4 Things To Check Before Placing a Service Call

As a service contractor, there are two things that keep me going:
1) Making people happy
2) Making a living

We love service calls.
It's what we are here for.
They keep my customers cool and happy,
and they give my technicians plenty of work hours throughout the hot weeks.
They love spending their time fixing stuff for people.
It gives them a sense of accomplishment.
They feel good when you feel good.

But the real question is: HOW MUCH DO YOU ENJOY A SERVICE CALL?

When you have to pay for an unexpected service call, you may not be enjoying it at all.
I mean, who wants to be hot in their own home?
You may get a terrible feeling accompanied by unfamiliar, uncontrollable actions.
This is referred to as a "temper-ature tantrum".
When you lose the cool from your AC, you lose your cool.
We understand.
It never happens at a good time for you.
Nobody says "Yes, it finally broke!"

It's a frustrating feeling.
You seem to feel helpless or lost.
You don't know where to begin.
Sometimes a service call is necessary and 100% the right thing to do.
Other times they are avoidable.

You can always begin by picking up the phone and 
calling us at (919) 934-0153 or (919) 734-6588 for assistance.

Call us anytime.  Service is what we love to do.
Our technicians love experiencing your refreshing feeling of excitement followed by the sense of calm that absorbs your face when you feel cold air blowing out.
It is a big reward to their self-esteem.
It makes them feel very appreciated.
There is a sort of magic feeling to it.

But if you like the possibility of saving yourself a service call, here are 4 things to check first:

1) Look at the thermostat. 
If it is digital, has the screen gone BLANK?

BLANK SCREEN

If the answer is YES, then move on to step 2.

If the answer is NO or you have a manual (non-digital) thermostat, then check to see if the thermostat is set to 'COOL'.
Especially if it is at the time of season change, the thermostat may still be set to heat.
 
If it is set to 'Cool', then check to see that the set temperature is lower than the actual temperature.

If the SET TEMPERATURE is higher than the ACTUAL TEMPERATURE, then drop the SET temperature down low enough to see if the unit turns on and cools.

If the SET TEMPERATURE is lower than the ACTUAL TEMPERATURE and the unit is not coming on, then move to step 2.

If you cannot get the thermostat to do anything, then move on to step 2.

2) Check your breaker panel.
Do you see a tripped breaker?
You can know if it is tripped because it will be facing the opposite direction of all the others.
You may have a breaker for 'A/C' and/or a breaker for 'Heat'.  Check both of these.
Has one or more breakers tripped?
If the breaker has tripped, then call for service.
 
DANGER: Breakers typically become tripped for a good reason as a safety protection.  
Beware that the breaker most commonly trips to prevent more severe damage from happening, such as electrical shock, electrical or house fire, personal injury, or death.  

I do not recommend you manually trip the breaker back yourself.
(DISCLAIMER: I AM TELLING YOU NOT TO FLIP THE BREAKER YOURSELF!)
If you decide to flip the breaker back into the regular position, beware that this may not solve your problem, and it also has a good chance of making things worse such as electrical shock, electrical or house fire, personal injury, and death.   

If no breaker has tripped, move on to number 3.  


3) Go look at the outdoor unit.
If it is frozen or seems to have ice or frost accumulating on it (summer or winter) then go ahead and turn the thermostat 'mode' to OFF and fan to ON.
Then call for service and let the customer coordinator know that the unit is frozen.
Text or email a photo of it to dcp@pernellinc.com.

If it is hot outside, and your unit looks like this,
rub up against it for cool relief, because it may
take a while to thaw out.

P.S. > Be cautious of what might be awaiting you at your outdoor unit.
You might find all kinds of surprises.

                                       

(Above) This snake decided to play with the fan blades.            (Above) The Snake lost.
                                                                                                                   This is what is left. 

4) Check your air filter(s). 

(Left) Clean --  *  -- (Right) Dirty

This is the most common problem in the category of avoidable service calls.
If your air filter is dirty, or has been in place for longer than a month, (mark the date on the cardboard part of the filter when you change it so you can look back and know when you last changed it) then replace it with a new one.  If you do not have a clean filter on site, then just leave it in until it can be replaced (never flip the filter over, and never run your unit without a filter in place).
 
Typical filter locations are in the wall behind the big metal grille, in the ceiling, in the floor, and sometimes at the unit itself. If you have a special air filter such as the Carrier Air Purifier, then the filter may be located under the house or in the attic.
If you have one of these, the installing company will have it's information on file.
This type of filter only needs to be changed once or twice a year.

If you need a new air filter or a case of filters, call us.  We have every size and style.
If the filter looks OK, then call or use our instant form here for service.

If you have checked these 4 things and your unit still fails to cool. then call for service.

We love service calls, but if we can save you from spending money on one,
then maybe you will love us!


Thank you for reading!

Sincerely,

Chandler "The Air Handler"
-----------------------------
Chandler Pernell
Pernell, Inc. Heating and Air Conditioning
Enhancing Comfort, Health, and Safety
in Homes and Businesses Since 1977
dcp@pernellinc.com
www.CallPernell.com
(919) 934-0153

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7 not-so-common tips and 1 common one

With Spring and Summer coming, I want to share with everybody one common tip 
and 7 (not-so-common) tips for improving your comfort and efficiency.

1)  Change your air filter once a month. Don't flip it over.  Don't use a curtain.  

     Remember, when you put the new one in, the arrows are supposed to point 

     away from your body. 

      

                                 

                              "I was impressed with the innovation, but please do not do this."

                          

                                           New Filter          Filter After 30 Days

2)  While you're at it, check the "pressure drop" rating of your air filter. 

     "Pressure Drop" is a technical term that refers to the amount of restriction 

     the filter puts on the unit.    

     Especially if it is a "pleated" or "3-month" filter.  

     These can certainly be beneficial if anyone in the home deals with 

     allergies or asthma, though, keep in mind that these filters do not 

     advertise the effects they have on restricting airflow or making the unit 

     run harder than it should. 

     For you, they may work perfect, or it may be best to use an air filter 

     that best balances particle filtration, comfort, and efficiency.

      For More on "Pressure Drop" see:

     http://ateam.lbl.gov/Design-Guide/DGHtm/filterpressuredrop.htm

  

3) When you mow the grass near the unit, make sure you blow the debris 

     in the opposite direction of your unit.  

     Dirt and dust naturally make their way into the coils already.  

     No need to add to it.  

              

                    After Mowing Grass                            After Coil Cleaning 

4) Have your AC system cleaned every cooling season.
    It will release trapped dirt and free up space in the coils allowing air to flow more freely.
    This also allows time to ask a technician if he would recommend anything else for
    YOUR specific needs.

    P.S.  If he sprays it from the outside in, he's fired. The proper procedure is to take off
            the top and spray from the inside out.

5) Check to make sure that the condensate drain coming off of your unit is 
     installed properly and still in tact.
     This part of installation is often misunderstood by homeowners and installers.
     Every manufacturer gives instructions for your specific model.
     You just have to abide by them.
     The field-installed piping is supposed to look just like the diagram provided
     with the unit.
     Some units have a sticker attached that are "fail-proof" (shown), some are in the
     Installation Instructions.
     Send me your model and serial # and I will send you the Manufacturer's instructions
     for your unit.
     "Packaged" Units will have the pipe coming directly off of the outdoor unit (shown).
     If you go out to the unit and see the pipe coming out of the wall rather than
     connected to the unit, then you have a "split" system.  In this case the pipe will be
     coming off the indoor unit that will either be located in your house, attic, crawlspace,
     or basement.  Check it there. (P.S. Your thermostat is not the indoor unit.)
     Improper draining can lead to rusting and premature failure of your unit.

The instructions are beside the pipe and they still got it wrong.

This "indoor unit" had to be replaced.  Click here to see what a new one looks like. 

6) Finance a new AC unit.  Especially if your unit is over ten(10) years 

    old and/or a "builder" model.  Many companies will offer 3 years "Same-as-Cash".  

    That is 36 months without accruing interest.  In some cases, you can decrease your 

    utility bill by more dollars than what your monthly financing payment will be. 

    This will allow you to keep more monthly income and BE COMFORTABLE.  

    

                    

Proud, Comfortable Customers  

   * Our financing is based on a quick, easy 10-minute application process

7) Consider Updating Your Thermostat.

     If your thermostat looks like the one in the middle, then consider replacing it with 

     the one on your right. It is the Nest.  It comes with the option of being connected 

     to your Wi-fi and remotely controlling it in real-time by Windows, Android, iPhone, 

     and iPad (as shown on the left). 

     

     It touts the ability to learn your schedule, though after a week and a half 

     of it not "learning" me, I just went ahead and put the schedule in that 

     I wanted, manually. 

     No big deal. 

     You can do it from the thermostat itself, though I found it easier and quicker 

     to set my schedule via desktop computer.  

     It is easy to use. I promise.  

    The days of complicated thermostats are OVER.  

See more at Nest.com

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With spring and summer coming, 

I hope these tips help you enter the HOT season 

worry-free and ready to be Comfortable and Energy-Efficient. 

With Cool Regards,

Chandler "The Air Handler" Pernell
Pernell, Inc. Heating and Air Conditioning
Enhancing Comfort, Health, and Safety
in Homes and Businesses Since 1977
dcp@pernellinc.com
www.CallPernell.com

(919) 934-0153