Sunday, July 13, 2014

======== SEE WHAT OUR CUSTOMER ARE SAYING ========

Mark Lenox from Winter Springs, FL.

Service performed on June 19-2014.

Located crack in copper line - Replaced old copper lines - evacuated system - replaced refrigerant - system blows cold - Wife is happy so I have peace.
A RARE FIND, NORTH POLE AC - A company of honesty, competence, & integrity. After 30 years in Central Florida I've found this Gem in an industry fraught with deception. Owner Lisandro's has a simple business model he builds LONG TERM customer relationships through honesty & IMPECCABLE workmanship. A previous company had kinked copper runs beneath my slab which after few years led to refrigerant leak. To correct the prior company's mistakes, Lisandro removed damaged lines, installed new copper lines, brazed connections, pressurized leak check, took extra time to thoroughly evacuate system, and recharge. Workmanship is IMPECCABLE - HE TAKES NO SHORTCUTS and treated my system as if it were his own. I found the three top rated AC companies on Angie's list and had all three come to my home for comprehensive interviews. Right from introduction, Lisandro instilled confidence in his practices. In the end my system functioned as promised for fraction of the cost of replacement unit. Central Floridians, we need to keep local businesses like this successful!

Sunday, June 22, 2014

========= SEE WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS ARE SAYING ==========

Chuck Kayser from Orlando, FL

Service performed on Thursday May 14-2014

Complete A/C service, check-up, and cleaning. 
He also performed a temperature test for both A/C systems in our house and provided us the complete details of the condition of our system.
We met Lisandro at the Orlando Home and Garden show a number of weeks ago. We were impressed with his explanation of how he does business and what we could expect, so we decided to utilize his services. After checking out his references with the BBB and on Angie's list, we felt good about our decision to hire him.
While it took a few weeks to schedule a convenient time at our home, we can gladly report that the wait was completely worth it! Lisandro advised that he would be at our house between 5:30 and 6:00 pm, and he was right on time.
Before he did anything, he reviewed what he was going to do, 'interviewed' me about the past issues we had faced with our system, and asked questions about how it was working now, and what we expected after his service call. This was the biggest surprise since I fully expected him to just dive in and start checking things out.
The weather was getting ugly and I asked him if he wanted to move inside first. He said, "No thanks. I have an umbrella in the truck." he brought out a huge pole umbrella and went to work cleaning the coils in the outside units. He checked out the system and then went inside to completely clean the air handler system through out the entire unit. We have the cleanest unit in the development!
There is far more I can say, but you will just have to experience Lisandro's approach to air conditioning service. Being from Cuba, where they rarely get 'new' replacement parts to keep systems working, he has learned unique approaches to make older systems keep on working as long as possible.
I can't tell you enough how pleased and impressed with his work ethic, timeliness, humility, and fairness in his work and pricing. Trust me, he is worth the very few pennies that he charges for the outstanding work he does!

============== SEE OUR WORK ===============

This is a no common "No cooling" service call.
We arrived to the place and after a detailed inspection we found this electrical issue. We noticed the main circuit breaker for the air handling unit kept tripping and this is why. Notice in the picture the pattern of the issue. The cause was a sharp edge inside the connector that over the years and the vibration produced by the air handler when in operation was eating the insulation of the power wire until it went all the way through.
This is not a common issue but from time to time we find surprises. This is one of them. We cut the damaged part of the wire and installed a new non fuse service disconnect box and a new power wire.
We left the place with our client happy and with the system up, running, cooling and draining okay.
Do not hesitate to give us a call.
Here at North Pole Air Conditioning and Heating Services, Inc. we are ready for any challenge. You won't be disappointed because we are in business to give what you want most: COMFORT at affordable prices.













SEE OUR WORK


We came to this place for a "No cooling call".
We found this 14 year old air conditioning system not working. After it was inspected a defective run capacitor and contactor were found.
Notice this unit was in the past repaired. You will see how the prior repair was not properly done. The capacitors are hanging inside the electrical compartment, not properly attached. Notice how corroded are the contactor and how worn out are the high voltage contacts.
We installed a new run capacitor for the outdoor fan and a new contactor, also attached all capacitors the way it is supposed to be. We also took extra care and installed new wire connectors in all connections and wire tied all wires.
This is the difference North Pole Air Conditioning and Heating Services, Inc. makes every day when we are called to your place to fix your air conditioning system.
After all repair were done we started the system and left it up, running, cooling and draining like a champ.
Give us a call, you won't be disappointed. We are specialists in making things last forever.
North Pole Air Conditioning and Heating Services, Inc. gives what you want most: COMFORT at affordable prices.















Saturday, May 17, 2014

=== SEE WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS ARE SAYING ===

Shelley Brown from Orlando, FL.

Service performed on Friday, May 16-2014.


Once we were able to line up our schedules, Lisandro was able to come by and fix my AC. 
He was thorough, explained everything he was doing, switched out my old thermostat, didn't sell me something I did not need. 
Totally honest technician. 
I would highly recommend Lisandro to anyone.
Because he is so good at what he does, he is busy, therefore be patient with him as he works to fit you into his schedule. 
He is worth the wait!
Thanks again Lisandro for your work ethic!



Tuesday, April 29, 2014

How Air Conditioning Systems Work



A good part of knowing how to troubleshoot an air conditioning in need of repair is having exact knowledge of how they work. Air conditioners have been around for over 100 years, and have come a long way since the first one was installed in a home.

The basic concept behind how an air conditioning system works is the use refrigeration to chill the indoor air. There is actually some science behind this. When liquid converts to gas, called phase conversion, it absorbs heat. Air conditioners use this phase conversion by forcing special compounds to evaporate over a system of coils. The result is then cooled air.

The compounds in this process have properties that enable them to change at a relatively low temperature. Most air conditioners also have fans that move warm air over these cold coils. In fact, nearly all central air conditioning units have an entire system of ducts that funnel air to and from these coils to cool your entire home.

How exactly does it cool my home?

The general idea behind all AC units, whether they be central or window, is to take a gas, change it to a liquid, and then back into a gas. This is done by extracting warm air from the outside, removing the heat, and then sending it back into your home cool.

In a split system, the compressor condenses and circulates the refrigerant through the outdoor until, changing it from a gas to liquid. The liquid is then forced through the evaporator coil/cooling compartment. The indoor fan then circulates the inside air across the evaporator fins. The evaporator fins then exchange the thermal energy with the air around it. After that, the refrigerant turns from liquid back into vapor, removing any heat from the area surrounding it. As the heat is removed from the air it is then pushed back into your home and nice, refreshing, cool air.

Air conditioning systems are probably a bit more complex than you may have though. This being said, you should always contact a professional if you think that your AC unit may be in need of repair. There are many small things that the common home owner may miss that is wrong with their AC unit that a professional would pick up on immediately.

If you have any questions, or feel that your AC may need repair or maintenance, feel free to give us a call. We are here to help you!

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Signs That You Might Need AC Repair



A good portion of our business comes from emergencies, this meaning customers call once their AC is already beyond salvation. There are some key things you can look for that may tip you off that your AC may be getting ready to quit on you. If you are able to catch onto these symptoms before hand, there is a good chance that you could be looking at a relatively inexpensive AC repair, versus a full on replacement of your unit.

The first thing to look for is excessive noise. AC units are designed to run quietly and efficiently. If you are beginning to notice your AC unit more, and is making noises that are not normal, it may be time to call in your local AC repairman.

Another key symptom of your AC needing repair is weakened airflow. If you notice that you have weaker than normal airflow, before you go jumping to conclusions, be sure to check to see if your air filter is not clogged. If you don’t change your air filter on a regular basis, you can expect to see weakened airflow. If you change your filter and see a dramatic improvement, great! That is probably where you issue resided. If you change your air filter though and nothing improves, you will want to give you AC repair man a call to get the issue fixed before it’s too late.

The last and most obvious sign that your AC unit may need a tune up is that the air coming from it isn’t cool. If your system is taking more time to get your home to the desired temperature, or is blowing out warm air when it should be blowing out cool air, you need to have it inspected and repaired immediately before you have an expensive replacement on your hands.

Your AC unit should be running without you even really noticing it is there. If you believe you may have an issue with your AC, feel free to contact us today to see how we can help get your AC back up and running efficiently.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

CONSUMER CONNECTION. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS


                                                           ========= CONSUMER CONNECTION ======== 
                                                            ======== QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ======= 

Question: Why does the A/C system need to have a drain line? 

Answer:1-The drain line is one of the most important parts of the air conditioning system. 
             2- The drain line carries the water the air conditioning system produces result of the dehumidification process out to the outside. It is a plastic PVC pipe that is connected to the air handler, it goes from the air handler to the outside. Installation configuration of drain lines varies from system to system.
Dehumidification on these residential air conditioning systems occurs every time the air conditioning is working in cool mode. The air mixture inside the house or the place being cooled contains certain percentage of humidity. That humidity needs to be controlled and maintained at certain levels to avoid issues like mold, etc… While the system is engaged in cool mode, the temperature of the evaporator coil, the panel that cools the air inside the air handler is colder than the dew point of the water vapor of the air mixture passing through it. It causes the water vapor to condensate on the cold metal surface of the coil and change state from water vapor to liquid water. That water must come out some way some how, that is why the A/C system needs to have a drain line. 

Question: Why the A/C Condensate drain lines get clogged? 

Answer: Good question. 
It comes down in part to Indoor Air Quality. 
The mixture of air that crosses the air handler is not 100% clean, even using the best air filtration system available solid micro particles of dust, organic particles like mold spores, etc… in the air are going to pass through the filter.
Once on the other side they get stuck in the evaporator coil and helped by the water the coil produces part of this material gets down into the evaporator coil drain pan. Due to the conditions present inside the air handler where the evaporator coil is located some organic matter like mold spores and bacteria start to grow in the surface of the coil and inside the air handler.
Once part of this matter gets to the drain pan, water then tries to push it out of the system but the water flow is so passive that those solid particles tend to settle at the bottom side inside the drain line specially in horizontal sections. Add also the mold growth inside it. Over a period of time and if the drain line gets untreated the build up inside increases forming the clogs that ultimately restrict the water flow causing the drain line to get clogged. 

Question: Why is so important to have the A/C drain line clean? 

Answer: As mentioned above. The A/C drain line is one of the most important parts of your air conditioning system. 
In case it malfunctions other issues like water damage and mold, appear costing homeowners extra money in repairs. 
Once the AC drain gets clogged, it may lead to water leaking in the line resulting to extensive damage on the wall, ceiling, and the carpet and wood floor in your home, other damages caused by clogged drains include damage to the return duct plenum, wood platform where the Air Handler is installed (Installed vertically in Garages, Closets, etc…). This causes the wood to weaken and over a period of time if the drain is not properly cleaned the unit start to sink on the platform causing it to get out of level causing more problems. 
If the Air handler is installed horizontally in the attic or below the ceiling in the garage or horizontally in any other confined space then water starts to accumulate inside the unit causing the insulation to get wet, then this water starts to migrate outside the unit into the secondary drain pan and outside if the secondary drain line is in good shape and properly connected to the drain pan and clean. 
If the secondary drain pan does not have a secondary drain line connected then the water starts to accumulate in the pan. If the drain pan does not have a safety float switch then it will get filled and water will start to migrate outside causing all kinds of damages in the area around. 
Clogged drains account for a good percentage of the service calls air conditioning companies have to deal with in summer.
As homeowner you must avoid these situations from happening. 

Question: How we homeowners can avoid clogged drains from becoming a big issue?

Answer: You can avoid this problem by simply cleaning your AC drain and thus avoid the extra expenses you would incur from repair much later. 
One way to avoid this is to have the drain to be cleaned at least once a year. Many companies suggest doing it twice a year. Drain cleaning procedures vary from company to company and from technician to technician.
Here at North Pole Air Conditioning and Heating Services, Inc. we believe if the drain is properly cleaned once a year is more than enough. 
To prove it we made a test. We had an A/C drain (50 Feet long, horizontal run) cleaned properly, exactly the way we describe below. It took two and one half years to get clogged again up to the point that it drained into the platform. 
So, if a proper drain cleaning is performed, only once a year is enough. 
We are really proud of our zero incidences of recurrent callbacks service calls due to drain issues.
How do we do it? We vacuum, flush, chemically treat and test the drain line, including complete cleaning of the evaporator coil drain pan which is the place where all the dirtiness of the drain line starts to accumulate. 
We use a combination of water pressure from the house piping system, vet-dry vacuum, special drain cleaning chemicals (NO VINEGAR OR BLEACH) and pan algae tabs. 
At the end of the process we test the drain line by creating a simulation of the system making water; we spend time observing the pattern of behavior of the water coming out of the system, go back and forth making sure the system is draining properly like if it is working full throttle. 
At the end we guarantee that the system will drain the way it is intended and that particular drain to be the cleanest of the neighborhood. 
Here at North Pole Air Conditioning and Heating Services, Inc. we make sure that everything comes out perfect, the way our customers expect and the only way we know to guarantee what you want most: COMFORT. 

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

CONSUMER CONNECTION. TIPS TO HOMEOWNERS BEFORE HIRING THE COMPANY INSTALLING THE NEW HVAC SYSTEM

Hi Central Florida Homeowners: 

This is the time of the year in which many of you decide to invest in a new and more efficient HVAC system. It is exiting and good to know that you can be able to replace your old and inefficient HVAC system that probably is draining your wallet making you pay a lot of money in energy consumed.

We want to share with you some important tips that you need to know before hiring the company or individual contractor to perform the installation.

Here are the tips:

1- Make sure that the company performing the installation gets the job inspected by the County Building Department.
This is extremely important because it assures that the installation was performed according to the current building codes.
This means PROTECTION for you as consumer.

2- Make sure new Refrigeration Lines are installed. 

The reason: Old lines are contaminated with R-22 the Freon that probably your current old HVAC system uses and the one EPA is phasing out, the oil that the old system uses is mineral oil. The new system uses R-410A which uses synthetic Polyolester Oil. Even if the contractor says the lines could be cleaned with R-11, in reality, they never get 100% clean (It has to do not with the procedure of cleaning the lines or the effectiveness of the cleaning process but for the way this cleaning process is performed in the field. Unfortunately it varies from contractor to contractor). If the new oil and Freon run on these old lines it may get contaminated causing other issues down the road. Add also the corrosion these lines had been exposed inside the chase or under the ground in many cases, also, the new Freon R-410A operates at higher pressures than the current one R-22.
There is cases in which running new lines is practically impossible, for example: The lines are installed between floor spaces, inside walls or there not enough space in the attic, or they cannot be exposed. In those cases cleaning the lines with R-11 is recommended. Make sure the contractor have enough R-11 and Nitrogen to perform the process. Once the system is up and running for 48 to 72 hours have the contractor come back and replace the Liquid Line Drier and perform an "acid test" to corroborate the lines are clean and not contaminated, recover the current Freon charge and put new Freon in the system. After all it's all under Labor and Parts Warranty.
This is important.

3- It is extremely important to modify the duct system by increasing the return intake capacity and potentially improving the supply side to accommodate more air flow movement and volume. Avoiding the modifications to the duct system is equal to condemn the new HVAC system from day one, simply like that. New HVAC equipment today is manufactured under different guidelines and design. The principle is the same, the appearance of the equipment is also the same but the manufacturing guidelines referring efficiency are totally different compared to equipment manufactured five, ten or fifteen years ago. 

New equipment is more energy efficient, air handlers move way more amounts of air flow and with the new ECM Variable Speed Motors and Two Stages Compressors if you do not modify the existing duct system, then I guarantee you that the energy that the new HVAC system is supposed to save is going to be wasted away and your power bills are not going to be as low as you expect, the recovery of the investment you will do in installing this new HVAC system is going to take longer than normal simply because the equipment is not working as efficient as the way it was designed. Not modifying the duct system is equal to not having good air movement, humidity control and equal temperature and air distribution inside the house. It is extremely important to modify your duct system in order to accommodate the new HVAC system. This is important.

4- Make sure the Technicians who will perform the job are NATE Certified Technicians. Not all companies have NATE Certified technicians in their staff. The industry is making great effort in making sure all HVAC&R technicians get NATE Certified. It is becoming a Standard and that is really good for the industry and YOU, THE CONSUMER.

5- Avoid your equipment to be installed by technicians working "on the side" or not having a Contractor License. 
Unlicensed work is a plague that damages this industry. Unlicensed technicians do not care about you, they only care about the money they can make out of you. They usually disappear once the job is done and the money collected. They cut as many corners as they can in order to get the job done fast, their work always leave consequences, bad for the equipment being installed and bad for your wallet in the long run. They usually charge cheaper than a licensed contractor but the quality of the work they do is really bad. They usually don't guarantee the job they do even if they say to you that they will.
NATE means North American Technician Excellence. This organization encourages the use of NATE certified technicians for superior installation, maintenance and service of HVAC and refrigeration systems. NATE certified technicians have proven their knowledge in the HVACR industry by passing a rigorous specialized NATE certification tests. This means PROTECTION for you as consumer knowing that the technician performing the installation will do it right the first time.
The best way to know is by requesting their NATE ID before doing the job. This license is personal and not transferable. Here at North Pole Air Conditioning and Heating Services, Inc. we all are proud to be NATE Certified Technicians. This is important.
Follow these tips that I am giving you.
I am not trying to influence you in any ways but I feel as a professional service technician that you, consumer, need to know before taking such an important decision.

To install an HVAC system is a complex process, materials and labor intensive, really technical. Not too many people can do it and do it right.

Many people believe that setting a condenser or air handler, doing some welding and put some Freon into the system is all the knowledge they need to accomplish such task.

Installing an HVAC system requires a lot of technical knowledge and high professional skills. Installing an HVAC system has a VALUE, it also brings VALUE to your home.

With our two years labor and craftsmanship warranty on new installations, length of warranty time not given by many companies in Central Florida as far as we know we assure you, consumer, that the job completed is performed with the highest standards of quality.

Not everyone does it right like North Pole Air Conditioning and Heating Services, Inc.

Here at North Pole Air Conditioning and Heating Services, Inc. we want to let you know that we are here to serve you.

We believe in building relationships.

So, do not hesitate to get in touch if our services are needed. (407) 276-2840

Visit us on the web at: www.northpoleorlando.com/contact
Do not forget to LIKE us at: www.Facebook.com/northpolehvac

We are in business to SERVE and give what people want most: COMFORT.

We wish you the best.


North Pole Air Conditioning and Heating Services, Inc. is:
An "A" rated BBB Accredited Business since 2012.
An "A" rated Angie's List Service Provider since 2012 and 
2013 Angie's List "Super Service Award" Winner