My 10 year-old builder-installed Carrier heat pump decided it really wasn’t all that keen on continuing it’s job of pumping heat into the house. To be fair, that Carrier system was never particularly competent at heating heating both floors simultaneously so I’d often turn off one floor to heat the other.
And of course, this is all happening right before Christmas when the mercury took a nosedive!
Jason of Wake Heating and Air came highly recommended as about as honest and straight a shooter as one gets in the HVAC industry.
He came round straightaway and thoroughly examined the existing system and found that not only the compressor in the outside unit was toast, the fan motor was as well. And then he discovered that the dampers in the air handler weren’t doing what they ought to do which is why the heat never really worked properly as well as builder defects such as not properly wiring power for the zone control board and not installing a secondary float switch to prevent the waterfall from the attic I experienced one year when the drain outlet pipe clogged.
Jason gave me all of the options and we ultimately decided that given the age of the existing system, a full replacement of the entire system was the best move with the only things worth saving being the two thermostat controls.
His quote for an upgraded system orders of magnitude better than the existing one was very fair and much better than I was actually dreading it would be.
Yesterday thanks to Jason and his team, the old system went off to the rubbish tip and in it’s place is a impressive RUUD outside unit (upgraded to 14 SEER from the 12 SEER unit for more oomph) and a RUUD air handler in the attic with upgraded damper motors…a system that should have no problem heating both floors simultaneously even on the coldest days. And even though Jason discovered his vendor had given him a defective replacement zone control board, he was able to rig the system so that it would provide heat for the first time in over a week. And hoo boy did it ever…it was already so much better than the not-going-to-be-missed Carrier that I actually had to turn down the thermostats because it was transferring heat so much better than the old system had when it was brand-new! This morning, a new zone control board was put in and the system is working so well that he’s very happy with it.
That last bit is key…if you want someone who will give you the best and most honest advice as if he were sorting out HVAC problems in his own home, Jason is your guy.
If you want someone who refuses to be a salesman masquerading as a HVAC repair expert that is only interested in selling you things you don’t need, Jason is your guy.
If you want someone who refuses to be satisfied until the job is done the right way, Jason is your guy. How many HVAC guys have you ever known that offered to come round in spring when the A/C season starts to ensure that the newly installed system will handle cooling as well as heating because you can’t test A/C cooling properly until you’ve got at least 70 degree days…at no additional charge?
Jason is definitely the unicorn I’ve been looking for in the HVAC industry for many years…the person I can trust COMPLETELY with any HVAC issues that may come my way and is willing to support his work every step of the way…and then some! Jason is MY guy now! Do yourself a favour and make him yours as well when your HVAC isn’t doing it’s job!
