David: And that’s one of the other things that a professional is looking for. Aside from keeping the unit clean and operating at peak efficiency, we’re trying to find problems that are going to become an emergency. So, there are – inside the outdoor condensing unit, there are relays called contactors that turn the system on and off and those contactors get pitted just through normal use. It’s just the way they work and eventually they’re going to burn up and they have to be replaced. So, if you can see that those units are getting pitted, you can replace them preemptively rather than waiting for them to fail because Murphy’s Law dictates that it’s not going to fail on a nice, beautiful, cool day. It’s going to fail when it’s 98 degrees outside. And then when you try to call a professional when it’s 98 degrees outside, you’re going to have to wait several days to get somebody.
Markus: Exactly, because they’re slammed because everyone else is calling as well. That makes perfect sense. So, are there any other perceived obstacles that you see that might be preventing Chicago’s North Shore homeowners from seeking help from an HVAC service leader?
David: So, the final recommendation is – like in any business, there are good companies out there and there are companies out there that are not as reputable. And it’s pretty easy to figure out who’s who. If you have a problem and you start calling around, the reputable companies are usually busy. The un-reputable companies sometimes aren’t as busy and there’s a reason for that. There’s a lot of complicated components and systems inside of your heating and cooling system and you want to make sure that the information you’re getting from the service professional is correct, they’re telling you the truth, and they’re being honest with you so that you’re paying only for those repairs that are needed.
Markus: Finding somebody you can trust is what it comes down to.
David: Absolutely.
Markus: I was very impressed with your company. You’ve got some amazing, 200+ Five-star reviews on Google and other places as well… Best Picks, Angies List, A+ with the Better Business Bureau, so that’s fantastic. It’s interesting you say that because obviously reputation follows you, so the busy companies are slammed. I think we were talking earlier today, you had said that for just maintenance to get on the schedule right now, you’re booking into next month – just because you’re so slammed. So, that’s a good indicator.
David: Yes it is. As soon as we send out our reminders to our customer base, we ask them, “Hey, call us early because then you can pick a day to schedule your appointment that works for you and get in and have us in early.” That said, even if you have us in later in the season will work because having us out once a year is still having us out once a year. A year’s worth of operation accumulates a year’s worth of dirt and grime and it just needs to be cleaned. So, as long as you have us out once a year, we can still maintain the system.
Markus: That makes total sense. So, besides what we shared so far, are there any other little-known pitfalls or common mistakes that you see North Shore homeowners making on the road to keeping their homes cool all summer long?
David: I guess one other myth that we kind of run into from time to time is we’ll call a customer and say, “Hey, it’s time for your tune-up,” and they’ll say, “Well, I just had it installed a year ago. It’s only a year old. It’s new. Why do I have to clean it?” Well, the reality is – and I kind of mentioned this just a moment ago – a year’s worth of use is a year’s worth of use… It doesn’t matter how new or old the unit is, circulating air through your system for a year is going to build up the same amount of dirt and grime regardless of age.
Markus: That makes a lot of sense. It’s interesting you bring that up because it reminds me about this service where they come in and they’re going to clean out your venting system. I don’t know if it’s vacuumed or blown. I’ve never had it done myself. Is that something that is a good thing to do in your opinion? Or is it something that just causes more trouble down the road?
David: So, I think you’re referring to duct cleaning – cleaning the duct work.
Markus: Yes, that’s correct.
David: It’s a very good thing to do. It does not need to be done on an annual basis because, over time, the duct work will accumulate quite a bit of dust and dirt and debris, which just impedes the ability for your system to move all the air through your house that you want moving through there to keep you comfortable and keep the temperatures even. So, usually once every five years. You can go a little longer if you don’t have any pets in the house. Certainly, if after you’ve completed any major remodeling in the home where you’ve had drywall work done, or construction work done inside the house, those are good times to have the duct work cleaned.
Markus: Well, then I’m really due. We just remodeled the bathroom and I don’t think we’ve ever had the duct work cleaned out, so we’ll have to have you out to take care of that.
