Austin Air Companie Blog : Archive for the ‘Do It Yourself AC Repair’ Category

RUUD Air Conditioning Repair Katy Texas

Tuesday, March 21st, 2023

Hello and welcome to the #1 Katy, Texas air conditioning blog with video content. Hope everyone is well, happy and more importantly –comfortable.

Comfort and what it means to you is the purpose of this blog. Everyone is unique in how they view comfort and the choices they make in regards to their HVAC comfort decisions affecting their house life and those that reside there.

Timing can sometimes have a dramatic impact on the choices you make. It’s not uncommon for me to get air conditioning trouble calls at the drop of the hat. Most of the time this happens when it’s hot.

So this AC blog post I have another unique air conditioning story to tell you about. This particular ‘cool’ story involves the Ruud brand of HVAC equipment. I embedded the video clip below. Another example to show the brand name game is truly just a game in a hot climate. They all break and as this story demonstrates they are not always easy fixes and not always really old equipment. HVAC equipment can break at any time, regardless of age or brand.  

I repair a Ruud Air Conditioner in a more non traditional way due to the problem this air conditioner had.

This story from the video clip above should highlight the fact that any air conditioner, brand, or model can break. There is no magical ac brand here that is exempt from breaking in a hot climate. I work on and repair all brands of them in a hot climate. As illustrated in the video above repair means more than just replacing a part sometimes. Because it puts the current home owner in a position in which they want to be in later down the road.

What do I mean by the term “hot climate” mentioned above? When summer hits every where people will say: It’s no hotter in Katy, Texas than anywhere else right now. That would be true, you know without actually thinking about it. But if you actually live here you would understand that what I mean by that is the time we spend at those higher heat levels. Time, what is it worth? If you’re younger, time isn’t worth quite as much if you’re my age or older. When you get to be my age and older you begin to realize the time you have left isn’t imaginary. Remember what we just went thru in 2020? When I was young they called this wisdom. Today what do they call this?

In Katy, Texas our climate for AC ‘use’ is typically 10 months of the year. 2022 was exceptionally a hot year. How so you might ask? The number of days at or above 100F. Time again? I explain it to you like this not to belittle you or anyone… but to make sure not a single one of you reading this will leave this post without understanding what it is that I mean in what I say. They call this “context”. We live in a world of enthusiasts in which the only reason they exist is to tell you what you want to hear so they in turn get clicks and notoriety. If that’s what you want, you’re in the wrong place. I hope this explanation is clear to you.

The latest tech in the enthusiast realm is to get AI or artificial intelligence to write and or produce content. It’s interesting as I’ve played around with it some, but to this date as of 2023 it’s merely just interesting. The biggest downfall is primarily in the land of “context”. AI has trouble in the contextual realm. Why is context important? It also has trouble with remembering what it just said to you… unless you remind it what it just said. So to be clear you’re going to have to understand what context truly means in this new age we find ourselves in.

Another problem is that AI will produce a lot of dander and make what it says sound so convincingly true, that if you don’t know the subject at hand and “just run with” what ever AI produces for you and take it as fact? I shouldn’t have to spell out how dangerous that is – should I?

My point in this AI spiel I’ve found myself in is that this is me Ray Austin writing this. I filmed the video you see embedded in this thread, I edited the video for content, I came up with the idea of how to portray it to you and tell you this particular story (it’s real, nothing artificial about it). I also provided you the context so there is a far less likelihood that you misconstrue what I am talking about here. I know from my 29 years in the HVAC industry and 15 years of running my own HVAC company as of 2023 that as a homeowner your views of comfort are probably not to the level I am talking about here. This isn’t to put you down it is to help you understand my point of view and hopefully show and prove to you why I have the view I do. On a national average an HVAC system lasts around 15 years and within that time frame changes have taken place. Changes that you probably aren’t aware of. Even 2023 has changes you may not be aware of… I brush every so slightly on this topic in the embedded video above if you pay close attention.

In addition to that the video above also has a “special” segment toward the end of that video to demonstrate how things are changing in the residential air conditioning realm. This is merely but a small facet of “change” effecting the HVAC residential market. More changes beyond that are coming very soon. This particular blog post isn’t about telling you or showing you everything. It is to drive your interest to explore these things if you so desire. I have other blog posts dedicate to such things as this.

Freon Wars has a become a long running series now on my You Tube Channel. I plan to update this series annually as information about this subject comes out. I have this subject all nice and neatly laid out on my main website here. Currently there are 5 video segments there each about 30 minutes long. I cover this “Freon Wars” topic in depth. You will never be able to say I haven’t warned you. If you do I will refer you to these videos.

You can subscribe to my You Tube channel here so you don’t miss these important updates.

At the end of the day… if you live in or near the Katy, Texas area you will have to choose something to cool your home. I wouldn’t live in this area without air conditioning. Due to the nature of this climate and how much we use and depend on air conditioning to live here – for those reasons alone you will always need a good HVAC repair man. Probably more so now than any other time before. The new refrigerants come in 2025. R410a is likely to be hard freeze on new equipment January 1, 2025 unless something happens to push this date back.

The new refrigerants aren’t perfect. They too will be phased out again maybe as soon as 2035/ 2036 to hit the targets set by the Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

The “possible” advantage to replacing an air conditioner this year and next (2023-2024) is that you may be able to skip an entire generation of equipment. Remember AC’s from a national perspective last on average about 15 years.

My perspective is to not choose a brand name just because it’s a brand you recognize. All brands make a number of different models. You as a consumer need to know that brands at the lower cost spectrum are all primarily the same. There are very little differences among brands in that realm. Efficiency doesn’t always mean saving money. Make sure you understand this. Pick HVAC equipment for what it does and the comfort factors that are important to you. Realize in the higher realms of equipment including the Inverter Realm of equipment that not all brands are created equal. You must “clearly” understand those differences to truly get what you think you may be getting but are not. I like to call this looking under the “hood”. Look past the name on the box. What does it truly do AND how does it do it? These are all important things if you are looking for a quality AC system in 2023 and beyond.

If you’re looking for just an entry level machine brand names mean very little. What is more important is the installation. Comfort cooling isn’t magic. It is based on science. Just because it turns on an off doesn’t mean it’s working.

If you spend any amount of time on my website(s) watching video content from these sources you will see many instances in which repairing without replacing equipment is performed. This isn’t always possible due to a myriad number of factors as the Ruud AC video embedded above highlights. So if you call me and a AC repair is possible I will provide that option. Due to the nature of what is coming is primarily why this customer in the Ruud AC video chose what he chose along with the time constraints to getting his AC system back up and functional.

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

About the Author of Katy, Texas #1 Air Conditioning Blog with Video Content:

My name is Ray Austin. I am the owner and operator of Austin Air Companie, a HVAC Service Company serving Katy, Texas | Cypress, Texas | Richmond, Texas | Fulshear, Texas and some surrounding areas. I am a Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor with 29 years experience in Air Conditioning and Heating Systems as of 2023. I hold an AOS degree in HVAC/R, EPA universally certified to handle any refrigerant and NATE certified in HVAC installations and repairs.

I write my own AC blogs, create my own AC content via video filmed by me, I then edit that content so as to not bore you too much. Everything you see I do it myself. Hundreds and hundreds of your neighbors already know. You don’t need a spy balloon to see what is going on at your neighbor’s house. Subscribe to my you tube channel and you will be notified when your neighbors ac problem becomes my highlight reel.

I am not, nor have I ever been at the mercy of investors or any outside influence. I am skilled to serve those that call me – I offer solutions that will work – I am skilled to fix problems as they arise afterward. Important to note: I am a capitalist. Austin Air Companie is a for profit business. You will always need a skilled HVAC contractor, probably more so now (2023 and beyond) than at any other time before.

I also own a rental property so I have a unique understanding of this part of the real estate market. Due to the nature of rental real estate the challenges coming soon (2025) could shake things up in a profound way. Your tenants won’t keep paying higher rents without proper air conditioning in a hot climate.

Thank you for considering my HVAC services.

Austin Air Companie

A Ray Austin HVAC Service Company

832-475-6895

“Your home comfort from A to Z”

Air Conditioning | Controls | Heating | Zoning

For more information you can always visit me on my main website @

www.austinairco.com 

Better Service. Done Right. On Time. Guaranteed.

Goodman Air Conditioning Repair Katy Texas

Tuesday, March 14th, 2023

Hello and welcome to the #1 Katy, Texas air conditioning blog with video content!

So I have another unique cool story for you today. Everyone loves a cool story right? First we need to lay down some context because what you read here on my blog / watch in video related content are subjects related to a hot climate. The common argument against that is that when summer finally hits everywhere those areas will say it’s just as hot there as it is where I live in? Katy, Texas in case you weren’t reading what I was telling you.

Don’t skim over the facts. That would be misinformation. So a hot climate means what exactly? It means we run our air conditioners in and around Katy, Texas upwards of 10 months of the year. That time frame (amount of time) is typically more than 3 times as long as most areas of the US. The more you run a mechanical appliance, the more likely it will break.

These things are rarely spelled out for you because they will hire people to write a blog post that have no official training other than to just print a bunch of nonsense. It’s either that or they just skim over the fact that your cooling season in Kansas or similar climate is only 3 months long. Climate plays a big role in the comfort department. I live in Katy, Texas – you reading this – I don’t know where you live (this is the internet). Keep in mind I only provide service in and near Katy, Texas. That’s who this content is written for specifically. The content here is based on facts, experience and know how. Hopefully you find value in that – without value what would be the point?

This particular job of repairing a Goodman air conditioner (video embedded below) was initially what I did in May of 2022. I was contacted by this customer I call him Bob. You’ll see in the video that this Goodman AC condenser was in rough shape as a portion of the condenser coils had been eaten away. By June 2023 we were hitting 100F degrees nearly every day. It’s no real surprise to me this customer reached out again to see what I could do to help cool things down for him.

Goodman AC repair video Katy, Texas

For air conditioning to work well (in any climate, not just a hot one) there is a heat transfer taking place. Your air conditioner does not produce cool. It transfers heat. If that heat transfer is interrupted in any significant way, the hotter it becomes outside the less heat the air conditioner is able to transfer when you need that heat transfer the most. (hot gets hotter)

Which means inside your home the air your HVAC system blows out through your vent will not feel very cool. (Realize cool here is a play on words, because in air conditioning land there is no such thing as cool, just less heat. But the word cool is easier to understand. To illustrate further – how cool is cool? Your view might be different from mine and maybe even some people in your own household. Remember I’ve been doing HVAC for 29 years as of 2023. Comfort means different things to different people.)

Air conditioning is based on science. It’s not uncommon for an air conditioner to run but not cool properly. This is often taken for granted when trying to choose one brand over another. All HVAC brands break and the Goodman brand is no exception to that rule. The illusion manufacturers like to provide is that their brand (the name of their unit) is some how exempt from breaking. It’s an illusion for you to buy their product. Or in other words, you’re getting SOLD!

Often times sellers of other brands will bash other brands as inferior to sell you the brand they are selling. Realize they most often do this to sell you another brand. What makes it better than the one you have now? It’s new? It does something more than what your old one did? There are more reasons to replace an air conditioner than just because it’s broken. Efficiency of the system sometimes come in the equation here especially if the system is breaking down month in and month out. In a hot climate with 9 months or more of use a more efficient unit will reduce operation expense. Those expenses add up over time.

The best AC replace options come to those who plan to keep their current home. There are ways to recoup the cost thru high efficiency, especially if you are someone who likes it 75F or cooler in your house. Realize high efficiency units cost more up front but because of our long cooling season here in Katy, Texas in time those high efficiency AC’s will pay you back via reduced utility bills. Realize the more you pay for equipment the more this will affect your pay back. Not all AC systems are created equal in this segment of high efficiency. How high is high? There too you need to fully realize what exactly it is you are buying in this realm.

If you are selling your home soon there is little to achieve here as you are doing the job for someone else. It may help you sell the house, but that is about it in most cases. Obviously a broken air conditioner in Texas isn’t going to get you a full ask price either if you are selling your house.

What I show in the video above is that brand perception and how long one brand lasts isn’t inclusive of other brands or even the brand I show — I tell it like I see it and where the evidence leads. If you stick around and watch other video content I have coming soon it won’t be hard for you to see how long some more prominent brands lasted. It’s mostly an illusion to suggest one brand will outlast another brand. There is no real truth to it in my opinion. I fix air conditioners all summer long. All brands break. The brands like to confuse you as much as possible and this is due to only get worse. A trusted HVAC contractor, if you not using one now you may soon wish you had. 

If you’ve read this far I think you may find some of this HVAC content interesting as there are several unique stories coming soon. There are many stories already on my you tube channel. You can subscribe to my you tube channel here so you don’t miss my next video.

Also there are many changes coming to HVAC in 2025 as we will be entering a new refrigerant phase out and the R410a equipment ban is likely to be in full swing unless something delays it. If you haven’t heard about this R410a Refrigerant Phase Down I have laid out this full story with video right here. Each segment (5 currently) is about 30 minutes long, go there with some time on your hands to get the full scoop. click here.

Thanks for visiting with me today. As always I hope your day is comfortable.

About the Author of Katy, Texas #1 Air Conditioning Blog with Video Content:

My name is Ray Austin. I am the owner and operator of Austin Air Companie, a HVAC Service Company serving Katy, Texas | Cypress, Texas | Richmond, Texas | Fulshear, Texas and some surrounding areas. I am a Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor with 29 years experience in Air Conditioning and Heating Systems as of 2023. I hold an AOS degree in HVAC/R, EPA universally certified to handle any refrigerant and NATE certified in HVAC installations and repairs.

I write my own AC blogs, create my own AC content via video filmed by me, I then edit that content so as to not bore you too much. Everything you see I do it myself. Hundreds and hundreds of your neighbors already know. You don’t need a spy balloon to see what is going on at your neighbor’s house. Subscribe to my you tube channel and you will be notified when your neighbors ac problem becomes my highlight reel.

I am not, nor have I ever been at the mercy of investors or any outside influence. I am skilled to serve those that call me – I offer solutions that will work – I am skilled to fix problems as they arise afterward. Important to note: I am a capitalist. Austin Air Companie is a for profit business. You will always need a skilled HVAC contractor, probably more so now (2023 and beyond) than at any other time before.

I also own a rental property so I have a unique understanding of this part of the real estate market. Due to the nature of rental real estate the challenges coming soon (2025) could shake things up in a profound way. Your tenants won’t keep paying higher rents without proper air conditioning in a hot climate.

Thank you for considering my HVAC services.

Austin Air Companie

For AC Service in or near Katy Texas: 832-475-6895

“Your home comfort from A to Z”

Air Conditioning | Controls | Heating | Zoning

For more information you can always visit me on my main website @

www.austinairco.com 

Better Service. Done Right. On Time. Guaranteed.

How To Do Air Conditioning Yourself

Wednesday, July 27th, 2016

You go outside and take a look at your AC condenser, you peer inside see a few parts and say “hmm, this doesn’t look very complicated.” I think I could do this myself.

I can’t tell you how many times a year that I get calls from people who thought they could fix it themselves only to make the repair more costly because they damage something or worse yet spin the unit so far into the ground to the point it is not worth repairing.

I named this subject this way to hopefully warn those who think this way is really a rational way to solving their AC problems. Your home is the most expensive asset you will likely own in your lifetime. You should be more interested in protecting this asset than potentially destroying it. Hopefully I am saving you from the extremely possible nightmare that lies in front of you.

How To Buy AC Equipment Online

Worse still is if you think you can buy the equipment online and then get someone to install it for you. Certainly you can buy the equipment online. This is no secret, but if you have a problem with the unit, if a part fails look at the fine print on the website from which you plan to buy this equipment from. No one installing the equipment for you will warranty anything you bought online, that becomes your burden. When you don’t have the HVAC licensing backing you up you’re in shark infested waters to say the least. A Technician does not have an HVAC license. A Technician has only the ability to work under the ‘SUPERVISION’ of a Licensed HVAC Contractor. A Technician who does ‘side’ work, faces immediate termination from their job in most cases if they’re caught. Why do you suppose? Any person willing to install equipment for you this way is likely not worth their salt anyway. Now think for just a few seconds on how I could possibly know this.

Licensed HVAC Contractors Carry General Liability Insurance

Ah-ha the very important difference between a Technician and a licensed HVAC contractor. What happens if the Technician burns down your home while trying to install a AC system on your property?

What happens if after the Technician installs the system on your property and the AC system does not cool well? Who will take the blame? The Technician will likely blame the equipment and thusly you because you bought it. Do you see the error of your ways yet? Without a HVAC Contractors license backing you up you have no recourse what so ever. You are ‘STUCK’ in a big bad way.

HVAC Manufacturer’s Void Warranty For Purchases Online

Ok, So now prove it to yourself with what I just said: visit the manufacture website of your choice and find out the fine print of the warranty documents they provide: purchases of equipment online the warranty is void. Go ahead and look if you don’t believe what I am putting here. Every Manufacture has an Online purchase policy, it makes no difference which manufacturer’s product you choose.

HVAC Licensing And Building Codes

Ah yes the fine little details to keep your home legal and avoid serious health problems, not to mention damage to your home up to and including burning it to the ground or turning it into a health hazard years later with mold growth. Watch the evening news. There are at least a half dozen stories a year in which a fire originates in the attic of a home. Why do you suppose?

As a Licensed HVAC contractor myself I am required by law to be licensed within the segment of the HVAC market in which I perform work for others. On top of this licensing I am required to carry General Liability Insurance, not to mention commercial vehicle insurance. I am also required to follow current building codes, this type of knowledge and know how is to ensure you get what you are paying for. I am what is called a ‘working’ HVAC contractor. I do all the work, including new HVAC installations. From a quality stand point on the product(s) I offer there is no substitute. I back this quality pledge up with prompt service after the sale should your new system ever need repairs. If you take any other route to accomplish this you are on your own. There is no HVAC company I know of that will stick their neck out on a HVAC installation gone bad. The cure in many cases is to rip it all out and start over. Remember hindsight is always 20/20.

Home Inspections Prior To Selling Your Home

Certainly you had a home inspection prior to buying your home didn’t you? But you think you are somehow going to pull a fast one and when you go to sell this home that others will forgo a home inspection prior to buying it? Certainly you could sell the home to the ugly home buying people, but they will only give you pennies on the dollar for it. So much for your home being an asset.

Realize what I say in this blog post is a ‘popular theme’ these days. Part of my job as an HVAC contractor is to deal with the dirty side of the market and warn those who may be thinking such things. The lure of what appears to be a ‘great deal’ winds up being a great deal of trouble up to and including the loss of your home and maybe effects on your health.

When it comes down to it, all I can do is warn you. In 21 years of doing this for a living, I can tell you it matters not one bit how much I write or warn about this subject. There are always those who must learn by experience rather than by me warning them. Hopefully ‘you’ are not one of them.

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 everything air conditioning and heating

for your home visit me at my main website:

www.austinairco.com

Better Service. Done Right. On Time. Guaranteed.