To make an intelligent decision on buying a central air conditioner, I looked for info and recommendations on the internet. I found a web site chock full of information that belonged to a heating and air conditioning company (ASM) in California. They were certified to work on nearly all a/c units so they were not promoting any one particular brand. Their recommendations were based on their experience with units they sold and worked on. Their top pick (value for the money) was a Day & Night Performance series a/c. I had never heard of this brand but further reading revealed that it is made by the same company that owns Carrier. When I was done reading their blog, they had convinced me that I should buy Day & Night. I went to the D&N web site to find a dealer and there was only one within 100 miles: Flo-Right Mechanical located here in San Antonio. I looked at their customer reviews and BBB rating and found that they were judged a professional outfit that was highly thought of. It is owned by Frank Flores, an Air Force veteran, and his very competent employees are John and Omar. Frank was busy on a job so on Saturday, 3 Sep 16, I met with John who provided information on Day & Night and his experiences with that brand mirrored those of ASM. He worked up a proposal sheet to give me options and I picked the 16 SEER system; however, instead of a 10-year warranty like ASM said, I got a 12-year warranty because Flo-Rite has been granted an elite dealer status by D&N. On Wednesday morning, Frank showed up and started to demo the old system. Later he was joined by John and Omar who finished the removal and started on the installation of the new system. This was where it got tricky as the a/c and furnace closet space was built in 1979 when the units were much smaller. They came up with a creative solution to make everything fit. In my research, it was repeatedly stressed that the quality of the installation was important regardless of the brand. So how did I gauge quality? During the installation, they explained why they were doing various things. When people do little things well, it gives me confidence that the big things are done equally as well. As an example, John used a level when mounting a new electrical box on the house because he wanted it to look right. These little steps were not required but for me, they were a sign of professionalism that is the obvious hallmark of this company and its employees. I am very happy with the equipment and the first thing I noticed is how much more quiet it is, inside and out, than the old unit was. I could not be more pleased with the professional installation that Frank and his men did. I highly recommend Flo-Rite Mechanical as the company to choose as your HVAC contractor regardless of the brand you choose for your a/c.
