AboutBill Brainard Expertise I can solve most heating related problems with furnaces and air conditioners(natural gas,propane, electric)(no oil or heat pumps) & some boilers and most control problems. Iam a heating & air cond contractor with 30 some years behind me. I spent 12 years working for Sears doing this type of work.
Experience I have graduated from 10 or 12 factory schools on gas furnaces ( 70%, 80%, 90%+ AFUE), basic air conditioning, air conditioning service, advanced air conditioning, oil furnaces, wall furnaces, floor furnaces, air handlers, coils, compressors, multi-speed (1 speed to 12 speed) furnaces, mobile home furnaces and air conditioners etc...
Ron wrote at 2008-04-04 16:11:34
service agreements are not a ripoff they provide for lower after hour repairs and provide for head of the line service. There is a great advantage to having a service call at night go from a $129 diagnostic down to a $65 dollar one with 30% off for repairs, so before you condemn them you must do your research. Also look at a regular scheduled tuneup to check refrigerant levels and temp rise and drop. Left unchecked your system maybe performing at subpar levels yet you maybe paying premium prices for electricity because you are running mostly on auxillary heat. The comment about contracts being a scam is misguided and ignorant of knowledge
Dawn J wrote at 2009-07-01 20:24:22
I wrote to the manufacturer and requested the installation and operating instructions. There I read the following:
The Self Contained Package Air Conditioner and Heat Pump should operate for many years without excessive service calls if the unit is installed properly. However it is recommended that the homeowner inspect the unit before a seasonal start up. The coils should be free of debris so
adequate airflow is achieved. The return and supply registers should be free of any obstructions. The filters should be cleaned or replaced. These few steps will help to keep the
product up time to a maximum. The Troubleshooting Chart (on page 11) should help in identifying problems if the unit does not operate properly.
The installers also tried to sell me a Kool Cap for my A/C for over $100 to keep rain and leaves out of the unit. The manufacturer stated that no measures were needed to keep out rain and leaves.
