Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. We are always trying to make it easier to purchase a new system, as they have really gone up in price due to supply chain, inventory and inflation issues. We do everything we can do to help our customers spend the least amount of money possible given their situation. We partner with 3 different financing companies to bring our clients options that can help them remove barriers to getting a needed new air conditioning unit by spreading out payments over time. Please ask us about options to help you fund your AC repair or replacement.
There are two words that have lots of meaning: air and conditioning. Air conditioning requires air flow. Air has to move out the vents with the proper air flow. We use CFM’s (cubic feet per minute), but imagine your system blowing out basketballs of air. Air conditioning requires about 350 to 400 of those basketballs each minute. Conditioning requires the refrigerant equipment to “condition” the air by moving heat. In air conditioning mode, the heat is removed from the house to the outside. One test you can do is go outside with the outside unit running and feel the air blowing out the top of the unit. If it’s warm, then there is heat transfer to the outside, conditioning the house and making it cooler (by removing heat).
From our perspective, there are many games played with this slogan, “We are licensed and bonded.” Let’s start with Licensing. To us, having just a local city business license meets the slogan, but not the intent. Also, there is a Federal license, EPA608, that most any hvac contractors should have, but that licensing leans heavily to understanding Global Warming and Climate Change philosophies, and has little to do with providing a comfort solution with professional customer service. There are municipal licenses which also meets the slogan, and one must decide whether the intent is met. Licensed contractors should have approval from the MS State Board of Contractors. The AC Doctors (Energy Efficiency Enterprises, LLC) has a MSBOC license 18834-MC and the bond assigned (via State Farm) to them.
What that means for you is that we have the financial means to NOT require up-front payments BEFORE work begins. It also means that we meet the law with liability insurance and bonding assigned to the MSBOC to protect your investment.
A (H)eating, (V)entilation, (A)ir (C)ondtioning system adds or removes heat to provide comfort. In the summer, the system removes heat from the house (blowing cold air out the vents) and transfers it to the outside unit, commonly called a condensing unit. In the winter, the inside furnace, electric strip, or two way refrigerant heater, adds heat to the house to warm it up. The duct system transfers the air throughout the house. With a good design and installation, the duct system provides room to room and floor to floor comfort. Too little or too much air can result in hot and cold rooms and/or dusty houses. A proper HVAC system keeps you cool and comfy throughout the year!
This is a small hvac system that has a hanging wall unit (some ceiling units, too) and an outside unit. We often call them a “solution looking for a problem.” Minisplits are often used to heat and cool that above, garage bonus room,
You can, but these jobs require proper licensing, skills, and tools and equipment beyond most DIY’ers. We have nothing but horror stories going behind others that have gone down that road. Also, minisplits are not warrantied as long as typical split systems. Except for a few brands, most units fail way before the expected usage time. Repair parts through the handyman or having to deal with it from overseas or from the internet company can be a major headache! In that case, the home owner always absorbs the warranty costs.
From 5 to 10 years, as that is the manufacturer’s warranty without and with registration, respectively. In other words, start saving around 5 years for a replacement. These systems aren’t built like your granddad’s old GE or Whirlpool units. And, “it’s hard to stop a Trane” unless it stops itself.
After the warranty period, there are a couple of considerations. If there is a major repair, like a coil leak in the inside and outside equipment, then replace. If the compressor dies, replace. If the system is over 10 years old, consider replacement. We have serviced units that are over 20 years old, and my recommendation is always replace, unless it is hardly ever used. It costs more to repair a system that need replacement, because one will throw away the repair expense, and then pay for a new system at a higher price later down the road.
What will the new SEER rating mean for me? SEER is an efficiency rating like miles per gallon with your automobile. The higher the seer, the more efficient the system is, and the more money it will save you running vs an older, lower SEER system The new, SEER2 rating is effective on Jan 1 2023. It is a more stringent testing and reporting level, so today’s (2022) 16 SEER will be about 14.3 SEER under the new rating system in 2023.
It’s supposed to drip water, hopefully internally and out through the main house plumbing drain. Air conditioning cooling requires the removal of water (along with the lowering of temperature) for you to be comfortable. We’ve all experienced the cold/clammy summer air conditioning of systems that don’t dehumidify, like in a NOLA restaurant. Houses that require comfort below 70 degrees usually have a humidity issue and their system isn’t dripping water and pulling it out of the air.
A tune up is an inside and outside cleaning, safety, and efficiency work activity. AC tune ups are important to have your system running to help pull water out of the air. Obviously, a tune up will help with energy efficiency, but a dirty cooling system will not cool as well and it will cost more to use. With regard to the heating side, a tune up ensures your heating system is safe and working properly.