Austin Air Companie Blog : Posts Tagged ‘How to choose new AC system’

New Air Conditioning System

Saturday, March 12th, 2016

It’s that time of the year again in Katy, Texas when you start contemplating the hot summer and realize it might be time to replace that old air conditioning system and maybe the heating system as well.

Some times this may be done at the spur of the moment when it’s already 90 degrees or more in your house and you’re under stress to just get it done. If you happen to be reading this earlier in the season before the summer arrives you have a bit more time to make a more informed decision.

Many people tend to approach this as just finding the lowest price possible to replace the AC unit. In some cases this may be all that’s needed if you plan to sell the home a short while later. However, with the current real estate market near the top more people are deciding to stay in their homes longer. This is a fine balancing act to decide exactly what you want. To complicate this further air conditioning manufacturer’s make so many different models, different SEER ratings, different configurations, more features, differences in warranty coverage that it’s enough to make your head swim.

To top all of that off, you call a few HVAC companies for a AC replacement quote and you may determine that these are merely salesmen looking for a quick score. For those of you that don’t know, a salesman only gets paid to sell. The problem with that is more times than not they don’t have your best interest at heart. Sorry, but the only way to sell “crap” is to embellish what it can do and how cheap they can install it for. The salesman however won’t come back once the sale is complete.

HVAC manufacturer’s make HVAC systems. That is how they are designed is as a complete systems. So if you only replace “part” of your HVAC system you are getting what is often called a “piece meal” AC system or “mismatched AC system” meaning that the parts of the system are of a different model design and in some cases a different manufacturer. On top of that, if you are buying a complete system it may be an inferior model, an outdated model, a system that has been sitting in a warehouse for an extended period. Do you want an older model because it’s cheaper? Do you want a new model that is better, fresh off factory floor with better features? How will you know this difference if you are talking to a salesman?

The piece meal option doesn’t always mean anything bad, other than the less of your system you replace typically the more likely it is that it will break down again. Additionally what it also means is that it likely won’t be quite as efficient as the rating of the new equipment suggests. This depends greatly on what your current HVAC system configuration is. No two homes are alike in this regard.

Everyone likes a “good deal” when it comes to just about anything. Are you going to measure a good deal in price alone or are you going to measure a good deal in quality, features and performance?

A good deal in price alone is often fleeting because the electric bill is coming to your house every month whether you like it or not. Your air conditioning system efficiency and performance makes up the majority of that bill, so if you skimp on one side you pay for it on the other. To top that off if the price one company is offering is very low compared to other quotes, they are cutting corners somewhere. There is no way around that, and you will wind up paying for it at some point.

A Good Deal For A New HVAC System

When it comes to these things I often say “the devil is in the details”. You are buying an HVAC system for comfort. If it doesn’t truly fulfill that purpose then why buy it?

Your installing HVAC contractor is who you should be calling if and when the system breaks. All AC brands can and do break down, don’t be fooled into thinking otherwise. If you can’t depend on the HVAC contracting company that installed your AC system then what are you left to consider?

It’s not uncommon for me to repair a dozen or so HVAC systems a year that were installed by other companies. These aren’t free calls, the manufacturer doesn’t warranty improper installation, systems that were purchased over the internet or any other illogical method that some people consider.

If the HVAC system pays you back thru reduced utility cost, provides you the comfort you desire and you have a professional licensed HVAC contractor that can repair your air conditioning and heating system when that need arises why would you want anything else?

Thank you for visiting with me today. I hope I might have saved you from making what could be a costly mistake. National average life of an AC system is 15 years. That is a long time to live with a mistake.

Make your new HVAC system a GREAT one!

Choose Austin Air Companie

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 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:

videos, tips and everything air conditioning and heating

for your home you can always visit me on my main website @

www.austinairco.com

Better Stuff. Done Right. On Time. Guaranteed.

Air Conditioning Contractors and the importance of who you choose

Sunday, July 26th, 2015

I keep getting quite few calls in regards to AC systems that were recently installed. When I say recently I mean within 3 years or less. You have to realize that an AC system is a 15 year appliance. (National Average Life.)

These calls tend to be from homeowners who either can’t get service from the original HVAC contractor because they are out of business, putting the homeowner off or “out of the area” so to speak or other reasons way out in left field.

I also got a call from someone in which the work had already started and from the sound of it she had kicked him out. These kinds of situations are dicey and I’ll tell you why.

First the more people who touch the system– “if” you develop a problem with the system each person will blame the other for the problem. That puts you in the middle and nothing gets resolved. It’s what is commonly referred to as a “Third Party Contract”.

Why would I want to get involved in such a mess? Run the risk of bad press, or potentially something even worse? You wouldn’t do it so why should you expect me to do it… This is why you need to do your homework first. It’s not about how much you spend, it’s about how much you waste.

Let me put it to you another way… You come down to two choices one from AC company A and one from AC company B

Say you could spend $1500 more on solution A and that AC solution lowers your utility bill $30 a month plus the system runs for 8 years problem free.

Say that solution B is $1500 cheaper than solution A your utility bill goes down $15 a month but there was a problem with the installation that took literally a month to get fixed having to call and recall the installing contractor, but the system still has broken down every other year since it was installed. After the fiasco with the installation you broke ties with the installing contractor and so now you’ve had half a dozen AC companies work on it. How much is your time worth?
Fill in your savings here ____________
( I listen to these kinds of stories all the time… remember I’ve been doing this for 20 years.)

The problem with this is you don’t know if there will be just as many problems with the one that costs $1500 more. This is where you have to ask the tough questions to your HVAC contractor. Because the contractor you choose to do the install should be the one you call to service it in the event it breaks down.

If you don’t look at it this way… I will have plenty to write about in another blog post. I see these kinds of things over and over.

You’re here for a good reason. Hopefully you didn’t find this page too late. Choose wisely… ask the tough questions — get a great system that lasts a long time with little to no trouble. That is the definition of a “good deal”.

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 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 you can always visit me on my main website @
www.austinairco.com

Better Stuff. Done Right. On Time. Guaranteed.