buying a heat pump vs. straight cool

The cold snap has really been a trying time for our customers and us. We have our resorces stretched to the limit in order to service as many people as possible in as short of time as possible. So far we have only had to put people off for 24 hours. Doing all this short handed because we have a technician that had to make a trip to Ohio over the weekend and he broke down and has not made it back yet. Many customers have been very patient and kind at this time. Some have not and have been very rude. For those we say sorry and we can’t help you.

People need to understand that Florida is dealing with a cold snap that most of our hvac systems were never designed to heat the home effectively in these temperatures. Other people have bought systems from us and tell us they never use the heat and don’t want to waste money on it. Now they have changed their mind and want us to do something about it. They say it is our fault and want us to fix it for free.

If we offer you a Heat pump system and you object to the price. Then we offer you a straight cool system for a cheaper price and you elect to purchase the lesser. Then you have agreed to be cold in this kind of weather. Plain and simple.

Heat pump looses it’s ability to make heat as the temperature get’s colder. When it gets around 35 degrees a heat pump can’t keep up with the heating demand and then the auxiliary heat or sometimes it is called emergency heat comes on. That is a heat strip. So now you have the heat pump and the heat strip running at the same time to keep up on the demand. If you have a straight cool then you only have a heat strip to heat. Some people like to save money by not investing in the heat strip. However this is not wise. The heat strip will be vital in this cold. The heat pump looses ability to heat and it also has to defrost. When you defrost, the heat pump shuts down completly and the heat strip has to carry the entire load.

Heat strips use a lot of electricity. 5000 watt heat strips uses 20 amps of electricity. This heat strip in this weather is almost useless without a heat pump. 10000 watt will be ok. If you have a 2500 sq foot home then you would consider a 15000 watt. The problem is that the wire going to the air handlers are not big enough to handle this type of amperage. The cost of increasing the size of your wire could be 500 to 1000 dollars. Some older homes electrical service is only 100 amps so you can’t even add electric heat.

Call me if you have any questions. This has been a winter to learn and remember so far. I heard last night that the cold is not over until March at least. Stay warm.

EPA Issues Refrigerant Rules just this morning

The Environmental Protection Agency issued its long-awaited rules governing the availability and use of virgin HCFCs in 2010 and beyond. The new rules go into effect January 1, 2010, as specified by the Montreal Protocol, to which the United States is a signatory.

Because these rules we just released this morning, we have not had time to study them completely. Based on the information furnished in summary by the EPA, however, it appears that most of the concerns we expressed during the rulemaking process have been addressed to our satisfaction. For example, the rule does allow the sale and distribution of stockpiled inventory charged with virgin R-22 that was manufactured prior to January 1, 2010, and does not specify a date by which such inventory must be sold. It further allows the sale and distribution of pre-charged components, provided they also were manufactured prior to the January 1, 2010 cutoff. In addition, the rule allows R-22 produced prior to January 1, 2010 to be used until January 1, 2015, for the manufacture of thermostatic expansion valves (TXVs) and medical equipment. Unfortunately, the pre-charge rule does not allow charging with virgin R-22 after the cutoff date for equipment intended solely for export.

Energy tax credits

Many people are calling asking about the tax credits.  The best advice that I can give is that I am suppose to supply you with an ARI certificate verifying what the SEER rating is and a Invoice with the price on it.  I really can’t give advice on if you qualify or not.  There are many different circumstances that will qualify you and many that will not qualifty you.  Basically if you pay Federal Income Tax and the system was installed on your primary residence you stand a good chance of qualifying.  I really don’t know what the income restrictions are at this time.   As soon as I do know I will share it.

KUA Rebates

In order to get a KUA rebate you must call the Energy Auditor at KUA and set up a appointment for a Free energy Audit. Once the auditor has come out he will make recommendations. You may then call us and set up an appointment to have the work done. Then you mail in our invoice to KUA and they will issue a credit off your electric bill.

Nordyne has announced that Nortek has emerged from Chapter 11.

The emergence comes less than two months after the filing of a prepackaged plan of reorganization and less than two weeks after the plan was approved by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
The success of the financial restructuring, together with a new $250 million asset-based credit facility that is now available for general business operations, provides Nortek with the necessary flexibility to meet its liquidity needs and fund future growth opportunities.

NORDYNE was able to operate in the normal course of business, pay its employees’ wages and benefits, pay suppliers and fulfill all customer program obligations.

Extended Warranty Companies now require proof that you did not neglect your system.

Failure to submit proof of maintenance with a claim on commercial equipment received by Equiguard
after November 5, 2009, will result in the claim being denied.
Claims on Residential Equipment.
For Service Agreements covering residential equipment, if the claim is received by Equiguard on or
before November 5, 2009, no proof of maintenance is required. If the claim is received by Equiguard
after November 5, 2009, but the services were provided before November 5, 2009, no proof of
maintenance is required. If the claim is received by Equiguard after November 5, 2009, and the services
were provided on or after November 5, 2009, then proof of maintenance is required.
In summary, on a claim for residential equipment, if the service is provided on or after November 5, 2009,
you must submit proof of maintenance of the equipment with your claim.
Other Information.
All claims that you have submitted to Equiguard prior to receipt of this letter, and those claims received by
Equiguard on or before November 5, 2009, both residential and commercial claims, will be processed
without proof of maintenance.
On claims for residential equipment, if the homeowner performed the maintenance, please complete the
attached affidavit and have the homeowner sig n it.
We understand that submitting proof of maintenance may be burdensome, but this is an underwriting
requirement that will be strictly enforced.
Please be advised that as to any claim that has previously been denied for lack of required information
and/or paperwork, you will have 10 business days from the date of this letter to resubmit the claim with all
required information. This will give our valued customers another opportunity to be paid. Failure to
submit all documentation within the time frame will result in the claim being denied, without another
opportunity to have it reopened.
If you have any questions regarding the requirements for claims filing, please contact your Equiguard
inside sales representative at 1-800-886-9363.
Sincerely,
Equiguard, Inc.
CLSUBV1111009

R-22 phase out

We are coming up on the anticipated day (12-31-09) in which all equipment will have to run on 410a. Latest findings are that there will be a 58% reduction in the availability of virgin r-22. The industry estimates it will produce 110 million pounds of virgin r-22. That will fall short of demand by 23 million pounds. Recycled r-22 will have to make up that difference. However there is not that much recycled r-22. The reason is that so-called HVAC contractors are not turning it in to be recycled because it cost money to do that. We all know that the unlicensed contractors and shade tree mechanics are not turning it in along with some licensed contractors who just don’t care about the future and are just out to make a fast dollar. So the cost of r-22 is expected to sky-rocket over the next year.    Many manufacturers have already switched the lines over to 410a and really don’t offer the r-22 anymore.  The are shrinking the inventories.   Really doesn’t make much sense to buy r-22 equipment now.  If you just try and buy half a system in r-22 you won’t be able to buy the other half come January.  It makes much more sense to get both parts of the system and start saving on energy now.  The new systems are much more efficient.

Condensate Drain Line Care

Condensate drain lines need to be kept clean because in the heat of the season your air conditioner is pulling out gallons of water per hour from the air and trying to move it outside by gravity. The drain has to be clean. Proper maintenance would be to pour 1/2 cup of distilled white vineagar down the drain every 3 months here in florida. You should do it in April, July, October. There seems to be some confusion on whether to use bleach. Bleach will eat up the metal in the air handler and the aluminum. It can also hurt the pvc pipe if it is not dilluted properly. Bleach will work but be very careful and make sure it does not get on anything at full strength.

We do not like to warranty drain line work because it is very hard to trouble shoot. You just can’t see inside the drain to figure out what is going on with it. When the drain just won’t flow anymore we use a shop vac to get the dirt out. Sometimes that doesn’t work so we have to use pressureized air or nitrogen to blow the drain out.

Drains on the inside of a home can cause big damage if the drain plugs up. Many wood floors, carpets, and drywall has been damaged because of the drain line plugging up and the air conditioner keeps running. It is recommended to install a safety device to keep this from happening. You might get hot for awhile but it beats replacing floors and drywall.

We have a tendency to forget about the air conditioner when it is running. It is the hardest working appliance in your home. It needs to be taken care of just like your car. It requires maintenance to stay running and so does your drain line.

Any questions?

Repair equipment or Replace Equipment that is the question.

Given the current squeeze on household budgets, the request to avoid a major purchase or to minimize cash outlay is certainly understandable.   Of course, if someone is requesting the minimum repair, chances are they are not calling for service until their system fails to cool or heat properly.  However, If the system is old enough that replacement parts can no longer be sourced, or if a major component such as a heat exchanger or AC compressor has failed, even the minimum repair estimate is  large enough to cause a cost/benefits dilemma with your current system.

When facing a major repair or even a modest service work on an older heating and AC system (generally, 10 years is considered old, especially in regards to efficiency), we are listing: 

Seven Useful Questions For Repair Or Replacing Your A-C Heating System

1- How long do you plan to own your home or building?
2- How much have your repair bills cost over the past 1-2 years?
3- Do you believe electricity and fuel costs will tend to go down, stay the same, or go up?
4- What other repairs might you be facing in the near future, other than the issue at hand right now?
5- How much would you save on your monthly utility bills in electricity and gas costs with the new system?
6- How much are the total rebates and tax credits available on a new system?
7- How many months will it take to pay back the cost of the new AC and heating system? After that initial payback period, how much will I get in return each month as a return on my investment?

If there is literally nowhere to turn for the funds to give you a choice, then you may only have to keep your cash outlay as low as possible. However, if you do have choices, making the decision to go with more efficient equipment could pay a monetary return of and on  your investment.  Your local HVAC service company should be able to answer questions 4, 5, 6, and 7.  With these, you should then be able to make a well informed decision.  We welcome your comments and experiences.

Nortek files for chapter 11

Nortek is a holding company for many things.  Broan, Nutone, Nordyne is the best known in the Air Conditioning and Ventilation community.  Nortek has filed chapter 11 to restructure it’s debt.   This sounds like it is going to mainly affect stock and bond holders.  This restructure appears to be contained to the holding company and not the subsidiaries.   Nordyne has not released any statements about this yet.