A/C question - All Year Heating and Cooling

[TR_Horn]

Anybody worked with these guys? They are the North Austin Home Depot Heating and Cooling contractor. I want to get my system audited ($110 for 2 visits), since it's almost 20 years old and seems to be a little slow in cooling our house down. They said they would also give an estimate for system replacement (they use Trane) - anything to watch out for (or any positive experiences for that matter)?

 

[El_Guapo]

fwiw, I was in the market for a new AC unit last year and signed up for that same free estimate deal at Home Depot one day. All Year came out and give me an estimate which turned out to be quite a bit higher than the others I got. I ended up going with a guy in our neighborhood who was an AC contractor.

A little friendly advice - whatever size unit they recommend, consider strongly going 1/2 ton more. They'll tell you crap about humidity and long cycles and blah blah blah but the bottom line is that size does matter.

 

[TR_Horn]

Thanks Guapo - I remember your thread - I actually printed it out and still have it, since it was so informative - who did you end up going with in the end?

 

[capnamerca]

TR Horn - I'm not sure if you're tied to the home depot guys or not, but I've dealt almost exclusively with Airtech here in Austin over the past four years or so. They ran a city of Austin energy audit on my old condo, and then replaced the AC unit, blower, ductwork, and sealed the house. The work was fantastic, and the new unit did everything it promised, and more. They even made a few followup visits when I had questions, at no charge to me. A year or so later, my parents AC units went out, and Airtech did all of their work, too, with similarly exceptional results.

PM me for more details if you're interested - Airtech is as close to a glowing recommendation as I've ever given

.

 

[sapo1495]

I've had good experiences going through Austin Energy as well. There home audits are free. They'll also check your system basics (freon pressures, electrical connnections) if you get a free programmable t-stat. Only drawback in the chip inside that lets them turn you condenser off for a while if we're on the verge of a brownout. but I've only seen that happen twice in 3 years.