Austin Air Companie Blog : Archive for the ‘Working HVAC Contractor’ Category

New Air Conditioning Sales Truth

Monday, August 20th, 2018

Truth is a funny thing when it comes to sales. Sales of anything including air conditioning and heating equipment for that matter. We’ve all been duped by TV commercials that sell some new product with claims that more often then not turn out to be outright lies. They promise your money back, they promise if it’s ever broken they will give you a new one. A promise is made only to be broken. Tell me if I am wrong OK?

If you’re young and in your 20’s maybe early 30’s you may not know what I am about to share with you. Realize if you are in your 20’s I am twice your age. I know the sales game like the back of my hand. So take my hand and take a walk with me, as I share some of my own wisdom with you.

Our AC Product Is Better Than Sliced Bread

It’s not hard to make one product ‘look’ better than another if you make other similar products look worse. Often times it’s the ‘love’ of what one product claims. In most cases in the AC world of things it’s flashy words to put one’s HVAC product on a pedestal as being better than other competing HVAC products.

Lies masquerading as truth

For the most part a newly installed HVAC system can work flawlessly for quite some time because the longevity of a ‘completely’ new HVAC system can run for typically several years or more with little to no fuss other than changing air filters periodically. The funny part is brand doesn’t matter at all for the above to occur. Are you laughing yet?

Here’s a recent video I produced to describe this situation in clearer detail. Video embedded below from my youtube channel.

You see as a HVAC business owner and operator, my job is ultimately being able to fix your system when it breaks. All brands break. I’m well aware of all the flashy gimmicks that many times make you think other wise. They’re there to captivate you and in many cases deceive you to think some elusive better non breakable HVAC system exists, when your current HVAC system isn’t performing as it should.

With that said, there is nothing wrong with certain HVAC brands that proclaim to be better. However, there are those that proclaim to be better than they really are and they come at a premium cost wise. So when they do break you will pay more for parts. Remember most HVAC brands require manufacturer specific parts these days. Nearly all HVAC brands do this to some degree. If I have to drive further to obtain those parts and the manufacturing plants are further away from those distributors you could be in for a wait to get that system fixed. You see this is the ‘nitty gritty’ back ground thinking that I do for you. Time. What is ‘time’ worth to you in a 100 degree heat wave and a broken AC?

More and more HVAC manufacturer’s are using parts that are equipment specific so they can charge whatever they want for the part you need to repair your HVAC system. The cost of what ever the manufacturer charges me (or any other company) is passed down to you. Don’t kid yourself.

Reasons I Sell The HVAC Equipment I Sell

For 10 years I have been running my HVAC business. I have installed 8 different brands of equipment. Mostly to see if there is ‘really’ some brand out there that is truly better than other brands.

Realize I have been running HVAC service for 23 years total as of 2018. As I said above the last 10 years have been running my own HVAC company. I am a one man company. Today it is August 20, 2018. Feel like temps hit over 100 degrees yesterday. I am bored, waiting for the phone to ring.

If the HVAC brands I sold in the past, literally 100’s and 100’s of AC equipment pieces each with 10 year parts warranty. (I never sell anything with less than 10 year part warranty, unless customer requests it.)

If you truly think AC brand matters as much as some think, why or how is it that I have the time it takes to write this lengthy blog post in the middle of high heat summer? Why am I not working fixing the equipment I installed over the past 10 years because it was inferior? Truth is funny that way. Ok, how about now? Are you laughing now?

What is the reason this Copeland compressor is in this factory?

It’s none other than salesmanship. It’s like the TV ad trying to sell you (fool you) into buying the latest kitchen gadget or whatever it is they are selling this week. Remember the Proverb? A fool and his money are soon parted. I don’t play those kinds of games. The truth is a double edged sword. If you don’t like the truth, your only option is to deny it. How much fun is that going to be?

Advertising monikers that are ridiculous once things displayed in the embedded video below are realized. The moniker I am referring to in this preface is Carrier’s slogan of ‘Turn To The Experts’. So now watch the video embedded below to fully realize who the expert is here. (A manufacturer that uses plastic for things that should be made of steel, is not an expert in my opinion.)

The real reason I sell what I sell is access to parts when the AC system does break. Remember they all break. The better you take care of it the less likely that is. Another reason is ease in which it is to obtain those parts. Time, what is it worth to you? I am older now, so time is pretty expensive to me.

I live less than a mile from my main parts distributor. That main distributor gets the parts from the factory that is located less than 20 miles away. The warranties I get from this manufacture for higher end equipment are second to none.

My work ethic is second to none. My prices are reasonable for what I do. Quality comes from legendary response times and the knowledge to know how to correct a mistake ‘before’ becoming a critical problem. I answer my own phone. I joke around a lot within my advertising, mainly because I get bored so frequently and comedy is something that some people can relate to.

The jokes end when your comfort is on the line. I take my job seriously, when I am on the job. There is a time and place for everything.

The HVAC Equipment Is Your Choice

I am merely an ‘experienced’ guide to help you make not only a wise choice, but also become your HVAC servicer. AC Equipment sales are here one minute gone the next. If a HVAC servicer can’t repair equipment, then where does that leave you?

I repair all brands. How could I have installed 8 different brands over the years and only know how to work on a few of them? The only reason I say these things is to help you (the reader) to better understand how this works and the risks involved. There is risk driving down the road. Right?

I merely present you options or choices if you will as to what you want (what features are important to you). Whether it’s repairing or replacing your system it’s your choice to do so.

If the choice you make doesn’t work as you think I am here to fix it again or replace it. I am skilled in both. I am a licensed HVAC contractor.

The HVAC Equipment Brand You Sell Has Bad Reviews

I have some news for you, it wasn’t me who installed it. Therein lies the difference. It’s very common for competing HVAC companies to show you bad recent reviews of equipment brands they do not sell. If you check third party review sites of the equipment brand they are ‘trying’ to sell to you then you will see the brand they are selling you is just as inferior as anything else. Back in the day, I believe this was called ‘The Shell’ game.

Remember, you’re not buying a toaster. It takes skill to install a new HVAC system. It takes even more skill to be able to fix one. All HVAC brands on third party review sites rank the same at about 1 to 1.5 stars.

Proper installation and skill are the main ingredients to a great HVAC Equipment Installation.

HVAC equipment manufacturer’s have all changed in the past 10 years (bought out by other companies). Nothing is the same as it once was. Snap out of it. There is only one ‘real’ reason you use a professional. That is ‘TRUST’.

Thank you for visiting with me today. As always, I hope your day is comfortable.

About the author of this blog:
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 and some surrounding areas. I am a Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor with 23 years experience in Air Conditioning and Heating Systems (TACLB28416E). I hold an AOS degree in HVAC/R, EPA universally certified to handle any refrigerant and NATE certified in HVAC installations and repairs.

About Austin Air Companie:

Austin Air Companie Celebrates 10 Years

Celebrating 10 years in 2018.

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 at:

www.austinairco.com

Better Service. Done Right. On Time. Guaranteed.

Tags: ac reviews, ac sales truth, HVAC brand review truths, new ac system, pro ac system install, the best ac brand, the best ac system
Posted in 2 speed air conditioner, AC Equipment Installation, AC problems, AC Repair, Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Freon Leaks, Air Conditioning Maintenance, Air Conditioning Pro, Air Conditioning Repair, Air Conditioning Specialist, Better home comfort, Energy Efficiency, Furnace Repair, Furnace Repair, Home Improvement, HVAC Contractor, HVAC service provider, HVAC system does not turn on, noisy air conditioner, Professional AC Repair, R22 Freon & R410a Puron Leaks, R22 Freon Problems, Uncategorized, Working HVAC Contractor | Comments Off on New Air Conditioning Sales Truth

Air Conditioner Does Not Turn On

Thursday, May 24th, 2018

If your air conditioner doesn’t turn on it’s typically a frightening thing, because often times the thought is that the AC has died. Death of anything is never a pleasant thought.

Just because your AC does not come on, doesn’t necessarily mean that you will have to buy a new one. Sometimes that is the case, but many times this situation is due to various electrical communications that determine whether the air conditioner will turn on or not. If there is a break in the electrical communication your AC needs to operate, often times it will simply shut off because it’s either a control problem or power problem in which power is interrupted for some reason.

Heat Kills Air Conditioners

Air Conditioning Electrical Systems

Air Conditioning requires electricity to run or operate. So the reason the AC is not operating (turning on) has to be inspected to determine the cause. Because there are varying voltages from 24 volts to 115 volts up to 240 volts and multiple circuits for your HVAC system to operate it’s much more complicated than most people realize.

Differing Electrical Voltages Do Not Mix

HVAC Electrical Systems Require Maintenance

We all take electricity for granted, until the day in which the power goes out. We all know the electrical grid that supplies our homes require maintenance such as the replacement of transformers and tree trimming. These services are provided to us by the power company that maintains the electrical grid that provides electrical power to our homes. We pay for these kinds of services indirectly when we pay our electric bills. A portion of your electric bill pays for the maintenance service of the electrical grid.

However, these exterior electrical maintenance services do not extend to inside your home. When your electrical grid in your home breaks down and various things in your home quit working properly it’s either the device itself or the outlet or power connection to the device in question. We’ve all gone to turn on a light switch and the light bulb blows and burns out the minute the switch is turned on. Your HVAC system is similar to this kind of wear and tear, just on a larger scale.

Electrical Power For Your HVAC System

Your HVAC system is unique in that the AC system nearly always has multiple circuits and as many as 3 different voltages at most residential homes. Commercial HVAC equipment can be considerably different so realize for the purpose of this Katy, Texas Air Conditioning Blog Topic I am mostly referring to the residential HVAC market. Due to the complexity of these multiple and varying voltages required for your HVAC system to operate properly it is in your best interest to seek a LICENSED HVAC Professional to correct and repair electrical problems with your HVAC system.

Each Electrical Circuit Is Important

Electricity & Personal Safety

You can’t mix voltages. For your safety it is in your interest to seek a ‘Licensed’ HVAC professional to work on and service your HVAC system. Without proper repairs, you are risking your own safety, damage to your HVAC system up to and including major system damage. In addition to those risks you also risk the possibility of creating an unsafe condition that could cause a fire. Your home is the single largest investment that you will make in your lifetime. You do not want the experience of a house fire on your life resume.

I speak from experience: It’s not uncommon for me to go to various calls through out the year in which a home owner has attempted to repair their HVAC system and more often than not they have only made the situation worse. Please do not risk your own safety. Hire a Licensed HVAC pro, it’s the best way to go. (TACLB28416E)

Resetting Your Air Conditioning Breaker

It’s not uncommon that a situation may occur in which your AC breaker trips due to a electrical storm that blows though the area in which you live. I provide you with a video below that provides basic (safe) instructions on how to perform this task to reset your AC breaker. If your system is elaborate or different than the norm it is my recommendation that you hire a licensed HVAC professional to perform this task for you and give the AC system a thorough check.

You can subscribe to my You Tube Channel here.

If your AC breaker continually trips the breaker or does not reset, your system is telling you there is a bigger problem that should be investigated thoroughly. Seek the wisdom of a Licensed HVAC Contractor in these situations.

Thank you for visiting me today. I hope your day is comfortable.

About Austin Air Companie: Celebrating 10 years in 2018.

Austin Air Companie Celebrates 10 Years

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 at:

www.austinairco.com

Better Service. Done Right. On Time. Guaranteed.

Tags: AC does not stay on, AC trips breaker, ac will not come on, ac will not turn on, air conditioner does not turn on, HVAC system does not turn on
Posted in AC does not turn on, AC problems, AC Repair, AC system will not turn on, Air Conditioner does not turn on, Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Maintenance, Air Conditioning Pro, Air Conditioning Repair, Air Conditioning Specialist, Furnace Repair, Furnace Repair, Furnace Repair, Home Improvement, HVAC Contractor, HVAC service provider, HVAC system does not turn on, Professional AC Repair, Uncategorized, Working HVAC Contractor | Comments Off on Air Conditioner Does Not Turn On

Air Conditioner Runs And Runs Does Not Shut Off

Thursday, May 17th, 2018

This is a very common air conditioning ‘symptom’ but the solution for this symptom isn’t always the same for every air conditioner that suffers from this kind of symptom or deficiency if you will. To understand this better you have to realize the function of what an air conditioner does.

There Is No Such Thing As Cold

Whoa, hold the phone! No such thing as cold, you’re kidding right? No. There is only heat and the absence of heat is cold, but the proper term would be less heat. There is heat to some degree in air down to -459.67 degrees Fahrenheit. This is defined as Absolute Zero. The point in which there is no heat or if you prefer: the lowest temperature that is theoretically possible, at which the motion of particles that constitutes heat would be minimal.

absolute zero definition

My AC Just Runs And Runs

How this relates to your air conditioner is that if there is too much heat your AC system will run and run and run, because the thermostat is what cycles your air conditioner off. You may get some cooling from your AC system, but the air coming from the vents may not seem that cool during the heat of the day. This could be due to mechanical means as much as dirt clogging things up or thermal breaks in your hot attic that are contributing to causing your air conditioner to struggle to removing the heat from your home.

In some cases your AC system may be at fault, while other times it may be something else. In our climate of Katy, Texas (a west Houston suburb) our residential HVAC system design parameters for air conditioning is 95 degree outdoor and 75 degree indoor. People move to this climate every year and are often accustomed to lower indoor temps, this can also influence a lot of these kinds of problems because just setting the dial to a number doesn’t necessarily mean your system will be able to achieve ‘the number’ under all HVAC load conditions. This is really best explained within the home after the AC system has been inspected for potential trouble spots.

AC Air Blockage Causes Problems

AC Not Cooling Enough (AC Low Cool)

You see, your AC system operates by removing heat (commonly referred to as a load or heating load) from inside your home and expelling this heat outside your home. If your AC is running normal, you should feel warm air coming from the top of the outdoor condenser unit that sits outside your home. That warm air is from your home. If your AC condenser is really hot, this is typically not a good condition and should be checked.

An AC system is only as good as its greatest weakness. I can only check to see what the weakness of your AC system might be in person. Typically if an AC is not cooling properly it is generally a capacity type issue of some kind. These issues vary and is yet only another reason why the HVAC system must be inspected in person.

Proper Air Conditioning Maintenance Service

There are a myriad of reasons an air conditioner displays these kinds of symptoms. Dirty filters, Improper filtration (restriction), thermal envelope breaks, lack of ‘proper’ maintenance, lack of ‘proper’ repairs, mechanical problems , dirty coils, improperly sized (duct work, equipment), improperly designed (using zoning improperly, duct system problems etc.), improper refrigerant charge (either low charge or too much) and the list goes on and on.

If your HVAC system is exhibiting symptoms of what is being described in this Katy, Texas Air Conditioning Blog:

Then your AC system should be checked and diagnosed by a HVAC ‘licensed’ pro in person. Usually this can be accomplished by an AC systems check or as part of an annual maintenance visit. My company doesn’t use technicians. I am a Texas licensed HVAC contractor TACLB28416E with 23 years experience as of 2018. I will personally come to your home to diagnose your system.

By signing up on an annual maintenance contract you get on a program to have regular maintenance performed on your HVAC system by a licensed Air Conditioning and Heating Professional, I will keep track of it and call you when it’s time to check your system(s). This service is only available to homeowner’s who sign up on an annual twice a year maintenance contract. (Residential)

The kinds of problems mentioned within this Katy, Texas Air Conditioning article can effect any AC system of any age or brand. This is why an annual HVAC maintenance plan is recommended by all HVAC manufacturers. Problems like these don’t always mean the system ‘has’ to be replaced to fix these kinds of problems. But this is rarely a one size fits all kind of problem. Sometimes the system can be repaired and in some cases it may require partial replacement and there are other cases in which it is better to replace the whole system because the condition of the equipment is such that it’s not worth the risk to repair only to have it break down again / or there is some AC system design problem that can’t be repaired any other way.

I often give multiple options to repair and or replace. On rare occasions it can be my opinion that only replacement is the best option. Realize this is 23 years of experience talking. My goal is always to fix the problem the best way possible and move on, sometime those options are extremely limited. It serves no purpose to repair your AC system only to have a slew of additional problems. I lean on my 23 years of experience in dealing with these kinds of issues. It’s completely up to you if you wish to trust that judgment or not.

R22 Freon Production Ban

If you haven’t heard of this R22 refrigerant ban by now you’re in for a treat. Well, not really. This little fact only complicates and confuses an otherwise already challenging Air Conditioning repair market. In some cases, AC systems that use R22 Freon as the refrigerant of the system in question may make repair options much more costly now and even more so in the future.

Currently it is best to have these kinds of discussions in person with me, as not all situations are created equal, and time can and does change various things like costs and in some cases new emerging technology. I can come up with a plan to deal with this effectively to transition your home away from relying on R22 Freon (refrigerant) to cool your home. However, there isn’t some magical process that doesn’t include replacing equipment, so you have to be ‘realistic’. The R22 production ban takes effect Dec. 31, 2019.

While I expect to be able to still buy R22 refrigerant after this date the cost will most likely be much higher than it is today (2018). Because of the climate in which I do business. (Hot & Humid, up to 10 months of the year) I do not endorse or use alternative refrigerants that reduce capacity / increase utility costs / higher likelihood of compressor damage and so on for the High Temperature application for which R22 and R410a refrigerants were designed for. If your system was designed for R22, that is the type of refrigerant I use. I do not reuse old refrigerant, I reclaim it and return it to refrigerant reclaim center. All refrigerant placed in your AC system is the proper type of virgin quality refrigerant that your AC system needs.

Reused refrigerant could be contaminated by acids. These acids form naturally in an AC system that runs ‘hot’. If I pull refrigerant from someone else’s system that is contaminated place it in my reclaim tank, that tank is now contaminated. Refrigerant that is acidic will eat the windings of your poor old compressor. The repair (if any) will be short lived. In some cases the damage may already have been done to some extent before I even arrive on the scene.

Do you live in or near Katy, Texas | Cypress, Texas | Richmond, Texas? If you do you can call me personally at 832~475~6895 (My name is Ray Austin) and schedule your AC system check up and maybe set your systems up on a better preventive maintenance cycle and cover your systems on my twice a year maintenance contracts. That way I will remind you when it’s time to get your HVAC system(s) checked. I will help you stay on top of these AC maintenance issues that pop up from time to time to limit these kinds of problems from appearing in the first place.

Thank you for visiting with me today. I hope your day is comfortable.

About Austin Air Companie: Celebrating 10 years in 2018.

Austin Air Companie Celebrates 10 Years

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 at:

www.austinairco.com

Better Service. Done Right. On Time. Guaranteed.

Tags: ac keeps running, AC not cool enough, ac runs and runs, ac runs long time, ac will not cycle off, ac will not turn off
Posted in AC just runs and runs, AC problems, AC Repair, AC runs and runs, AC will not shut off, Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Freon Leaks, Air Conditioning Maintenance, Air Conditioning Pro, Air Conditioning Repair, Air Conditioning Specialist, Home Improvement, HVAC Contractor, HVAC service provider, noisy air conditioner, Professional AC Repair, R22 Freon & R410a Puron Leaks, R22 Freon Problems, Uncategorized, Working HVAC Contractor | Comments Off on Air Conditioner Runs And Runs Does Not Shut Off

Copper Coils Versus Aluminum Coils

Sunday, April 15th, 2018

The residential HVAC industry has been going thru many changes over the past decade or so in terms of the metal materials they use to make certain pieces of HVAC equipment.

To give you some understanding first, there are two different separate type of coils that your HVAC system uses for your air conditioner or heat pump to work properly. The outdoor coil is the condenser coil, the indoor coil is the evaporator coil. This subject is primarily dealing with the indoor evaporator coil.

HVAC Refrigerant Leaks In All Aluminum Evaporator Coil

Come with me on a repair call in which I repair a Freon (refrigerant) Leak in an all aluminum evaporator coil. (Watch video embedded below) I also discuss the copper versus aluminum debate in the video.

This Katy, Texas AC blog subject for today is regarding the indoor coil or evaporator coil section of your residential HVAC system. Because usually, this part of the system starts to leak refrigerant more frequently than the outdoor or condenser coil. (Realize the AC refrigerant leak you may have could be in the outdoor coil just as much as it could be in the indoor coil: proper diagnosis must be performed, a guess is not a diagnosis. Just because an evaporator coil refrigerant leak is more common, doesn’t mean that this is where your refrigerant leak is.

As of 2018 nearly all, if not all manufactures of HVAC equipment make all aluminum evaporator coils. Copper tube and aluminum fin evaporator coils are at the beginning of the end as manufacturers continue to cut costs from their AC manufacturing processes.

Aluminum Coils Are Better Than Copper Coils

All Aluminum Evaporator coils are often called a new way of doing things. Truth be known, this isn’t the first time the HVAC industry used all aluminum evaporator coils. (indoor evaporator coil, don’t get this confused by the spiny fin aluminum condenser coil of Trane / American Standard brands, which was invented by GE in the early 1980’s.) With that said, about 30-40 years ago Carrier made their air handlers with all aluminum evaporator coils. The difference now is that the technology is much better this time around, but not infallible.

The problem with the technology back then was the connection point to the copper line set. They used a compression type connection to connect the line set to the evaporator coil. After some time this connection would leak. With no real way to repair this leak, the solution was to replace the coil with a copper tube and aluminum fin coil. You see when I say ‘copper coil’ I mean copper tube and aluminum fin. Manufactures to my knowledge have never made an all copper evaporator coil for residential air conditioning systems. That would be very costly, not to mention very heavy.

All Aluminum Evaporator Coils Are Probably Here To Stay

The drive away from copper tube evaporator coils is in my opinion due mostly to cost of the metal and because it’s been determined that formicary corrosion is leading to increased failures of this type of evaporator coil this increases the home owners cost as well as the manufacturer of the coil, because as the coils have become larger due to equipment efficiency requirements, the walls of the copper tube to these evaporator coils have become ‘paper’ thin or very close to it, which gives little to no protection against formicary corrosion.

To find out more about what formicary corrosion is and what it looks like watch the video embedded above. There are examples of formicary corrosion within the video. This type of corrosion effects all brands of copper tube and aluminum fin evaporator coils. The formicary corrosion attacks the copper part of the coil which causes it to leak refrigerant.

High efficiency air conditioning has driven up material cost in recent years because requirements to increase efficiency have made coil sizes increase as well. More material = higher cost. It’s only common sense that by using cheaper materials a manufacturer (all manufacturers) can cut these material costs.

So because aluminum is not effected by formicary corrosion, aluminum is the better coil material? Aluminum is a very reliable material. However, this does not mean an all aluminum coil will not fail ‘at some point’ due to refrigerant leaks.

Remember we’ve been here before with all aluminum coils (30-40 years ago). While the technology now is considerably different and in my opinion much better than before, aluminum coils can fail (spring refrigerant leaks) just as much as a copper tube aluminum fin can. Watch the video embedded above if you think an all aluminum coil can’t leak refrigerant.

I have installed many, many all aluminum coils over the course of my illustrious HVAC career (23 total years as of 2018). It is my opinion that all aluminum coils are a good replacement option in light of the formicary corrosion problem that is well noted and documented by the HVAC industry as a whole.

However, all aluminum coils used as evaporator coils in your AC system are not without their own set of problems or short comings. While all aluminum evaporator coils are currently better than the copper tube and aluminum fin coils they are replacing and quite reliable this doesn’t mean they will not fail at some point. If a salesman is trying to sell you on a shiny all aluminum coil, realize nearly all manufacturers make an all aluminum evaporator coil. This feature is nothing special as of 2018.

Air Conditioning Refrigerant Leaks To Remain A Challenge

Refrigerant leaks have always been a challenge to one degree or another in relation to an AC system. The difficulty now is that your AC system must be refrigerant leak free due to the rise in cost of all refrigerants. The method of recharging systems without leaks being repaired is a method of the past. It is no longer cost effective to do these practices any more.

If you watched the embedded video above demonstrating where this particular all aluminum coil failed, my personal opinion is that this coil most likely failed by some sort of corrosion because the coil sits in condensate waste water from air pulled from the home. It is unlikely this leak was cause by any other means.

Because I install all my own equipment, is the reason I can say such things without a shadow of a doubt. Certainly there could be other reasons not yet known. If anything, this example in the video shows the complexity of this subject.

There is no such thing as an air conditioning system that doesn’t fail, for one reason or another. You will always need a good reliable HVAC repair man. Maybe it’s me?

So what can you do? Build up a service history with me. (CHECK MY SERVICE AREAS HERE) I keep track of things of this nature via your service invoice, if a particular coil is failing often I will attempt resolution by offering other solutions. Some manufactures are better at different things and or different configurations of HVAC equipment. Just realize this isn’t a gimmick as I know that all brands of equipment fail at some point, the idea is to limit or reduce the failures as much as possible.

This is another reason why I sell more than one HVAC brand and these decisions are constantly being evaluated. I don’t just blindly keep replacing the same brand coil over and over again as it is my opinion this would result in insanity. Obviously this is ultimately your decision how to proceed, but I will at least attempt to offer another option that may give a better result due to my own personal experience in equipment choices I have sold in the past to other customers.

Currently my failure rates of all aluminum coils (any brand) that I originally installed is less than 2%. Some AC brands I’ve installed the failure rate on the coils is currently 0% (it’s likely not a brand you know). While all aluminum evaporator coil failures do happen it’s not as often as you may think. Some equipment configurations are more susceptible than others.

Thank you for visiting with me today. I hope your day is comfortable.

About the author of this blog:

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 and some surrounding areas. I am a Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor with 23 years ‘hands on’ experience in Air Conditioning and Heating Systems. I hold an AOS degree in HVAC/R, EPA universally certified to handle any refrigerant and NATE certified in HVAC installations and repairs. I specialize in Residential HVAC systems.
About Austin Air Companie:
Happy Birthday! Turning 10 years old in 2018. Has it really been this long?

Austin Air Companie Celebrates 10 Years

Austin Air Companie

832-475-6895

“Your home comfort from A to Z”

Air Conditioning | Controls | Heating | Zoning

For more information you can visit me on my main website at

www.austinairco.com

Better Service. Done Right. On Time. Guaranteed.

Tags: aluminum coil better than copper, aluminum coil freon leak, aluminum coil leaking, coil leaks refrigerant, copper coil freon leak, copper coil vs aluminum, formicary corrosion copper coils, R22 Freon Ban, refrigerant conversion
Posted in AC problems, AC Repair, Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Freon Leaks, Air Conditioning Pro, Air Conditioning Repair, Air Conditioning Specialist, Home Improvement, HVAC Contractor, HVAC service provider, Professional AC Repair, R22 Freon & R410a Puron Leaks, R22 Freon Problems, Uncategorized, Working HVAC Contractor | Comments Off on Copper Coils Versus Aluminum Coils

AC Freon Refrigerant Leaks & High Pressure AC Sales

Sunday, March 25th, 2018

The terms Freon and Refrigerant more or less mean the same thing when people use them in a sentence when referring to an air conditioner’s coolant gas. However, Freon and refrigerant terms are very broad based terms that only attempt to suggest what is really meant.

You see the word Freon is actually a trademark owned originally by Dupont Corporation and is now owned by Chemours Company and the refrigerant term is another broad based term that more or less means the same thing.

Repairing R22 Freon Leaks

Come along with me on a AC repair job I did to eliminate R22 Freon Leaks. Watch the video below.

You can subscribe to my You Tube Channel here.

Air Conditioning R22 versus R410a Refrigerant

You may be surprised to know that there are literally dozens of refrigerants all uniquely different depending on the application in which the refrigerant was intended to be used. You can’t put gasoline in a diesel engine and expect it to run, just as much as putting the wrong refrigerant in your central air conditioning unit in your home HVAC system. This will not work well and certainly not for very long.

All refrigerants are solvents to one degree or another and some refrigerants are also fuels and so because of flammability concerns they make poor choices for being used as a refrigerant. Propane and Gasoline are good examples of poor refrigerants because of explosion potential.

As refrigerants pertain to the high temp air conditioning market (residential and commercial structures) there are really only 3 refrigerants that represent reasonable long term choices. A few more refrigerants are being considered for the future as of 2018.

The old refrigerant being phased out is R-22. The new refrigerant is R410a. R410a refrigerant is really not all that new. R410a has been around for over 25 years if you can imagine that.

This R410a refrigerant was made by Honeywell in 1991, but was known as Allied Signal back then. The first R410a AC systems for residential use were installed in 1996. Currently many refrigerant companies make R410a refrigerant under licenses provided by Honeywell.

The change over to this new R410a refrigerant has been slow, mostly because equipment must be replaced to be able to use it and because pressures at which this R410a refrigerant operates at is considerably different than the R-22 refrigerant that the HVAC industry has grown accustomed to.

There also can be complications in some structures which can increase the cost to change over in addition to equipment costs. For the longest term and most efficient use, R410a is ultimately best choice for high temperature air conditioning application as of 2018.

R-22 Freon Cost Expected To Keep Rising

Production of R-22, commonly known and referred to as Freon, as it was heavily marketed by Dupont Corporation under that name, can no longer be produced after December 31, 2019 and the amount that can be produced is extremely limited in relation to the demand of it.

When there is strong demand for something with extremely limited supply, prices go up. Supply versus demand.

While warnings of cost increases related to R22 refrigerant have gone out, many are oblivious to what is happening in the residential HVAC market in terms of cost of repair and options on what the home owner can do to repair their AC systems without spending a fortune on repeated R22 recharges.

You have to fix the refrigerant leaks. If you don’t fix the refrigerant leak(s), the refrigerant will just leak back out. At this point R22 Freon is the worst when it comes to cost, but R410a requires leak repairs as well. The old way of recharging systems every year is hard on the wallet and this will likely only get harder for the foreseeable future.

High Pressure AC Sales Tactics

I touch base a little on this subject in the video embedded above in this blog post, for the simple reason the HVAC system in the video wasn’t that old but due to the R22 Freon problem, the best way forward was to replace the AC system and the home owner agreed even though I also offered to replace only the evaporator coil to fix the refrigerant leaks. These kinds of choices are always yours to make when you use my Katy, Texas AC repair services.

High Pressure AC sales come into play when a company uses the refrigerant leak problem (whatever refrigerant it is) to suggest that the whole HVAC system needs to be replaced. Like the AC and the furnace in the case of the video embedded above.

If the goal of the home owner is to go with the most energy efficient AC system they can buy, then in most cases the furnace would have to be replaced to obtain those high efficiency requirements, I say this so you understand that depending on the choices you make there may not be any other way forward if high efficiency air conditioning is your goal. This in turn raises the cost and if you’re planning to sell the home soon, it’s unlikely you will recoup the added cost of the high efficient HVAC system. Typically high efficiency HVAC systems are best suited to home owners who plan to live in their home for at least 15-20 years or longer. In some cases these high efficient HVAC systems are considered ‘lifetime HVAC systems’.

If the goal of the home owner is just to fix the AC, then depending on how long the home owner plans to own the home and where the problem with the AC system is can give you many more options when you are using a HVAC company (like mine) that is professionally skilled in those kinds of HVAC repairs.

My goal is to fix or repair your AC system and in many instances there is more than one way to accomplish this goal, obviously if one of these choices may waste your money I would think you would want to be informed of that before you select that option. Each choice I offer you is a matter of preference based on how long you plan to own the home among other considerations. If you call me to come to your home to fix your AC problems I will give you options best suited to fix your air conditioning system, given your current situation or comfort goals you are trying to achieve in your home. There is rarely a home comfort solution that fits everyone. It is my opinion that the decision is yours to make once all the facts are laid out to you.

A new HVAC system can break down just as much as an old one can. Regardless of brand. Professional installation of the HVAC equipment is by far the most important part of the decision which is why I personally install all HVAC equipment I sell, this will drastically cut your risk of breakdown more than anything else.

While it’s typically more common for an older system to break down, there are a number of HVAC systems (any brand) I see in the summer that are only a few years old and broken. Over 99% of these are HVAC systems I did not install. My trouble rate on AC equipment I’ve installed is less than 2%. That means less than 2 pieces out of 100 in any one given year. HVAC industry as whole typically accepts 25% failure rate as being ‘normal’. My experience is telling me many people are being duped.

With that said, no matter if you replace one part of your HVAC system or the whole thing, in my climate of Katy, Texas you will always need a good knowledgeable HVAC repair man. Maybe it’s me?

Thank you for visiting with me today. I hope your day is comfortable.

About the author of this 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 23 years ‘hands on’ experience in Air Conditioning and Heating Systems as of 2018. I hold an AOS degree in HVAC/R Mechanic, EPA universally certified to handle any refrigerant and NATE certified in HVAC installations and repairs. I specialize in Residential HVAC systems.

About Austin Air Companie:

Happy Birthday! Turning 10 years old in 2018. Has it really been this long?

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 at my main website at:

www.austinairco.com

Better Service. Done Right. On Time. Guaranteed.

Tags: AC freon leak change over, AC freon leak repairs, AC R22 leak repair, Central AC freon leaks, high pressure ac sales tactics, R410a ac leak repair, Refrigerant leak repair
Posted in AC Equipment Installation, AC problems, AC Repair, Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Freon Leaks, Air Conditioning Pro, Air Conditioning Repair, Air Conditioning Specialist, Home Improvement, HVAC Contractor, HVAC service provider, Professional AC Repair, R22 Freon & R410a Puron Leaks, R22 Freon Problems, Uncategorized, Working HVAC Contractor | Comments Off on AC Freon Refrigerant Leaks & High Pressure AC Sales

AC Freon Leaks 2017

Monday, June 26th, 2017

Serving Katy, Texas area: Freon leaks in your air conditioning system pose a big challenge now and in the foreseeable future. Part of the problem can sometimes be a missed diagnosis, because what seems as a system low on Freon in fact could be something else entirely different. Some problems with your air conditioner can mimic that of a system being low on Freon when in fact the system isn’t low on Freon at all. To make matters worse the required amount of refrigerant needed for a modern AC system could be anywhere from 6 to 20 pounds of refrigerant. This isn’t something that should be guessed at.

Freon Sale Katy, Texas

Guessing Is Not Diagnosing An AC System

Guessing only leads to more guessing. This is why proper diagnosis (in person) is key and why inspection of your air conditioning system by a professional licensed HVAC contractor is necessary to getting the results of what you are looking for to begin with. If a system is thought to be low on Freon and the system is charged with additional Freon this additional Freon in many instances can cause the system not to work under heavy heat conditions and it’s not likely to help at all under low heat conditions either. You see when an AC system is under heavy heat conditions, the refrigerant expands. There is only so much room in your air conditioner. If the system is over charged with refrigerant it won’t work right just as much as if the system were under charged, not having enough refrigerant to operate properly.

Air Conditioners Do Not Use Up Freon

Air conditioning systems are designed to be perfectly sealed systems. If the system is leak free it can run forever without any fuss of needing to recharge Freon into the system. The problem is that as an air conditioner ages it can be susceptible to forming leaks sometimes due to poor servicing methods and some times due to just normal wear and tear. Most often the Freon leaks form within the equipment itself. Some times these leaks are repairable and sometimes the leaks are not repairable and may require some equipment to be replaced with new equipment to repair the Freon leaks properly.

Many times I get called out on systems that I have never been to before. Because I have no records of the system in question I can give you several options as a way to get to the point of repairing your system, there isn’t always a ‘one size’ fits all approach to these kinds of problems. Obviously in order to even get to this point the system has to be properly diagnosed to even know that it is low on refrigerant to begin with.

AC Freon Leaks Should Be Repaired Properly

If you have had to recharge your AC system before, there is a good chance the air conditioning system probably has a Freon leak. But even that is not certain if you are a victim of poor servicing methods. The problem with refrigerant leaks is that the best cure is repair the leak. The bigger problem is knowing where the leak is. This many times comes by way of experience and knowing where many leaks typically form with in your AC system. It’s not always that easy to find really small Freon leaks. If you are not certain where a leak exists and you replace only part of the AC equipment only to later find the system low on Freon again, there could be a good chance you made a repair for nothing or you just have an aging system that keeps springing refrigerant leaks. That’s what makes this difficult and why I am writing this blog right now.

Adding things to your system that don’t belong in your system to begin with to find Freon leaks or try to repair them with snake oil additives is not advisable because you are now placing things in your refrigeration system that shouldn’t be there to begin with. I have methods to find leaks that don’t involve adding things to a system. It is the better way to do it with better long term results. Obviously every method doesn’t result in success every time. In time conclusions can be drawn from my own experience and previous invoice records of a given property. Yes, there is more than one reason for a service invoice.

Importance Of AC Service Records

Service records play an important role of keeping your system properly tuned with the right amount of refrigerant your HVAC system needs to perform properly. This is why it is not a good idea to jump from one AC company to another. If servicing is poor at one company, it is likely to be no better at another. This is why you should hire a pro to service your HVAC equipment.

I can give you several options to get to the bottom of system performance issues as well as provide you with options to get that leak free AC system you are looking for. Then as you need service, the service records look to keep you further informed in regards to refrigerant charges and whatever else your system has needed previously in the way of repairs.

As of 2017, there is no such thing as a ‘better’ refrigerant all of them are expensive, and all of them require systems to be leak free. The old way of doing things was merely to recharge the system, but due to the continuing rising costs of refrigerants this option is not a viable long term solution. You must be looking at ways to find and fix those Freon leaks, regardless of what type of refrigerant your system uses.

Thank you for visiting with me today.

About the author of this blog:
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 and some surrounding areas. I am a Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor with over 22 years experience in Air Conditioning and Heating Systems. I hold an AOS degree in HVAC/R, EPA universally certified to handle any refrigerant and NATE certified in HVAC installations and repairs.

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 @
www.austinairco.com

Better Service. Done Right. On Time. Guaranteed.

Tags: AC Freon, AC freon change over, AC Freon leaks, AC Freon Repair, ac low cooling, AC low on freon, AC refrigerant repair, HVAC refrigerant leaks, R410 freon leaks, R410a freon leaks, R410a puron leaks
Posted in AC problems, AC Repair, Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Freon Leaks, Air Conditioning Maintenance, Air Conditioning Pro, Air Conditioning Repair, Air Conditioning Specialist, Home Improvement, HVAC Contractor, Professional AC Repair, R22 Freon & R410a Puron Leaks, R22 Freon Problems, Uncategorized, Working HVAC Contractor | Comments Off on AC Freon Leaks 2017

My Bedroom Does Not Get Cool Enough

Sunday, October 2nd, 2016

This problem is more common than you think and this problem magnifies itself thru various times of the year. Shoulder seasons can typically be the more challenging times of the year to get comfortable in a bedroom at night.

AC shoulder seasons in Katy, Texas, a suburb of Houston can extend for several months before summer as well as several months after. This problem is directly related to the design of the air conditioning system. The air conditioner can not control temperature in a room that it was not designed to control. (The thermostat that controls the system is in a different room.)

The opposite of this ‘My bedroom does not get warm enough’ can be addressed at the same time. System control integrated with design defeats temperature problems when addressed properly.

Air Conditioning Design

If you have the above problem in which your bedroom rarely stays comfortable and it’s been determined it’s no fault of the air conditioner, then you likely have what is called a HVAC Design Problem. It is the invisible flaw until AC system performance is put thru heavy loads or heavy loads in one room with no system control.

Design of your HVAC system determines how well it will perform in various areas of the home given certain attributes (loads) and the temperature you are attempting to achieve. HVAC Design for the most part is an invisible attribute and more often than not rarely thought of until long after the problem is discovered. Most people, when replacing their AC system think of replacing a box with another box when the AC system breaks. Everyone is different when it comes to what they deem as comfortable or uncomfortable which is another attribute with which to contend with. The HVAC retrofit (service) market is inherently slanted toward ‘just replacing a box’ and because of this design of the AC system is rarely addressed.

Proper design for AC in regards to control of the system can get quite complicated as well as ratchet up installation costs. Much of this can be decided when it comes to how long you plan to stay in the home and how much you have budgeted to make your home a home by making it comfortable not only to sleep but also entertain guests. To grasp this a little easier is that control is temperature control in more than one area of the home. While this sounds simple, it is more complex for your HVAC system to do this properly because the area in which you are trying to cool or heat maybe much smaller of an area of the home such as a bedroom.

The more control you have of your HVAC system along with proper design and installation, the better your system will provide you the comfort you are searching for. If your air conditioner suffers from a design flaw, there is but one option to fix it and that is to redesign it. Home builders build. Rarely do you find HVAC design a top priority in the home builder real estate market. This is what separates the retrofit AC pros from the builders. A professional HVAC company is built around ‘quality’ AC system installations and not ‘quantity.’ Service for life and not a badge of how many HVAC systems that were installed. Different mindset, requires different thinking.

New Air Conditioning System Installation

The Installation and design of an HVAC system determine the performance, longevity and overall satisfaction of the AC system. Customer service after the sale is the final part. When I install a HVAC system, I install it with the intent of coming back and servicing that AC equipment when that need arises. In fact, I do the same thing if the home owner decides to only replace one piece of their HVAC system.

You see this isn’t only about what I want, it’s about what you want. However, there are limitations to everything. The consumer of today has more knowledge available to them than ever before, that is the other part of this blog is to inform you that you have more choices in regard to home comfort than you may be aware of. I am an HVAC Solution provider. I can give you options (choices) and recommendations based on your budget as well as what kind of comfort you are looking for to cool and heat your home. Communication is key for you to get the kind of comfort you are looking for your home.

I work 362 days a year. I know what you’re thinking… ‘that’s impossible’. I originally thought that myself. But because I install AC systems myself I have the ability to correct many installation problems upfront during the installation where as an installer may just view this as another ‘job’… if it doesn’t work the company will send someone else to fix it. (Hopefully) Air conditioning replacement is typically a once in 15 year thought when done right. Those reasons are what makes me able to work 362 days a year. It is extremely rare that I must go back to an installation, due to a problem and in many cases if I do they are typically only minor problems depending on how much of the HVAC system was replaced.

If you choose me (Austin Air Companie) I work for you, this isn’t just a job to me, this is my profession and my career. I don’t run a gimmick of the month service which is how I am able to give you the best service available. My AC service is worth what you pay for it. Technician roulette wheels with varying opinions among techs only goes so far. I say this from my own personal experience… yours may be different.

Air Conditioning done right is a 15 year appliance (national average). Certainly I can get busy, there are a good many of AC companies posing as professionals that are not. I have found that it’s easier to take a hands on approach rather than pass it off to someone that likely doesn’t have the experience and skills that I possess let alone the attitude to do the job as it should be done.

Air Conditioning Temperature Controls

The way air conditioning is designed for many homes is to put the control (thermostat) in main living areas. Temperature swings from one room to the next can be upwards of 5 to 10 degrees or more. Some of this depends on location of the room(s), how many people or other loads that are in the room. [Loads are considered heat loads as your air conditioner operates by removing heat.]

The cheapest way to resolve this problem is to live with what you have. So if you are here thinking there is some magical method to solve this problem I am here to tell you straight, there is not. The cheaper you try to fix this the more likely it is you will create additional problems up to an including the destruction of your HVAC system. I am here to do the job right, if you want snake oil you will have to look elsewhere.

Temperature controls also known as thermostats, are what is used to cycle your air conditioner on and off. These are merely elaborate switches that turn the HVAC system on or off. Most air conditioning systems are either on or off single speed air conditioners. If you live in a humid climate like Katy, Texas and your goal is comfort then you will probably be best advised to consider a 2 speed air conditioning and heating system with dehumidification functions.

HVAC Zoning: An Air Conditioning Dream

Putting cooling or heating where it is needed within your home. Comfort. You know that fuzzy feeling you feel on a brisk autumn day. Imagine that everyday all year long in the favorite room of your home.

Remember what I said earlier: ‘different mindset, requires different thinking’. Due to energy costs your budget may not include cooling the whole home as cool as you would like it in the bedroom, unless the home’s foot print is very small then you probably wouldn’t need zoning. HVAC Zoning for sure isn’t for everyone it is a choice and design enhancement to obtain more comfort and make your HVAC system performance the best it can be.

The thought behind zoning is to put ‘conditioned air’ where you are at in the structure. (In this example: your home.) The idea is that you can only be in one room at a time. Thirty three percent of your life will be spent in the bedroom. (eight hours divided by 24.) The lack of a good night’s sleep can effect your entire day.

By making your bedroom more comfortable via zoning can make other rooms perform better in heat waves by closing the zone to the bedroom when not in use. The capacity of the system under this scenario would then be provided to supplying comfort to other occupied areas of the home. Because people are creatures of habit and often go to bed the same time every night the thermostat for those zone(s) can be programmed easily to control temperature without much thought or fuss.

Another way to think about zoning is your home’s plumbing and electrical systems. You have more than one faucet in your home right? More than one light switch? These are other examples of zoning that reside in your home already, to help you understand what zoning is. Just realize that zoning an HVAC system ‘properly’ is a bit more complicated than electrical and plumbing systems.

Proper HVAC Installation

I emphasize the word ‘properly’ because there are many zone systems as well as basic AC systems that do not work the way they should. Design means everything and in some cases a zone system may not work for what you want to do. This is the definition of a true professional in which you are sold a solution to your problem and not just selling something to be selling something. If you catch my drift.

I hope this blog post eliminates some confusion with this very common problem as well as highlights your ability to go about correcting this problem to your satisfaction. Remember this is an advanced problem, there is nothing ‘basic’ about it. If you don’t go into it with the attitude of doing it right, it very well could be very costly with little to no help solving the actual problem.

Problem solving by definition should be to solve the problem ‘without’ creating additional problems. Otherwise you’re likely buying ‘snake oil’ to one degree or another.

About the author of this air conditioning blog:
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 and some surrounding areas. I am a Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor with over 20 years experience in Air Conditioning and Heating Systems. I hold an AOS degree in HVAC/R, EPA universally certified to handle any refrigerant and NATE certified in HVAC installations and repairs.

Austin Air Companie
832.475.6895
“Your home comfort from A to Z”
Air Conditioning | Controls | Heating | Zoning

For more information on AC & Heating
for your home visit me at my main website @

www.austinairco.com

Better Service. Done Right. On Time. Guaranteed.

Tags: ac comfort options, AC not cool enough, ac problems, ac system control, AC system zoning, hvac zoning, new ac efficiency, new ac system options, rooms too cold, rooms too hot
Posted in 2 speed air conditioner, AC Equipment Installation, AC problems, Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Pro, Air Conditioning Repair, Air Conditioning Specialist, Better home comfort, Energy Efficiency, Home Improvement, HVAC Contractor, HVAC service provider, HVAC Zoning, No AC Salesmen, No Technicians, Professional AC Repair, Smart HVAC system, Uncategorized, Working HVAC Contractor | Comments Off on My Bedroom Does Not Get Cool Enough

R22 Freon Production Ban

Saturday, September 10th, 2016

Oh that pesky little government is at it again… LOL. Certainly I’ve heard it all when it comes to politics in general. But you’d be surprised to know that the laws effecting R22 Freon production now (2016 and beyond) were finalized and signed by the USA in 1987 via the Montreal Protocol and ratified in 1988. The Montreal Protocol has been amended only 4 times since 1987. This agreement was an international agreement that has been signed by 197 countries.

Freon Production Ban Time Line Chart

So why are you just now learning about this now if it happened in 1987? Part of it was to give time to come up with a new refrigerant to replace the old bad one. There are many refrigerants, all with varying properties to one degree or another. Some refrigerants make poor choices due to flammability concerns, others may not distribute oil thru the system properly and cause reliability concerns in regards to the break down of the system compressor. There are many more concerns than these but to keep this short I will stop there.

R22 Freon Replacement

As of 2016 there is no ‘approved’ drop in replacement for R22 Freon for high temp application otherwise known as Air Conditioning. Choosing an unapproved refrigerant will void ‘ANY’ manufacturer warranty, increase utility cost to run the system, reduce capacity of the system, cause the system to not cool properly in heat wave conditions, cause the compressor to fail prematurely due to improper oil return to the compressor.

As of 2016 there is only one proven refrigerant for the future and the name of this refrigerant is R410a. It is sometimes improperly referred to as Freon or a more popular proper trade name it is called Puron. R410a refrigerant is not a drop in replacement for R22 Freon. Refrigerants can not be mixed and work properly, nor can you use R410a in a air conditioner that was designed for R22 Freon, it simply will not work ‘reliably’. The AC system must be replaced with equipment designed to work with R410a. Air Conditioning systems are engineered and designed to operate with a specific refrigerant. For reliable operation of the AC system one must know what they are doing and use the appropriate refrigerant for the system in question.

There are many unscrupulous vendors and those that claim there are some refrigerants that can be used to replace R22 Freon. When it comes to the high temp air conditioning application these claims are false. The nature of a con game is something that will ‘easily’ solve a problem. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying… “if it sounds too good to be true… it probably is.” But yet people over and over again fall for these snake oil AC repairs.

The notion behind these so called remedies is by giving you a cheap price up front. The system may run for a few months if you are lucky and probably not much longer than a year depending on a multitude of factors like loads on the equipment, line set length, age of the equipment, the heat load the system is running in and so on.

Residential AC Compressor Problems

When doing things improperly to save money up front the end result is most often a dead compressor or a AC system that will not cool properly during a heat wave as well as high utility bills. The money you supposedly saved up front will dry up in no time when it can’t perform properly during a heat wave. The more you run the system during a heat wave the more likely you are to burn up the compressor (*If you run the machine with an improper refrigerant*) due to a lack of oil return to the compressor crankcase. (The compressor will seize up under this scenario.)

Your AC will not work without the compressor. That is a major component so now you’re most likely looking at a new air conditioning unit when this part fails.

An air conditioning system (just about any brand) is a 15 year appliance when installed and maintained properly. If you decide to play games with it, try to cut corners, try to reverse engineer things like using the proper virgin refrigerant the system was designed for as well as proper installation procedures it is unlikely to make it past even a few years without some significant problem.

There is special equipment required to be able to install an air conditioner properly. If you use an unlicensed person to install your system there is a good chance they don’t have the proper equipment to install the AC system properly. How will you know for sure that they do or don’t have all the tools and materials needed to install the AC system?

An improperly installed air conditioning system is the last kind of mess you want to have to deal with in your home. There are good reasons that manufacturer’s require licensed HVAC contractors to install the system in order to offer any warranty on the HVAC equipment.

You know what the cure for doing it wrong is? To do it over again. You don’t want to do that do you? These words are intended to help you avoid making a serious mistake.

The comfort in your home or lack thereof can wreck havoc on your finances. It is a financial decision and one you should not take lightly. Do it right the first time.

Thank you for visiting with me today. I hope I gave you some valuable insight in this AC blog topic to help you with this challenging problem regarding R22 Freon and the change over to R410a Puron. Remember R22 Freon is going away. It is not coming back. It is in your best interest to upgrade your system by replacing it with an R410a engineered air conditioner.

If you have a Freon leak in your evaporator coil you can replace the evaporator coil only but under this scenario you would continue to use virgin R22 Freon. As time gets closer to 2020 there ‘may’ not be any R22 Freon available at any price. There is no way to know for sure what will happen until it does. Using non compatible refrigerants is not recommended under any circumstances.

The days of recharging an air conditioning system are pretty much over. The refrigerant leak(s) must be found and repaired.

Austin Air Companie
832.475.6895
“Your home comfort from A to Z”
Air Conditioning | Controls | Heating | Zoning

For more information on AC & Heating
for your home visit me at my main website @
www.austinairco.com

Better Service. Done Right. On Time. Guaranteed.

Tags: Freon Ban, Freon drop in replacement, Freon leak repairs, Freon Leaks, Freon phase out, Freon replacement, Mixed refrigerant, MO99 freon, R22 Ban, R22 Freon availability, R410 Freon, R410a Freon, R410a Puron
Posted in AC Equipment Installation, AC problems, AC Repair, Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Pro, Air Conditioning Repair, Air Conditioning Specialist, HVAC Contractor, R22 Freon & R410a Puron Leaks, R22 Freon Problems, Uncategorized, Working HVAC Contractor | Comments Off on R22 Freon Production Ban

Air Conditioning Service

Tuesday, August 16th, 2016

Air conditioning repairs, AC service or new AC equipment installations require the magical little word called ‘SERVICE‘. Without that word you’re in big trouble if a problem develops with your AC system. What does that word mean to you?

This little word ‘service‘ is what in many ways separates one AC company from another. Now all things aside some people view service differently than others. Maybe due to household schedules or whatever. However, your AC system whether new, a few years old or even a decade old or older can break down at any time. Brand of the equipment doesn’t matter all that much in most cases.

Weekend, Night time, Holiday, etc. An air conditioner doesn’t know time like you or me. So why is this important?

If you buy a new HVAC system and it breaks down, your best option to repair it is thru your installing HVAC contractor, because this is who you bought the system thru. It would be a ‘HUGE’ conflict of interest to let another HVAC contractor repair your HVAC system that was installed by another.

If your HVAC system is older and out of the manufacture warranty envelope then it only matters to what degree you trust the HVAC provider that you are calling.

Any HVAC company you use should be licensed and insured and the license number should be displayed on all invoices, advertisements and both sides of the front quarter panel of the service vehicle that comes to your home. (This is Texas law.)

HVAC System Problems & Conflicts of Interest

So why then is this a conflict of interest to have Company ‘B’ work on a new HVAC system installed by Company ‘A’?

Because lets say you have two companies without mentioning names… you have company ‘A’ and company ‘B’. Company ‘A’ installed your new HVAC system.

Your new AC system is now broken and you call ‘A’ but they are closed, don’t answer their phone, goes to voice mail or maybe after hours call service in which you sit on hold for who knows how long only to be told after waiting on hold –that an on call person will call you back in some cases hours later. Say What?

So you think… not clearly due to the excess heat in your house, that you’ll just call another company that services HVAC equipment. Company ‘B’ answers the phone not realizing they are a 3rd party to your otherwise inoperable dilemma. Say they come out diagnose the system for you, charge for labor and other things not covered by your manufacture warranty. They leave, the system works for awhile then breaks down again.

You now decide to call company ‘A’ back. After investigating the system Company ‘A’ determines someone else has been working on it and decides to take the brash approach of denying a warranty claim on your otherwise new AC system. You are in a bad position to say the least.

Unresolved AC Technical Problems

Another common scenario to this is Company ‘A’ the installing company of your new or fairly new HVAC system is called back during normal business hours, they make a repair to the AC unit under warranty terms of the installation charge for labor or whatever charges aren’t covered by the warranty of the AC system.

The AC system works for awhile and then breaks again OR the AC system doesn’t work at all still or worse than before. Part of the reason some of these HVAC companies exist is to replace HVAC systems with no service or technical department to repair the systems they sell. A good deal is a bad deal in short order.

Sometimes they may brag about how many HVAC systems they have installed. But they never mention how many of them they still service? You see the problem with that? QUALITY over quantity OR QUANTITY over quality. Which would you want?

A parts changer is defined as changing parts without proving the part has actually failed. A guess is a guess. Guessing will not fix or repair too many air conditioning systems. Believe it or not you will pay for it one way or another. Why not do it right the first time?

Katy, Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor

This is what I am (Licensed HVAC Contractor), you can’t run a HVAC company in Texas (legally) by any other means. If you hire someone working under another license (commonly AC Technician) your recourse for AC problems that develop with your system goes thru them. If it is a ‘side job’ installed by a technician it is unlikely the warranty covering that system is worth the paper it’s printed on.

I take the HVAC contractor thing to the next level in that I do all my own HVAC installations and AC repairs. I don’t use Technicians, Subs or Installers. I have found I can offer much better quality when I’m fully involved in any project whether it is repair, replace or SERVICE! (It is actually me writing this blog – Ray Austin. No one can be me, but me.) Subscribe to my You Tube Channel here.

Side Job AC Installations Warranty Void By Manufacturer

There are little disclaimers within the warranty limitations that protect manufacturer’s from unlicensed, unskilled people from selling, installing and or servicing equipment.

Improper installation is not warrantable just as much as purchasing equipment over the internet. If you have to resort to such methods imagine how much trouble you are going to have if your AC equipment fails unexpectedly?

Side jobs are done in cash. A technician doing a side job doesn’t want any documentation because if his boss finds out he faces immediate termination from his regular job. You can’t hide a side job from a licensed HVAC contractor. If you don’t have any documentation of installation how do you expect to be covered by a Manufacture Warranty?

Every piece of AC equipment made has unique model number and serial numbers that are attached to the HVAC license that bought it. If there was no HVAC license present at the time of sale, the warranty is virtually worthless in most cases. A technician license is not a valid license in and of itself. In Texas, a valid HVAC contractor license is gold in color, a technician license is white. A technician license is merely a registration with the state. Send in your $20 and boom! You are now a AC technician too? Ironically it doesn’t mean much without EPA certification. The more you read here, the more you will learn.

No Licensed HVAC contractor worth their ‘salt’ is going to warranty or install an air conditioner that you bought over the internet. You buy it, you install it and warranty it yourself.

A new AC system install a few years old with problems and you’re calling a HVAC contractor that didn’t install it? What do you suppose this Licensed AC Contractor is going to think when he sees the equipment in question?

Why aren’t you calling the HVAC contractor who installed it?

Just for fun, I’ll tell you a few likely titles of this made for home movie:
“NO WAY OUT!”
“That’s Going To Cost You”
“No Where To Hide”

Professional AC Repairs

This Air Conditioning blog is designed to help you make wise decisions when it comes to your choices regarding comfort decisions for your home. I hope you attained this information before making a costly mistake.

All is not lost, costly mistakes are lessons, provided you learn from them and don’t repeat them. An HVAC system is, by a national average, a 15 year appliance and in some cases can last even longer when installation and maintenance is done properly and adequately. Notice I didn’t mention a brand name here, brand bashing is not professionalism by any stretch of the imagination.

Nothing is perfect in an imperfect world. AC Equipment that I’ve installed myself has failure rates within the warranty period that run in a tight range of 2-3% annually. Most HVAC companies have new equipment failure rates often 8 times or higher than this figure. In some cases this may be due to a lack of maintenance by home owner, improper installation, improper diagnosis or out right incompetence. Please choose your HVAC contractor carefully and wisely.

Thank you for visiting with me today. I hope your day is comfortable!

About the author of this blog:
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 and some surrounding areas. I am a Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor with over 20 years experience in Air Conditioning and Heating Systems. I hold an AOS degree in HVAC/R, EPA universally certified to handle any refrigerant and NATE certified in HVAC installations and repairs.

Austin Air Companie
832.475.6895
“Your home comfort from A to Z”
Air Conditioning | Controls | Heating | Zoning

For more information on AC & Heating
for your home visit me at my main website @

www.austinairco.com

Better Service. Done Right. On Time. Guaranteed.

Tags: AC installation problem, AC repair Katy Texas, ac service, AC service Katy Texas, improper ac diagnosis, improper ac repairs, technical ac problems, unresolved ac problems
Posted in AC Equipment Installation, AC problems, AC Repair, Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Pro, Air Conditioning Repair, Air Conditioning Specialist, Buy AC Equipment Online, Do It Yourself, Home Improvement, HVAC Contractor, HVAC service provider, No AC Salesmen, No Technicians, Professional AC Repair, R22 Freon Problems, Uncategorized, Working HVAC Contractor | Comments Off on Air Conditioning Service

Air Conditioning Problems

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2016

Nothing can make the alarm bells go off in your head more than AC problems in the summer time. Just the mere thought of this will probably gives you chills clear to your spine. Even worse is if you just recently had an AC repair and you live in Katy, Texas where the heat is enough to make you wilt after viewing the weather forecast.

If you are a home owner living in or near Katy, Texas area with air conditioning problems this blog is for you. You have found the right place. I am a Licensed HVAC contractor. It’s important that I describe who I am so you can understand the difference from what my company provides as opposed to most of my competitors. Unfortunately not all HVAC companies are created equal. This might be why you are here anyway.

I am what is known as a ‘working’ Licensed HVAC contractor. This difference is that I don’t use AC technicians, sub contractors or even installers. I do all of the work myself. The benefit from using one person is that the person that services, repairs and installs knows your system better than having multiple service people repairing or replacing your system. This will typically give you far less hassles, better service and less down time.

This is what it’s all about right? Convenient, easy, dependable, professional service when you need it.

Home Air Conditioning Mechanic

You see, I am a unique victim of the financial crisis that hit U.S. shores over a half decade ago. I started my HVAC company during this time and in many cases what I have done is to go against the grain rather than with it, some may call this ‘disruptive’ because I have found that by doing things right and doing them well by myself, I can deliver a much greater longer lasting product when you decide to have me install a new HVAC system. Without me in the equation your odds are probably close to 40% success rate.

Certainly, I also repair many AC systems too, but if the system is old and has had many people working on it over the years you have to be realistic in that they don’t last forever. From a national average standpoint the average life of an AC system is 15 years.

Now just because your system may be this old or older doesn’t always mean you are forced to replace it. After I inspect your system I can give you recommendations and then you can decide what you want to do from there. In some cases a repair may be all you need, but this has to be assessed in person. I am not here to play guessing games.

From those looking at my HVAC Company from the outside in, even professionals with in the industry view this as impossible for one man to do everything up to and including new system installations. What can I say? I have a lot of trade secrets that I have developed over the years and I am extremely efficient at what I do and in many cases I run circles around my competition due to this fact.

Am I perfect? No, I’m human like anyone else. My failure rates typically hover in a range of 2-3% on equipment that I’ve installed myself. Failure rates on repairs can be higher but older equipment doesn’t last forever so you can’t really count that with a straight face. I only deal in reality, not fantasies and fairy tales. The failure rates I talk about above are failures within the warranty period of the equipment that I have installed myself.

From a normal run of the mill HVAC company perspective they strive for failure rates of no more than 25%. So in other words, if you’re not using me as your HVAC service provider your HVAC equipment failure rate could be 8 times higher or worse! These HVAC companies deem this standard failure rate as ‘ACCEPTABLE’! Say what?

AC Repair

In Katy, Texas during the summer there is really no job I do more than repairing AC systems. Pretty much any age, any brand and repairs ranging from electrical problems like breaker keeps tripping to compressor will not start or AC is blowing hot air, low cooling or no cooling. In some cases I have found some of these problems related to poor HVAC maintenance services.

AC Services that you paid for earlier in the year to get your AC checked or tuned up. You have to realize that if the AC maintenance is not done properly it makes not one bit of difference how much you paid to have it done. Most of these AC technicians doing this kind of work may not be as skilled as you think they are.

Certainly there are good reputable AC technicians out there. I was one of them at one point in my illustrious HVAC career, but the odds that you will get a good one are unfortunately quite slim.

Professional Air Conditioning Services

I’ve simply eliminated the fuss and the cuss using a few old wives sayings and applying these sayings to my business model. Maybe you can relate to these…

1. Too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth.

2. Be original in all you do, if you’re any good some will try to copy you.

3. Lucky for you that you can only be you and no one else. (secret sauce!)

Just so you know it is me writing this (Ray Austin), the one who will actually come to your house to fix your AC or replace your HVAC system. You are in good hands, I have been doing this for 21 years as of 2016. So you might be asking yourself how do I do it? Work ethic. In America with hard work and dedication nothing is impossible. If you don’t think Air Conditioning is hard work then I am probably not the HVAC provider you are looking for. I am not running a scam operation here. I use my own name as the name of my company. I only have one last name. Why would I work as hard as I do at something only to destroy it with half truths or bold faced lies?

I’m well aware you are on the internet and so reading isn’t always believing… this is why I go to the extent I go to. To do my best to prove it to you before you even pick up the phone to call me. To my knowledge, you simply will not get this kind of dedication in any competitor of mine. Subscribe to my You Tube Channel here.

Free Air Conditioning Gimmicks

Did you fall for that special word free — Did your eyes light up? We’re humans and consumers rolled into one. But when you go to work do you tell your boss at the end of the week that this week is on you and you’re going to give him your hard efforts for nothing in return?

The HVAC industry is built on gimmicks. These gimmicks are used to make the phone ring. But did you know that a free call to an HVAC company is really code word for “Please send me a salesman.”???

An air conditioner replacement is something you will be lucky to do 3 times in your life time if you are lucky. If you are unlucky you may do it double that number of times. Many people don’t realize the complexity involved in today’s residential HVAC service industry. Let alone the problem of finding a AC contractor that actually knows what they are doing.

A salesmen call is a call in which someone comes to your home to do one thing. To sell you something, they will sugar coat everything, they may tell you your current unit is undersized for the home. How will you know anything different?

In some cases you won’t even realize the HVAC company sent you a salesman. The easiest way to know is if there is no service fee for the call to your home. Why do you suppose? You have to think for a moment. The salesman is paid on commission. The salesman makes no money unless he sells you something. It doesn’t matter one bit what your interests or problems are. The salesman in most cases has only one interest and that is to sell you whatever he can, the more the better for him.

This is the hidden cost of a free service call. They talk you into it and convince you. It’s a cat an mouse game to say the least and many people fall victim to these high pressure sales tactics all too often.

What happens if you have trouble with whatever the salesman sold you? You’re left to get service people of that company involved. Better hope they are as good as the sugar coating the salesman sold you. Yes this adds more people to the equation to find a solution. The salesman is out of the loop, he’s not coming back most likely because he’s paid on commission remember? He would just come back to try to sell you something more… it’s what they do.

Licensed HVAC Service Provider

Now certainly if you call me and want me to pretend to be a salesman I can play along. I’m flexible. But my goal isn’t to just sell you something for the sake of selling you something. My goal is to become your HVAC provider. Solve the problems you have now and be available to solve future problems. If I sell you something and you have a problem with it you pick up the phone and call me. Doesn’t this sound better than the aforementioned way? Do you see the difference?

One guy (Licensed HVAC Contractor) to take care of all your HVAC needs. Sounds too simple right? My way works… Less hassles, better service. I wouldn’t be writing this blog myself in the heat of summer if my way didn’t work. Please choose your HVAC service provider wisely.

Thank you for visiting with me today. I hope I helped you understand things more clearly and above all I hope your day is comfortable.

About the author of this blog:

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 and some surrounding areas. I am a Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor with over 20 years experience in Air Conditioning and Heating Systems. I hold an AOS degree in HVAC/R, EPA universally certified to handle any refrigerant and NATE certified in HVAC installations and repairs.

Austin Air Companie

832.475.6895

“Your home comfort from A to Z”

Air Conditioning | Controls | Heating | Zoning

For more information and everything AC and heating

for your home visit me at my main website @

www.austinairco.com

Better Service. Done Right. On Time. Guaranteed.

Tags: ac blowing hot air, ac blowing warm air, AC installation problem, ac low cooling, ac no cool, AC not working, ac problems, ac replacement, best ac unit, new ac system, professional ac company, professional ac contractor, professional ac install
Posted in AC Equipment Installation, AC problems, AC Repair, Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Pro, Air Conditioning Repair, Air Conditioning Specialist, Home Improvement, HVAC Contractor, HVAC service provider, No AC Salesmen, No Technicians, Professional AC Repair, Uncategorized, Working HVAC Contractor | Comments Off on Air Conditioning Problems

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Austin Air Companie Blog : Archive for the ‘Working HVAC Contractor’ Category

Our AC Product Is Better Than Sliced Bread

Reasons I Sell The HVAC Equipment I Sell

The HVAC Equipment Is Your Choice

The HVAC Equipment Brand You Sell Has Bad Reviews

Air Conditioning Electrical Systems

HVAC Electrical Systems Require Maintenance

Electrical Power For Your HVAC System

Electricity & Personal Safety

Resetting Your Air Conditioning Breaker

There Is No Such Thing As Cold

My AC Just Runs And Runs

AC Not Cooling Enough (AC Low Cool)

Proper Air Conditioning Maintenance Service

R22 Freon Production Ban

HVAC Refrigerant Leaks In All Aluminum Evaporator Coil

Aluminum Coils Are Better Than Copper Coils

All Aluminum Evaporator Coils Are Probably Here To Stay

Air Conditioning Refrigerant Leaks To Remain A Challenge

Repairing R22 Freon Leaks

Air Conditioning R22 versus R410a Refrigerant

R-22 Freon Cost Expected To Keep Rising

High Pressure AC Sales Tactics

Guessing Is Not Diagnosing An AC System

Air Conditioners Do Not Use Up Freon

AC Freon Leaks Should Be Repaired Properly

Importance Of AC Service Records

Air Conditioning Design

New Air Conditioning System Installation

Air Conditioning Temperature Controls

HVAC Zoning: An Air Conditioning Dream

Proper HVAC Installation

Freon Production Ban Time Line Chart

R22 Freon Replacement

Residential AC Compressor Problems

HVAC System Problems & Conflicts of Interest

Unresolved AC Technical Problems

Katy, Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor

Side Job AC Installations Warranty Void By Manufacturer

Professional AC Repairs

Home Air Conditioning Mechanic

AC Repair

Professional Air Conditioning Services

Free Air Conditioning Gimmicks

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