Conditioned Air Company of Naples, LLC Blog: Archive for the ‘Case Studies’ Category

Using AC in Fall? When and How to Get the Most From Your AC System

Tuesday, January 17th, 2017

In Southwest Florida, year-round air conditioning use is often a reality, but by taking advantage of the cooler nights and mornings during the fall, you can reduce your energy usage and utility bills. Simply follow these simple A/C operating tips for Southwest Florida to save some money this season.

Use Natural Ventilation

In the cooler mornings or evenings, open your windows and turn on your ventilation system or some fans to bring the cooler air into your home and freshen indoor air. Once it starts to warm up in the afternoon, close the windows to keep the warm air out and close the curtains or blinds on southern windows to keep the heat of the sun at bay.

Adjust Your Thermostat

If you have not already, install a programmable thermostat to automatically adjust the temperature in your home throughout the day. During cooler mornings or evenings, turn the thermostat up to prevent the air conditioner from running unnecessarily. While you are at work or asleep, raise the temperature by 10 to 15 degrees to save even more money. Finally, during the hottest part of the day, reduce the temperature to remain comfortable.

Change the Air Filter Often

Check the air filter for your air conditioner at least once a month and replace it as necessary. With the windows open to allow fresh air inside, it may become soiled more often, reducing the efficiency of your system. At least once a year, have your air conditioner inspected and maintained by a professional to keep it running at peak efficiency.

Install Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans can help make it feel cooler at higher temperatures, and they are useful throughout the year. While the windows are open, they can help the air circulate through the home, and while the air conditioner is operating, they can help spread the cool air more evenly.

For other handy A/C operating tips for Southwest Florida, talk to our home cooling experts at Conditioned Air. We have been serving Southwest Florida, including the communities of Ft. Myers, Sarasota and Naples, since 1962.

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6000 Square Foot Naples Luxury Home with Unexplained Odor Problem

Wednesday, March 11th, 2015

Partner: E3 Building Sciences

E3 Building Sciences is a sophisticated engineering service company that, among other things, manages the EPA’s Energy Star program in the state of Florida. They contacted Conditioned Air to solve an odor problem that was traced to a brand new air conditioning system. The system was expensive but it was too big for the job and as a result failed to remove humidity. Due to the humidity, mold began to grow in the house. Conditioned Air was able to add two dehumidifiers, one of which was in a very challenging location, in order to solve the problem. Humidity dropped from an unacceptable level of 64% to 48%.

John Kiefer, cofounder of E3 building sciences, found Conditioned Air to be a natural choice based on his extensive Energy Star testing. He examined more than 250 Conditioned Air installations in Energy Star homes and found everyone to be up to specification. In his experience, that level of performance is extraordinary. John noted that he has worked with them on a number of large, complex projects and in each case found them both thorough and flexible.

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New York Melon Bank, Major Tenant Improvements on a 4000 Square Foot Commercial Building

Wednesday, March 11th, 2015

Partner: Kraft Construction

The necessary improvements required the gutting and rebuilding of the tenant space. The project required demolition and relocation, rerouting of complex duct work, and relocating of HVAC controls.

Project Manager, Janet Cole, said that she chose Conditioned Air because she had heard good things about them. She was particularly impressed with their ability to operate autonomously.  Their high level of supervision delivered reliable performance and kept them from bothering her with any issues.

Janet told how our chief operating officer, Keith Walker, managed to obtain a required Certificate of Occupancy five minutes before Naples city offices closed so the project could be completed. As Janet summed up her experience, “Conditioned Air was absolutely professional and performed the job with no problems.”

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The Remodeling of the Timber Ridge Recreational Center That Involved a Significant Amount of New Construction

Wednesday, March 11th, 2015

Partner: Professional Building Systems (PBS)

As with many relatively complex construction and remodeling projects, the architectural drawings did not match precisely with the actual structure we encountered. We were able to work collaboratively with PBS to make sure that everything was located where it belonged, even when it did not match the original architectural plan. This 5000 square foot remodeling effort involved four air conditioning units that required the relocation of both AC units and drains.

Job Superintendent, Dennis Lumley, remarked that Conditioned Air was always very flexible in working with necessary changes. In particular, he relayed how Vito DiPalma, the head of our New Construction department, met him on a Saturday to sort out problems. Vito also made sure that the flooring that was delivered sat in an air-conditioned space even before the construction was completed. This involved some real improvisation on Vito’s part. When asked to sum up his experience with Conditioned Air, Dennis said simply, “Great as ever!”

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A Complex Residential Installation Requiring Commercial Grade Solutions

Wednesday, March 11th, 2015

Partner: Kraft Construction

We faced a difficult challenge for a large estate in Naples which involved the conversion from a water cooled condenser system to geothermal. The estate was more than 13,000 square feet and had 10 separate air conditioners with multiple zones. We worked with the team at Kraft Construction on a system that involved extracting groundwater from two different wells that were 300 feet away from the home.

In addition to the challenge of installing the geothermal system, the homeowner needed us to install sophisticated linear diffusers that were close to the crown moldings. Extensive work was required to ensure that the diffusers were close to, but cleared the moldings.

Kraft brought us in at the very beginning so that we were able to work hand-in-hand with the mechanical engineer. John Takach, the supervisor at Kraft, noted that our team was just as knowledgeable as the engineer. He also found us to be team players that typically get the work done ahead of time. As John put it, “Conditioned Air is by far the best air conditioning company I’ve ever dealt with. They were able to deal with any need from simple to the most difficult.”

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Hot Air Mystery Solved for Residential Client in New Home

Wednesday, March 11th, 2015

Residential Client:  Irene Hujsa

When Irene Hujsa moved to her house almost 3 years ago, she noticed that the kitchen always felt unusually warm.  She called a local air conditioning service and after several visits, they were unable to resolve the issue.  Instead, they provided excuses that she was cooking too much, or that the extra heat was coming from the refrigerator.  This went on for several months and Mrs. Hujsa became very frustrated.   The electric fan was running constantly, but the room was hot because cool air was not coming in.  Furthermore, the AC unit’s Freon was constantly leaking, so the service company needed to refill it every few months.

Finally, after much frustration, Mrs. Hujsa and her husband asked for a second opinion.  Tim from Conditioned Air came at 6:30 pm in the evening and was the first technician to inspect the attic.   He noticed immediately that the duct work in the attic was not laid out according to the structural drawings.  Apparently, the duct work was the wrong size for a kitchen, which explained why it never cooled properly.

We also discovered a number of other issues that required a comprehensive solution and significant construction work to bring the AC System up to acceptable performance standards.

Working with the builder, Lennar Homes, we were able to deliver outstanding results for the client who is now benefiting from an effective and highly efficient cooling system.

As Mrs. Hujsa exclaims, “I compared my receipts from a year ago and my electric bill is 300 kilowatt hours less, and at a 79 degree setting!  In just one month I have saved 300 hours which is amazing!”

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