HVAC system that you don’t really need. Many of those accessories will require maintenance on a regular basis, if that maintenance isn’t performed the accessory won’t continue to work and as such the money you spent on it is wasted in as little as 1 year.
HVAC problems happen when they are least expected to happen. So these HVAC companies offering the “free no obligation” opinion is primarily there to sell you. This job that I show in the Trane AC repair video above doesn’t touch on the whole story because it’s difficult to put some of this stuff into a video. Plus I don’t want to negate the value of the text part of this air conditioning repair story to tell you other things and explain things the embedded Trane AC repair video above doesn’t delve into. Statistics tell me that I lose a good chunk of viewers after about 3-4 minutes. So if I make a nearly 30 minute video to explain a complex subject like HVAC most are scurrying to the next opinion. (Make sure you don’t fall into this statistic, it may cost you in ways you may live to regret.)
Humans want a silver bullet (fancy way of saying gimmick for little to no money) solution to their HVAC system problems. How is it that you think the big HVAC companies got big by offering “free no obligation” opinions? They make it sound really good getting you to call them – it’s a ploy that made them big for obvious reasons. They’ll even provide financing and possibly offer no payments and no interest for a full year? They’ll pay your interest the first year too? Folks, this is a gimmick. The price you pay the interest is paid in advance. You think a big HVAC company got big because they’re paying interest payments to the bank? Like I said people want to believe on perception rather than reality.
There might be a few of you who stumble across my ac repair blog post and come to the infamous conclusion that this post is a sham, scam or whatever because I actually replace the Trane AC in the video embedded above rather than really repair it in the sense that I replace the compressor rather than the whole AC condenser. The context I provide here is lost based on what people “think” should be done versus what is in their best interest.
It costs more money to replace the condenser than replacing the compressor? The price of everything is up since 2020. The cost of refrigerant is up over 400% since that time. Things are changing in HVAC in 2025, but 2025 is not here yet. The video touches on the “why” I replaced the condenser as opposed to just replacing the compressor. But you have to pay attention very closely… listen.
So what did I leave out of the Trane Air Conditioning Repair Katy Texas video?
I was actually the second HVAC company called to this house. I was referred to this home owner by a family member that resides in a different house. The first HVAC company was telling this home owner that the HVAC capacity was too small for this house. This is typically code for “Rip it all out and replace everything”. For an HVAC system that is not even 10 years old? I don’t know for sure but this was probably a “we’ll send you a free technician for no obligation” type HVAC company. I can only guess here I don’t know for sure.
If something else happens for this customer I’ll up date it in a coming video. If I fixed it once, I can fix it again. It will break again at some point in the future.
You may be thinking this from the video: If R410a refrigerant is being banned why would you recommend replacing a not so old condenser for a new R410a refrigerant condenser? R410a is going to be banned. How does this help this home owner?
Replacing a compressor in old unit is only going to give the home owner a 1 year warranty on the new compressor. If the condenser springs a Freon leak there’s no warranty on that. The fan motor fails, no warranty on that, starting components? Nope. This home owner recently purchased this home, they aren’t going anywhere. Longer term solution helps this home owner escape for a longer period as to what is coming in HVAC in 2025. Statistics. Remember I’ve been doing HVAC for nearly 30 years.
The R410a refrigerant ban is going to effect new equipment first. No new R410a equipment after December 31, 2024. The refrigerant itself will still be available but at higher cost. We currently do not know what the new refrigerants will cost. (R32 & R454b will be the new refrigerants in USA). Refrigerant leaks will have to be repaired regardless of the refrigerant. Either that or your wallet is drained every time your AC stops producing the cool.
R22 Freon (the old refrigerant) was banned too, but I can still buy it for repairs. It’s so expensive now that it’s often better to replace the equipment rather than pay for a refrigerant that is extremely expensive. There are knock offs that work like R22 Freon? Yes, but not as efficient. So your expensive light bill? Remember I have nearly 30 years in HVAC in 2023.
There isn’t any situation that I can’t defend my stance against (my opinion). I am a HVAC mechanic at the end of the day –spend some time on my website you’ll see I work on all brands. The common thing the brands all have is that they all break. It’s not my job to soothe your feelings with gimmicks. I tell you like it is for the simple reason I think you’re old enough to handle it.
There are ways to cut costs… these aren’t gimmicks though. You can’t rob Peter to pay Paul… you know like the “well give you a free opinion with no obligation” designed to get a high pressure sales person in your door.
You might be surprised how often it is that I am called 2nd, 3rd, sometimes 4th or 5th. Because all these other companies essentially do the same thing. They hire a bunch of techs / salesmen pay them on commission and if those techs don’t sell they don’t make any money. These HVAC companies want sales people. They don’t want repair people. It’s only getting worse due to what is about to happen… very soon there will be a “last call” for R410a equipment. The government isn’t going to allow dry shipped condensers like what occurred with R22 Freon equipment.
Big HVAC companies have to do this sales charade otherwise their so called techs would ride the clock. Can you imagine how fast a big HVAC company would go out of business if the techs they employed were paid an hourly wage with no reward for selling something? Who wouldn’t take the easy way out and just ride the clock? HVAC is big business and it’s about to get bigger. 2025. Tick Tock.
I can’t force you to think logically. I know these big HVAC company tricks because I was once a tech that was paid on commission. Big secret… now I work for you. It’s not free. My opinion is worth something. It’s not up for debate… I know you can handle it, you’re old enough to own a home you’re old enough for the truth.
The bigger point in all of this is: picking air conditioning based on a name that is only perceived as better? Is not truly better. It’s a myth. If the Trane AC repair video embedded above proves anything it should at least prove that in 4k butter your eyeball’s video content. I made this video to dispel the myth, it’s up to you to believe it.
Did I somehow miss something or said something that is not clear to you? Or do you have an air conditioning question or comment? That is what my you tube channel is for. Post your comment or question in the video comments section of the video you watched. Please act your age, profanity will not be tolerated on my you tube channel. I run a family HVAC business here, I service more than 1 generation of families in the Katy, Texas area. If you’ve had a lot of trouble with HVAC at your house I get it that you’re probably not too happy about it, but losing your “cool” isn’t going to help either.
A spin on what a big company often says on TV:
My mother said that if anything is worth being done it’s worth being done right. She also said that too many cooks in the kitchen will spoil the broth. Under those same guidelines imagine how many air conditioning problems might develop with your AC by having too many techs fumble with it.
There is only 1 Ray Austin, Air Conditioning repairs Katy, Texas
Maybe you’re unaware? There is only one Ray Austin. There’s two sides to every coin, unless you’re a magician.
Thank you for visiting me today. As always I hope your day is comfortable.
About the author of the #1 Katy, Texas air conditioning blog with video content:
My name is Ray Austin. I am the owner and operator of Austin Air Companie, a HVAC Service Company serving Katy, Texas | Cypress, Texas | Richmond, Texas | Fulshear, Texas and some surrounding areas. I am a Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor with 29 years experience in Air Conditioning and Heating Systems as of 2023. I hold an AOS degree in HVAC/R, EPA universally certified to handle any refrigerant and NATE certified in HVAC installations and repairs.
I am not, nor have I ever been at the mercy of investors or any outside influence. I am skilled to serve those that call me – I offer solutions that will work – I am skilled to fix problems as they arise afterward. Important to note: I am a capitalist. Austin Air Companie is a for profit business. You will always need a skilled HVAC contractor, probably more so now (2023 and beyond) than at any other time before.
I also own a rental property so I have a unique understanding of this part of the real estate market. Due to the nature of rental real estate the challenges coming soon (2025) could shake things up in a profound way. Your tenants won’t keep paying higher rents without proper air conditioning in a hot climate.
Thank you for considering my HVAC services.
The home of “better” Air Conditioning Service. Welcome, Home.
Austin Air Companie
A Ray Austin HVAC Service Company
832-475-6895
“Your home comfort from A to Z”
Air Conditioning | Controls | Heating | Zoning
For more information you can always visit me on my main website @
Hello and welcome to the #1 Katy, Texas air conditioning blog with video content. I hope everyone is well and more importantly comfortable. This particular “Freon leak” topic is one for the ages as there are so many myths and fairy tales associated with it that I find it almost nearly impossible to cover and dispel all myths and fairy tales. So if you’re told something from a different service provider that I don’t cover here please do my a favor and leave a comment on my YouTube Channel in the video comment section to the particular video you are watching.
Please note: The subjects covered here are primarily for the Katy, Texas area. Katy, Texas is one that depends heavily on air conditioning. I wouldn’t live here without air conditioning. Those that don’t live here may wait until summer hits and it’s hot everywhere not realizing that Katy, Texas has likely been at those elevated temps for months. Keep that in mind if you’re viewing this from somewhere more mild.
Climate and the challenges thereof mixed in with different opinions as to what comfort means to them. We’ve had a population explosion here in Katy, Texas as many people are moving here from all over. If you’re acclimated to a mild climate and move here you may be having comfort issues. This is nothing new to me. I moved here from Wisconsin over 22 years ago. While it can get hot in those northern states it’s typically short 3 months. In Katy, Texas the span of time air conditioning needed is more in the realm of 10 months.
Myth #1. People like to guess what is wrong with their air conditioner. I think it probably needs some Freon, they say. (refrigerant) I speak this way to inform you that Freon is a brand. There are many types of Freon and the term Freon is a brand name. It doesn’t specify what kind or type your air conditioner needs. The wrong type and you’ll have a costly mess on your hands up to and including the demise of your air conditioning system. Does this mean the AC needs Freon (specific refrigerant) or something else is wrong? Guessing is not or ever has been a good idea. To be honest it may need more than just refrigerant. While the need for refrigerant is a common problem, it is not the only problem. This is why you pay a professional to have your AC system inspected.
Live inor near Katy, Texas call Ray Austin now to schedule your AC repair
832-475-6895
It’s different when you’ve had AC service performed and the Freon leak(s) were not found, but refrigerant was added to the system and the AC system started working again for a time. Realize if the Freon leak(s) are not fixed, the Freon (whatever type it is) will leak back out again. An air conditioner is a refrigerant system that is completely sealed. As long as the Freon (refrigerant) doesn’t leak out your AC system will run indefinitely without ever a need for Freon (any type or kind).
An air conditioning system regardless of brand, regardless of type of Freon (refrigerant) can develop refrigerant leak(s) at nearly any time. Just because your air conditioner is newer doesn’t necessarily mean much. I am an air conditioning repair man with 29 years in HVAC as of 2023. I have been repairing air conditioners for longer than some of you have been alive. They all break, they all leak. Anything other than this mentality is a gimmick trying to convince you of something that is a myth. To be clear: “Your unit is leaking because of the name on the side of the unit” — is a myth. My brand is better than your brand is a sales mechanism to sell you a different brand. In a hot climate like Katy, Texas you have to choose something. But basing decisions solely on a brand name is not a good idea. Service after the sale is always an after thought.
The AC Freon (refrigerant) leak search video embedded below is one that the customer had more than one company come to her home and add Freon (refrigerant) multiple times over the course of several months. So in this situation I don’t have any service history other than what the home owner is telling me. Which is entirely different than someone who is just guessing as to what might be wrong / or if an unskilled person looked at it and is guessing. Sometimes I never know what I am going to run into.
I perform a Freon (refrigerant) leak search on a Goodman HVAC system that was leaking R410a refrigerant.
Air conditioning operation or “cooling” provided isn’t magic. An air conditioner doesn’t produce cooling. Heat is energy and that heat is merely transferred outside the structure by the work of the AC compressor that pumps refrigerant in a continuous “sealed” loop. This refrigerant is a type that is designed by the manufacturer of your AC unit that was determined thru engineering and designed specifically for your AC unit. There are 100’s if not thousands of different refrigerants. Right now for the air conditioning market this list may be comprised of a half dozen different refrigerants with R22 and R410a as the most popular.
R22 or Freon is the older of the two. This R22 refrigerant is very costly and most of the time this cost is better put into a new unit as opposed to trying to repair it. In 2023 this is more complicated because R410a is on the chopping block next. By January 1, 2025 there is likely to be an R410a new equipment ban.
Live inor near Katy, Texas call Ray Austin now to schedule your AC repair
832-475-6895
Two refrigerants to take the reigns for the high temp application (air conditioning is a high temp application if you didn’t know.) Will be R32 and R454b for the USA air conditioning application. Both of these aforementioned refrigerants have issues, neither are permanent fixes and if the USA is to hit the targets set by the Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol these both will be phased out again in 2035/ 2036 time period. Brand names of air conditioners will mean even less. Refrigerant costs are often reasons for replacing an air conditioner. I started this “New Freon Ban” topic in 2021 if you want the whole truth watch this 5 segmented play list video embedded below. If you don’t watch all 5 segments of the embedded video below you are not getting the entire picture. Approximately 2.5 hours in length in 2023 start to finish with the 2023 update at the end of the play list video embedded below.
New R410a refrigerant ban to turn into Freon Wars among the HVAC manufacturers of the USA. The fun begins in 2025.
Myth #2: A more flashy name brand air conditioner will fix everything. The problem I have is the brand name of my air conditioner. Certainly there can be lemons out there. A high use climate like Katy, Texas will create problems more so than you can imagine brand of your air conditioner has little to do with it (most of the time). If you call me I am not going to play the brand bashing game. I’ve fixed / repaired all air conditioning brands. If it breaks again? AC repairs are what I do all summer long. If I fixed it once I can fix it again or replace it with something newer.
Myth #3: Is your AC system suffering a symptom of being low on Freon (refrigerant) when in fact the Freon (refrigerant) charge is right? How do you know it’s right or wrong? What are you paying for?
There are many things that can happen to an air conditioning system over the course of it’s life that may make you think it’s a Freon (refrigerant) issue when it’s not.
Myth #4: I can’t understand why I should pay a professional before he inspects my HVAC system. (Service Fee) I cover this in the first embedded video above a little. I see the gimmick TV commercials. You know they pose the question that if you use them they will “earn” your business by doing a free service for you. But what they don’t tell you is that their so called “professional techs” —“Trained Techs” is that they are paid on commission. They are going to sell you something so they get paid. If that’s what you want be my guest.
To elaborate the “free call for their professional advice is more or less a high pressure sales call.” If the tech doesn’t sell something, they make no money. Do you honestly think a “pro tech” trained or not is going to keep working with a good attitude for no money? Why and how commissioned based sales often fall apart… is because it’s only about selling so they get paid. This job isn’t easy, the argument over money or how things are done, get done…. it’s hard to put this into words when it’s mild outside. When the heat comes, we separate the men from the boys and their toys in this climate of Katy, Texas. If you spend any time on watching my repair videos — well fact from fiction to me is pretty clear. But belief of something in this HVAC business isn’t entirely easy, even when I provide 4K butter your eyeballs video to show you.
I know these “big HVAC company” tricks — “gimmicks” that sound oh so good on the surface but in reality are nothing more than high pressure sales techniques to get their foot in your door. I know because I used to be a commissioned sales tech over 15 years ago before I got my Texas HVAC contractors license and started my own HVAC company. TACLB28416E.
This situation is completely different if your HVAC system is 20 years old or older. So you have to be realistic. Not saying a 20 year old system can’t be repaired, but not saying it’s a good idea to do that for reasons I will explain in person “after” I view the condition of your HVAC system in question. It may make sense to repair a 20 year old HVAC system, it may not. This is best decided in person with a real HVAC pro in which you’re paying for advice so they don’t just come to sell you something you may not need.
About the author of the #1 Katy, Texas air conditioning blog with video content:
My name is Ray Austin. I am the owner and operator of Austin Air Companie, a HVAC Service Company serving Katy, Texas | Cypress, Texas | Richmond, Texas | Fulshear, Texas and some surrounding areas. I am a Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor with 29 years experience in Air Conditioning and Heating Systems as of 2023. I hold an AOS degree in HVAC/R, EPA universally certified to handle any refrigerant and NATE certified in HVAC installations and repairs.
I am not, nor have I ever been at the mercy of investors or any outside influence. I am skilled to serve those that call me – I offer solutions that will work – I am skilled to fix problems as they arise afterward. Important to note: I am a capitalist. Austin Air Companie is a for profit business. You will always need a skilled HVAC contractor, probably more so now (2023 and beyond) than at any other time before.
I also own a rental property so I have a unique understanding of this part of the real estate market. Due to the nature of rental real estate the challenges coming soon (2025) could shake things up in a profound way. Your tenants won’t keep paying higher rents without proper air conditioning in a hot climate.
Thank you for considering my HVAC services.
Austin Air Companie
832-475-6895
“Your home comfort from A to Z”
Air Conditioning | Controls | Heating | Zoning
For more information you can always visit me on my main website @
Hello and welcome to the #1 Katy, Texas air conditioning blog with video content. Hope everyone is well, happy and more importantly –comfortable.
Comfort and what it means to you is the purpose of this blog. Everyone is unique in how they view comfort and the choices they make in regards to their HVAC comfort decisions affecting their house life and those that reside there.
Timing can sometimes have a dramatic impact on the choices you make. It’s not uncommon for me to get air conditioning trouble calls at the drop of the hat. Most of the time this happens when it’s hot.
So this AC blog post I have another unique air conditioning story to tell you about. This particular ‘cool’ story involves the Ruud brand of HVAC equipment. I embedded the video clip below. Another example to show the brand name game is truly just a game in a hot climate. They all break and as this story demonstrates they are not always easy fixes and not always really old equipment. HVAC equipment can break at any time, regardless of age or brand.
I repair a Ruud Air Conditioner in a more non traditional way due to the problem this air conditioner had.
This story from the video clip above should highlight the fact that any air conditioner, brand, or model can break. There is no magical ac brand here that is exempt from breaking in a hot climate. I work on and repair all brands of them in a hot climate. As illustrated in the video above repair means more than just replacing a part sometimes. Because it puts the current home owner in a position in which they want to be in later down the road.
What do I mean by the term “hot climate” mentioned above? When summer hits every where people will say: It’s no hotter in Katy, Texas than anywhere else right now. That would be true, you know without actually thinking about it. But if you actually live here you would understand that what I mean by that is the time we spend at those higher heat levels. Time, what is it worth? If you’re younger, time isn’t worth quite as much if you’re my age or older. When you get to be my age and older you begin to realize the time you have left isn’t imaginary. Remember what we just went thru in 2020? When I was young they called this wisdom. Today what do they call this?
In Katy, Texas our climate for AC ‘use’ is typically 10 months of the year. 2022 was exceptionally a hot year. How so you might ask? The number of days at or above 100F. Time again? I explain it to you like this not to belittle you or anyone… but to make sure not a single one of you reading this will leave this post without understanding what it is that I mean in what I say. They call this “context”. We live in a world of enthusiasts in which the only reason they exist is to tell you what you want to hear so they in turn get clicks and notoriety. If that’s what you want, you’re in the wrong place. I hope this explanation is clear to you.
The latest tech in the enthusiast realm is to get AI or artificial intelligence to write and or produce content. It’s interesting as I’ve played around with it some, but to this date as of 2023 it’s merely just interesting. The biggest downfall is primarily in the land of “context”. AI has trouble in the contextual realm. Why is context important? It also has trouble with remembering what it just said to you… unless you remind it what it just said. So to be clear you’re going to have to understand what context truly means in this new age we find ourselves in.
Another problem is that AI will produce a lot of dander and make what it says sound so convincingly true, that if you don’t know the subject at hand and “just run with” what ever AI produces for you and take it as fact? I shouldn’t have to spell out how dangerous that is – should I?
My point in this AI spiel I’ve found myself in is that this is me Ray Austin writing this. I filmed the video you see embedded in this thread, I edited the video for content, I came up with the idea of how to portray it to you and tell you this particular story (it’s real, nothing artificial about it). I also provided you the context so there is a far less likelihood that you misconstrue what I am talking about here. I know from my 29 years in the HVAC industry and 15 years of running my own HVAC company as of 2023 that as a homeowner your views of comfort are probably not to the level I am talking about here. This isn’t to put you down it is to help you understand my point of view and hopefully show and prove to you why I have the view I do. On a national average an HVAC system lasts around 15 years and within that time frame changes have taken place. Changes that you probably aren’t aware of. Even 2023 has changes you may not be aware of… I brush every so slightly on this topic in the embedded video above if you pay close attention.
In addition to that the video above also has a “special” segment toward the end of that video to demonstrate how things are changing in the residential air conditioning realm. This is merely but a small facet of “change” effecting the HVAC residential market. More changes beyond that are coming very soon. This particular blog post isn’t about telling you or showing you everything. It is to drive your interest to explore these things if you so desire. I have other blog posts dedicate to such things as this.
Freon Wars has a become a long running series now on my You Tube Channel. I plan to update this series annually as information about this subject comes out. I have this subject all nice and neatly laid out on my main website here. Currently there are 5 video segments there each about 30 minutes long. I cover this “Freon Wars” topic in depth. You will never be able to say I haven’t warned you. If you do I will refer you to these videos.
At the end of the day… if you live in or near the Katy, Texas area you will have to choose something to cool your home. I wouldn’t live in this area without air conditioning. Due to the nature of this climate and how much we use and depend on air conditioning to live here – for those reasons alone you will always need a good HVAC repair man. Probably more so now than any other time before. The new refrigerants come in 2025. R410a is likely to be hard freeze on new equipment January 1, 2025 unless something happens to push this date back.
The new refrigerants aren’t perfect. They too will be phased out again maybe as soon as 2035/ 2036 to hit the targets set by the Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol.
The “possible” advantage to replacing an air conditioner this year and next (2023-2024) is that you may be able to skip an entire generation of equipment. Remember AC’s from a national perspective last on average about 15 years.
My perspective is to not choose a brand name just because it’s a brand you recognize. All brands make a number of different models. You as a consumer need to know that brands at the lower cost spectrum are all primarily the same. There are very little differences among brands in that realm. Efficiency doesn’t always mean saving money. Make sure you understand this. Pick HVAC equipment for what it does and the comfort factors that are important to you. Realize in the higher realms of equipment including the Inverter Realm of equipment that not all brands are created equal. You must “clearly” understand those differences to truly get what you think you may be getting but are not. I like to call this looking under the “hood”. Look past the name on the box. What does it truly do AND how does it do it? These are all important things if you are looking for a quality AC system in 2023 and beyond.
If you’re looking for just an entry level machine brand names mean very little. What is more important is the installation. Comfort cooling isn’t magic. It is based on science. Just because it turns on an off doesn’t mean it’s working.
If you spend any amount of time on my website(s) watching video content from these sources you will see many instances in which repairing without replacing equipment is performed. This isn’t always possible due to a myriad number of factors as the Ruud AC video embedded above highlights. So if you call me and a AC repair is possible I will provide that option. Due to the nature of what is coming is primarily why this customer in the Ruud AC video chose what he chose along with the time constraints to getting his AC system back up and functional.
Thank you for visiting with me today. As always I hope your day is comfortable.
About the Author of Katy, Texas #1 Air Conditioning Blog with Video Content:
My name is Ray Austin. I am the owner and operator of Austin Air Companie, a HVAC Service Company serving Katy, Texas | Cypress, Texas | Richmond, Texas | Fulshear, Texas and some surrounding areas. I am a Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor with 29 years experience in Air Conditioning and Heating Systems as of 2023. I hold an AOS degree in HVAC/R, EPA universally certified to handle any refrigerant and NATE certified in HVAC installations and repairs.
I am not, nor have I ever been at the mercy of investors or any outside influence. I am skilled to serve those that call me – I offer solutions that will work – I am skilled to fix problems as they arise afterward. Important to note: I am a capitalist. Austin Air Companie is a for profit business. You will always need a skilled HVAC contractor, probably more so now (2023 and beyond) than at any other time before.
I also own a rental property so I have a unique understanding of this part of the real estate market. Due to the nature of rental real estate the challenges coming soon (2025) could shake things up in a profound way. Your tenants won’t keep paying higher rents without proper air conditioning in a hot climate.
Thank you for considering my HVAC services.
Austin Air Companie
A Ray Austin HVAC Service Company
832-475-6895
“Your home comfort from A to Z”
Air Conditioning | Controls | Heating | Zoning
For more information you can always visit me on my main website @
Hello and welcome to the #1 Katy, Texas air conditioning blog with video content!
So I have another unique cool story for you today. Everyone loves a cool story right? First we need to lay down some context because what you read here on my blog / watch in video related content are subjects related to a hot climate. The common argument against that is that when summer finally hits everywhere those areas will say it’s just as hot there as it is where I live in? Katy, Texas in case you weren’t reading what I was telling you.
Don’t skim over the facts. That would be misinformation. So a hot climate means what exactly? It means we run our air conditioners in and around Katy, Texas upwards of 10 months of the year. That time frame (amount of time) is typically more than 3 times as long as most areas of the US. The more you run a mechanical appliance, the more likely it will break.
These things are rarely spelled out for you because they will hire people to write a blog post that have no official training other than to just print a bunch of nonsense. It’s either that or they just skim over the fact that your cooling season in Kansas or similar climate is only 3 months long. Climate plays a big role in the comfort department. I live in Katy, Texas – you reading this – I don’t know where you live (this is the internet). Keep in mind I only provide service in and near Katy, Texas. That’s who this content is written for specifically. The content here is based on facts, experience and know how. Hopefully you find value in that – without value what would be the point?
This particular job of repairing a Goodman air conditioner (video embedded below) was initially what I did in May of 2022. I was contacted by this customer I call him Bob. You’ll see in the video that this Goodman AC condenser was in rough shape as a portion of the condenser coils had been eaten away. By June 2023 we were hitting 100F degrees nearly every day. It’s no real surprise to me this customer reached out again to see what I could do to help cool things down for him.
Goodman AC repair video Katy, Texas
For air conditioning to work well (in any climate, not just a hot one) there is a heat transfer taking place. Your air conditioner does not produce cool. It transfers heat. If that heat transfer is interrupted in any significant way, the hotter it becomes outside the less heat the air conditioner is able to transfer when you need that heat transfer the most. (hot gets hotter)
Which means inside your home the air your HVAC system blows out through your vent will not feel very cool. (Realize cool here is a play on words, because in air conditioning land there is no such thing as cool, just less heat. But the word cool is easier to understand. To illustrate further – how cool is cool? Your view might be different from mine and maybe even some people in your own household. Remember I’ve been doing HVAC for 29 years as of 2023. Comfort means different things to different people.)
Air conditioning is based on science. It’s not uncommon for an air conditioner to run but not cool properly. This is often taken for granted when trying to choose one brand over another. All HVAC brands break and the Goodman brand is no exception to that rule. The illusion manufacturers like to provide is that their brand (the name of their unit) is some how exempt from breaking. It’s an illusion for you to buy their product. Or in other words, you’re getting SOLD!
Often times sellers of other brands will bash other brands as inferior to sell you the brand they are selling. Realize they most often do this to sell you another brand. What makes it better than the one you have now? It’s new? It does something more than what your old one did? There are more reasons to replace an air conditioner than just because it’s broken. Efficiency of the system sometimes come in the equation here especially if the system is breaking down month in and month out. In a hot climate with 9 months or more of use a more efficient unit will reduce operation expense. Those expenses add up over time.
The best AC replace options come to those who plan to keep their current home. There are ways to recoup the cost thru high efficiency, especially if you are someone who likes it 75F or cooler in your house. Realize high efficiency units cost more up front but because of our long cooling season here in Katy, Texas in time those high efficiency AC’s will pay you back via reduced utility bills. Realize the more you pay for equipment the more this will affect your pay back. Not all AC systems are created equal in this segment of high efficiency. How high is high? There too you need to fully realize what exactly it is you are buying in this realm.
If you are selling your home soon there is little to achieve here as you are doing the job for someone else. It may help you sell the house, but that is about it in most cases. Obviously a broken air conditioner in Texas isn’t going to get you a full ask price either if you are selling your house.
What I show in the video above is that brand perception and how long one brand lasts isn’t inclusive of other brands or even the brand I show — I tell it like I see it and where the evidence leads. If you stick around and watch other video content I have coming soon it won’t be hard for you to see how long some more prominent brands lasted. It’s mostly an illusion to suggest one brand will outlast another brand. There is no real truth to it in my opinion. I fix air conditioners all summer long. All brands break. The brands like to confuse you as much as possible and this is due to only get worse. A trusted HVAC contractor, if you not using one now you may soon wish you had.
Thanks for visiting with me today. As always I hope your day is comfortable.
About the Author of Katy, Texas #1 Air Conditioning Blog with Video Content:
My name is Ray Austin. I am the owner and operator of Austin Air Companie, a HVAC Service Company serving Katy, Texas | Cypress, Texas | Richmond, Texas | Fulshear, Texas and some surrounding areas. I am a Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor with 29 years experience in Air Conditioning and Heating Systems as of 2023. I hold an AOS degree in HVAC/R, EPA universally certified to handle any refrigerant and NATE certified in HVAC installations and repairs.
I write my own AC blogs, create my own AC content via video filmed by me, I then edit that content so as to not bore you too much. Everything you see I do it myself. Hundreds and hundreds of your neighbors already know. You don’t need a spy balloon to see what is going on at your neighbor’s house. Subscribe to my you tube channel and you will be notified when your neighbors ac problem becomes my highlight reel.
I am not, nor have I ever been at the mercy of investors or any outside influence. I am skilled to serve those that call me – I offer solutions that will work – I am skilled to fix problems as they arise afterward. Important to note: I am a capitalist. Austin Air Companie is a for profit business. You will always need a skilled HVAC contractor, probably more so now (2023 and beyond) than at any other time before.
I also own a rental property so I have a unique understanding of this part of the real estate market. Due to the nature of rental real estate the challenges coming soon (2025) could shake things up in a profound way. Your tenants won’t keep paying higher rents without proper air conditioning in a hot climate.
Thank you for considering my HVAC services.
Austin Air Companie
For AC Service in or near Katy Texas: 832-475-6895
“Your home comfort from A to Z”
Air Conditioning | Controls | Heating | Zoning
For more information you can always visit me on my main website @
Hi there… I bought a Armstrong Air A/C about a year ago from a friend. From the get-go, when the unit starts up (upon engagement) there’s a loud boom.
I called him (the friend) about three months ago and he installed a hard start device on it. At first, it seemed to quiet the unit a bit but 95% of the time when it starts up it sounds like a shotgun going off.
I contacted Armstrong Air Corp office. All they said basically was to get an A/C guy out to examine it. I don’t see how this units life span will be long, plus it’s loud as heck. Any suggestions? Thank you XXXX.
End Quote.
So I called this guy (the home owner) and we had a lengthy discussion over the phone when it was convenient for me because of ‘time’ which is money in it’s most valuable form. Service isn’t free, time isn’t free and my labor cost doesn’t come from a manufacturer warranty.
The round about way this conversation went from the start is that he (the home owner) needed to get his friend (the person who installed this machine) to fix the problem. That was my suggestion.
He (the home owner) tells me this guy is no longer his friend.
The home owner paid friend for a product / service he didn’t get. Either the friend does the job he was paid to do OR…….. read on.
HVAC Repair Service Katy Texas Choices
You have choices, but if it’s going to involve me it’s going to cost you money. You can ask for suggestions via my contact form but 9 times out of 10 you’re not going to like what I have to say. I may offer you more than one option, each with it’s own set of risks. I am a AC repair man first, if it breaks again? I can probably fix it again under the same set of conditions as before. HVAC repair is my business in Katy, Texas.
It is better for you if you haven’t conflicted yourself with another HVAC contractor. The HVAC industry is changing as it occasionally does and sometimes it changes in ways that are not beneficial to you when you’ve put your trust in a company that doesn’t stand behind the equipment they installed for you.
Call Ray Today at 832-475-6895. 28 years in HVAC as of 2022. 14 Years running my own HVAC Service Company. Learn what 100’s and 100’s of your neighbors already know.
Noise is a complicated subject for a system that I have not inspected. This person was at the time I talked to him looking for a ‘simple’ fix. If this AC only needed a simple fix why didn’t his friend fix it? This circular logic isn’t to degrade anyone it is to offer clarity to the gravity of this particular situation. I warned him in advance that it didn’t sound to me like a simple fix is in his future.
I have installed numerous different air conditioning brands over the years and never once have I been faced with what is likely a compressor sounding like a shot gun blast every time it starts up.
I have no idea what was done when this unit was installed, let alone what was not done that should have been. So because of this it represents a ‘conflict of interest’ for me to become involved in it EXCEPT, that the home owner is willing to pay for whatever solution I offer to correct the issue. The manufacturer doesn’t pay for anything they merely provide a part with even more conditions in some situations.
I wasn’t the installing HVAC contractor to this unit, that is the job of the installing contractor to make this problem right on a AC unit that is about 1 year old as far as I know.
One such solution would be to replace the offending part of the system. The part that is making all the noise. But it’s a new 1 year old AC unit? If I were to replace this compressor under part warranty and the manufacturer determined later this part failure was due to something improper at installation, the manufacturer would have every right to deny the warranty of that compressor.
I then face the risk of being charged for this compressor when it wasn’t my job from the get go. So you understand why this is a conflict of interest. At least I hope you understand.
You have to realize I am here to do things right. It’s a trade mark within my logo. *Done Right*
If I installed the HVAC machine, some of it, part of it and it develops some problem like this I am going to stand behind it and correct it. I spell out what is covered on a warranty and what isn’t. In some unusual cases it *may* cost some money to repair the problem depending largely what is wrong with it and what is involved in fixing it / how long it took for the problem to occur.
There are limitations to every warranty. My job to fulfill a warranty is to ‘make you whole’ when I was the installing HVAC contractor. However, this doesn’t always mean it will be a free repair. Labor, Maintenance, power surges, rodents, refrigerants, equipment use to repair problems are not covered by any manufacturer warranty. Exception: labor is typically covered for 1 year by the installing contractor. Anything above that and you pay for it up front, but that will also come with additional requirements such as prepaid maintenance contracts to maintain the equipment. If those maintenance appointments are not performed, that extended labor warranty won’t be worth the paper it’s printed on.
What I spell out here is fact (truth). If you want a gimmick, you’re not going to find it here.
Refrigerants (Freon)
The refrigerant your system uses R410a has shot up in the realm of 325-340% since a year ago. (2022) Manufacturers do not cover refrigerant, even if I am replacing a compressor under a warranty for a unit that I am not responsible for. No I am not going to reuse the refrigerant in your current system because that refrigerant could be the cause of what is wrong with the system, or lead to that cause.
Does this mean I am not compassionate? No. I understand this home owner paid for a product and he didn’t get what he paid for.
If I have said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times that the installation of the AC unit is the most important part. It’s not just what you know, it’s also what you should know but don’t realize.
Sharing is caring. I share this subject freely to help you the home owner make wiser decisions. I give you choices. Currently this home owner has decided to do nothing, because he paid for a product & service he didn’t get from a different HVAC contractor.
If he decides to later use my services to correct this problem, I’m almost certainly likely to include this subject on an upcoming video on my YouTube Channel.
I gave him (the home owner) a choice, pay more money to me to investigate with a full fledge warning in advance based on my experience of 28 years that likely what I recommend to him isn’t going to be something he will like monetarily.
If Austin Air Companie is going to do some work for you, that work is something I am going to stand behind. Does that mean there will never be any more additional cost? No. I am well aware of the gimmicks floating around out there.
If they aren’t gimmicks there wouldn’t have been any need for this home owner to contact me this way.
Thank you for visiting with me today. I hope at the very least this AC blog post has offered some clarity and the importance of who you choose to maintain, service, repair & replace your home HVAC system.
As always I hope your day is comfortable.
About the Author of this Katy, Texas Air Conditioning Blog:
My name is Ray Austin owner/operator of Austin Air Companie a small HVAC service company that services the Katy, Texas area and some surrounding areas. I write my own blogs, I make my own videos, No investors, no intimidation to tell you like it is. My HVAC career is 28 years long, 14 of which running and operating my own HVAC service company.
If you call me, you will get me. There is no technician roulette wheel to spin here at Austin Air Companie. Call Ray Today! 832-475-6895
Did you know that HVAC is often times a game of cat and mouse? You see early on in my HVAC career I was forced to run calls for free. Because the managers / owners of the company I worked for were into games of tricking people. The advertisements were geared toward making the phone ring (promising free this or that). Then to make those advertisements pay off I was told to sell new HVAC systems. You have to do that to pay for those fancy advertisements from the TV. In 2022 advertising costs are even higher not to mention the cost of everything else.
If you are calling me I will inform you of all choices after inspecting your HVAC system(s) even repairing your air conditioner if that option makes sense. I am skilled in working for you, not just recommending something that is only beneficial to me. It’s about providing you an air conditioning service that you can rely on. I will do my best to explain the risks of doing what you decide to do. That is what a skilled HVAC contractor can do for you.
If I ran service calls for free now with gas prices where they are up over $4 a gallon currently (2022). That isn’t wise financially. I have to remain in business to serve the customers I have already. As I lay out things that are changing in the HVAC industry in this Katy Texas AC Blog post you need a skilled HVAC contractor more than ever. Unless of course you are naturally wealthy and can afford to replace your AC equipment over and over again.
The choice is yours to make. I lay it out for you then you choose what you think is best for you and your situation. If something else happens? Call me again. You will always need a good HVAC repair man, more so now than any other time before.
Anyone can say anything on the internet. I am well aware of that so I provide you some proof below that I can silence your air conditioning noise. The unit in the video below was much older. I was called out long after it had started making all kinds of racket. The unit shown in the below video made this racket for years, until it finally gave up the battle on a very hot summer day a few years ago….
Watch me fix the noisy Air Conditioner in the video below. I’ve been out to this house several times since this unit was fixed, repairing other parts of this HVAC system. The unit is still as quiet as it was the day I installed it.
You will always need a good HVAC repair man.
Austin Air Companie is the HOME of Better AC Service…. WELCOME HOME.
So I believe most everyone knows by now of this R22 Freon Ban a popular refrigerant that was used in air conditioners across the USA for the better part of the last 40 years or so. I still to this day find these machines and the result is often to replace this with air conditioners that use the newer refrigerant R410a Puron, that is often confused with the latter.
Up until about a few years ago it was sometimes feasible to just repair an R22 Freon machine, however this refrigerant has now become so costly it is almost always better to replace the equipment for a new air conditioner that uses R410a Puron. R22 Freon was banned because the chemicals in which it is made from contain chlorine and it was deemed unfriendly to the ozone layer in the atmosphere where it was cutting holes in that layer. (A layer in the stratosphere that protects the earth from UV rays of the sun)
R410a Puron Phase Down
R410a is set to be phased down for entirely different reasons than destruction of the ozone layer. There was an amendment to the Montreal Protocol in 2016 known as the Kigali Amendment. The reason why you may not have heard or know of this until now is that due to Trump being elected US President later in 2016 of that year the Trump adminstration ignored the Kigali Amendment thru out his adminstration.
What one adminstration can ignore, another can change course and expedite things under a Global Warming national emergency header. However, as I share this topic and delve deeper into where things are one thing will become abundantly clear. There is no perfect solution to this problem. It’s primarily a cat and mouse game at this point. (As of May 2022 things don’t look that great.)
In an attempt to give you a clear understanding of this topic I made a video what / how / why and when this is due. This video below is only a starting point to show how we got to this point. Video embedded below.
The cost of R22 Freon is primarily what is driving new replacements of air conditioners in my area of Katy, Texas which is a hot climate in which we run our air conditioners 9-10 months of the year most years. The con in all of this is you won’t live in Katy, Texas climate without air conditioning.
So essentially any AC you buy in 2022 will come with R410a. There’s no problem in that just on it’s own provided of course that new unit doesn’t spring a refrigerant leak. Oh well I have a warranty so you might think you’re ok until you dig out that warranty certificate to find out refrigerants are not covered by any manufacturer.
Refrigerant Wars
There are so many ways to slice and dice this… there are no easy answers I can assure you of that. So what can you do?
Educate yourself, I lay it out for you cut and dry this subject will be long. Don’t do your homework plan on an empty wallet no other way around that. If spending hours trying to educate yourself on such things is not your thing and you live in the Katy, Texas area? You could call me my name again is Ray Austin. Your own personal easy button. I will lay out your options for you considering your situation (whatever that may entail). Call me at 832-475-6895
Here is the start of a multi part discussion of possible future refrigerants, each of which will require new air conditioning equipment. No free lunch here. I decided to call this Freon Wars and you’ll see why as I post additional parts to this blog post.
Here is the second part 2b to refrigerant (freon) wars saga.
Here is the third part 2c to refrigerant (freon) wars saga.
Stay tuned / book mark this post as I will update it as things move along. Should know more the closer we get to 2023. Thanks for watching and thank you for visiting with me today.
About the Author of this blog post:
My name is Ray Austin owner/operator of Austin Air Companie a small HVAC service company that services the Katy, Texas area and some surrounding areas. I write my own blogs, I make my own videos, No investors, no intimidation to tell you like it is. My HVAC career is 28 years long, 14 of which running and operating my own HVAC service company.
If you call me, you will get me. There is no technician roulette wheel to spin here at Austin Air Companie.
Did you know that HVAC is often times a game of cat and mouse? You see early on in my HVAC career I was forced to run calls for free. Because the managers / owners of the company I worked for were into games of tricking people. The advertisements were geared toward making the phone ring (promising free this or that). Then to make those advertisements pay off I was told to sell new systems. You have to do that to pay for those fancy advertisements from the TV. In 2022 advertising costs are even higher not to mention the cost of everything.
If you are calling me I will inform you of all choices even repairing your air conditioner. I am skilled in working for you, not just recommending something that is only beneficial to me. It’s about providing you an air conditioning service that you can rely on. I will do my best to explain the risks of doing what you decide to do. That is what a skilled HVAC contractor can do for you.
If I ran service calls for free now with gas prices where they are up over $4 a gallon currently. That isn’t wise financially. I have to remain in business to serve the customers I have already. As I lay out things that are changing in the HVAC industry in this Katy Texas AC Blog post you need a skilled HVAC contractor more than ever. Unless of course you are naturally wealthy and can afford to replace your AC equipment over and over again.
The choice is yours to make. I lay it out for you then you choose what you think is best for you and your situation. If something else happens? Call me again. You will always need a good HVAC repair man, more so now than any other time before.
Before I get started with this subject realize that HVAC subjects of this nature are geared toward the climate I live in. I am a small HVAC service and repair company serving the Katy, Texas area and some surrounding areas.
I often choose these kinds of subjects based upon what I am currently witnessing in home AC repair solutions and those who may call some other company and are often times told they need to replace their whole HVAC system (heating and cooling) as opposed to just repairing it.
There are many reasons why it may make sense to replace your entire HVAC system just as much as it might be more beneficial to merely repair it. The reasons for doing it one way (repair system versus replace) may make more sense simply due to what is happening in the current HVAC market regarding new efficiency regulations that are about to take shape. However, in some situations it may not be worth repairing your system. I can only offer you ways forward from looking at your system in person. Much of this is a judgment call based on 28 years of doing HVAC for a living.
In this embedded video below I show several jobs I’ve performed over the past year or so. I also touch base on some other important info such as Freon Leak Sealers as well as gimmick providers that like to advertise on TV. You have to pay attention to get it.
DOE Energy Efficiency Requirements
DOE is an acronym for Department of Energy. Over the course of the past couple of decades changes have been made to require manufacturers to hit various efficiency thresholds. These requirements are getting ready to change again, the time in which they will is not just yet. They are coming. The picture currently isn’t quite clear. I expect this new equipment to start showing up later this year or early next year in my market. (Other markets may experience this sooner than mine, notably the California market.)
So if you replace a HVAC system now (this year 2022 in Texas) you will get the old efficiency requirement. R410a, the refrigerant used in all new AC & heat pump systems currently (2022) is in the midst of a phase out that is coming in California in 2023 and else where shortly thereafter (2024-2025).
New DOE efficiency requirement changes are due around the same time frame. The new refrigerant replacing R410a and the equipment supporting it are not yet available. It is expected to start showing up in my market (Katy, Texas area) sometime later this year and or early next year. There will likely be complications to these changes.
My opinion is that this probably won’t pay you to be an “early adopter” of the new technology that is due with in the next 2-3 years. (Early 2022 when this blog post was created.)
Eventually you won’t have a choice, or the choices you do have will have certain risks attached to them as in the cost of the refrigerant that is used to operate the AC system or Heat pump.
The Implementation of SEER2 for AC Efficiency
Currently Manufacturers use SEER. Which is an acronym of seasonal energy efficiency ratio. It is a ratio of efficiency that give you a round about way of knowing given certain climate conditions how much that selection of equipment will cost you to operate it. The higher the number the more efficient or “cheaper” it is to operate it by running it. The more you run it, the more you will save because it’s efficient.
This is similar to mpg in a car. If a car gets 30 miles to every gallon of gas, it is more efficient than a car that only gets 10 miles to every gallon of gas. The difference in a car that doesn’t make sense when applied to HVAC is that the car that gets only 10 miles the gallon is that it has higher performance, than that of a car that gets 30 miles to the gallon.
SEER2 is a new equation that does away with the old SEER equation. Because of this change, it is estimated by one equipment manufacturer that upwards of 70% of the equipment they make now (2022) will not meet the new SEER2 requirements. The benefit is that the Equipment made using the new SEER2 equation will be more efficient than the older SEER equation that it is replacing.
So for someone looking for a completely new HVAC system, now (2022) is not the best time to do so. If your HVAC system is older like 20 years or more this is going to bring you to a complex decision. If you live in or close by the Katy, Texas area I have helped hundreds and hundreds of your neighbors over the course of the last 14 years since I started my HVAC company in the latter part of 2008. There is a cost to come out, but that initial cost can be credited to any work you want me to do for you. You can call me at 832-475-6895.
The reason why older systems bring a harder decision that that a good number of them use R22 Freon. Usually these AC systems are leaking refrigerant, the only real way forward for most of these kinds of AC systems will most likely be replacement. Your choices will be few right now. If you can repair it, that repair will be costly and then you still have an old system that may not last. This comment is mostly to do with a hot climate in which I serve. If you lived in a more mild climate, I might have a different opinion. Just so you understand the context for what I am talking about.
In Katy, Texas we use our AC’s for upwards of 9 to 10 months of the year most years. That’s a lot of wear and tear. So you the reader understand why climate concerns play and important role as to the information you use to make a decision.
Freon Refrigerant Leaks, Home Ownership & HVAC
I recently visited a home in which the Evaporator coil was leaking Freon. R410a to be exact, but people still refer to this refrigerant as Freon.
The system in question was roughly 8 years old. The home owner had gotten a quote from another company and that company was pressuring him to replace everything. New furnace, new E-coil and new AC condenser. While it’s always an option to replace everything to fix a problem with your existing system, the more you replace the more it costs. If what you are replacing it with will be obsolete in a short amount of time, that’s not a *real* solution in my book. Certainly in some cases if your current system is older then a completely new HVAC system may be what you need.
I was at another home recently on an AC system that I personally replaced about 8 years ago. Different brand than the customer that I mentioned prior. Ironically the same failure. This is partly another reason I bring up this point is that brands don’t matter as much as you think they do. (Some people already realize this game for what it is, if you don’t yet — you will by the time you reach my age.) I am considered a straight shooter, tell it like it is kind of guy.
If you’re looking to higher efficiency, saving money on running your AC you have to go to a more major brand of HVAC. Generic brands, often called the value brands only make entry level efficient systems. Which essentially means the lowest efficiency they can make allowable by law. (DOE & EPA more or less determine what HVAC manufacturers can and can’t do.)
So that previous customer of mine has an older furnace. Because 8 years ago we didn’t replace that furnace. But upon inspecting it, still operational at this point and no real reason to replace it now as the DOE changes coming up it is better to wait. Our heating season in Katy, Texas is very short. So gas furnaces here get more of a work out in AC mode than they do in heating mode.
Different Climates, Different Concerns (location)
If you found this blog and live in a different climate, your concerns will likely be very different than the concerns in my climate in Katy, Texas. Comfort means different things to different people, no two of us are exactly alike. The other point in this part of the blog post about home ownership is how long do you plan to live in the home? If that estimation is short, any efficiency improvements may not fully pay for themselves.
The higher efficient systems cost more. Typically the difference in cost from a regular AC will be made up in a short amount of time. But the full cost of the improvement is likely to be in the 12 to 15 year range. Having a more efficient system will probably help you sell the house, but in current real estate markets homes are snapped up regardless because of scarcity, not what kind of HVAC system the house has.
If you need a new AC system anyway and you don’t plan to move or sell your home a choice to boost efficiency can recoup the difference from the run of the mill replacement AC to the more efficient AC. Air conditioners have come a long way. If the difference from one option is a few thousand dollars, that difference can be recouped rather quickly via the reduction of up to 50% in your electric usage. Then in only a few short years, you got the better AC system for essentially the cost of the entry level AC. (Note: not all AC’s can make this leap, this isn’t a gimmick.)
I’ve been repairing and fixing air conditioners longer than some of you have been alive. Like cool stories with good endings? Here’s some more for ya… I know the internet is a tricky place. Anyone can say anything. I’m not just anyone. I am Ray Austin. 😉
About the author of this air conditioning blog post:
My name is Ray Austin. Thank you for visiting with me today. I write all my own blogs, tell all my own stories in terms of various HVAC repairs made for others. Over the past few years the challenges have been extraordinary, from getting parts to finding equipment. I come well versed in these things even in these extraordinary times we find ourselves in.
Due to the nature of these pending efficiency standard changes the brand name won’t make any real difference. Once refrigerant changes / efficiency standards are changed the HVAC market will head that way. Certain HVAC equipment will become obsolete more or less over night. That situation will only effect you if & when your HVAC system breaks. This could be as short as a few short years for Katy, Texas area.
Regardless of HVAC brand, they all break. Look who you’re talking to? While there may be some opinions that the R410a refrigerant phase out will look something like R22 Freon phase out, I remain skeptical primarily because it is much harder to produce R410a AND Europe is mostly using R32 right now. (There is little reason to keep producing it.)
If your HVAC system can be repaired now, you may skip the costly replacement that may be short lived. The climate of Katy, Texas forces you to make a decision. Going without AC in this market? In my opinion that is not an option.
You will always need a good HVAC contractor in the Katy, Texas area. Ray Austin is a 28 year veteran of the HVAC business. I have 14 years of experience running and operating my own HVAC company. I have an AOS degree in HVAC, Universally certified in handling any refrigerant, Texas HVAC licensed TACLB28416E and insured.
Got an AC problem at your home in or near Katy Texas? Call Ray at 832-475-6895
Avoid the salesman mantra, call an HVAC contractor – call Ray Today!
