Orlando, Tampa, & Jacksonville Air Conditioning Educational Center

The crisp smells of Autumn, the sudden nip in the air, the bright foliage starting to drop and covering your yard…..all these are clear reminders to tune up your heating system if you live in Atlanta or further North.  Not so much so in Orlando, Tampa and even Jacksonville, our most northern metropolitan area in this paradise otherwise known as Florida.

That does not mean you shouldn’t have your unit tuned-up here just like your family members do up North.  Actually, it may even be more important here in Central and North Florida since most of our air conditioning and heating systems in these markets are Heat Pumps and the entire system runs year round.  Up North, the gas and oil furnaces and boilers only run in the winter.  To heat and cool our homes here in Central and North Florida the outdoor units run year round in conjunction with the electric air handler or furnace.  Our fall tune-up includes calibrating your thermostat for accuracy, cleaning your outdoor coil of debris that’s blown into it, checking and adjusting the refrigerant charge, re-securing all electrical connections and 14 more steps to assure you that your unit is heading into winter operating at peak efficiency.   With Progress Energy and Florida Power and Light having just had rate increases approved by the PSC, having your unit operate at peak efficiency is even more important than ever before.

After this energy saving tune-up is performed, be sure to ask the Air Flow Designs technician about our Protection Plan.  It covers all parts and labor annually for any repairs required and also provides you with priority service should you have a breakdown.  Call Air Flow Designs at 321-397-2110 in Orlando, 813-961-7887 in Tampa and 904-398-0831 in Jacksonville to arrange your Tune-Up and your Protection Plan.

Inefficient AC’s  = Big Time  Power Users!

Efficient AC’s = Big Time Power Savers!

The majority of the utility companies that serve Florida have announced that they will ask for either a significant rate increase or a fuel surcharge increase in 2009.  Progress Energy, Central Florida’s largest electrical utility, on August 29, 2008 announced that they would ask for a 31% rate hike in January, 2009.  That would raise the average 1000 KW-hour user’s bill from $111 to $145 a month if approved by the PSC.  Progress Energy has committed to build two new Nuclear Power Plants over the next 10 years and expects to request a rate increase each year to help fund these new additions to their capacity. These rate increases are expected to range from $4 to nearly $29 annually.  Overall, Progress Energy’s rate could more than double in the next decade as stated in the Orlando Sentinel on 08/30/08.  When the new nuclear plants do go on line, their customers could see savings in excess of $1.0 Billion a year, according to Jeff Lyash, their President and CEO.  

Tampa Electric, a subsidiary of TECO, has announced that their 2008 fuel expenses will be under-recovered by approximately $209 Million which will be recovered by an additional fuel surcharge in 2009.  Florida Power and Light has already announced that the January 2009 bill on a 1000KW-hour user will be approximately 7% higher than the December 2008 bill.  Orlando Utility Commission has announced a hike from $98 to $104 for 1000 KW-hours and expects additional increases for next year.   Jacksonville Electric Authority has announced a $15.00 fuel surcharge per 1000KW-hours for July –September of this year after which it will drop to $10.14 per 1000 KW Hours till year end.  This is on top of a 4 year base rate increase that was passed last year.

What does all this mean…..something you probably already know….THAT YOU’LL BE PAYING MORE FOR YOUR ELECTRICITY GOING FORWARD!!  This leaves two questions still to be answered:  How can you manage your personal utility expense with rates continuing to escalate and where do you get your best “Bang for the Buck” on investing in your home and controlling your own budget?

Air Conditioning and Heat Pump units are the largest users of your electric power certainly during the summer and can be as well during cold snaps in the winter here in Florida.  Carrier Corporation indicates that, nationally, 46% of your total utility expense is related to heating and cooling your home and it can certainly top 50% in Florida during the summer months.   Most of the heating / cooling systems that are 8 years old and older were, at best, 10 SEER when installed.  Today’s equipment ranges from 13 SEER all the way up to some which can hit 18-20 SEER in certain sizes and matches.   SEER is Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating and the higher the better, much like Miles per Gallon.  A 13 SEER system should use approximately 30% less energy than a similarly sized 10 SEER system to cool your home.  A system in the 15 SEER range could save you approximately 40% on your energy usage for heating and cooling your home or around 18% total (40% x 46% =18%) if all other factors remain the same.  You can also certainly offset some, if not all the utility rate increases, with a new higher efficiency system.   At the top end of today’s systems are two speed outdoor units which operate on low speed more than 70% of the time. 

These systems can provide you improved humidity control and tremendous energy savings as well.  With rated SEER’s of between 15-20 and effective SEER’s of nearly 2 points higher on average, your energy usage saving are dramatic.
         
Call Air Flow Design’s today at 321-397-2110 in Orlando, 813-961-7887 in Tampa or 904-398-0831 in Jacksonville to have one of our Comfort Specialists come out and discuss your air conditioning and heating needs and he energy savings story of today’s units.  They can show you the potential costs vs savings of a new system.  We offer financing that fits most homeowners’ budgets and typically offer six months same as cash financing for those that qualify.   Call Today!

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.