FAQ's
What is a S.E.E.R. Rating?
S.E.E.R. Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating is the Federal standard for measuring the efficiency of an air conditioning system. The higher the number, the less expensive the system will be to operate and the more expensive it will be to purchase. As a consumer, the facts you need to consider are as follows:
How long do you plan to live in your home?
How much money do you have available for upgrades?
Do you want to pay more over a period of time to the electric company, or have the unit
pay for itself over a period of time?
You may want to talk to your electric company about the savings involved with higher S.E.E.R.
models. The systems currently available on the market today range from 13.0 to 26.0 S.E.E.R. We as air conditioning contractors tend to recommend 14.0 to 16.0 S.E.E.R. as the value because the expense of the higher S.E.E.R. models can easily out way the savings. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to give us a call at our Dallas number 972-203-1317
The No BS Truth: Which is the Best Brand?
In my forty four years as an air conditioning, heating and installation master technician, I have not found any brand name unit that I would say to be the very best in the industry. I will tell you the pros and cons of them all. I have worked on units that were aged as much as 25 years or older.
“Why have the units lasted so long,” should not be the question. The question should be, “What makes a unit die or quit working?”
Whether it is a furnace, evaporator coils, or outside condenser, (all components of an air
conditioning system) they will all cease to work due to four basic reasons. The first reason a unit will fail is due to an improper installation or service by a poorly trained serviceman. The second is cleanliness or lack there of, due to customer abuse by not following the prescribed maintenance.
The third is environmental damages such as weather, water, hail, lightening, and various other sources. The last reason is the preferred reason--old age.
Here is a small time table for the home or business owner to better understand what has
happened to the failed unit. Within the first three years if your unit allowed you to be comfortable, it was probably installed correctly. If it has continued to run anywhere between three to twelve years, the owner has maintained the unit well. If by chance it has surpassed twelve years, my compliments to someone who has cared about what s/he has owned and maintained with excellence. The home or business owner is the reason why the unit has longevity--not the brand name.
Repair or service questions?
Contact us by
email or Tel. 972-203-1317 for a friendly, free phone consult on your AC / Furnace / HVAC Repair needs (residential or commercial) in the
Sunnyvale, TX, or greater Dallas / Ft. Worth area!
Let’s talk about “Brand Names” for a moment. Here’s the inside scoop. All A/C factories assemble units with quality parts at their best price. There is no A/C factory, to my knowledge, that produces a unit using only the parts they have manufactured. People, this is a no-brainer. People in this country build all A/C brands in this country. For instance, every brand has parts built by other companies like motors, capacitors, valves, compressors, paint, circuit boards, steel, copper, and Freon. So what exactly makes you, the consumer, think one brand is better than another? Possibly TV advertising Maybe??? Regardless of whether it is rated as a 3-ton unit by Brand “A” or by Brand “X,” it is still a 3-ton unit and will perform as such or it wouldn't be rated as a 3-ton unit. A unit is really only as good as the installer and the owners maintenance after the installation.
Don’t discount the millions of dollars poured into research and development time some of the
major brand name manufacturing companies have spent to pioneer the industry. This is the
difference between the 100% to 150% mark-up in price when comparing Brand "A" brand "X". It will not noticeably cool or heat any better than the other brand.
The generic versus brand name myth can be dispelled here. Brand X, the generic unit, has done nothing more than copy cat of Brand A. Both are good units. However, the only real difference is that one has a brand name and the other is a copy cat. If the warranties are the same, buy where your loyalty falls. How they are installed and maintained will determine the life of the unit—not the brand. I have Brand “X” on the outside of my home and Brand “A” on the inside. One unit is 26 years old and the other is 14 years old. I am happy with both of them.
To sum it all up, there are no major differences with any units on the market. What the consumer needs to look for are equipment warranties, labor warranties, and quality installers. Take care of and clean your unit like it was as important to you as your transportation because it will be important when your unit fails. I hope you have taken something from this short essay and are a more informed consumer because of it.
Tom Durbin
Repair or service questions?
Contact us by
email or Tel. 972-203-1317 for a friendly, free phone consult on your AC / Furnace / HVAC Repair needs (residential or commercial) in the
Sunnyvale, TX, or greater Dallas / Ft. Worth area!
About Tom Durbin AC and Mechanical
Our business is located in Sunnyvale, Texas, and we service homes and businesses anywhere in the Dallas Metroplex. We are family owned and operated, have planned service agreements for both residential and commercial, service all makes and models of Air Conditioners, we not only service or repair, but can also conduct NEW installation and replacement for all major brands of air conditioning units. Even more important, we offer fair and friendly service with free consults - so ask us to help you figure out the best solution for your heating and air conditioning needs. We have certified, authorized repair staff and are a puron refrigerant specialists with 24 hour / 7 day emergency service.
AC, Furnace, HVAC Sales, Repair and Service - Dallas / Ft. Worth
From our offices in Sunnyvale, Texas, we service many communities in the greater Dallas / Ft. Worth area for their air conditioning, furnace, and HVAC repair and replacement. If you are looking for AC repair in Addison, Allen, Arlington, or Balch Spring. Furnace service in Bedford, Carrollton, Cedar Hill, Coppell, Texas, we offer some of the best rates and best AC / Furnace service available. Desoto, TX, and Duncanville AC, HVAC, Furnace repair, sales and service as well as air conditioning replacement in Euless, Fairview, Farmers Branch, Flower Mound, Forney, Frisco. In terms of Garland, Texas, we aim to be one of the air conditioning and heating service areas. Grand Prairie and Grapevine, TX, Heath and Highland Park, TX, and Hurst TX air conditioning repair and furnace repair. Irving, Lake Dallas, and Lancaster and Lewisville as well as McKinney, Mesquite, Murphy, Oak Cliff repair for major brands of air conditioner units, furnaces, and HVAC equipment. Plano Texas air conditioner repair as well as Plano furnace / HVAC sales and service. Parker, Richardson, Richland Hills, Rockwell, Rowlett, Sachse, Seagoville, University Park, Wilmer and Wylie - are all communities we service as one of the top-rated and best air conditioner replacement / repair services in Texas.