Environmental Efficiency by Controlled Air Inc

Fall & Winter Maintenance It is time once again for fall and winter maintenance to begin. The benefits of completing regular maintenance are: avoiding failure and downtime, continued employee comfort, as well as preventing shutdown of critical equipment.  The Fall & Winter Maintenance check includes: Inspection and adjustment of equipment for proper operation;  replacement of weak or failing components; Inspection and tightening of electrical connections to avoid burnt wires, opened circuits or major failure of electrical motors and components; Chassis inspection to avoid corrosion damage; and draining of exterior water lines to prevent freeze damage and flooding. We work from specific checks list for each maintenance. These lists have been developed over our years of experiences and recommendations from the manufacturers of your equipment.  If we notice any further problems we will always discuss them with you immediately, that way your business avoids any u...

It has been a difficult few days for everyone after Hurricane Irene. Many are still without power or have just recently gotten it back on. We have not yet gotten power but are open and running on generators. We wanted to make sure that we were available for those who needed us. As the next few days roll around we hope that you get your power turned back on and if you come across any heating/cooling emergencies know that we are available for your business. 800-840-9101.

Controlled Air highly recommends the cleaning of a hydronic system to provide the best heat transfer and longevity of the system. Any closed loop system, that has water under pressure and recirculates it would need cleaning. The pH of the water should always be tested to prevent the effects of too much acidity, which will deteriorate the system from the inside out. If in doubt a complete flush with plain city water (which is usually 6.0 to 8.0) should at least bring the pH to neutral. This will introduce oxygen into the system so it should be accompanied with the proper inhibitors. Besides Ph there is also a loss of efficiency when the system is not clean. Iron oxide, scale, oil, and even bacteria can coat the internal surfaces of the heat exchangers and heat coils, which will prevent proper transfer and result in loss of energy dollars. We have found in many cases the need to chemically clean and then flush the entire system to remove the buildup. Some systems have ...

Not all programmable thermostats are created equal. They can range in price from $40 - $300. The difference in price is based on the capabilities of the thermostat. Your basic programmable thermostat varies in price from $40-$100 dollars. A more advanced programmable thermostat varies from $150-$300. Running down to home depot and installing any programmable thermostat may save a few dollars in the immediate, but investing is a better thermostat could save you even more in the long run. Johnson Controls offers a programmable thermostat for about $195 that offers Smart Fan. In a commercial situation the fan is supposed to run continuously during occupied times for the best air quality, and a smart fan mode provides this without manually putting the fan in the 'on' position. Smart fan also allows for continuous fan operation during occupied mode and cycling with the equipment at night. This saves you money in energy by not having a fan in operation 24 hours a da...

Hopefully you never find yourself in a heating or air conditioning emergency, but someday you may. We want you to know that we are available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. In the event of an emergency you can call our main number 203-481-3531 or 800-840-9101. There is an automated system that is set up that automatically contacts the technician on duty. The technician give you a call back to review the issue and determine the best course of action. If you have a computer monitoring system, it is possible that the technician will be able to fix the issue immediately. If you do not have a computer monitoring system, depending on the issue the technician will go to the business for further evaluation and to fix the problem. It is one less thing to worry about during these hot summer months.

Did you forget something? Everyday we rush around trying to accomplish things on our schedule. There are many devices that help us from an old fashion list to smart phones. The purpose is that we get the important things done and the fun things always seem to be remembered without much help. Here is one very important item that should be added to your schedule: Clean the condenser coil on your air conditioning unit. Air conditioning is usually thought of the first hot day of the year, turned on and forgotten about. Like other mechanical devices, your air conditioner needs help to run properly, and efficiently. The most efficient way to run your air conditioning is with clean coils. A clean inside coil can absorb the more heat from the air, and the outside coil needs to be clean to reject that heat, avoid compressor damage, and extend the life of the unit. It starts with a visual check, but don’t be fooled but the lack of surface buildup. By the time you see the buildup on the...

Customer service has not been a hot topic lately, but it should be. The one thing that I have noticed since the economy slumped is that customer service has gotten worse. To often we get put on hold for long periods of time, never get to talk to a real person, or get told, "Sorry I can't help you." Some people still use those companies because there aren't any other options or they are locked into a contract and sometimes you just don't know who else to use, since you have used that same company forever. At Controlled Air, we are close as employees and all know each other. We also have experienced bad, even horrible customer service. It is from these stories that we have created our own philosophy of customer service. It is not a new concept, it is just not common. It is not about the quantity of our customers, but about how much quality we can give our customers. It is more important to us that once a customer works with us once, they continue to work with us f...