Maintaining your HVAC system properly will allow it to run longer and more efficiently, thus saving you money. We suggest replacement of your air filter every 1-3 months. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you warm or cool — wasting energy. You will need to replace your filter more often during the summer and winter months since your system will be working for longer periods of time to keep you comfortable.

Remember to also tune-up your system twice a year, once in the Spring and again in the Fall to ensure peak performance and increase the longevity of your system. Call today and ask about our All Star Club Maintenance Plan 817-591-1225. AirCo also offers HVAC air filters at substantial savings, most 4” media filters are only $16 (compared to $35 in hardware stores) and we deliver! Click here to find your filter.

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!

It is more important than ever to save energy. The cost of energy is expensive while the economy is at a new low. Fortunately, some changes around the house can mean savings on the monthly electric bill. Remember, the more you change, the more you save.

• It is important to make sure heating and cooling systems are properly maintained and insulated.
• Choose a programmable thermostat if possible so that the temperature can be set according to your schedule.
• Never place a lamp or television near the thermostat. It will sense the heat given off by these items and not run efficiently
• Some appliances continue to draw electricity even when they are turned off. Plug your electronics into a power strip and just turn off the power strip when the items are not in use.
• Laptops use less electricity than desktops. Screen savers don’t save energy. Choose sleep mode instead, or better yet, turn your computer off when it’s not in use.
• Always wash and dry full loads of laundry. Clean the lint filter on your dryer after every load and don’t run the dryer longer than necessary.
• Take advantage of daylight. Let in the sunshine instead of turning on the lights.

Remember to turn off your outdoor unit when mowing your grass. If cut grass and debris is blown into the outdoor unit it will interfere with the airflow and decrease the efficiency of your air conditioning and heating system.

Unfortunately, this is a very  common complaint among  homeowners. If not the master  bedroom, then some other room is “out  of balance” with the rest of the house. 

There can be several underlying factors  that cause this imbalance. At the root of  the problem is always air flow. There is  too much air to one area and not  enough to another. Why? How much is  enough? How much is too much? 

Understanding why a certain area  needs more air flowing into it than  another is critical – and measurable. 

The master bedroom is often the room  that is not getting enough air flow. The  door is closed most of the time and  often there is not a return air duct  connected to that room. Why does that  matter? Well, with the door closed, air  cannot get out of the room and back to  the blower system. Air pressure builds  up in the room because air is being  pushed through the duct into the room and that pressure is not being relieved. So, the air goes somewhere else. The best fix for this problem is to add a return air duct to that room. Ideally, all bedrooms will have a return air duct.

Of course there are several other reasons that a room can be poorly heated and cooled, again, they all relate to air flow issues. We can find solutions to air flow problems in your house. Give One Hour A/C a call today at 817-591-1225 to schedule a visit by one of our experts.

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.

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%.

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.