402-391-2336
Your Trustworthy Company
Since 1950
What you need to know about your heating and cooling repair
Your heating and cooling system is the most important component insuring you are comfortable in your home. At SOS Heating and Cooling we have been servicing heating and cooling systems since 1950. Our mission is to be the company you can trust for any and all of your heating and cooling comfort needs. We value all jobs with the same integrity, regardless of size. Our goal as a company is not to be the biggest or the cheapest in town, but simply offer the highest quality at a price that is fair to each and every customer. We are a third generation, family owned business. The main reason for the longevity is that we take care of you, the customer. The average experience level for our 30 plus employees is 11 years. The majority of our new business comes from referrals. We are fully licensed, insured bonded, and members of both the Better Business Bureau and the Heating and Air Conditioning Contractors of America.
NO COMMISIONS=FAIR TREATMENT
We do not pay our technicians commissions for changing out parts.This results in fair treatment to our customers. Unlike many of our competitors we do not charge a diagnostics fee just to come out to your home and tell you what the problem is. If the problem can be fixed in an hour that is all you are charged for. During each visit we do a full inspection of the entire system, alerting you of any future repair issues.
1. What is the Age of the Equipment?
YEARS / 1,2,3,4,5 / 6,7,8,9 / 10-14 / 15 or moreRATING POINTS / 0 / 8 / 12 / 17
2. How Long Do You Plan to Live in this Home?
YEARS / 1-2 Years / 3-6 Years / 7-9 Years / 10 PlusRATING POINTS / 1 / 3 / 5 / 7
3. Today’s Repair Costs that can be saved/reduced from invoice?
AMOUNT in $$ / $0 to $100 / $101 to $300 / $301-$500 / $501-AboveRATING POINTS / 1 / 3 / 4 / 5
5. What are the Potential Utility Energy Savings?
Utilities are on the rise and Gas/Electricity appear to be continuing to climb
Calculate at
6. Is Inflation a Factor?
Continues to be on the rise – commodities (Copper/Steel) are rising quickly
7. Does the New Warranty Improve Versus the Current Warranty?
York: Lifetime Heat Exchanger, 10 year Compressor, 5 year parts & labor
Amana: Lifetime Compressor & Heat Exchanger, 10 year parts & labor
Goodman: Lifetime Heat Exchanger, 10 year Compressor & Parts, 1 year labor
8. Is there tax credits and/or rebates available?
Through 2010 the government is offering a $1500 Tax Credit for installation of a high efficient system. York will periodically offer a $1700 refund as well.
9. Are the Environmental a Consideration (R22/R410 Green Refrigerant)?
10. Will There Be Any Likely Future Repair Cost
Replacement is Best Economic Decision Given Energy
Costs and Future Repair Cos
My repair was due to lack of maintenance, what can I do in the future to prevent this?
Our company studies have shown that 80% of service calls are due to a lack of regular maintenance. This is why it makes since to sign up for a Peace of MindMaintenance Program. As a POM customer your equipment will be serviced on a bi-annual basis. At this check all controls will be checked, cleaned and lubricated as needed. Filters will be changed at each visit. You will also be entitled to a 10% discount on any additional parts needed during the visit. Should you need service in between checks you will be entitled to priority status, meaning you move ahead of all our non-contracted customers on the dispatch board. You are also guaranteed 24hr emergency service. For an in-between check you will also receive a labor discount along with your standard 10% parts discount. In addition, you will receive a 5% discount(up to $500) should you chose to purchase a new system. See the enclosed contract for all of the details of the program.
Ask your service tech for more details about the program or any other comfort needs.
One of the most important steps you as a homeowner can take is to regularly change your filter. A standard 1-2” filter should be checked every month. If the filter looks dirty, change it. At a minimum change the filter every three months. Media filters only need to be checked every 6 months and replaced at a minimum of one year.
COMFORT ACCESSORIES
HUMIDIFIERS
-A whole home humidifier can add up to 50% relative humidity in your home
-When cold, dry winter air enters your home and is warmed to room temperature, the relative humidity can drop to as little as 5% (the Sahara Desert has 25% relative humidity).
-Viruses thrive in low humidity, according to the New York State Journal of Medicine the most important preventative measure against the common cold is proper regulation of humidity.
-Low humidity causes dry skin and annoying static shocks
-A humidifier can save energy consumption by allowing you to set your thermostat at a lower temperature because your home will feel warmer with a higher humidity level.
AIR FILTERATION
As homes become more energy-efficient, more and more harmful contaminants such as bacteria, pollen, mold, dust and dander become trapped inside. The effects of these contaminants can range anywhere from increased occurrence of colds, to more severe allergy symptoms.
MEDIA
-Media filters are up to 85% more efficient at removing airborne particles than a standard one inch filter. While more expensive, they only need to be replaced every 6-12 months. They are very effective at removing dust from the air.
ELECTRONIC AIR CLEANERS
-Electronic air cleaners create an ionization field which can remove particles as small as .01 micron (a human hair is measured at 100 microns in diameter).
ULTRAVIOLET AIR TREATMENT SYSTEMS
-These models continuously emit UV energy that kills airborne bacteria as it passes by the lamp, before reaching your duct system.
THERMOSTATS
-An affordable way to reduce your energy consumption is to purchase a programmable thermostat to set back the temperature while away or sleeping. A programmable stat can reduce energy consumption by up to 10%. We offer thermostats ranging from a standard digital programmable stat to a touchscreen IAQ stat that will control both the temperature and the indoor air quality in your home.
ZONE SYSTEMS
-Some rooms too hot, others too cold? The solution is zoning. Zoning is a way of dividing your home into areas with similar heating and cooling requirements. Each zone will have dampers in your ductwork that open or shut based on your heating/cooling requirements. The dampers are controlled through the thermostat for that particular zone. Zoning can reduce energy consumption by up to 30%.
DUCT CLEANING
-Your air ducts are the lungs of your home. Keep them healthy and you will keep your family’s surroundings healthy. Cleaning your air ducts promotes a healthier, cleaner and more efficient environment. An anti-microbial sanitizer controls growth and odors in your air ducts.
How does a furnace work?
The Building Thermostat senses temperature, turns on the furnace burner. The oil or gas burner will continue to run (usually) until the call for heat is satisfied at the thermostat.
Heat exchanger: Hot combustion gases produced by the oil or gas burner circulate inside of the furnace's metal heat exchanger causing it to get hot.
The furnace blower inside the furnace blower compartment draws returning cool air from the living area and blows it across the outside of the heat exchanger, sending the now-warmed air onwards into the occupied space.
How does an air conditioning system work?
The main components of any air conditioner are a compressor, two sets of coils filled with a refrigerant (generally referred to as Freon), and an expansion valve, all connected in a circular fashion. The Freon, which takes on both liquid and gas forms, follows the following cycle:
- Freon gas enters the compressor. The compression process heats the Freon, changing it into a high-pressure hot Freon gas.
- The hot Freon gas is released into the first coil. The high pressure causes the gas to move along the expanse of the coil, which is located on the outside of the building. Over the course of this journey, the Freon gas begins to cool as a fan causes the outside air to absorb the heat. The newly-cooled Freon gas converts into cool liquid Freon.
The cool liquid Freon enters the expansion valve, where it is converted back into a cooled Freon gas and released into the second coil. The second coil is located on the inside of the building.- Air from inside the building is blown by a fan against the second coil, which contains the cooled Freon gas. The Freon gas absorbs the heat from the air, causing the air to cool and the Freon gas tostart to heat up again. The newly-cooled air is released back inside the building.
- The process repeats as the Freon gas enters the compressor once again.
How does a heat pump work?
A heat pump physically replaces your air conditioner not your furnace. Though it will replace much of the demand placed on your furnace, making it a worthwhile investment if you are only replacing your air conditioning system. A heat pump is an air conditioner that contains a valve that lets it switch between "air conditioner" and "heater." When the valve is switched one way, the heat pump acts like an air conditioner, and when it is switched the other way it reverses the flow of Freon and acts like a heater. It turns out that this heater works extremely well. Rather than burning a fuel, what it is doing is "moving heat." It provides very efficient (ratings between 250-370%) heat down to 20 degrees then the thermostat will switch over to your back-up gas or electric heat. OPPD also offers a rebate of up to $300 and a lower winter electric rate for qualifying customers who purchase a heat pump.
MONEY SAVING COUPONS