Smooth Sailing Heating & Cooling Maintenance Programs
Thank you for taking the time to look at our Maintenance programs. Not everyone is as serious about their families Health and Safety like you are. We have a choice of three different programs that you can choose from. Each is unique and offers more protection at the higher levels. These programs are 100% digital Bluetooth inputs. That means no technician can manipulate the information to try and sell you more. Each level of service provides our System Vitals Score Just like your health vitals, temperature, pulse, blood pressure etc., your A/C system vitals show the overall health of your air conditioning system. These vitals account for both the refrigerant and air delivery side of the system. System targets that are out of range are typically related to a system diagnostic issue. Correcting the diagnostic faults, if possible, should put the system vitals back in the normal range. So, which one should you choose? We will explain each one as we go along. First decide if you have a heat pump or furnace, then look at each program to decide which one best suit your needs.
Smooth Sailing Top Shelf Maintenance This is our Military Grade Program and is the most complete maintenance you can get anywhere Not only will you receive 24 points of critical data on your Heat Pump system, but we also provide an AC and/or Furnace Commission Verification. Your system will also be cleaned as necessary to make sure it is running at peak performance as well as testing your duct system for leaks. Vitals scoring included. Smooth Sailing Standard Maintenance (included in Top Shelf Maintenance) We will provide two visits per year to make sure your system is safe for operation and doesn’t pose any health hazards. The outdoor unit will be ready to perform for the summer months ahead. Vitals scoring included. Smooth Sailing Basic Package (included in the Standard and Top Shelf Package) As the name implies, this is our very basic package. Don’t worry, this still includes any safety or health issues that could pop up. This package is for those who want a very basic test of their system. Vitals scoring included.
Included Services for AC/Heat Pump Top Shelf Standard Basic Included Services for Furnaces
Just some tech info on our Vitals Scoring and what is included. Age & Efficiency Losses Our system age scoring is based upon the initial system SEER, capacity, installation date and climate zone. Large higher capacity systems in hot climates have been shown to age faster. Temperature Split Losses Split losses are directly tied to sensible capacity. Systems with a low temperature split may have a low charge issue, or more common, a return duct leak that could result in excessive run times and substantial energy losses. Static Pressure Losses High system static pressure can result in high fan watt draw (electrical usage) and//or low airflow as well as premature blower motor failure, especially with ECM/Constant Torque motors. The system can have high total static, supply static, return static or a combination of all three. High static can also exacerbate return air duct leakage and contribute to poor indoor air quality. Approach Losses A system with high approach has heat rejection issues. This can be the result of a dirty condenser, non condensibles, condenser clearances, and/or condenser air recirculation. Systems with a high approach may also have a low temperature split due to heat returning to the metering device through the liquid line. Refrigerant Charge Losses Refrigerant charge losses can be the result of a refrigerant undercharge, overcharge and/or non-condensibles. Our program considers the deviation in charge from superheat/subcooling targets as well as the metering device type/ Fixed piston metering devices will result in high-capacity losses when the system is undercharged.
System Score Using data from several studies that correlate system faults, and system degradation due to age, we use a proprietary scoring system to grade the system based upon age and system fault intensity. New systems when properly installed should easily score 95-100%. Some disclaimer stuff you should read. AC commission verification only occurs in spring/summer checkups. Furnace commission verification only occurs in fall/winter checkups. Blower cleaning is once per year as needed based on technician findings. Cleaning of indoor evaporator coil is in place, and once per year as needed on technicians’ findings. Evaporator coils that require removal for cleaning only done with coils less than seven years of age at an additional cost. Installation of customer supplied light bulbs as well as changing of batteries on smoke alarms/CO detectors only where accessible by an 8-foot ladder. 1 yr. filter supply includes 6ea.-1” standard pleated filters or 1 specialty filter/yr. Outdoor coil cleaning is with water only, and once per year.
A/C System Vitals Report measureQuick A/C System Vitals Score™ combines the cooling performance, age degradation, initial SEER and capacity, refrigerant charge, and static pressure of the duct system into a single grade. Your system is comprised mechanical equipment and several subsystems including the control, electrical, air distribution, air filtration, and condensate disposal systems. Servicing and or replacing the mechanical equipment without addressing the subsystems only assures premature equipment failure. Modern A/C systems are designed to last between 10 and 15 years but only when properly installed*. System life is dramatically shortened due to poor installation or long deferred maintenance. • Systems scoring 80 or more are typically considered excellent candidates for repair. • Systems scoring under 50 may require significant repairs. These systems may be better candidates for replacement. Refrigerant Charge (Superheat and Subcooling) A/C equipment works by using expensive refrigerant to remove heat from inside a room. Superheat and Subcooling are used to determine the precise amount of refrigerant to sufficiently “charge” the equipment. Moreover, these same calculations may further indicate refrigerant leakage and contamination. Contaminated refrigerant causes unwanted chemical reactions like forming acids, which literally eat your system alive. Likewise, the incorrect refrigerant charge increases energy consumption while reducing equipment life, cooling capacity, and humidity removal. Heat Transfer (Approach and Temperature Split) Fundamentally, air conditioners transfer heat from places where it’s not wanted (inside your home) to other places (outside your home). This is accomplished by blowing inside air across cold coils (the evaporator). The evaporator is filled with refrigerant. The refrigerant is raised in temperature pumped to the condenser unit (the unit outside) to cool thereby transferring the heat outside. The efficiency of condenser heat transfer is determined by subtracting the temperature of the refrigerant coming out of the condenser (the cooled refrigerant) from the outdoor temperature; this is called the “approach”. A high approach means the refrigerant is not cooling efficiently. The performance of the evaporator is determined by comparing the temperature of cool air blowing out of your vents and the temperature of the air returning to the system; this is called the temperature split. Temperature splits that are too high indicate low airflow and can cause the evaporator coil to freeze up. A low temperature split may indicate a refrigerant undercharge, possible leak, or return air duct leakage. Either way, the system will run excessively reducing the equipment life and increasing energy consumption.
Air Distribution and Filtration (TESP and Filter Face Velocity) Total External Static Pressure (TESP) is a measure of the resistance to airflow in an air conditioning system by components external to the rated appliance. Typically, the evaporator, air filter, filter grill, registers, supply and return ducts all reduce the airflow. We can measure the resistance by measuring static pressure i.e., pressure in the ducts. A high TESP means low airflow. Low airflow means longer system run times causing higher energy costs, premature failures, expensive repairs. Filter face velocity is the speed of the air flowing across the filter. It’s measured to assure proper air filter sizing. An undersized air filter permits dirt to flow to the evaporator coil. Evaporator coils, wet from condensation, will attract dirt sticking too and eventually clogging the evaporator coil reducing the cooling efficiency.