| |
1.
Do you provide 24 hour service?
2. What are your warranty service hours?
3. Do you offer priority service to clients?
4. Why is selecting a contractor so important?
5. What brands do you sell? Why?
6. Do you use your own installation technicians or
do you use subcontractors?
7. Do you service Clean Room systems?
8. Do you provide Clean Room certifications?
9. What is system commissioning and how could that
benefit me?
10. Do you offer air balancing?
11. Do I need to worry about what refrigerant my air
conditioner uses?
12. What are zoning controls?
13. Do I need a Building Automation System?
14. What is a Design/Build installation project?
15. What should I be concerned with on my HVAC system
if we have an earthquake?
16. Are some HVAC systems more susceptible to IAQ
complaints?
| Do
you provide 24 hour service? |
| We
absolutely do, 7 days a week. |
| |
|
| What
are your warranty service hours? |
| If
warranty service is required, we offer it during normal
business hours. |
| |
|
| Do
you offer priority service to clients? |
| All
clients that are on a Planned Maintenance agreement
with us receive priority service status. |
| |
|
| Why
is selecting a contractor so important? |
This
is the single most important decision you can make.
Anyone can purchase high efficiency equipment, however,
if that equipment is not installed using the highest
installation standards and highly trained technicians
than it will not perform as intended. This will cost
you not only on comfort it will add to your cost of
operation.
Poor installation quality routinely results in excessive
energy costs. We are one of the few contractors that
offer forensic services. |
| |
|
| What
brands do you sell? Why? |
| As
a major equipment purchaser we can buy from every manufacturer,
however, we prefer to do business with companies that
understand our commitment to our clients and partner
with us in that commitment. In the commercial market
our top brands in order are Trane, Bryant and Carrier.
In the residential market our top brands in order are
Bryant, Carrier and Trane. Our commitment is to use
the best product for the particular application and
not be restricted to one brand. |
| |
|
| Do
you use your own installation technicians or do you use
subcontractors? |
| We
use only our own technical specialists. We believe that
is the only way we can provide the consistent high quality
installation standards we adhere to. |
| |
|
| Do
you service Clean Room systems? |
| We
are an established leader not only in the servicing
of Clean Rooms but also in the design, fabrication and
installation of Clean Room HVAC systems and controls.
Our ability to provide unique solutions to your system
requirements can and will save you money while still
providing the performance you need. |
| |
|
| Do
you provide Clean Room certifications? |
|
We provide a full range of Clean Room certifications
that include certifications regarding particle counts
as well as gaseous and microbial levels if desired. |
| |
|
| What
is system commissioning and how could that benefit me? |
| System
commissioning is a battery of tests and measurements
to determine if your system is performing as designed.
The benefit to you is that you are assured you have
gotten what you have paid for. |
| |
|
| Do
you offer air balancing? |
| We
do offer certified air balancing as well as comfort
balancing for systems. Many times a certified air balance
will confirm that air volumes are as designed, however,
a comfort balance takes into account the actual environmental
conditions the occupant will work under. |
| |
|
| Do
I need to worry about what refrigerant my air conditioner
uses? |
| The
most common refrigerant is R-22 which is widely available.
Beginning in January 2010 manufacturer can no longer
make equipment that uses R-22. However, R-22 can still
be manufactured until January 2020. In addition, current
laws require that R-22 be recovered from all systems
and our industry should have an adequate supply of R-22
for many years after 2020. A replacement for R-22 has
been developed and it is called by several names such
as Puron, R-410A and AZ-20, these are all the same refrigerant.
They are not drop in replacements for R-22 and should
only used in systems designed for their use. Currently,
systems offering these refrigerants are only in the
very high efficiency ranges. |
| |
|
| What
are zoning controls? |
| Zoning
controls are electronic controls that incorporate damper
motors, thermostats and a controller so that you can
have two or more areas in your home that can have separate
temperatures based on their actual need. These systems
can and do save money if designed and installed properly.
Please remember that not all zoning systems are the
same. The most significant feature to look for is a
system that provides damper modulation and not just
on/off control. This adds to your overall energy savings
and increased comfort levels. |
| |
|
| Do
I need a Building Automation System? |
| It
is highly possible you could benefit from a system that
integrates the control of your heating/cooling systems
in an intelligent manner that matches the usage of your
facility. Systems can start out small and grow as your
budget allows. It's important to identify the best energy
conservation opportunities (ECO's) through an energy
audit. It's also important to remember not to select
a system that is exclusively distributed by one or two
vendors in the area. This locks you into using that
vendor regardless of the quality of service they provide
and their responsiveness to your needs. |
| |
|
| What
is a Design/Build installation project? |
Our
industry has two basic ways of providing you a price
for a system to serve your needs. The first way is for
each bidder to provide a bid based on an established
system design. This is called plan and spec bidding.
All this provides you a way to select a system based
on the lowest price. It has nothing to do with providing
a quality system to service your needs over the long
run.
The other method is the Design/Build process. This is
when you the client determine what your requirements
are i.e. temperature, humidity, energy efficiencies
and other special requirements and the contractor provides
a system design that will meet your needs based on the
established criteria and guarantees it. This method
many times provides a superior system at an overall
lower cost.
Both methods require good contractor selection in order
to be successful. Because of the forensic
analysis work we do we have seen time and again problems
that have occurred when a competent contractor was not
selected and price was the determining factor. Everyone
wants a good deal, however, the desire to obtain what
is perceived as the best deal commonly results in problems
that could have been avoided. |
| |
|
| What
should I be concerned with on my HVAC system if we have
an earthquake? |
·
Check your gas meter, if you see that the wheel is
spinning fast it may be because a line has broken
or is leaking.
· Check piping to all natural or propane gas
operated equipment to be sure that no leaks are present
and the units have not been disturbed. Are pilots
still on?
· Shut off power to all equipment. Do not turn
on until power has been re-established by your utility.
· Check the visible duct system. Is it intact
or has it been damaged?
· Look at your furnace flue, has it been damaged?
· Does your thermostat have a battery backup?
|
| |
|
| Are
some HVAC systems more susceptible to IAQ complaints? |
Well
maintained constant volume HVAC systems generally have
fewer complaints than Variable Air Volume (VAV) systems.
The main reason is that a properly maintained constant
volume system provides a constant airflow to the occupants
and consistently provides outside for dilution purposes.
VAV systems due their inherent design vary the airflow
to match the actual load regardless of the number of
occupants in the space. The problem can be corrected,
contact us for more information. |
| |
|
|
