Orlando, Tampa, & Jacksonville Air Conditioning Educational Center

How does one “Hurricane Proof” their Air Conditioning or Heat Pump Comfort System? If the outdoor unit has been installed in the last several years, it has been a code requirement for it to be physically secured to the concrete pad following the manufacturer’s specifications. These manufacturers’ specs, when followed properly, are engineer certified to provide wind based security up to 150 MPH winds and certainly should keep your outdoor unit anchored. If your unit is older than this and is not secured to your pad, you may want to have a licensed air conditioning contracting firm anchor it for you. .

However, the bigger issue with hurricanes, relative to your AC or Heat Pump System, is really the embedded lightening and electrical surges during these types of storms. When the storm is approaching, it’s a good idea to turn the thermostat down several degrees to “pre-cool” the home below your normal comfort level. As the electrical aspect of the storm gets close, it is then a good practice to turn the AC system off to avoid the surges taking out your compressor or other critical components. The toughest times on AC systems are when they start-up and shut-down and it is much worse when the power level is fluctuating as it is during electrical storms.

Once the second half of the hurricane has passed and the electrical fluctuations of the storm are no longer present, it is safe to turn your thermostat back on, assuming you have power. With the typically high temperatures and humidity during this time of the year, it is important to get your power back up and your AC System running as quickly as possible to avoid any potential mold issues in your home as well. If your electrical power is off for an extended period of time, you may need to have a mold remediation firm come in and check your home and you may want to investigate duct cleaning and possibly adding UV lights to your AC system.
Be sure to contact an Air Flow Designs team member for more information. We are currently serving the Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville communities.

Orlando: 321.397.2110. Tampa : 813.961.7887. Jacksonville: 904.398.0831.

For climates with moderate heating and cooling needs, heat pumps offer an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners. Like your refrigerator, heat pumps use electricity to move heat from a cool space into a warm, making the cool space cooler and the warm space warmer. During the heating season, heat pumps move heat from the cool outdoors into your warm house; during the cooling season, heat pumps move heat from your cool house into the warm outdoors. Because they move heat rather than generate heat, heat pumps can provide up to 4 times the amount of energy they consume.

The most common type of heat pump is the air-source heat pump, which transfers heat between your house and the outside air. If you heat with electricity, a heat pump can trim the amount of electricity you use for heating by as much as 30%–40%. High-efficiency heat pumps also dehumidify better than standard central air conditioners, resulting in less energy usage and more cooling comfort in summer months. However, the efficiency of most air-source heat pumps as a heat source drops dramatically at low temperatures, generally making them unsuitable for cold climates, although there are systems that can overcome that problem.

For homes without ducts, air-source heat pumps are also available in a ductless version called a mini-split heat pump. In addition, a special type of air-source heat pump called a “reverse cycle chiller” generates hot and cold water rather than air, allowing it to be used with radiant floor heating systems in heating mode.

Reprinted from:  U.S. Dept. of Energy-Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Be sure to call Air Flow Designs at 321-397-2110 to arrange an appointment to speak with one of our Comfort Specialists as to the options available for your home. We offer a complete line of Heat Hump systems, air conditioning systems and mini-split ductless systems in both straight cool and heat pump versions.

Did you know the following?

•  Most adults spend 90% of their time inside and that, according to the EPA, levels of pollutants indoors can be 2 to 5 times higher than outside.
•  Dust Mites cause allergic reactions in approximately 10% of the population and there can be 19,000 dust mites in one gram of dust.  Your mattress and bedding can be home to approximately 2,000,000 dust mites.
•  Many gas contaminants in indoor air come from chemicals found in paints, finishes, flooring and carpet, cabinets, adhesives, cleaning supplies, air fresheners, candles, cosmetics, hair sprays and insecticides.  These are known as volatile organic chemicals or VOC’s.
• Since 1980, asthma has increased by 75% in the total population of the United States and by 160% in children from 0-4. (National Center for Health Statistics).
• Asthma is the leading chronic illness in children with it causing approximately 1,500 deaths from it each year.
• Asthma causes 10 million school absences annually , 12 million doctor visits, 1.9 million emergency room visits and approximately 465,000 hospitalizations (EPA 2003 and 2004).
• Allergic disease is the 5th leading cause of chronic disease of all ages in the U.S. and is the third most common chronic disease for children under the age of 18.
• While we can see dust on flat surfaces and suspended in the air, 99% of all dust in our homes and businesses are smaller than 1 micron (1 millionth of a meter).  The human eye can only see particles larger that 10 microns so 99% of all dust is invisible to the human eye.

These are just of a few of the Indoor Air “Factoids” that Heating and Air Conditioning Companies should share with you when you are looking to replace your system and / or your air filtration system.  While these can be scary statistics, Air Flow Designs and Carrier Corporation have a number of options that can significantly improve the indoor air quality in your homes.  Be sure to ask about the Infinity Air Cleaner that “Charges, Captures, and Kills” bacteria, even up to weapons grade anthrax.  Also, be sure to ask about our current special on Ultra Violet lights which prohibit the growth of mold and mildew on your indoor coil and drain pan.   Don’t forget to ask about variable speed air handlers and furnaces that can be set to run 24 / 7 for pennies a day and provide 24 / 7 filtration.  After all, you’re only filtering the air when the indoor part of your system is operational. 

Please give us a call at 321-397-2110 Today so we can set an appointment to come out and discuss these options and the fine line of heating and cooling equipment we also offer.  Start breathing cleaner air and enjoying the health benefits…..Today!

Green has become a very “Hot Buzz Word” in the Home Improvement and Building Industries.  Perhaps one of the greatest “Green” stories is the use of non-ozone depleting refrigerants in your new air conditioning systems.  CFC (Chloroflourocarbon ) based refrigerants have been proven over the years to have an adverse effect on the Ozone layer and are being replaced with systems using the new Puron or R410-A based refrigerants   These systems do no damage to the Ozone Layer and are environmentally friendly.

Many people are still unaware at this time that there is an agreement between many of the industrialized countries of the world called the Montreal Protocol.  This has been in effect since the late 1980’s.  This requires the participating nations to reduce the use and manufacture of Freon  (R-22) by 35% in 2004 from the base line in 1989, by 65% in 2010 and by 90% by 01/10/2015.  Also, no new R-22 Based equipment can even be manufactured as of 2010.  These new R410-A (Puron) based systems are the wave of the future.  They at extremely efficient,  running up to 20.5 SEER for AC’s and 18.3 SEER in Heat Pumps, have a proven track record of reliability and are the “Green” environmentally friendly choice going forward.

Call Air Flow Designs today at 321-397-2110 to arrange a free estimate on replacing your systems with a new “Green” Energy Efficient, Environmentally “Green” and “Green” Money Saving System.  There’s never been a better time to do it…..6 months SAC Financing, Utility Company Rebates from several different utility companies, and special Carrier Instant Rebates on several Puron based systems.  Call today…321-397-2110!

The best answer to that question is:  Before it breaks in the middle of a heat wave when it’s over 90 degrees with high humidity!…….. but how do you know in advance that’s going to happen?  There are some clues to pay attention to:

•  An increase in utility bills indicating the unit is not working as efficiently as in the past.
•  A desire to reduce energy bills, even if they haven’t significantly leaped in year over year comparisons.  Today’s 2 Speed Higher Efficiency Products can reduce your energy usage relative to heating and cooling by as much as 50% from a 10 SEER system that was pretty much the norm 5-6 years ago.
• The age of a unit—the average life expectancy of a heat pump, the primary heating and cooling system in use in Central and North Florida today, is between 8-12 years with 10 years being a good midrange of expected replacement age.
•  Increasing # of repairs or actual repair expense.
• A major repair (Compressor, evaporator or condenser coil) when the unit is nearing the end of its useful life.
•  A desire to utilize more environmentally friendly refrigerant systems like Puron (R410-A).  No Freon (R-22) products will be manufactured after 2009.
• A fear of a major breakdown following a summer of poorer performance and repairs.
•  A noisy outdoor or indoor unit that impacts sleeping and entertainment due to the noise level.  Today’s units are significantly quieter than those manufactured in the early to mid 90’s.

All of these things can play a role in your decision as to when to replace your system.  One additional consideration is that the best promotional offers, sponsored by the manufacturers of the air conditioning and heating products, are normally in the Spring and Fall of each year.  Many dealers also raise their prices in the summer to maximize their profits when they feel as though they have the homeowner over a barrel when their unit goes out.

Call Air Flow Designs Today at 321-397-2110 to find out about our Specials and the Carrier  Corporation’s Sponsored “Cool Cash Spring Promotion.”  As a Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer, we are allowed to “Instantly” rebate back to the homeowner up to $1,300 based upon the system they choose.  Rebates actually range from $125 to $1,300 and can be deducted immediately from the initial price of the contract.  Also, in many cases these systems also qualify for Utility Company rebates which may either be handled as a credit to your power bill or again deducted from your contract price.  Each utility company is different but Orlando Utilities, TECO Florida Power and Light and Progress Energy all offer rebates.  Also be sure to visit our “Specials” page for even additional savings coupons.

Freon, a registered trademark by DuPont Corporation for the Refrigerant, R-22,   has been used as the primary refrigerant used in residential air conditioning since the second World War.  That is about to change as all chlorine based refrigerants have been outlawed by the federal government as of 20010 as far as being used in the manufacture of new residential air conditioning equipment.  These types of refrigerants, being chlorine based, have proven to be dangerous to the Ozone level on earth.   Also in 2010, the production of Freon will be reduced to just 35% of the production in 1999 thus driving up the costs for repairs of existing systems.   Any equipment manufactured after 2010 will have to use a non-Chlorine based, environmentally friendly refrigerant such as Puron or R-410A.

The cost of Freon, due to this restriction of supply, is currently going up significantly and it appears that it will continue to do so.  Puron, in the meantime is coming down as its use and production becomes more common.  Again, this is an environmentally friendly refrigerant that does no damage to the ozone layer of earth and is the residential choice for refrigerant in air conditioning for the foreseeable future in the United States.

Air Flow Designs, Inc. is Carrier’s largest Factory Authorized Dealer in Florida and, as such, is their largest Puron dealer.  We have been installing the Puron based systems for over 5 years and have found this equipment to be extremely reliable and efficient.  Call Air Flow Designs at 321-397-2110 to arrange a free estimate on replacing your system today.

Did you know that Indoor Air is frequently 60-70% more polluted than Outdoor Air (EPA) and the EPA ranks poor indoor air quality among the Top 5 Environmental risks to public Health?  Did you know that the average home produces over 40 pounds of dust in a year (Discover Magazine)….and did you know that children are much more prone to illnesses caused by indoor air quality issues (American Lung Ass’n) than adults are?   These are all reasons you should consider in making that decision as to cleaning your duct system or not.

If your system is 6 years old or older, you may want to consider not only having the AC unit serviced regularly but you may also want to consider having your ducts cleaned as well.   A thorough cleaning will remove the dust and contaminants from both the supply and the return air system.  Each register / grill should be removed and cleaned individually.  The air handler or furnace blower component should also be removed and thoroughly cleaned as well.  You can even have the indoor coil removed and cleaned if it has significant contaminant buildup on it.  You can also choose to have your ducts sanitized with an odorless sanitizing agent which will minimize the future growth of microbial organisms in the duct system.

Call Air Flow Designs at 321-397-2110 to arrange to have your duct system cleaned today.  We follow all the guidelines of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association and can service your AC equipment too as a licensed heating and air conditioning contractor in Central Florida for 50 years.  Be sure to ask about the Air Probe Sanitizer Ultra Violet Lights to keep your evaporator coil like brand new!

January 1, 2008 is a great time of the year to do a little AC maintenance of your own.  If you haven’t changed on cleaned your AC filter in the last month or so, why not start the year off by doing so between halves of a New Year’s Day Bowl Game?  It’s an easy date to remember going forward so you’ll know it should be checked on the first of every month if it is a standard 1” filter or the first of every quarter if it is a 4 or 5” high efficiency media filter. 

It’s also a good time to make sure your programmable Thermostat is properly programmed to for maximum comfort and energy savings.  For each degree under 78 in cooling mode and each degree over 68 in heating mode, you are costing yourself between 5-8% in heating and cooling costs.  If you are gone a good part of the day, and have a programmable thermostat, why not turn it down to 66 or so while you are gone if heating is required and up to 81-82 if cooling is required.  If your Thermostat is “intelligent” it can know when to start working the system to have it back to your comfortable temperature when you come through the door.  If it is a more basic programmable thermostat, just program it to take it back to your comfortable setting an hour or so before you are to arrive home from work.  That way it will have some lead time to get back there but you will have saved energy the majority of the time you are at work.

January 1, 2008 is also the beginning of Air Flow Designs’ 50th Anniversary year.  Be sure to call us at 321-397-2110 for any service needs on your Heat Pump or AC system or for a free estimate on replacing your system today. Be sure to ask about our special pricing and financing offers.  Today’s AC/Heat Pump systems are far more efficient than those that were being installed just 6-8 years ago on average and can even pay for themselves over time.

You’ve probably heard, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably isn’t!”  This especially holds true in the air conditioning and heating field of contracting services.  In today’s economy, do you really believe that reputable AC companies can do an effective tune-up of your system for $19.99 or even $29.99? Let’s look at the expense involved in a quality tune-up or service call:

• The Technician’s time, not only on the job but also for travel time to get to the home where the work is to be performed.
• A service department with the clerical support to effectively route and dispatch the technician.
• The expense of maintaining a parts inventory both on the truck and at the facility to offer a complete tune-up or completed service call on the first trip.
• The expense of operating the service vehicle-Gas, Maintenance / Repairs, Insurance, etc.
• The marketing expense associated with letting the homeowner know that the company is offering an incredibly low priced tune-up.
• Liability Insurance and Worker’s Comp Insurance to protect the homeowner should any accidents occur while the Technician is at the home.
• Ongoing training for the Technician to make certain he stays current on all new products as they are introduced.
• Being a member of the appropriate association to guarantee a level of professionalism and customer service:  Better Business Bureau, Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA), NATE Certified Technicians
• Certification by the manufacturer of the equipment such as Carrier Factory Authorized Dealer or Trane Comfort Specialist Dealer
• A long term history of customer service and experience in the local marketplace

When considering all these expenses, it becomes obvious that no one can really offer a complete tune-up for these incredibly low prices.  Why then do companies do it?  Essentially, they hope to accomplish two things with tune-ups /service calls that they offer at this extremely low price:

1. Loss leader to get the technician in the home
2. Find additional parts which they can recommend changing for the system to run more efficiently or effectively at significant additional costs.

There are very few tune-ups ever run with a final cost of just $19.99 or $29.99.  If there were, even more air conditioning companies would go out of business quicker than they do today.

Be sure to visit Air Flow Designs to see what a complete tune-up should cover in the Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa areas of Florida. The specifics are listed on our products page under “Service Contracts” –“Air Flow Designs Protection Plan” You may even want to  investigate purchasing an Air Flow Designs Protection Plan which not only provides an annual tune-up to keep the system running well but it also covers all parts and labor should a repair be necessary for one low annual investment.  Call Air Flow Designs today at 321-397-2110 to see if your unit qualifies for this complete coverage.

Air Flow Designs-Celebrating 50 Years of Quality AC Service and Sales in 2008!

The single most important thing that you as a Homeowner can do to properly maintain your heating and air conditioning system is to clean or replace your filter monthly.  You may want to notate on that new 2008 Calendar you’ll be setting up shortly to clean or change that filter on the 1st of each month….or the second Saturday of each month….or the third Sunday of each month or the 4th Wednesday.  It really doesn’t matter when you do it,  so long as you “Just Do It” monthly (More often if you have several cats, dogs or other shedding pets).  It’s the best thing you can personally do to prolong the life of your equipment and keep it running near the efficiency it was designed to run.

If you’ve neglected your system for a while, call Air Flow Designs at 321-397-2110 to arrange a professional tune-up and cleaning.  We can bring it back to life and make energy saving recommendations to you.  If your system is 10 years old (average life expectancy of a system in Central Florida) or older we may also suggest your options as to replacement of your existing unit.   Also be sure to ask about Indoor Air Quality Options like improved filtration options and Ultra Violet Lights to control algae and mold in your system and extend the operational life of your system, too.