Why should I sign up for an Air Conditioning Maintenance Agreement?

In the future, Air Conditioning systems may be intelligent enough to maintain themselves,   or at least they will have warning lights that will alert you to potential problems.

Automobiles have all sorts of warning lights to let us know when gas is low, oil level is low, tires are flat, etc.  Unfortunately the air conditioning system is out of sight and out of mind for most people.

But just like cars need periodic maintenance, your Sarasota A/C system needs regular attention.  Having a maintenance contract in place will keep your system working at peak efficiency, and will prevent costly repair bills down the road.

Keeping your Florida home comfortable can account for almost 50% of your yearly energy costs, so having an Air Conditioning Tech come out twice a year do a checkup is a great way to save money!

During a regular maintenance visit there will be many things we check, here are just a couple:

We make sure your electrical connections are not tight and secure.  Loose connections can shorten the life of your equipment and cause unnecessary repairs.  We also check all voltages and make sure everything is functioning correctly.

We make sure your thermostats are set for maximum energy efficiency.

Your technician will put the system through all of its cycles, to ensure that it starts up, operates and shuts down properly.

We inspect condenser coils and refrigerant levels. Air conditioning system components are cleaned and adjusted, debris is removed and coils are cleaned which improves efficiency, lowers your energy costs and prevents future repairs.

If you have any questions, call Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. at 941-921-7208 or visit www.keepingsarasotacool.com.

At Sean McCutcheon's Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. We give our customers the quality and service they deserve!

Air Conditioning Energy Saving Tips – Keep Cool And Save Money!

The quickest way to save energy on home cooling is to regularly clean or replace your AC filters.  New filters can lower your air conditioners energy consumption by up to 15%.

Annual air conditioner maintenance will not only help improve your comfort, but it will save money by improving the efficiency of the air conditioning system while also prolonging its life.  When you have your air conditioning unit serviced twice a year you can cut up to 17% of cooling costs.

Having a programmable thermostat installed can help save up to 10% on heating and cooling costs per year. When leaving the house – try to get into the habit of setting  the thermostat to at least 80 degrees, you will notice a significant decrease in your electric bill.

If you install an ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostat – It can save over $200.00 per year and usually pays for itself within the first year. Some programmable thermostats even allow you to connect them to your computer for programming, and most models are very user friendly.

Using ceiling fans will allow you to raise the thermostat up to 4 degrees without affecting your comfort.
Insulate, seal, or replace ductwork, Air loss through ducts can account for up to 30% of a cooling systems energy consumption.

Did you know that you could reduce your air conditioning energy use 20% to 50% by switching to a high-efficiency air conditioning system?

If you have any questions, call Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. at 941-921-7208 or visit www.keepingsarasotacool.com.

At Sean McCutcheons Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. We give our customers the quality and service they deserve!

Retrofitting Today's High Efficiency Systems

The challenge of retrofitting today's high efficiency systems is that, while they have become more efficient, they have also become much larger in size.

It is important to have the right air conditioning and heating service provider in order to ensure proper installation and peak efficiency.

Sean McCutcheon's Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. is the retrofit expert.

Free Air Conditioning Cleanings or Tune-Ups

Beware of ads for free air conditioning cleanings or tune-ups. This can lead to recommendations for costly repairs that are not required and to customers being pressured to replace units, or significantly marking up the price on replacement parts.

Visit us at : www.keepingsarasotacool.com

UV lights will help prolong your Air Conditioning System life.

Over time, debris can collect on the surface of your air conditioning system cooling coil. Left unchecked, this buildup can reduce system efficiency and release pollutants such as mold spores and unpleasant odors into the air you breathe.

When UV lamps are installed, the air conditioning cooling coil is flooded with intense UV-C light. These lamps sterilize coil surfaces, enhance air flow, and protect the air you breathe by killing mold and bacteria. UV Lights pick up where many filters stop by actually destroying trapped particles on the cooling coil.

Conventional methods for cleaning your indoor cooling coil involve chemical or steam cleaning methods that can be costly and time consuming. Safe and reliable UV Lights deliver the benefits of a cleaner, more energy efficient comfort system and years of lasting reliability. Simply replace the UV bulbs once a year for maximum protection.

Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating is currently offering special discounts. You can save up to $100.00 on new installation of UV lights.

When used in conjunction with a preventive maintenance plan, UV lights will help prolong the Air Conditioning System life.

Visit us at: http://www.keepingsarasotacool.com/

Call us today for more information: 941-921-7208

Sean McCutcheon's Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. provides residential and commercial AC installation, repair and maintenance throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties including Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, Lakewood Ranch, and the surrounding communities.  We specialize in retrofitting and custom designing, energy efficient air conditioning systems that keep you comfortable and save you money on your electric bill.

The man is wearing a white jacket and has a stethoscope – so he must be a doctor, right?

An out of town doctor who just happens to be in your neighborhood making house calls is going door to door offering a complete physical including blood tests for only $19.99.  The doctor tells you that the cold and flu season is right around the corner, and you should get a checkup to avoid any possible sickness down the road. 

The man is wearing a white jacket and has a stethoscope – so he must be a doctor, right?

You go ahead and let the doctor into your home to do the physical and afterwards you are informed that you have a bad appendix and it needs to come out immediately.  Even though you feel perfectly fine, the doctor says he cannot leave your home until you have the procedure.  He claims you could be dead within a few hours if he does not remove the offending organ.

This may seem like an extremely unlikely scenario, but something similar to this situation happens all too frequently.

Predator Air Conditioning companies will sweep through a neighborhood and offer “too good to be true” Air Conditioning maintenance specials. 

They promise inexpensive “AC Tuneups” – sometimes as low as $19.99.  They may also advertise the common tagline “Free Service Call with Air Conditioning Repair,” do not fall for this scam!
These tactics are only designed to get a unscrupulous repairman into your home.  You can rest assured you will never only pay $19.99.  In fact by the time they are finished you may be spending hundreds or thousands of dollars for repairs or services you don’t even need.  These types of companies will always try to take advantage of you.

A properly state licensed and fully insured air conditioning contractor would never spend an hour doing preventive maintenance on your AC system for only $19.99. And if you are knowingly hiring an unlicensed and uninsured contractor you are only asking for trouble.

Make sure the contractor who services your AC system is licensed and insured.  Also, the best air conditioning contractors are also NATE certified. 

Remember that organizations like the Better Business Bureau and any Chamber of Commerce charge members a yearly fee – so any company that pays its dues will be recommended or “accredited”.  This is why you should also check online reviews, as well as ask family and friends who they have used, and talk to your neighbors and co-workers.

Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. is now an accredited QA Program Participant!

Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. has just been recognized by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) as an ACCA Quality Assured New Homes Contractor.

This certification is awarded to HVAC contractors who satisfy the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes Program (Version 3). New ENERGY STAR certified homes are independently verified to be at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), and they feature additional measures that deliver a total energy efficiency improvement of up to 30 percent compared to typical new homes, and even greater savings when compared to most resale homes.

Only HVAC contractors who are credentialed through an EPA–recognized organization, such as the ACCA, are eligible to install HVAC equipment in these new ENERGY STAR certified homes. These expert contractors are committed to abiding by the best-practices standards set forth by the ACCA, and their compliance with ENERGY STAR requirements is validated by qualified 3rd party raters from the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET®) thus ensuring the consistent delivery of  high performance homes.

HVAC credentialing makes it easy for builders to identify contractors capable of helping them build ENERGY STAR certified homes, and it gives consumers the piece of mind of knowing that their new homes will bring them the efficiency, comfort, and durability that they expect from an ENERGY STAR certified home.

Beware Opportunistic Storm Chasers in the Aftermath of Tropical Storm Debby.

Tropical Storm Debby brought heavy rains and high water to Sarasota and the surrounding areas over the weekend and most of Monday this week.

Whenever there is any type of disaster such as a tropical storm or hurricane, we always have an influx of out of state companies and contractors looking to make some quick cash while taking advantage of homeowners who are unfortunate enough to have damage to their property.

Many of these companies are unlicensed and/or uninsured, some will even promise to do the work but will take deposits and disappear. And even if they do complete the work, chances are they hired unqualified day labor and when problems with the work are discovered the company is nowhere to be found.

It’s just too risky to hire an unlicensed contractor.
Many insurance companies will deny a claim if someone is injured or damage is done as a result of hiring a unlicensed contractor.

Property owners in Florida can be fined up to $5,000 for hiring an unlicensed contractor.
If a contractor is not licensed or insured – there is a good chance they have a criminal background, and do not do background checks on anyone working for them.

AsktheSeal.com suggests you stick to a local company who has a good track record and solid reputation in your area. If you do not know of any such contractors in your area, you can find quality companies for free on AsktheSeal.com. AsktheSeal.com verifies licenses, insurance and customer service record before awarding their Seal of Approval. They also perform annual criminal background checks on owners and employees and issue photo IDs confirming their background checks. Companies with the Seal of Approval can even email you a photo of the employees coming to your property.

Visit AsktheSeal.com for more information.

Visit www.keepingsarasotacool.com if you are in need of Air Conditioning repair, service, or new installation.

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