(Just because part of your HVAC system is not in the attic, you may not think this applies to you. You would be wrong. Read on!).

     In order for you to be comfortable in your home during the long summer months, an air conditioner must do two things to the air: (1) lower the temperature (2) remove excess humidity.

     Note: Just as most people don’t realize that an air conditioner does not produce cold air (rather the air becomes cooler as it circulates over a cooling coil filled with refrigerant, that extracts heat from it) so do most people only have a vague idea about the effect of humidity in the air and the process of removal.

     When that hot, muggy summer air…high in temperature and high in humidity, passes over a cold evaporator coil filled with compressed refrigerant, two things happen. (1) The refrigerant absorbs the heat (invisible) and carries it outside the house where it is discharged into the atmosphere (thereby lowering the temperature)...but what about the second function…the removal and disposal of the high humidity?

     Most people know from seeing condensate form on a window pane, that when warm, moisture laden air comes in contact with a cold surface, visible moisture forms. Substitute the cold evaporator coil of your air conditioner for the window pane and a similar thing happens.

     On a typical summer day, your air conditioner will generate about 3-5 gallons of water or more by this process…water that is drained away by the way of a condensate line connected to the evaporator coil of your air conditioner. Where does this water go and what happens if something should happen to impede the flow?

     If the fan/coil part of your air conditioning system is located in your attic for example, this can pose serious problems. If the drain ever gets stopped up, the condensation will overflow from your air conditioner and on to your ceiling. Repairing or replacing your ceiling can cost hundreds (even thousands) of dollars, to say nothing of the inconvenience. Even if the unit is not located in an attic, serious damage and inconvenience can result from a clogged up drain, wherever the fan coil unit is located.

     No other company we know takes the safety precautions that Climatemakers does to prevent such a costly experience from occurring.
For units located in the attic, Climatemakers provides what we call a “ceiling saver kit”.

     Now some other companies do provide a fabricated pan that sits under the fan coil in the attic that offers a modicum of protection and some pans may even have a separate drain line…but they don’t begin to compare with our “ceiling saver kits”.

     Because we also install, in addition to the safety pan (with its additional drain), and as an integral part of our “ceiling saver kit”, a safety switch located in the “P” trap of the drain line, that will automatically turn your air conditioner off if for any reason the water begins to back up in the drain line.

     Over Kill? Many contractors are willing for you to risk that the normal drain line on an air conditioner is sufficient protection. Others acknowledge that a safety pan with a safety drain for attic installations is a good idea…but adds to the cost. A very few will install on their deluxe installations, a safety switch in the “P” trap. Not only does Climatemakers do all of the above on every attic installation but here is the “piece de resistance”…

     As an added precaution, we install a 2nd safety switch that is magnetically secured in the bottom of the drain pan, that will, if for any reason, water begins to accumulate in the safety pan beyond a predetermined point, automatically turn the unit off.

     Finally, as far as we know, Climatemakers is the only local contractor that installs the safety switch in the “P” trap of every installation (not just in attics). For while an overflowing condensate line for a unit that is located in the garage, utility room or elsewhere may not cause as much damage as an attic installation, we don’t think anyone wants unwanted water spilling out over the floor.

Final Alert!!!!

      Only 6 days remain to get a discount for our unparalleled 40 point check-up/tune-up of your air conditioning system to get it ready for summer. Already you have missed the cut-off dates for the whopping 40% and the follow up 30% seasonal discounts BUT there are still 6 days left, to get the 20% discount (and “that ain’t bad”!).

     But you must act today, if you are going to take advantage of our annual Spring discount schedule. You can see this sliding scale of discounts and/or make your on line reservations by clicking here. You can also see specific definitions of each of the 40 points we check and how it affects your system, by clicking here.

And here’s the new feature we started several months ago:

		Look Who’s Reading What!
		About 250 visitors, look in on the Climatemakers website every day. Click here to see the “Top 50” pages viewed last month and if you see a title you like, click on it!

     And finally, please remember, if you have any questions about the HVAC system in your house; how we can be of better service to you, or about our web site, please email them to me. I'd like to hear from you.