What people ask before they call

A swamp cooler is a box on the roof or in a window with a water line and pads, and the house needs a window open to cool. Refrigerated air has an outdoor unit with a fan and an indoor coil, and the windows stay shut. Not sure? Ask on the form and we will tell you at the visit.

When you book, we tell you whether the visit has a fee and whether it is credited toward the work. You get the price in writing before any work begins.

We show you what failed and how old the system is. A repair on a young system often makes sense; repeated repairs on an old one may not. You decide with the quote in your hand.

From a load calculation of the house: the rooms, the windows and which way they face, the insulation and the ducts. A bigger unit is not a better one; an oversized system shuts off too soon and leaves the air clammy.

Turn it off at the thermostat. If you can, set the fan to on so the ice melts, and keep the filter clean. Then call us; ice means something is wrong, and running it again can damage the compressor.

It does not hurt it, but it cools less while the air is damp. If the house feels clammy in July and August, that is why. Refrigerated air handles those weeks better.

Check it every month in summer and replace it when it is dirty. A thicker filter is not always better: some systems cannot pull air through a high-MERV filter. We tell you what yours can take.

Usually, yes. The quote lists the city permit and tells you who needs to be home for the inspection.

Programs have rules about equipment and dates, and the rules change. We check the current ones when we write your quote and mark what the program asks for.

Get everyone outside, call 911 and do not go back in. Call us after the fire department says the house is safe, and we will look at the furnace.