Q. We live in an old 1950's house and currently have central heating, which my husband installed in our home a few years ago. Is it possible to add air conditioning, as well. Can anyone help out with advice or how it would work and what the cost would be? Real answers, please...no trolls!

A. You want to start with what you have that is very familiar to you but you haven't described it enough. Is it a forced hot air system with duct work and is the duct work insulated? If this is the case then the process is to install an "A" coil above the furnace and below the plenum that distributes air to the various ducts. This is connected to a condensate drain, and two refrigeration lines that are also insulated. The refrigeration lines connect to an outside unit called a condenser. The condenser has to have electrical power attached to it. The refrigeration lines must be vacuumed out with a vacuum pump and then the refrigerant has to be transferred to the appropriate levels in the now closed system. The cost for this work will vary depending upon where it is done and the going rate in that location. The cost of the equipment will be more static but depend upon the capacity of the unit and this depends upon the size of the house.

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Q. Unit is only 5 yrs. old, not sure if I'm quoting right I had about 5lbs. of pressure they took it up to 60-70 I believe.

A. Average range $175- $250. unless there is a leak on the line. than it's more.

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Q. The recent problem seems to be related to the outdoor cooling fan. The air conditioning system seems to be working properly, but there is a loss of cooling of the air coming from the indoor air conditioning vents. I inspected the outside unit, and yesterday the cooling fan was stopped with a humming/grinding sound. The capacitor looked good (no bulging), but I'm not an electrician and I have no way (or the knowledge) to test voltages and amperages and such. Anyway, I blew on some dust/dirt/cobwebs around some of the wires, and started the system back on and the fan moved at normal speed and the system worked and cooler air came out. However, today, the indoor temperature wasn't maintained and I went outside and the cooling fan was running much slower (but it was running). After I turned off the system, I felt the metal cover of the outside unit, and it was very hot, and it seemed that the source of the heat came from directly above the cooling fan motor. Please contact me!

A. Replace your outdoor fan and while your at it replace the capacitor and everything will be fine. But turn your unit off untill you get it fixed or you'll be changing a compressor or buying a new unit.

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Q. Please excuse my ignorance, but is there a portable air conditioning unit (blows out COOL AIR in a HOT ROOM) without being attached/fixed to the wall, as in carry it with you just plug it in to a wall socket and have it blow out cool air. I know this may seem like a dumb question, but a simple answer would be much appreciated. Thank you!

A. There are two units that are kind of like that, but not quite. one is called a swamp cooler. they evaporate water to absorb thermal energy in a room, but make the room more humid, and only really work in dry climates. however, they are relatively cheap to buy and use little energy. the other is a regular AC unit, but, this is not a window unit. they make one that is a free standing floor unit that can be pushed around and plugged in anywhere. however, the only downside is that there is a 3 or 4 Inch diameter hose that comes out of the back of the unit that must be run outside, through a window or a cat door or something. the unit is similar to window units in that it must move the heat from the room to the outside, but it does not have to hang out the window. they are about as expensive as regular window units. and are much more portable. you just have to point the hose outside. just remember, the heat has to go somewhere. it is very hard to just make it disappear (like an endothermic reaction, a reaction that takes heat)

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Q. What is involved in servicing this.

A. The air handler {AHU} is the large metal box it is used to condition and circulate air as part of a heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning. Depending on your unit, it employs the squirrel cage, motor, coils …etc. Unless you are doing work to the system, the only part of the AHU you would be concerned about {depending on its location} is the filter.

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Q. Specifically, a 1996 grand am, if that makes a difference.

A. Are you doing it or a shop, new parts or used, what is wrong with it, what part of the country are you in, AZ ac prices are double what they are in SC

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Q. I went to school for hvac got out and started at a company but they started me out as an installer and im not sure if thats the start i wanted to this career i mean if i need it ill do it but what else can i do apartment maintanence or look for a helper position or should i just stay and try to become a lead install and how long would it take to become a service tech from an install?

A. School can teach you the fundamentals, but you NEED hands on experience to learn the things they don't teach you, the tricks of the trade if you will. Besides, isn't installing an AC part of being a tech? There are very few occupations where you can just take what you learned in school and jump into the real world. Most occupations have some form of apprenticeship. Did they teach you how to deal with customers that overlook your shoulder? Code violations you find? Dealing with building inspectors? Getting paid? Dealing with suppliers? Writing up estimates? Did they teach you EVERY cause of every problem in an AC? Have you been taught on every make and model there is, old and new? (I had to read and interpret the wiring diagram on my air handler to the ac tech working on my system that couldn't figure it out). If you're as independent as you think you are, the company will soon recognize your talents, and let you go on to other responsibilities. And just remember, with the economy the way it is, there are plenty of unemployed craftsmen that would be willing to start at the bottom again. Be humbled.

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Q. I work for a heating, air conditioning, electrical, plumbing, and roofing company, and I dispatch about ten people on seven calls a day, and it is exhausting. I take the call (or whoever is in the office does) and gather the customer information. This includes name, address, phone number, city, zip code, how they heard about us (commercial, radio, referral, repeat, etc.), what type of problem they are having (heating, electrical, plumbing, or roofing), what exactly is going wrong, if it is an estimate on a new unit, a service failure, what time the customer called, what date the customer called, when the customer would like the technician to come out (we try to always book them between twelve and four, and save the early times for customers with no other option). The salesman then takes the inbound call sheet over to the dispatch log. I probably should have mentioned that each call sheet has a preassigned number (e.g. 20090001, 20090002, etc.). They match the invoice number on the inbound call sheet to the number on the call log which contains the invoice number, then a place for the sales rep to fill out the rest of the customer information, including customer name, technician assigned to customer's zip code, type of call (hvac, electrical, plumbing), date of call, date scheduled, time of call, time scheduled (am or pm), time completed, revenue collected, and if it was entered into quickbooks, and then if the invoice was given to the technician. This is all if the customer wants the work done on a future date. If the customer wants the work done that day, the sales rep goes ahead and calls the technician assigned to the customer's zip code. He then fills out the call log like normal. Once they have done all that, they give the call sheets to me. I then enter all the information into quickbooks and print out two work orders. I put the call sheets into a plastic sleeve and put those in a binder starting from the lowest work order number to the greatest. Then I put the work order in Steve's folder who gives them to the correct technician. The technician's go out and do the call and collect the money unless it is a credit card. Then I call the customer, get their credit card information, and call the credit card company and charge their card (I am honest enough to be trusted to do this). The checks are deposited every day at the bank after they have been entered into quickbooks. Most of the technicians are paid by salary. I broke my windshield the other day (coincidentally trying to deal with stress from this job), and a company with similar problems came out to fix it, and I was very interested in how they overcame them. The people on the phone took my phone number, name, car type, and schedule me for 12 to 4 pm. the technician who gets paid by the job came out, fixed my windshield, entered some information into his blackberry and connected it to the safegear thing and printed out his receipt and was on his merry way. I called the company (safelite), and tole them all this, and they said to call the corporate office between eight and five, which I will do tomorrow. but fellow workers, will you please help a struggling business and let me know how you dispatch people or how we could improve? Is there any company that has software for this??? PLEASE!

A. Whew, your employer owes you big time for some mental health counseling. The really big firms around here in the midwest use a system that is identical to law enforcement. They carry a small walkie talkie and have radios in their big box trucks. I had a young man check out my heat pump just last week and I could hear the dispatcher talking talking talking. It was a woman and she'd been doing it a long time that was obvious from my first contact. Except she gave him the wrong address and he was driving around for a while until I called her back, she then radioed him right away and I had a delay of maybe ten minutes. We have quite a few one man operations around here and they are Good. The one husband of a friend that I know just gets by with a cell phone, but you don't want to face something like that you have way too many people running in and out. Here's a suggestion: check out temporary employment agencies and ask them what kind of system they use? You might even find a better job who knows? Community colleges have wonderful courses on Business Communication, check them out if you have time and if your employer will pay for all or part of it. This is tax deductible as it's to improve your performance on your job. Then, get online and check out different software companies, there are tons out there who really need the business. A local Nerd would also jump at the chance to get a system customized just for your firm. You really have a situation and I sincerely hope you get some kind of help and soon. Oh, I also know of what you call service plumbing firms in the Miami/Tampa/Cape Coral/Fort Myers areas. These people are really with it but they're in trouble now because the hotels are sitting there empty especially this time of year. Maybe you could check with some hotels or housekeeping managers as to what kind of system they use, but it would depend on how big and busy your area of the country is. Okay, there's lots more but this will keep you busy thinking and maybe alleviate some of your stress. Good Luck!

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