Cooling
Air Conditioners
   
SEER- seasonal energy efficiency rating: a number system the higher the number the more efficient it is (the lower the utility bill)
Refrigerant Types-
    R410a- the new (15 year old) stuff also known as Puron or Ultron- This will be an industry requirement January 1st of 2010. It is the only product we sell.
    R-22- the old stuff (Freon) – we do not sell it because it puts holes in the ozone and will become much more expensive to buy and maintain as industry standards change while supplies of the refrigerant and its associated parts diminish.


Because of the different and incompatible types of refrigerant oil it is not possible to retrofit old units with the new refrigerant and mixing them is a fire hazard according to the compressor manufacturers.

Trying to repair older R-22 units will increasingly become penny wise and dollar foolish. Because of increases in efficiency all components of a refrigerant system are physically larger than old systems including condensers, evaporators, and refrigerant lines. It is virtually mandatory that all components be replaced when upgrading.

Product Warranties

Furnace- parts- 10 years
Heat exchanger- Lifetime to original owner and 20 years thereafter until replaced
Labor- 5 years/10 years available
Air Conditioners or Heat Pump- parts- 10 years
Labor- 5 or 10 years
Compressor- 10 year or lifetime (20 years to successive owners)
13 seer has 10 year compressor
All others have lifetime compressor

Unit replacement means that if the heat exchanger or compressor fails within its warranty period the entire furnace or outdoor unit will be replaced with the balance of the parts and compressor/heat exchanger (i.e. if the unit fails 8 years after install, the unit is replaced but the parts on the replacement unit have the warranty of the 10 years from original install. In this example 2 years left.)

Furnace/air conditioner/heat pump is installed Dec 20, 2008
Warranty- lifetime heat exchanger/compressor
10 year parts 12/20/2018
12/20/2013 5 year Labor

Problem- June 14, 2016 unit stops working
Resolution- June 16, 2016
New furnace/air conditioner/heat pump installed
Warranty- heat exchanger/ compressor Lifetime
Or Dec 20, 2028 to next owners
Parts- Dec. 20, 2018
Labor-June 16, 2017
Customer pays for labor to install new replacement unit

Air Conditioners-
Staging- having 2 cooking capacities in 1 unit
A 3 ton unit will run as a 2 ton unit if it is capable of providing sufficient cooling while using less electricity. This provides a greater control of the temperature and a lower utility bill.

Tons- the amount of cooling or heat removal a unit is capable of. There are 12,000 BTUh in a ton. Ductwork should typically be designed for 400 cfm (cubic feet per minute) per ton in our climate.

Sizes- 1 ½ 2 2 ½ 3 3 ½ 4 5
18000 2400 30000 36000 42000 48000 60000

SEER- 13, 14, 16, 18
13 single stage 10 year compressor
14 single stage lifetime compressor
16, 18 one 2 stage lifetime compressor