By Sandra Baker
sabaker@star-telegram.com
A proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency that calls for less production of the most-used refrigerant in residential air conditioners in the next couple of years has sent its price soaring as much as 100 percent in a couple of weeks.
The jump has led some area service companies to hold off buying any more cylinders of R-22, sold under brand names including Freon, to see whether prices settle. Even so, companies are limited as to how much they can buy.
That’s not good news for Texas homeowners, who will switch on their units during the next couple of months and when scorching weather starts to take its toll. Consumers can expect higher R-22 cost to be passed along to them.
“Yes, it’s high,” said Randy Walker, an independent heating and air-conditioning contractor in Arlington. “My cost more than doubled last week. I don’t know where this is going to go.”
R-22 is being phased out in the U.S. as part of the federal EPA’s ban on ozone-depleting substances. It contains hydrochlorofluorocarbons, which long-standing studies have shown damage the ozone layer and the air. Newer air conditioners use another refrigerant that is not compatible with units made for R-22.
R-22′s use is expected to be mostly gone by 2020, when production is due to be halted. Millions of homeowners still have air conditioners that use R-22. Convenience and grocery stores also have refrigerators that use it.
Supplies and production have been dwindling for several years as part of the reduction program.
But in January, the EPA proposed rule changes that call for 2012 allowances to be reduced from about 90 million pounds to 55-80 million pounds. Industry experts say producers are expecting the 55 million figure to be approved. In 2011, 100 million pounds of R-22 were manufactured.
Production would decline 11 percent in 2013 and again in 2014 under the EPA’s proposal.
“Unfortunately, until the EPA publishes a final rule, we will not know how deep the eventual cuts will be,” DuPont, a leading maker of R-22, says on its website. “The industry must plan for significant reductions.”
Mike Cudmore, service manager at Hightower in Arlington, said the higher prices result from the EPA proposal.
“It’s a commodity and it’s in short supply,” he said. “I expected this to happen years ago. It just never did.”
Prices are said to have risen 500 percent since 2003.
Airgas, a nationwide supplier of industrial, medical and specialty gases, won’t talk about current R-22 pricing, spokeswoman Nicolette Milholin said.
A recent online check of R-22 prices shows them up to $270.50 for a 30-pound cylinder, up in less than a week from $248.50. One website is selling a cylinder of the DuPont brand for $309.
Some distributors are limiting purchases to 20 cylinders. Cylinders hold 30 pounds. Residential air conditioners hold 6-15 pounds.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if [the price] tripled,” said James Baker, purchasing manager at AirCo in Hurst, an air-conditioning, heating and plumbing company. Baker said he has enough to meet demand for a couple of months.
But that’s because not many air conditioners are running now. When units are turned on and a leak is discovered, the cost to fill up a system may be shocking. Some companies are recommending that customers change out their systems now rather than continue to pay for repairs and the high R-22 price.
Lonny Hull, who owns a service company in Watauga, said the prices may put some homeowners in a bind. Those who have held off replacing leaking parts like evaporator coils that cost as much as $1,500, may have to.
“They’ve been telling me to fill it up and they’ll get it fixed during the winter months,” Hull said. “Those days are about to change.”
Sandra Baker,
817-390-7727

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/02/02/3708495/ac-refrigerant-costs-may-outmatch.html#storylink=cpy

After a long, hard deliberation process, we have chosen the winners for the coloring contest for our Valentines Day Cards.

Check in your mailbox for the winners! 

Watch this funny Schlage Commercial

Have you ever been locked out of your house?

Lose your keys for the last time with Schlage’s electronic keypad door lock!  They Schlage Lock is one of the components of AirCo’s Trane/Schlage Home Connectivity Package.

Call us today to see how you can “Get Connected”.

817-591-1225.

So Many Cute Entries!!!

Our marketing team is working diligently on creating a Valentines Day card for our customers.  And had one of the cutest ideas of having schools in the area do a coloring contest for the front of our Valentines Day Card. 

We received so many entries….and cute entries at that.  Now, how in the world are we going to choose just one.   It is amazing at how creative kids can be. 

Now…off to choose the winner!  Stay tuned!

The Trane Comfort Specialist certification means the independent Trane dealer is of the highest standing and committed to being the best in every aspect of his or her business, from installation and service, to customer satisfaction and employee training. Not every dealer qualifies as a Trane Comfort Specialist, but rather only those that meet Trane’s stringent standards and demonstrate a commitment to customer satisfaction and continuing education. Currently, the Trane Comfort Specialist badge is only awarded to less than 10% of its dealers. These dealers are committed to training to keep up to date with Trane’s latest technology, ensuring that you receive a system that is designed to achieve maximum efficiency, reliability and comfort – and a system that delivers the efficiency its ratings promise and you expect.

AirCo One Hour is proud to have the high honor of being a Trane Comfort Specialist since 1999. We hope that you will give us a call today at 817-591-1225 to schedule a visit by one of our experts.

Improving the indoor air quality of your home while improving the energy
efficiency at the same time can be achieved through some very easy steps. You just have to know some basic guidelines in order to get started.

Improve Air Quality and Energy Efficiency by Reducing Drafts
The first order of business is to reduce as many drafts as possible. This will limit the quantity of airborne allergens that can enter your home from
outside. Draft prevention can improve air quality inside our homes, and has the added benefit of improving the energy efficiency of our heating and cooling systems. The loss of heat in the winter and the loss of air conditioning in the summer adds up to high energy costs and wasted money and natural resources.

Air Circulation Improves Improve Air Quality and Energy Efficiency
Circulating the air inside becomes very important as it allows the air to move around and the rooms will not
become stuffy, stale and full of odors. Using an air conditioner to control the humidity in your home will also
reduce or eliminate humidity and reduce the need for a dehumidifier which is very expensive to operate.

Improve Air Quality and Energy Efficiency by Leakage Testing
Try these steps to depressurize your home to help detect leaks:
1. Turn off your furnace on a cool, very windy day.
2. Shut all windows and doors.
3. Turn on all exhaust fans that blow air outside, such as bathroom fans or stove vents.
4.Light an incense stick and pass it around the edges of common leak sites. Wherever the smoke is sucked out of or blown into the room, there’s a draft. If you use white smoke while you perform the leakage test, you will see openings in windows or doors that are allowing your air conditioning and heating to escape. These cracks are also places where dust, insects, pollen and mold spores can enter the home. You would expect older homes to have gaps, holes and cracks in its outer shell, but the fact is that even new homes can have as much as 300 square inches of these openings in their outer walls. If you have a ducted air circulation system in your home, these openings can create a significant level of pressure inside the home that will drive air through these openings. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that since you have a new home, you don’t have any leakage problems.

Before you go rushing out to seal up your home in an effort to improve its air quality and energy efficiency, you must make a commitment to reduce the amount of chemical products that you use. More and more studies are showing that the air quality within our homes is often worse than the air we breathe outside. Carpeting that gives off toxic fumes, cleaning products, personal care products and electronic equipment are only a few of the products that we use indoors that are contributing to “sick house syndrome”. So before you tackle the job of improving your air quality and energy efficiency, use more natural products in your home to keep you and your family safe.

Ever wonder why the most inexperienced, costly contractors end up in your home? Actually it could have less to do with you than it does with the kind of information you’re gathering before you contact a heating and cooling company in for work.

Let’s be clear: You usually take the time to call a heating and cooling contractor because you are either: a) very hot or b) very cold. So an untimely breakdown (are they ever timely?) has forced your search for someone who can make the repair.

From this point, the service you receive can either soothe – or increase – your feelings of panic and irritation. There are several factors that contribute to both.

Here are the top things to look for before opening your home – and wallet:

1. Credentials

If a contractor begins to stutter or make up excuses when you ask for an Air Conditioning License, it’s probably a safe bet that you should take your business elsewhere. Oddly, many customers don’t ask but wish that they had.

The State of Texas requires dealers to be licensed and insured. In fact, all heating and cooling contractors should be able to readily (and eagerly) provide licensing and insurance information, plus references from recent customers.

Be sure to check the references and inquire about timeliness, job performance, and overall satisfaction of results. The best question you can ask is, “Would you hire them again?”

2. Technical Skill

Even though fairly common, you do not want your home to be the training ground of an inexperienced technician. By the time you see your contractor scratching his head or tossing “spare” parts back in his tool kit, it may be too late to ask about prior training.

Granted, not every company meets the stringent hiring and training advised by Trane. Heating and cooling work is serious business, and not suited for “guesswork.” Skilled training is the only path to proficiency and safety.

Plus, don’t necessarily assume that “30 Years of experience” is a fair method of judgment; it could very well mean one year of mistakes repeated over 30 years.

You’ll learn more about a company asking specific questions about training policies and experience requirements for hiring. AirCo One Hour Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing is willing to share this with you to help you make the best choice for you home or business.

3. Up-Front Pricing

A couple of points here. First and most common are the contractors who just say, “We’ll let you know how much it is and how long it’ll take once we take everything apart.” That’s dangerous, since you could be stuck with parts scattered everywhere or just a “guess” on the completion.

AirCo will arrive, ask questions, diagnose and then give you a price and schedule for the work’s completion. Then you decide to go forward or not.

Secondly, on larger jobs, beware of contractors that ask for a large deposit before starting work. If your contractor needs the deposit “to buy supplies”, that could be a bad sign; credible contractors should have accounts with local suppliers. Your deposit may be on the way to the bank and long gone before you realize you never confirmed a “return” appointment to have your air system replaced.

Legitimate heating and cooling contractors – and there are many- should give a price for services before work begins, and ask for payment only when work has been completed. We call this up-front pricing, and it’s the fairest, most convenient method.

4. Scheduling

Think about it. You’re hot or cold. And your HVAC contractor has just said he’d be glad to come out and take a look at your system a week from Tuesday. The fact is, if he can’t provide satisfactory relief, maybe you should keep looking.

Sure, the more popular contractors will   have scheduling issues in the middle of a busy season – us included – but the scheduling should be explained with the assurance that the contractor will get there as soon as he can.

Many Trane dealers offer Maintenance Agreement programs that allow for Priority Scheduling – even in the busiest times – which is one of many benefits. Regardless, when you schedule for a repair, ask for a specific time, and expect your contractor to keep it, with reasonable updates during delays.

5. Warranty

Most companies “say” they warranty their work but sadly, the words often get conveniently forgotten if a problem arises. And that’s the only time you’ll know…or care. Without a warranty on parts and labor, you may have another system breakdown and be expected to pay the same price to have it fixed again. That’s crazy.

Plus, on a replacement system, you’re investing in a long-term solution. That’s why Trane not only manufactures state-of-the-art reliability into new systems, but gives you real peace of mind with some of the longest warranties in the entire industry.

So if your contractor answers your question with “Oh, trust me, it’ll be fine. What do you need a warranty for?”, then you should make other arrangements. Trane dealers come with the assurance of pre-screening for prompt, efficient assistance to you. Your satisfaction, future and business and referrals are too important to us to risk otherwise.

Remember, you are calling a contractor because you have problem. His job is to solve those problems – not add to them. Understanding the above list can save you time, money, and quite possibly a few gray hairs.

AirCo One Hour Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing will give you solutions to these and other heating and cooling challenges. Also, you’ll get more  than what you pay for!
Call 817-591-1225 Today!

Keep your curtains and shades drawn on the south and west windows of your home. Average utility savings can be 3 – 6%. An even better idea would be to upgrade your attic insulation which can lead to a savings of 10 – 30%.

Getting the flu can be tough on anyone. Families are exposed to viruses that circulate in the air they breathe indoors, so taking measures to prevent illness makes sense. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, in collaboration with scientists at Environmental Health and Engineering Inc., (EH&E) show that Trane CleanEffectsTM, a whole-house air filtration system, removes more than 99 percent of the common flu, or influenza A virus from the filtered air (including H1N1).

Trane CleanEffectsTM tucks neatly out of sight through built in technology or as an attachment to your home’s central heating & cooling system.

Click here for more information.