Before going further, we will give a disclaimer that is important to us and should be to you:  we found and purchased a copy of this book unsolicited, and receive no compensation of any kind for this review or from book orders.  We wrote this review because we find its content relevant and useful to home and building owners or occupants.

Who: Author is Joe Gorman, a HVAC contractor in California and industry expert.
What: Paperback, about 60 pages of content
When: Buy before choosing a heating and AC contractor or system, or having repairs done.
Where:  www.jpgorman.com
Why:    In about an hour, you can read the whole book, and get a candid insider’s view of heating and AC systems and practices.
How Much: $10.95 plus postage
Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars.

What we like most about the book

- Author’s impressive list of credentials and experience.
- Skillful use of tables, lists, and info boxes for easier reading– there are more than a dozen of these.
- The book provides practical and high-impact advice.
- The points he emphasized are very similar to the ones we have emphasized over the years.
- Effective use of technical terms — in the amount necessary — and in a way consumers can understand.

The book has a subtitle: the Truth about Heating, Air Conditioning, and Home Comfort Systems.  Our consensus: the book accurately delivers on it. We won’t attempt to go into more detail or somehow condense 60 pages of well written, appropriately technical content into a list for this review.  From our perspective, though, the author makes a great case for why you need to take time to learn about the topic. And, he provides specific action point and next steps.

We are often quoted as saying “the main benefit of any heating and AC system is to provide more comfort and lower bills”.  “From Contractor to Consumer” takes this approach also, and adds some hard-hitting discussion of safety and what can happen if it is ignored.

What we would like to see different
We don’t see much room for improvement.  If there were a way to summarize a bit more of the text into additional tables and lists, that would make the book even better.  As stated above, we counted 12 examples of tables, lists, etc.

If you have related experience you would like to share, please join in the discussion.

While reading my favorite AC heating forum this morning, I found a link to a Nov. 7 article on the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) website. The article describes new duct sealing technology that could be a breakthrough in energy conservation – one that could save home and building owners in the U.S. up to $5 billion per year.  There is a link to the article at the end of this blog post.

Leaky ducts waste a lot of energy – estimates show that 25-40% of the cooled or warmed air (and the energy that produced it) gets wasted in transit. For the average homeowner, this translates to $50-70 per month in utility costs.

After the initial excitement of saving this much energy leveled off, I began to think of questions to ask, or situations where sealing an existing duct system might not automatically be a wise move, or could be done out of sequence.

Get the correct sequence for energy saving improvements
To be clear, making sure that ducts are sealed correctly is a top priority, and will save lots of energy. However, HVAC system improvements need to be performed in the correct sequence. So, before going to the effort and cost of having existing ducts sealed, here are some related issues an owner needs to find out or plan for:

Age of other main HVAC components
How old are the other outside and inside main components: compressor, condenser, heat exchanger and air handler? If those components are nearing the end of their economic life (generally around 10 years or older), they might need to be replaced first. Then, if main components get replaced, the existing ducts may need replacement with them — so that they are the correct size and other specifications. Here’s a critical point: one size does not fit all with HVAC systems and ductwork!

Were your existing components and ductwork correctly sized originally?
Even if the other main components will not be changed soon, is the existing ductwork the correct size for your current situation: existing components, your home or building envelope, your climate and other particulars? If equipment or ducts were not correctly sized or configured originally, sealing the ducts will not be a total solution. Ironically, the sealing of leaky, undersized ducts could trigger other previously obscured issues or complaints with your AC or heating system.  One example: if your AC or furnace was oversized, sealing ducts could cause your AC or heating system to cycle on and off too quickly.  Excessive on-off cycling involves unnecessary energy use, equipment wear, and comfort complaints.  So in this scenario, you pay twice: once to get your current ducts sealed, and then you pay again to fix the pre-existing problems in your system — problems that the duct sealing brought to light.

In summary, absolutely do get your ducts sealed, but get your ducks in a row before you sign on the dotted line. Choose the right contractor, and they will explain the optimum sequence of energy improvements for your situation.

Link to article
Read the full article on the duct sealing breakthrough on the U.S. Energy Department website.

 

I recently attended a meeting here in Austin, and had some spare time to visit with two other attendees. It turns out that one was an attorney, and another was a heating and AC contractor.  The attorney told a really disturbing account of how she had to pay twice for her home renovation and new heating & AC system. During this discussion, the HVAC company owner shared his experience on how to avoid getting a lien placed on your property, having to pay twice for materials, labor, or both.  Although our discussion was about HVAC, the same process holds true for most any type of home or building improvement projects such as roofing, wiring, plumbing, windows, kitchen or bathroom renovations.

The particulars on this subject vary by state or local jurisdiction. Before going further, I’ll state the following disclaimer: this general article is in no way intended to be advice for a specific location or situation. Rather, the intent is to make you aware of potential problems. Then, you can choose a good contractor, and if needed check with your local authorities or attorney to take preventative action that is appropriate for your location.

Framing the potential problem: unpaid people “downstream”
Here’s the scenario you basically need to avoid: paying a contractor for materials and labor without assurance that they have paid suppliers of materials and sub-contractors. The reason is straightforward: even if you pay your contractor in full and in good faith, if that contractor does not pay others “downstream” who provided materials or labor, those downstream parties could come back and seek payment or other remedies directly from you.

Outline of some ways to avoid paying twice

Below are some tactics you can use or combine to avoid issues:

1. Most importantly: deal with reputable contractors that you have thoroughly vetted. In addition to paying everyone who is owed, stand up contractors also are usually bonded, carry insurance, keep current with technical updates, and have other attributes that benefit you.  Keep in mind that the cheapest bid for a new heating and AC system may not be the best value. Over its life, monthly utility bills and other operating and repair costs will often be higher than the initial purchase price of your system.  Get a checklist here.
2. Get release of lien documents signed by all parties who might be able to make a claim for payment against you or file a lien against your property.  There are several types of releases – get the correct release for your situation and locality.
3. Consider paying with “two party” checks:  make the check payable to both the general HVAC contractor and second parties, as appropriate. The second parties can be the supplier of materials or labor such as a sub-contractor.  For this to work, though, you have to know who the second parties are and how much they are owned.  If the contractor has “issues” you might not have access to all the info you need.
4. Pay suppliers directly and separately for materials. Of course, you will need to work with the contractor to make sure the equipment is correctly sized, etc. Make separate payments for labor costs and use the tactics above.

In some cases, paying with a credit card might give you some leverage.  If anything about the project does not work out as needed, you might be able to get the credit card company to help you remedy the problem before you pay your bill to your card issuer.  However, if the contractor’s bank account were to be closed, there could a lot less leverage to exert.  If you are financing your system, your lender will often have a say in who gets paid and how the funds are disbursed.

If you have experience with this topic, please send your comments in so that others can benefit.

If you’ve read our previous blog posts, you have likely observed that they tend to go into a lot of detail.  Today’s blog post is different, and fills a response to a reader’s request for a broad view – an “executive summary” or “101 level course” — of the ten most important current HVAC topics for homeowners.  At the end of each item, in parenthesis, I’ll comment on whether it applies to repair, installation, maintenance or all.

1.    Your most important decision: which local company to call to repair, maintain, or install your system. If you get this part right, you can take a lot less time reading (or skip altogether…) items 2-10 below. (all)

2.    Do some research and choose a heating and AC company when you are not in hurry. Waiting until your system breaks down (needing to have it repaired or replaced) to pick a heating and AC company usually leads to less than optimum results.  You don’t wait until the engine in your car quits to have the oil changed, do you? (all)

3.    The “envelope” of your home affects your indoor comfort and utility bills too.  Work with your AC heating service to use the “whole house” approach to get the optimum mix of heating and cooling capacity and improvements to the envelope of your home. A few examples of improvements that affect system performance are duct sealing, insulation, solar screens, and radiant barriers. (all)

4.    There are more companies (brands) selling equipment than factories that manufacture it.  (installation)

5.    Surfaces in your system that the air passes over – the surfaces where heat and cool get exchanged– must be kept clean to work effectively and for certain parts to not break down prematurely. Some of these are user serviceable (some types of air filters) while others are not.  Find out which ones are from your heating and AC company. (maintenance)

6.    If the insides of your ductwork need cleaning, before taking action you should determine the reason why, instead of simply paying to have them cleaned. (maintenance and repair)

7.    Getting on a yearly maintenance plan for your system can help prevent equipment failures, save on utility bills, and can prevent dangerous conditions (carbon monoxide leaks) by any fuel-burning systems.  (maintenance and repair)

8.    Extended warranties can be a poor value, especially if they are offered by some companies other than the equipment manufacturer directly.  A few red flags: policies offered by “third parties”, obscure exclusions and deductibles in the fine print. (installation)

9.    If you are looking at a major component replacement, such as evaporator or condenser coils, air handlers, compressors, or heat exchangers, understand that “field matching” (ad hoc mixing of components) is less likely to perform well over the long run. Contrast these with a factory matched system.  Also, field matched repairs usually do not qualify for rebates or incentive programs. (repair and installation). A current example of this is the “dry charged” unit we wrote about last month.

10.    Two specific areas that tend to generate more complaints are duct cleaning and extended warranties.  If you are not convinced yet, go back to item number 1 again. (all)

The explanations for all these items are found in sections on our website or in our other blog posts. Even so, if you have a question on one of the items in the list above, or have a related experience to share, send us your comments so others can learn from it.

Now and then I run across a topic with potential for significant impact, but the details are being debated.  The topic of today’s blog, R-22 dry charge condenser units, is one of those.  Rather than call this blog “news” or “facts”, I’m putting this out as a “heads up” (if your older R-22 system breaks down and are presented with a proposal for one of these), but more as a request for crowd sourcing from those of you who work in the HVAC industry or have experience on this topic.

Background

The following is a bullet point summary of the high points I’ve seen on this topic:

• The refrigerant R-22 is being phased out by the U.S. EPA (2009) because of links to ozone depletion.
• There seems to be (depending on who is describing it…) a “loophole” or “wiggle room” in the wording in the law that allows U.S. manufacturers to keep making new AC condenser units that use R-22.
• A key point is the definition (some are saying misclassification) of the condensing unit as a component.
• These condensing units cannot be shipped charged with refrigerant R-22. As a result, they are shipped with an inert (nitrogen) holding charge. The R-22 in the old system is supposed to be captured. Then, the nitrogen must be evacuated from the new unit. Then the new unit must be field-charged with R-22 when installed.  Thus, these R-22 units are called “dry shipped” condensing units.
• One projection I read (I have not yet been able to verify these numbers…) stated that up to six AC manufacturers will produce about 600,000 of the dry charged units in 2011. Each of these units will require up to appx. 8 pounds of R22 refrigerant.

Possible Pros and Cons

• Meeting the letter of the regulation vs. the spirit or intention of it.
• For a home or building owner of an older R-22 system with a worn out /failed outdoor component, the initial cost of having it replaced with a dry-charged R-22 unit could be substantially less expensive than getting a new system with R-410A.
• Consumers have been educated that R-22 needs to be phased out, and that we should buy higher-efficiency, environmentally friendly systems that use R-410A.
• Rebates and tax credits need to be factored into any major AC and heating purchase. Most rebate and tax credits require a whole new system purchase – I have not seen a major component qualify.  (Since tax credits are taken post-purchase, always get tax credit details in writing from your contractor before you buy.)
• Field matching of components can cause issues (sooner or later..) that having a new, factory matched system will avoid.
• Since existing R-22 units come in a wide range of ages and types, there are some potential compatibility issues. A technical bulletin from one manufacturer of the dry-charged replacement units I found read as follows: “If the (indoor) coil was made in 1999 or earlier replace the coil or air hander.  Do not install a new condenser if the indoor unit has a  “cap tube” style coil.

Why the confusion or controversy?

• Well, for starters, it seems that at least one of the companies manufacturing these (a major manufacturer, of these) dry charged units equipment is petitioning the EPA to modify the rules to end the production of these units.  See the link below, and to read comments that attest to the strong opinions on this topic, scroll to the bottom of the linked article.
• When I visited several of the manufacturer websites, I see references to the compressor motor and corrosion-resistant cabinet, and that the outdoor units make an alternative solution to compressor replacement.  So, for us non-technicians, the whole outdoor unit is involved in the replacement, not just the condenser coil.
• Within the industry, the debates fall under several themes: cost (initial and later), refrigerant availability, effectiveness of the procedure, proper installation and handling of refrigerant, environmental/regulations.

Link to article in Contracting Business:  Carrier Petitions EPA To Close R-22 Loophole

More info added 8/6: check out this 6-minute YouTube clip. It is a panel discussion by HVAC industry leaders on this same topic

If you have experience on this topic, please let us hear from you.

In many of my blog posts, I go into lots of detail.  For this post, however, I’m trying a shorter format for two reasons: a – our readers are busy, and want useful information in bite-sized pieces; and 2- the causes of leaks in AC evaporator coils seems more varied than the solution.

Symptoms of leak in indoor coils

• Periodically being told that refrigerant needs to be added
• AC system and fan runs, but warm air comes from vents

Causes of leaks in evaporator coils

In the HVAC forums I monitor, the posts on leaky indoor coils tend to come in waves, sometime focused in certain geographical areas.  Humid climates tend to increase some of the issues.  Lately the number of posts has been high.  Leaky coil issues are fairly widespread, and are not limited to any particular brand. Listed below are some of the possible causes of leaks:

• Corrosion of tubes (“formicary corrosion”) increasing due to “tighter” house construction. Corrosion causes pinholes in the copper tubes
• Corrosive gasses or fumes from defective drywall or other building materials, contents, or household chemicals.
• AC coils being made of thinner-walled, lighter gauge copper
• Higher operating pressures in newer equipment
• Manufacturing defects in tubing

Possible solutions and questions to ask your contractor

• If your AC and heating system is older (10 years is a benchmark used by some of the municipal rebate programs) or not very efficient, before doing a major repair, such as replacing a compressor, coil, or heat exchanger, you should also compare the cost of replacement.  Most rebates and tax credits require the installation of a new system to qualify.  Plus you’ll lower your monthly utility bills and future repair bills.  If you are in a position to possibly replace your system, you can use our free grid to compare bids.
• If your AC and heating system is otherwise OK, ask your HVAC contractor if either a plated (tin) or aluminum corrosion-resistant replacement coil will work in your equipment and situation. If you don’t have a reliable service company, you can visit this page to learn how.

If you have experience with a leaky AC coils, either as an owner or technician, please enter your comments so others can learn.

 

 

Today, in an air conditioning & heating news alert, we received the following AC heater recall notification. Side note: we get AC heating alerts daily in digest form by using Google Alerts (http://www.google.com/alerts), and find this free service to be very useful. Now, back to the recall: it’s on the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) website. This is a voluntary recall of more than 90,000 units from the two companies who manufactured and distributed them. The recall was written in a format that is easy to read, so, we’ll include the text from it here (minus a bit of formatting), and also put a link at the bottom to their website.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2011

Release #11-247

Firm’s Recall Hotline: (866) 918-8771

CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772

CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

General Electric, Sharp Recalls GE Air Conditioning and Heating Units Due to Fire Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: GE Zoneline Air Conditioners and Heaters

Units: About 90,600

Distributor: GE Appliances and Lighting, of Louisville, Ky.

Manufacturer: Sharp Corp., of Osaka, Japan

Hazard: An electrical component in the heating system can fail, posing a fire hazard to consumers.Incidents/Injuries: General Electric and Sharp have received four reports of incidents involving smoke and/or fire with the air conditioning and heating units. In two of the reported incidents, fire extended beyond the air conditioning and heating unit, resulting in property damage. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves GE Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners (PTAC) and packaged terminal heat pumps manufactured between January 2010 and March 2011, and are most often used in apartment buildings and commercial space. The GE logo is affixed to the control panel door. Serial and model are printed on the rating plate. Consumers will need to remove the front panel to locate the model and serial information.

The following models and serials are included in this recall:

Brand       Model Number (Begins with)      Serial Number (Begins with)

GE               AZ41, AZ61                                       AT, DT, FT, GT, HT, LT, MT, RT, ST, TT, VT and ZT AV, DV and FV

Sold by: General Electric authorized representatives and HVAC distributors nationwide from March 2010 through March 2011 for between $1,000 and $1,200.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the air conditioning and heating units in the heat mode and contact General Electric to schedule a free repair.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact General Electric toll-free at (866) 918-8771 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s website at www.geappliances.com/products/recall

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on www.saferproducts.gov.

CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products – such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

Under federal law, it is illegal to attempt to sell or resell this or any other recalled product.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, go online to: www.saferproducts.gov, call CPSC’s Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain this news release and product safety information at www.cpsc.gov. To join a free e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.

 

Link to CPSC Website for this recall On the CPSC website, there is an image of the recalled unit. It is a package type or combination AC heating unit.

 

Sometimes a confluence of events inspires me to write a blog post.  Today’s post — which is about problems with extended warranties on AC, heating and related equipment and services — has three contributing sources that all came together recently.

• Last week, I’ve read a lot of chatter on some HVAC forums about HVAC contractors who are having problems getting third warranty providers to honor (pay for) warranty work needed by homeowners under their extended warranty policy.  The scope of the problem seems fairly serious.
• Yesterday, I visited the home of a friend, a mechanical engineer who is meticulous about writing specs for work done at his home.  He recently bought a new AC heating system that came with a 10 year parts and labor warranty: 5 years parts and labor from the manufacturer, and “the company who installed it arranged for an additional 5 years parts and labor as part of the package”.
• Then driving home, I listened to one of my favorite syndicated radio shows, the Clark Howard Show. He generally discourages listeners from buying many types extended warranties. Clark’s advice (and I’ll paraphrase here) is to not buy an extended warranty (which is a type of insurance policy) unless the consequences of not buying it could turn into a major financial problem.

Before going further, and as this topic relates to heating and AC systems, I would make a distinction between an extended warranty offered by the equipment manufacturer and ones offered by third parties.

The most important factor is getting the equipment correctly sized and installed. Next, let’s talk about maintenance. Regular maintenance such as timely filter changes and yearly servicing, will cause AC and heating equipment to need fewer repairs, last longer and waste less energy.  In the overall budgeting, we rank scheduled maintenance ahead….way ahead… of an extended warranty.

Now, we’ll add our knowledge about the AC and heating industry to Clark’s general advice.  By the time you factor in any deductibles and the time required to haggle with them, a (possible) future expense you could incur from not buying extended warranty on a AC and heating system would not likely be a major issue for most homeowners.  For extended warranties, you either pay cash up front, or it is somehow “built in” to the package price (along with interest you are paying). Either way, you are paying for something you may not need or be able to use later.

Summary

• The overall value of extended warranties in AC and heating equipment is questionable…clearly, a buyer beware situation.
• For your budget priorities, we recommend that you get top quality work on the sizing and installation of the new equipment. Then, focus on filter changes and a yearly maintenance plan as higher priority than an extended warranty.
• If you are going to buy an extended warranty, find out which company actually underwrites the policy. Look for one with the manufacturer behind it.

Additional Resources
Link to Clark Howard’s website and video about extended warranties.

 

Before diving into this topic, I’ll repeat three essential, related themes you’ll see throughout our website: a- The quality of the AC and heating equipment installation matters more than equipment brand. Quality includes selecting right size and type of equipment for the local climate and the envelope of your home or building and also how the equipment is installed. b-There are more equipment brands than there are major manufacturers of the most important components. c- Our website is brand neutral — we don’t accept payment for writing about brands.

Within that context, when buying a new AC system or getting your existing one repaired, it can be useful to know why your local AC and heating contractor has chosen to be a dealer for a particular brand, or a limited number of equipment brands.  The info below is taken mainly from my daily reading of a forum of independent heating and AC contractors. These tend to be both candid and insightful.

Listed below are 10 common reasons — and their possible benefits to or impact on you:
1- Access to or trust relationship with local distributors and their account reps for parts and support.

When their supplier is close by, your local contractor can install or repair your equipment more efficiently. This can save time for you too, and can even mean the difference in you being without cooling or heating overnight in some cases.

2- Lower number of items to keep in inventory, both new units and brand specific repair parts.

This can result in your equipment getting installed faster, better, at a lower cost or a combination of these.

3- Time required for required to stay current technical training, service bulletins, sales and marketing info, and internal policies of each manufacturer or vendor.

Same as above…this can result in your equipment getting installed faster, better, at a lower cost or a combination of these.

4- Contractual reasons: Franchise, Ownership, etc.

Being a dealer for a particular brand may be required due contractual obligations of a franchise, or in some cases, being owned by a equipment manufacturer or its parent company.

5- History with that brand, and the expense of / reluctance to change.

Each service company wants the quality of their service to be your main focus. This is natural part of the industry — don’t look at it as a problem. However, if a service company has been a dealer of a brand for a long time, there is a certain inertia involved. Adding another brand or switching brands will have inherent costs and unknowns for any service company.

6- Ability to meet different price points and give their customers a choice: Good, Better, Best.

Positioning, wholesale costs or profit margins can vary among brands. Some brands have been or are “positioned” in the market as premium, good, or “tract home/builder grade” equipment (usually associated with lowest cost and quality).

7- Seeking a lower level of defects, higher reliability, or better warranty / service

All brands will have defects or failures from time to time, and these can come in “waves”.  The practical issue for you and the service company is how efficiently the manufacturer handles claims to make things right with the homeowner and the dealer.

8- Seeking lower competition

Contractors prefer to have less competitors, especially from installers who cut corners or those who have a “captive” audience.  Though competition is generally good for consumers, for the contractor more competitors also means more opportunities for the “corner cutters” to underbid the high-quality installers who won’t cut corners (in places like training, insurance, replacing existing ductwork or dealing with existing wiring issues). Re: the audience, there is a growing trend of utility companies (who have more of a “captive” audience via their utility bills) getting into the HVAC business.

9- Rebates and incentives that can be passed along to customers

Any way to lower the initial cost will help sell more systems. It also means a quicker return on/of the homeowner’s purchase of a new system rather than keeping an older, inefficient one going.

10 – Personal preference of the service company owner.

Each AC heating brand has a company culture or “personality” in both customer perception and in behind-the-scene operations.  In some cases, either aspect can be enough to cause a service company owner to be attracted to a brand, or choose to avoid or drop it.

If you need more info on how to choose a reliable contractor, use the main navigation in the gray bar at the top of this page.  Also, if you are considering a private label AC heating system, here is a related blog.

Do you have a related experience or opinion to share? If so, please send it.