Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Today I’d like to remind everyone to be sure to change your air filters regularly! I’ve learned since I’ve been here that we should be changing our filters out MONTHLY. Clayton, our Operations Manager, said he is reminded to change his air filter every time he pays his electric bill.

When installing an air filter, it is important to know which WAY they are supposed to fit into the return grille. This is important because if they are facing the wrong direction, it can have a negative impact on air flow which reduces the efficiency of the equipment and can also reduce the usable life of the filter. The air is always being PULLED INTO the return grille, where the filter goes, so the arrows on the filter should always be pointing INWARD and you should be able to read the words across the top of the filter if you pull it out towards you. If not, it’s backwards!  =0)

Air filters come in many different sizes and prices. The hypo-allergenic, expensive filters require more attention on your part because they trap more dirt and particles. Even though your air will be cleaner, they can ultimately decrease the efficiency of the unit when they get full of dirt and are not changed out fast enough. Therefore, you will need to monitor the build up that occurs and be ready to change them out when necessary, which could be more than once per month.

Pleated filters are adequate to filter your air and they are usually much more affordable. A washable or permanent filter may only last for the first few months and then they can gradually decrease the air flow.

According to Clayton and Wayne, our Installations Manager, the main priority is to HAVE A FILTER INSTALLED AND CHANGE IT MONTHLY. The choice is up to you if you want to spend a little or a lot, but the most important thing is to CHANGE IT REGULARLY!

Another answer to filtered air in your home may be to have a 5 inch Media Filter or an Accu-Clean System installed. These filtration systems will clean the WHOLE house very effectively. Based on what I have learned recently, I am going to have one installed at my house soon. I like the idea of only having to change out the filter once every six months or if I get the Accu-Clean, I can wash that filter and replace it once it’s dry.

If you have any questions on filter installation or choices, please give us a call.

281-488-HELP (4357)      Thanks for reading!   ~Melissa

Tuesday, July 27^th, 2010

Today I want to tell you about something that happened to a friend from church. He found some mildew in one of his air vents as he was cleaning them and decided to call a “duct cleaning” company AFTER he called his AC company and they would NOT come out to help him diagnose his problem. Once he called the duct cleaning company, they came out and charged him more than $1700 to clean his ducts and get rid of the mildew, but after they left, he went upstairs in the attic to inspect their work and discovered a HOLE in a duct near the plenum, which was causing cool air to blow into the attic. He called them back out and they sent a guy who wound up taping over the hole with a small piece of tape. They left and once he assessed the situation, he called me to discuss what happened.

I was able to tell him that we don’t recommend air duct cleaning because sometimes it can create worse problems than just dirty ducts. As with his case, people often wind up with holes in their ducts and then they spend more money on their electric bill because now their AC is cooling their ATTIC as well as their house and it runs all the time. In addition, the worst problem is when everyone in the home gets sick from having to breathe in the air that is being pulled from the dusty attic and insulation. In my friends case, AirCon was able to go out and walk through everything with him and fix the hole properly so he shouldn’t have any more problems with it. He is calling his old AC company to cancel a yearly policy with them since they weren’t even willing to come out and help him with something they should have been able to help with. Our courtesy call helped us to earn a new customer!

The lesson to be learned from this story is: PLEASE DON’T EVER HIRE A SERVICE COMPANY UNLESS YOU LOOK THEM UP ONLINE FIRST (start with GOOGLE MAPS) AND READ THEIR REVIEWS. In this case, the company who did the duct cleaning had 5 BAD reviews and one even explained how they had so many bad reviews, the BBB kicked them out! With a little research, you can save yourself a lot of trouble. Another good idea is to ask co-workers, friends and family for a referral if there is ever a service you need performed at your home. www.bnihoustoneast.com and www.AngiesList.com are great places you can look up service providers with a good reputation.

If you have ANY questions about mildew in your vents and how to prevent it, issues with duct cleaning, or anything else, please give us a call:  281-488-HELP (4357).

Melissa Powers
Marketing Mgr.

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

Hello! This is the first post on our new BLOG- yeah! I’m happy to say this will be something I get to contribute to as part of my job as AirCon’s Marketing Manager. I’ve been here since April 2010 and have seen the company grow and change a lot in that short time, even though they are already 40 years old. AirCon is a great place to work and I am very happy to be here.

Today I want to ask if you have any questions about anything related to Air Conditioning, Indoor Air Quality, Humidity in your home, Air Conditioner Repairs or Installations, How Tax Credits can help save money, Preventative Maintenance, Energy Efficiency, or even questions about a Programmable Thermostat or anything else you can think of? Because we have a Mechanical Engineer here (Derek Stewart, the owner), we can pretty much answer any question you can come up with! I will be covering a lot of these topics in the next several weeks, but feel free to start asking questions because there are probably others who have the same question you do. My email address is:   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

We are here for you whenever you need help with your AC or Heater. We can help you with Repairs, Installations, Yearly Maintenance, Indoor Air Quality, Installation of new equipment, and Emergency Service. Our techs are available 24/7. We are just a phone call away. A real, live friendly person will answer the phone and talk to you and you won’t have to choose Option 1 or Option 2!

“At AirCon, we don’t cuss, but our customers swear by our service!”  

~Melissa Powers
  Marketing Mgr.