Derek Cole says the installer matters more than the HVAC brand. Common mistakes include undersized line sets and missing thermal shutoff valves. Pick a contractor who follows manufacturer specs, knows local code, and answers the phone when something goes wrong.
Questions this episode answers
Episode 111
2024-09-11
Undersized line set and missing TSV (thermostatic expansion valve).
Carrier, Trane, Goodman, York, Luxaire, Tempstar
Chapters
Hey, on this episode, we're talking about the importance of H VAC installation. You ask your comfort and energy questions and they get answered. This is the Ask Derrick Cole Show. Hey, this is Derrick Cole. And welcome to episode 111 of the Ask Derrick Cole Show. Enter your home and energy questions. Today we're talking about H vac installation. Something extremely important. Look, the most important day in the life of your new system. When you replace the H VAC system. The most important day is the day it's installed. I will tell you a secret. It doesn't matter the brand. The brand doesn't matter at all. It could be Carrier, could be Trane, could be Goodman, could be York. If it's not installed properly, it's not going to function. I think about a story years ago. It was a Trane unit installed, but it was installed upstairs. And the line said was way too small for the application. And it didn't have a TSV on it, which helps regulate the refrigerant. So I looked at those two things. Look, this was a trained person at the time we're doing Carrier, Goodman. Look, it didn't matter what we put in. Trained, Carrier, Goodman, York, Luxaire, Tempstar. It didn't matter what we put in. That system was doomed from day one. From day one, that system was not going to operate to its peak levels because of the way it's installed. So things to look out for a company with a great reputation, with great experience, and it doesn't matter what the brand of equipment is. It matters who installs it. Whose name is on the truck in the driveway. Because those are the people that are going to respond when something goes wrong. Because it will go wrong. It's just a matter of time. It's a machine. It has parts. It will fail at some point. Who's going to stand behind the install they have done? Who's going to respond to your questions, your phone calls? It's not gonna be Carrier, it's not gonna be Trane, it's not gonna be Goodman. It's gonna be the contractor. The contractor puts it in, installs it. These aren't. These aren't refrigerators, okay? You just don't buy from the bee box store, plug it in the wall and we're done. No, these things have to be installed by manufacturers instructions. They need to pass whatever the current code is in your area. And the contractor needs to respond when things go wrong. One reason we were a care dealer for about 55 years exclusively. One of the reasons we switched over to mainly a Goodman product is response. We're having trouble with carrier at the time of getting the parts availability, getting things we needed for our clients, because, like we told them, it's our van, their driveway. Okay? They're not blaming carrier for the unit braking. They're blaming us, and then we can't respond within a very good time frame. They're also blaming us, even though it could be the distributor's fault for not having the part. So you gotta ride with people that want to ride with you and want to move as fast as you want to move, which is something we want to do. We want to move as fast as possible to get the customer taken care of, because we get it. It's one of the biggest appliances in your home and is an extreme inconvenience when it goes out. And you want somebody to team with you to be able to respond that quickly as we want to respond. So I hope that helps you. Again, it's not about brand. It's about who installs it. The most important day in the life of your unit is the day it's installed.
