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!

Beware the Air Conditioning Bait and Switch

The Sarasota Summer is here, and the southwest Florida heat seems to bring out the bait and switch con artists.

You’ll start seeing air conditioning special ads appear in your mailbox.  One is the usual $19.95 tune up special.  The air conditioning company will offer a very cheap price to get their foot in the door.  They claim they will check out your AC system and make sure it’s running perfectly, but usually they find problems, parts that need to be replaced, or even suggest the whole system needs to be replaced.   That $19.95 checkup turns into hundreds, or even thousands of dollars.

Just ask yourself this; If you owned an AC company – could you afford to pay a technician and send a truck out to someone’s house for only $19.95?  The person who shows up to perform the $19,95 special is likely to be a salesman working on commission.  It is to their advantage to take you are as much money as they can.

Another ad you will see is the scary mold and dust mite duct cleaning ad telling you that the air you are breathing is deadly, but for only $49.95 you can get your ducts cleaned and save your family from a horrible fate!.

The Better Business Bureau warns against duct cleaning "bait and switch" scams.  Not only is duct cleaning itself usually ineffective, once inside a customer's home, technicians routinely mislead homeowners into paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for additional work.

Unless you are in a commercial setting with ducts that are designed to be cleaned, there's no scientific evidence that regular duct cleaning improves air quality, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
So what is the best thing you can do for your air quality?

Checking and changing filters, keeping systems maintained and having regular maintenance performed on your AC System will do far more good than trying to clean the ducts.  Also, installing UV lights can help to rid your home of bacteria, viruses and germs that reside in the air you breathe. UV lights will also prevent these and other particles from building up on the indoor coil which can inhibit airflow and reduce heating and cooling efficiency.

Many of these “bait and switch” companies have only been in business a short time.  They operate under one name, then close and reopen with a new name a few months down the road.  Sometimes, it’s even hard to know who actually owns the company.   This is why it is important to do a little research before you let anyone in your home.  See how long they have been in business, read reviews, and even look up their license and make sure it is in the owner’s name.

Remember, cheapest is never best!  And anytime you get a price for any work, it is always a good idea to get a second opinion.

If you are looking for an Air conditioning company that has your best interests at heart, please consider Sean McCutcheon's Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc.  Feel free to call us anytime for a complimentary second opinion or estimate on a new system. 

Even if you don’t end up using us, we’d still like the opportunity to earn your trust while providing you with the information you need to make an educated decision.

Sean McCutcheon's Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc.  “The quality and service you deserve”

Incredible home built by Josh Wynne – The Power Haus

The Power Haus was designed to exceed every standard in green construction while maintaining the clients’ desired aesthetic and comfort requirements.

It is a shining example of the level of performance and sustainability that can be achieved while maintaining a high standard of quality, comfort and design.

Sean McCutcheon’s Air Conditioning And Heating is proud to have installed the HVAC system for the Power Haus, and even prouder to work with Josh Wynne – a truly brilliant individual!

Power Haus received a minus 22 HERS index, the lowest ever recorded by Energy Star and the DOE Builder’s Challenge.

It’s the highest scoring new LEED for Homes Platinum ever certified. Power Haus also tops the FGBC standard and NAHB’s National Green Building Standard and is certified Florida Water Star Gold and FPL Build Smart.

Visit Josh Wynne Construction at:  www.joshwynneconstruction.com

Do You Need Air Conditioning Service Or Maintenance?

One of the questions we frequently encounter is "do I need service or maintenance?" It can be confusing, and to better serve our customers we would like to clarify the difference.

Some customers call and request a maintenance visit when they suspect their air conditioning system is malfunctioning. This misunderstanding be a problem if it is a busy time of year and we have many service calls which take priority over maintenance calls.

When it is 100 degrees and your air conditioner has stopped working the only thing you care about is cooling off. So do you call and ask for service or maintenance?

Whenever you suspect something is wrong with your system, and especially if it is clearly malfunctioning you should call for a service call. Service calls are always moved to the top of the list and become our #1 priority since nobody wants to experience discomfort due to a problem with
their HVAC.

The difference between routine maintenance and a service call is basically this: Maintenance is preventative and is only performed when the air conditioning system is operating properly as to insure continued optimum performance.

In order to properly manage our maintenance customers we schedule those two maintenance visits over the course of a year and at slightly different times for each customer so we can get to everyone and still be able to take care of service calls and emergency work.

Since air problems usually happen during the hottest part of the summer, there is a possibility that we could temporarily have more work than the techs can handle, so new maintenance visits become a lower priority and may not be able to be scheduled for days or weeks.

If you have no issues or problems we would schedule routine maintenance as far as four months ahead. An advantage to our customers is that when we schedule so far in advance we can keep our maintenance prices low.

If you feel that your system is not working properly, or not at all, you would need a service call. Keeping this in mind will help our dispatchers more efficiently schedule your work and help insure our technicians are able to use their time most resourcefully.

If you are not currently a Priority Service Agreement Member with Sean McCutcheon's Air Conditioning and Heating, inc. you may want to consider signing up. You will enjoy many benefits including free maintenance when you refer customers to us.

Every time you refer a friend or family member to us and they sign up for a Priority Service Agreement, you will get your next maintenance visit free of charge.

A maintenance agreement will keep your air conditioning unit in good working condition and help you avoid expensive repair bills. A properly maintained system will also lower your energy bills.

Some manufacturer's warranties require annual maintenance.

A Priority Service Agreement includes:

Two thorough 38 point inspections per year.
Air filter cleaning or replacement (most models).
Wash and wax outdoor unit.
Priority scheduling.
15% discount on service repairs.
Discounts on future replacements.
Indoor unit cleaning.
Up to one pound of refrigerant if needed.
Loyalty rewards.

If you are interested and would like more information – please contact us at 941-921-7250

www.keepingsarasotacool.com