Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Dirty Air Conditioning Ducts

If low quality AC filters are used, or if your ductwork is not adequately sealed, you may accumulate some dirt and other debris over a period of time.
There are many companies out there who will try to scare you by claiming your home is making you sick. They create advertisements that warn about cancer causing mold, dust mites, and toxic insect parts that cause asthma and allergies. One company claims they can extract up to 15 gallons of debris from your ducts and by doing so, you will save up to 30% on your electric bill.
Unfortunately, most of the information available about duct cleaning originates from people associated with the industry or from firms who market air duct cleaning services.
It seems that the air quality business is very profitable and very easy to get into.
For example, the following is from the www.air-care.com website.
“...The air duct cleaning and decontamination industry is currently experiencing unprecedented growth. …”Gain unlimited earnings, Realize a 50 - 70% net profit, Operate with a low overhead…”
This is one of countless companies that offer equipment and training for those wanting to start a profitable residential duct cleaning business. For a low price (and 0% financing) you can get lightweight one man duct cleaning equipment that will help you rake in the big bucks.
It is very simple to get into the air duct cleaning business, anyone with the slightest bit of interest can do it, and any requirements are minimal. There are also virtually no uniform standards of professional practice, This has caused small companies to spring up that offer questionable and controversial techniques.
What methods are used to “clean” residential ducts, and do they work?
Vacuum equipment: The claim is that dirt can simply be sucked out of the ducts. This is actually very ineffective because it is impossible to vacuum debris from even a few feet of duct work. Just try vacuuming your floor by holding your duct buster 6 inches above the carpet.
Blowers: They only dislodge loose debris from the very end of the ductwork – the first couple feet that anyone can actually see. Only a very small portion of the total ductwork is cleaned.
Brushes on flexible rods and compressed air fed through the ductwork: This method removes only a very small amount of the debris and will damage ducts creating an even larger problem. Using any kind of brush or forced air will also blow all of those contaminants throughout your home. If the ducts are fiberglass – this method will damage insulation and release fiberglass fibers throughout the home.
Bottom line is that if you actually have dirt in your residential air conditioning ducts, it is almost impossible to effectively remove it by any method available without damaging your ducts and making your air quality worse.
Can you sanitize ductwork? Companies often claim they can sanitize residential ductwork. The problem here is that the biocides needed to kill mold and bacteria will also cause a danger to the occupants of the home. Simply spraying Lysol into the ducts does nothing. And believe it or not – some companies have been known to do just that.
Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. will not clean residential ducts because there just is no effective way to do it.
The best way to ensure you have the best air quality is to use a good quality air filter that is changed on a regular basis, and make sure your duck work is in good condition and is not leaking. Installing Ultra Violet Lights will also kill germs, germs, bacteria, viruses, mildew, and mold spores such as stachybotrys and black mold.
If you have any questions, or need a second opinion, please call Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc.

Sarasota Air Conditioning Repair, Service, And Maintenance

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Excerpt from an actual email we received...

"Please help, I have just been mislead and pressured into having my air ducts cleaned and sanitized, UV light installed, for $2,772.00... and he said I was down 6 lbs of Freon? They haven't done the cleaning yet, that will happen Wednesday. My creditor is supposed to mail them a check within 7-10 days. After reading about why you do not clean air ducts, I'm so confused because I feel like I've been totally ripped off!

I'm wanting to call 8 on your side. It's like you mentioned, it was high pressure sales. The company is ******".

Nobody should ever feel uncomfortable or pressured when dealing with any company. Unfortunately the air conditioning industry has some unscrupulous contractors who have found that they can make lots of money selling unsuspecting customers products and services they do not need.
If you are ever suspicious of an estimate you have received - or just want a second opinion - please call Sean McCutcheon's before you do anything!

For a tongue-in-cheek and "slightly" exaggerated parody of the tactics some of these predator companies use - please visit www.acbarn.com.

At Sean McCutcheon's Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. our mission is to educate people so they know what to look for, and do not get ripped off!

Sarasota Air Conditioning Repair, Service, And Maintenance

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Sarasota National Cemetery

Ductwork at the Sarasota National Cemetery

Sarasota Air Conditioning Repair, Service, And Maintenance
The Sarasota National Cemetery has several phases still under construction.

This 295 acre cemetery will serve Veterans’ needs for the next 50 years. 

The experts at Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating were chosen to install the air conditioning.

Advice regarding air conditioning companies offering free service calls with a repair.

If it sounds too good to be true it almost always is. In most cases when an HVAC company offers a free service call with a repair they will overcharge for the repair. When you call the company that claims to offer a free service call, you will end up paying much more than you would have with the company that charges for the service call but gives you an honest price on the repair.
When a contractor offers a free service call, they simply have to make up the difference somewhere. Even if the problem is very small, for instance a part that is only a few bucks, they will most likely exaggerate the problem to cover the cost of the service call.

You will never get a $25.00 repair with a free service call.

If a business owner is going to lie in an advertisement just to get you to call him, what is there to stop him from being dishonest in any other aspect of his business?

This also applies to companies that claim they don’t charge extra for after-hours service. After all, time is money, and nobody works for free!

The difference between having a repair done by a legitimate company and one claiming to offer free after-hours service could end up costing you hundreds of dollars more.

Sarasota Air Conditioning Repair, Service, And Maintenance

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Air conditioning companies offering cheap service calls.

Nobody works for free. It doesn’t matter if it’s a plumber, electrician, or an HVAC tech. Someone somewhere has to pay their hourly rate, workers comp, insurance, and put the gas in the service truck.

So when an air conditioning company advertises cheap service calls you can expect to be the victim of a bait and switch. All they want is to get their foot in the door. You can bet they will find some major problem with your A/C system, and you may even be told you have to replace it.

Calling the company with the lowest service call fee could result in you being ripped off.

Sarasota Air Conditioning Repair, Service, And Maintenance