Frequently Asked Questions

How Will I Know When I Should “Repair It or Replace It?”

Sooner or later, this question comes to every homeowner. How long does a heater and air conditioner last?

What is the reasonable , useful life expectancy? Why replace it if it still heats and cools?

Answers to these questions will vary from home to home, so here are some guidelines that will help. And remember, you can call us and we will be happy to assist you.

It may be time to replace your existing air conditioning system if,

• You are using more energy than in past years.
• The unit runs all the time and can’t keep your home comfortable .
• Your current air conditioner is more than 15 years old.
• Your heater is about 18-20 years old.
• Your equipment needs expensive repairs every year.
• The compressor has failed.
• You have to re-charge it with freon year to year.
• Your air conditioner is noisy.
• Your home seems humid, which is caused by poor system operation or leakage of the air duct system.
• Your home gets dusty when you operate your air conditioner, which could also mean a problem with the air duct system and/or air filtration system.

Typically, the more energy-efficient a system is, the higher its initial cost. How quickly that cost can be recovered depends on several factors, including :

• How many hours your system runs each year.
• Shading around your home
• How long you plan to live in your home?

And, construction and energy efficient upgrades that have been performed, such as:

• Roofing
• Insulation (attic and wall)
• Windows (single or double pane)
• Design of your home

CALL US TODAY FOR A “Free Home Energy Evaluation”

for your existing heating and air conditioning system.
There is no obligation

You’re about to make a big decision

One that most people only make a few times in their lives. This pamphlet will help you with the process. Learn how the right contractor can make all the difference in making sure your new heating and/or air conditioning system will work even better than the old one, last a long time, save you money, and improve your comfort. Find out how to choose a contractor that will give you the knowledge to make an informed decision about the system you’ll buy.

It’s a system!

Buying a new furnace or air conditioner is not like buying a new refrigerator that you bring home, and simply plug into the wall. The equipment is only one component of a system that’s been custom designed, fabricated and installed into your home. Other components include your ductwork, registers, grilles, dampers, accessories and more. Each of these components should be evaluated together. Some contractors want to just change your box, take the money and run. NCI certified contractors take the time to evaluate the whole system so you can make a truly informed decision.

How do I decide?

Good information is critical when making any important decision. An NCI certified contractor carefully tests and evaluates your system using state of the art diagnostic instruments. Your understanding of the condition of your home’s heating and air conditioning system will increase dramatically as he shares with you the specific knowledge he acquires as he tests. By investing a little time in understanding your system you will be much more comfortable making a decision based on this knowledge.

What difference does it make?

Millions of frustrated homeowners invest thousands of dollars each year in brand new equipment, only to discover they still have high utility bills, comfort issues, poor indoor air quality – even safety concerns with their heating equipment. No contractor can assure you comfort and efficiency by simply replacing your equipment. In order to fulfill their promises, they must test, adjust, measure and balance your system. These steps are what set NCI certified contractors apart from the rest of the industry.

Trust. You can tell a lot about any contractor by how they deal with you before you “sign the contract.” Your participation in the buying process should lead you to trust them before you agree to do business together.

Most of what you buy from a heating and air conditioning contractor is invisible. The list includes warmth, cooling, air movement, energy efficiency, safety, clean air, and most important, comfort. NCI certified contractors measure these invisibles and provide reports that assure that you get what was promised. Make sure your contractor has the ability to do this for you.

You can always buy less. Remember, you’re the one who makes the decision about what to buy. But once you clearly see what you’re buying, you’ll often want more. Low price rarely assures long-term satisfaction– especially when buying a custom built product that you’ll have to live with for many years.

There are the basic ones like “How much?” and “When will you be done?” and “What am I getting for my money?” But a good contractor should educate you until you are comfortable enough to make a good decision. Ask him what questions he would ask if he were you. Feel free to discuss your needs until you’re comfortable he is addressing them.

You know you’ve made a good decision when you have selected a contractor that helped you understand that your system is more than just a piece of air conditioning or heating equipment that automatically works. When you find someone that takes the time to look at the whole system, the rest of the benefits usually follow. You can be confident the quality will be good, that he will do what he says he will, and you’ll get what you paid for. When a contractor provides measured results, you can be assured that you will get the comfort, safety and efficiency you paid for. Find someone who cares enough to measure the invisible results of his work and you’ll know you made the right decision.

We sell and service all makes and models including these leading manufacturers:

• Amana
• American Standard
• Armstrong Air
• Bryant
• Carrier
• Day & Night
• Fujitsu
• Goodman
• Lennox
• Maytag
• Mitsubishi Electric
• Payne
• Rheem
• Ruud
• Samsung
• Sanyo
• Trane
• Williams
• And Many More

Air Balance –The ability to distribute air through a system to precisely match the required amount of heating or cooling which provides proper comfort.

Air Duct Distribution System – See duct work

Air Handler –The mechanical fan portion of your heating and cooling system that forces air through your home’s air duct distribution system.

Blower – The same as an air handler. It is the fan that pushes air through the air ducting in the home or building.

BTU –British Thermal Unit. In scientific terms, it represents the amount of energy required to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. One BTU is the equivalent of the heat given off by a single wooden kitchen match. In a home, it represents the measure of heat given off when fuel is burned for heating and the measure of heat extracted from the home for cooling purposes.

Capacity –The capability of the mechanical equipment to heat or cool. Cooling and heating capacity are normally referred to in BTUs.

Carbon Monoxide – A colorless, odorless, poisonous gas produced when carbon or carbonaceous (oil and natural gas) fuels are incorrectly burnt. Often called the “Senseless Killer” because as humans, we can not sense it with our five senses.

CFM (Cubic Feet Per Minute) –A unit of measurement critical to the overall performance of a heating cooling system. Design is 400 CFM per ton of cooling. (Varies with heating) A typical 4 ton air conditioning system requires approximately 1600 CFM to deliver the required cooling requirements. Only a system that has been designed, installed and verified through proper testing and measuring after installation can truly have its true efficiency confirmed. Several studies show that more that half of air conditioners do not attain their performance capability.

Compressor –The heart of an air conditioning or heat pump system. It is part of the outdoor unit that pumps refrigerant. The compressor maintains adequate pressure to cause refrigerant to flow in sufficient quantities in order to meet the cooling requirements of the system.

Condenser Coil or Outdoor Coil –Located in the outdoor unit, the coil dissipates heat from the refrigerant, changing the refrigerant from vapor to liquid.

Condenser Fan– A fan used to move air through air-cooled condenser coil of the outdoor unit.

Condensing unit– The outdoor portion of a heat pump or air conditioning unit which includes the condenser coil, compressor, condenser fan motor and so forth. It is a refrigerating mechanism which pumps vaporized refrigerant from the evaporator, compresses it, liquefies it in the condenser, and returns it to the metering device.

Damper– Found in ductwork, this movable (manual or automatic) plate opens and closes to control airflow. Dampers are used to effectively regulate airflow to certain rooms, thus giving a more even temperature throughout the home or building. Automatic dampers are used by zoning systems.

Dehumidify– the process of removing moisture from the air to provide proper comfort.

Downflow Furnace– A furnace that pulls in return air from the top and expels warm air at the bottom

Duct Work– Pipes or channels that carry air throughout your home or office. Can be made of several types of material. Many homes and buildings approved before 1978 contained asbestos ducting, insulation and insulators.

Effective Efficiency– The actual performance of a system compared to its potential or design, given as a percentage. A typical 3 ton air conditioning system rated at 36,000 Btu’s (of cooling) performing at 25,200 Btu’s has an effective efficiency of 70%. In other words, it is performing at a 70% efficiency level. What does that mean to its S.E.E.R.? Basically, a 13 S.E.E.R. system (what its efficiency can be) performing at a 70% effective efficiency would only have a true SEER of 9.1

Evaporator Coil – The coil that is inside your house in a split system. In the evaporator, refrigerant evaporates and absorbs heat from air passed over the coil

Expansion Valve – Is one type of metering device in refrigerating system, which reduces the pressure from the high side to the low side and is operated by pressure

Heat Exchanger– A device for the transfer of heat energy from the source to the conveying medium. The most common here in California is in gas furances.

Horizontal Furnace– A furnace that lies on its side, pulling in return air from one side and expelling warm air from the other.

Humidifier– A device that injects water vapor into heated air as the air is expelled from the furnace. Humidifiers help provide comfort to our homes or businesses by keeping indoor air relative humidity at 40-50%. This prevents our skin and household furnishings from drying out and cracking. It also reduces static electricty.

Humidity– The amount of moisture in the air. Air conditioners remove excess moisture for added comfort.

HVAC– Means heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

Packaged System– A piece of air conditioning and heating equipment in which all components are located in one cabinet. Used occasionally in residential applications, the packaged unit is installed either beside or on top of the home. Very common in light commercial buildings.

Refrigerant– A substance that produces a refrigerating effect while expanding or vaporizing. Refrigerant 22 (Freon) and Refrigerant 410 (Puron) are the two most common. Government regulations will start phasing out the use of R-22 in 2010.

Refrigerant Lines– Set of two copper lines connecting the outdoor unit and the indoor unit.

SEER– Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, a rating that measures the cooling efficiency of a heat pump or air conditioner. The higher the number, the more efficient the unit. Similiar to MPG ratings for cars.

Split System– Refers to a comfort system configuration consisting of components in two locations. Common examples include an outside unit, such as an air conditioner (the outdoor unit), and an indoor unit, such as a furnace and coil.

Reversing Valve– A device in a heat pump that reverses the flow of refrigerant as the system is switched from cooling to heating.

Thermostat– A temperature control device, typically found on a wall inside homes. It consists of a series of sensors and relays that monitor and control the functions of a heating and cooling system. Programmable thermostats allow you to program different levels of comfort for different times of the day.

Ton– A unit of measurement used for determining cooling capacity. One ton is the equivalent of 12,000 BTUs per hour.

Upflow Furnace– A furnace that pulls return air in from the bottom and expels warm air from the top.

Zoning– A method of dividing a home or office into zones, which enables you to control the amount of comfort provided to each. A zone could be a room, the upstairs or downstairs area. Zonning is very popular and will increase system efficiency, more even temperature and comfort.

Click on the link for instructions on setting your thermostat

Yes we do! You can go here to learn more or call us at (714) 529-9600 if you have more questions.

Total Satisfaction Guarantees

(For Residential Homeowners)

Central Air Conditioning and Heating Systems 100% Total Satisfaction Guarantee

The FisherAir 100% Total Satisfaction guarantees that your new heating and air conditioning system installed by us will work as designed. If you are not 100% satisfied, we will make the necessary modifications or repairs at no charge. If this does not resolve the issue for you, we will have the manufacturer’s representative inspect the system for installation, design, or equipment flaws. After any manufacturer’s recommendations are made and your system is still not performing as designed, we will, within 30 days of your written request,

(1) refund whatever portion of the investment is fair and reasonable, or (2), uninstall the system and refund the entire amount of your investment, for up to 365 days from the date of installation.

Installation Workmanship Guarantee

Our installation technicians are some of the best in skill, attitude and workmanship. They will complete the project promptly, correctly and will take personal responsibility for your satisfaction. They will be polite and courteous. If for any reason you have a concern while we are in your home, please call our office immediately.

Service & Repairs

FisherAir Services guarantees 100% Satisfaction on any repair or maintenance service we perform for one year from the date of the invoice. If you are not satisfied because the system does not perform as promised upon completion of the repair, (less other system malfunctions or design flaws) we will remove and refund the parts and the service call, or whatever portion of the repair is fair and reasonable to you.

Best Value – Lowest Amount Guarantee

Anyone can quote and install something cheaper by cutting corners. So, it’s important to know what is and is not included in the air conditioning and heating system you choose for your home. Our Best Value – Lowest Price Guarantee is our promise is that you cannot find a comparable installation for less. All we require is the comparison be “apples to apples.”

Exclusive “No Lemons”

Not every manufactured furnace and air conditioner is perfect 100% of the time; we offer a “No Lemons” guarantee on our “Risk Free” systems. Simply stated, should the compressor in the air conditioner (outdoor unit) or the heat exchanger (furnace) fail during the first year of ownership, we will remove the “lemon” and install a new furnace or air conditioner free of charge.

No Surprise – No Compromise Promise

Our word is our bond and so is our quote. We will complete the project for the amount we quoted and agreed to with no compromises to quality, workmanship, materials, installation or system performance. Once the work starts, the agreed amount is the agreed amount, even if the job entails more work than originally estimated (unless otherwise stated in the agreement).

This excludes any items additional items added to the project that are agreed to in writing.

Property Protection Guarantee

Your home is your castle and we treat it like one! We are grateful you have chosen us and will take great care to be respectful in your home. Lawns, landscaping, carpet, (wear protective shoe covers) floors (floor canvas covers in all work areas), walls, furniture and door frames are protected. In the unlikely event and incident occurs, we will promptly see that it is repaired or replaced.

With FisherAir Heating and Air Conditioning Services, “You Just Can’t Lose!”

We are open:

Monday-Friday: 8AM-4:30PM
Saturday: Appointments Available
Sunday: Emergency Only
Emergency Service Available

You can reach us in multiple ways. Call, email, mail or fill out our contact form

PHONE:

Main Phone: (714) 529-9600
Fax: (714) 529-9646

EMAIL::

Click to Email Us

ADDRESS:

239 Viking Avenue
Brea, CA 92821