ASI Weblog
July 08
Unscrupulous Air Conditioning Contractors Leave a Trail of Unhappy Customers
Just another day at ASI. A customer service operator listens while a caller tells her a horror story about how they were ripped off by another heating and air conditioning contractor. The story is repeated over and over by different unhappy people who besides getting ripped off have something else in common...They didn't do their homework before they hired a contractor.
Actual Comments Include:
“Un-named Air Conditioning Contractor charged me $600 dollars and never fixed the problem, now they refuse to give my money back!”
“Un-named Air Conditioning Contractor came back a few times and tried unsuccessfully and get my brand new air conditioner to work properly and now they simply refuse to try anymore!”
“Un-named Air Conditioning Contractor caused damage to my home and refuses to take responsibility for it”
“Un-named Air Conditioning Contractor said they were Factory Authorized but didn’t know how to install our new furnace properly!”
“Un-named Contractor said they could install the SAME EQUIPMENT as ASI for a cheaper price and now it doesn’t work like it should…..
….I called the manufacturer for help….they recommended I call ASI Heating and Air Conditioning to get a factory trained, nationally certified technician to fix the problem.”
The list could go on for ever!
What should a consumer to do to protect themselves?
1. Research a contractor before you have work done - BBB - CSLB
If a contractor is not a BBB member, and does not have a valid contractors license you will have very little recourse when things go wrong.
2. Use Contractor Referral Services such as - www.tofixit.com
When things do go wrong....and a contractor refuses to take care of the problem
1. File a complaint with the BBB - Better Business Bureau
2. File a complaint with the State Contractors License Board - CSLB.gov
May 08
Sick & Tired of Allergies and Discomfort?
Your Home Can Be an Oasis of Comfort and Health
With one in five Americans suffering from allergies and approximately 75% of all U.S. homes having at least one person living in them with some sort of allergy or upper respiratory problem, many people are looking for something to help them relieve their breathing problems.
The good news is that by using a combination of common sense and properly applied air conditioning and filtration technology your home can become an Oasis of Comfort and Health.
Breathe Easy at Home
There is much written about improving Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) but there are really only three ways to improve the quality of the air in your home. Following are some practical tips for improving your IAQ.
- Source Control or Removal:
- Reduce or remove elements that trigger asthma and allergy reaction. Keep pets outdoors, remove shoes before entering your home, and keep your environment clean.
- Carpets trap dust and allergens; tile & wood floors are much easier to keep clean and can be done so with a damp mop. Most standard vacuums suck up large dust particles and stir up the smaller ones for you to breathe in.
- If you must vacuum use a HEPA or central vacuum system. This helps eliminate those small airborne allergens.
- Have you air conditioning system serviced annually. Air conditioning coils are breeding grounds for mold, bacteria and other allergens
- If your air conditioning system is 15 years or older consider replacing it. Today’s air conditioners installed with a state of the art high efficiency filtration system delivers unparalleled comfort and can reduce your utility bills by as much as 50 percent
Home construction continues to improve in quality and energy efficiency; yet the majority of Americans don't realize that the air in their homes can pose health hazards. While airtight building methods have increased energy efficiency, they've also decreased the regular exchanges of air that made breathing better in older, draftier homes.
- Ventilate - With use of an outside air duct or Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) it’s no longer necessary to open windows to ventilate your home. This is especially effective if you want to enjoy breathing filtered fresh air or if you are not comfortable leaving your widows open for security reasons. (While you sleep for instance)
Strategic use of Air Filtration is one of the most practical and effective ways to improve the air in your home.
- A whole house electronic air cleaner or high efficiency media filtration system is a great start. When used with an Ultra Violet Air Purifier this combination eliminates small particulate as well as harmful gases. This is one of the best and most affordable ways to filter and purify the air in your home.
HEPA Filtration – HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Arrestor) filters are the best means of filtering small particulate from the air. For the first time in the history of the heating & air conditioning industry a true HEPA filtration system is available. Newly developed products have made it possible to use this hospital grade filtration technology in homes today.
Jan 08
If the Components Don't Properly Match, Everybody Loses
Imagine that you've purchased a brand new luxury car, and you're looking forward to a smooth, comfortable ride... but when you pick it up at the showroom you find out it has old, worn-out tires. Oh, sure it'll run fine... but as you shimmy down the highway, listening to the roar of the tires and wondering how long until one blows out, how do you feel... worried?... like you've been "taken for a ride"?
You could find yourself facing the same frustration if the components of your air-conditioning or heat pump system are not properly matched.
Your air-conditioning or head pump system consists of two parts: an indoor (coil) unit and an outdoor (condensing) unit. These two parts are specifically designed to work together as a coordinated "team" to provide top performance and maximum efficiency and comfort. So if you install a new high efficiency outdoor unit, but don't include a new, equally efficient and properly matched indoor unit, the results could be uncomfortable, frustrating, and expensive.
From Disappointment to Worst-Case Scenario
At best, when your air-conditioning or heat pump components aren't properly matched you'll be sacrificing comfort. The system will still work but it won't perform up to the promised efficiency.
This will also cost you money, because the system won't operate at peak efficiency. At worst, when the components aren't properly matched, it could create undue stress on the system, resulting in premature failure.
Properly Matched Systems Mean Maximum Satisfaction
When you consider the steep costs of repairing or replacing these units, installing a properly matched system the first time around makes good sense. Of course, replacing the indoor unit will add cost to the installation, but it will mean greater comfort and energy savings in the long run as you make up for the increased initial expense in lower operating costs.
Ensuring Efficiency
The efficiency of a central air conditioner is rated by its Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). This SEER rating is technically defined as the cooling output provided by the unit during its normal annual usage period divided by its total energy consumption. More simply, the SEER rating is similar to the miles-per-gallon rating for automobiles. The more energy efficient the air conditioning equipment is, the higher the SEER rating - because less electricity is needed to cool your home.
Since 1992, the minimum efficiency standard for central air conditioners and heat pumps has been set at 10 SEER. That's about to change. Beginning in January 2006, the minimum efficiency level for all new central air conditioners manufactured must be at least 13 SEER.
The Right Person for the Job
Before your contractor enters your home, make sure he/she is licensed, well trained and experienced. Look for firms whose employees are certified by the North American Technician Excellence (NATE) training program (www.natex.org). And make sure to ask your contractor if he/she can verify the efficiency of the indoor coil and outdoor condensing unit combination to be installed by showing you an ARI Reference Number. An ARI Reference Number can easily be found by accessing ARI’s free online certification directory at www.ari.org.
Also note that an outdoor unit of one manufacturer can be properly matched with an indoor unit of the same manufacturer or of another manufacturer as long as the combination satisfies the outdoor unit manufacturer's specification for the system.
Get Educated!
Visit www.ari.org, a Web site from the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), and learn about matching coils, proper sizing, finding a certified contractor and energy efficiency standards.
ARI is the national trade association representing manufacturers of more than 90 percent of North American produced central air-conditioning and commercial refrigeration equipment.
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