Thinking About Snakes, Air Conditioning and Elderly Relatives We’re always looking for levity where we can find it, and this story from India’s Hindustan Times gave us pause yesterday: “In a bizarre incident, 40 baby snakes emerged from an air-conditioner in a village in Meerut district.” Suffice it to say that the way today’s HVAC systems are built preclude ... Continue Reading
HVAC System Capacity for Commercial Heating and Air Conditioning: What You Need to Know
The Wrong Sized Unit Means Big Problems Later On Here’s a secret: we get many new commercial customers after they have already installed a brand new HVAC system for their building. Why? Because frequently after spending all that money on the latest indoor comfort system’s bells and whistles, it often turns out the equipment they were sold is too big or too small for ... Continue Reading
Knowing Definitions of Important HVAC Parts Can Help
Check Out This Glossary of Air Conditioning Terms to Impress Friends, Family and Random Strangers When it comes to heating and cooling, our technicians spend a lot of time studying: the parts, their potential problems, and what these elements of any HVAC system are supposed to do. We also prep our team on the latest technologies and up-to-date regulations on how this ... Continue Reading
Air Conditioning Repairs You Might Not Know You Need
Do you have a secret HVAC problem waiting to happen? So the lady on the phone was desperate. Their tenant complained that hot air was coming out of the air vents, and blowing warmth into the living room on the hottest day of the year so far. Was the condenser broken? Would they need a new system? How would they ever afford this? She was panicked, and we agreed to send ... Continue Reading
Heat Pumps Offer Clean, Inexpensive HVAC for Your Home
Today’s Rebates Give New Discounts for Homeowners We make it a point to tell our customers when there are new sales incentives or tax credits for a certain product or type of equipment. The marketplace is always changing, and these kinds of discounts pop up frequently. However, recent incentives from Southern California Edison and the federal government make this ... Continue Reading
Stuck at Home? Be Nice to Your Air Conditioner to Save Money for Summer
These Easy Maintenance Tips Will Keep Your System Running Smoothly It’s easy to go stir crazy during this unprecedented national crisis, so why not be productive? Instead of lying on the sofa or bugging your teenager to get out of bed and finally take a shower, you can put money in your pocket by caring for your air conditioner! We know, this doesn’t necessarily ... Continue Reading
In Quarantine, Total Indoor Comfort Means a Whole Lot of Extra Time
Check out what these folks have been up to while sheltering in place. Assuming your HVAC is working well and you have enough toilet paper, you’re hopefully safe at home right now. We’ve compiled a list of funny tweets and photos of the crazy things people are doing to pass the time... For example, look at this lady. She has some skills! We'd love to have a tiny knit ... Continue Reading
UV Light for Your HVAC System: What Air Purification Can and Can’t Do
Air Purification for Your Home Can Reduce Indoor Pollutants In these trying times, we see a lot of ads out there for all kinds of ways to sanitize your home. Some work, some don’t, but a proven way to reduce indoor pollutants is by using ultraviolet light in your HVAC system. While it can’t stop germs from entering your home on your hands, clothing, or even through ... Continue Reading
Total Indoor Comfort for Your Home: Bells and Whistles for Your Residential HVAC System
Because You Can Have It All If your family’s indoor comfort is a top priority, think about these new upgrades for your residential HVAC system. In many cases these are features that will make a real difference to everyone on a daily basis, far more than the benefits of a high-end stove or fancy cabinetry. Media Air Filtration Now more than ever, it’s really ... Continue Reading
Celebrity in the World of Professional HVAC Supports Another Superstar
Air-Tro Assistant Service Manager Cole Capps Drives 2020 Rose Parade Grand Marshal Rita Moreno Along Parade Route The entire Air-Tro team was proud to see our own Cole Capps as one of the official drivers for 2020 Rose Parade Grand Marshal Rita Moreno along the parade route. Cole is our assistant service manager, and a valued Air-Tro family member. Cole's father-in-law is ... Continue Reading
Replace or Repair? How to Tell the Difference with Your Home’s HVAC System
Wait! Don't Spend a Lot of Money If You Don't Have To. Some HVAC Problems Are a Quick Fix It’s fun to buy a new plant or new picture for your living room; you can see the upgrade right in front of you and enjoy it. It’s sometimes less fun to replace behind-the-scenes equipment in your home, however. While these items may be more important to your home’s livability, ... Continue Reading
Quick Question: Would You Rather Pay 5 Cents or 35 cents per Kilowatt-Hour to Run Your HVAC System?
Proposed Ban on Natural Gas for New Homes Offers An Expensive Solution for Homeowners Even in California, the city of Berkeley has a longstanding reputation for radical solutions. Some of the laws to come out of the city have been ground breaking, prompting national conversations about cultural norms, values and expectations. Other city laws have drawn more ire than ... Continue Reading
Willis Carrier: Air Conditioning Hero and Cool Cat
An Inventor and Engineer Who Saved Lives and Changed America With the warm days that are part and parcel of living and working in the San Gabriel Valley, air conditioning goes with the territory. Offices, stores, homes and businesses all depend upon this technology not only for commerce, but also for the routines of daily living. The summer sunshine can be dangerous, and ... Continue Reading
Your Old House: Two Issues to Ponder When Enhancing Heating and Cooling in Historic Residences
Energy Saving Indoor Comfort Is Possible in a Unique Home One of the San Gabriel Valley’s hallmarks is the number of beautiful older homes that dot the landscape, even as new construction goes up all around us. Whether it’s a canyon cabin in Sierra Madre, an older Craftsman home in Pasadena, or a mid-century modern masterpiece in Eagle Rock, the past is present in the ... Continue Reading
HVAC at Home: The Connection Between Room Temperature and Sleep Quality
Air Conditioning Means More Than Indoor Comfort It isn’t just the seasonal San Gabriel Valley heat. Everybody, it seems, is having trouble sleeping. According to national statistics compiled from the National Institute of Health and the CDC, roughly 35% of Americans aren’t getting enough rest on a daily basis, defined as at least seven hours of shuteye. In fact, more ... Continue Reading
Have a Vacation Planned? Here’s a Residential HVAC Checklist to Run Through Before You Leave Los Angeles
Avoid Cost Overages When You’re Not Home with These Easy Tips For San Gabriel Valley families, vacation getaways or even business trips can be fun, but sometimes planning for them can be a hassle. From coordinating hotels to booking airline flights, it’s always a challenge to save money where you can. But have you considered taking a look at your HVAC system before ... Continue Reading
Air-Tro Is Your Go-To for Residential and Commercial HVAC, As Well As Cool Memes
Installation, Maintenance, Repair, and The Pictures We Found This Week Online When it comes to heating and air conditioning, the San Gabriel Valley has spoken. Only Air-Tro has won Reader’s Choice awards year after year from customers just like you. Thank you for your vote of confidence! Family owned and operated since we started in 1969, we carefully screen and hire ... Continue Reading
HVAC Isn’t Just for Humans: Your Pet Needs to Be Comfortable in Hot Weather Too!
Indoor Comfort Matters for Pets Too, According to the Experts We here in Monrovia, Bradbury, La Canada and Duarte all know you should never leave a dog or other animal inside the car during the warmer months. No matter how balmy it may seem outside, the indoor of an automobile can heat up even in early spring to lethal levels for Fluffy or Fido. But have you ... Continue Reading
Get Ready: Southern California Edison Announces Tier 3 Electricity Rates Targeted Directly at Air Conditioning This Summer
Reduce Your Utility Bills by Keeping Your AC Running Efficiently In an effort to promote energy conservation and as a reflection of rising electricity costs nationwide, Southern California Edison summer rates are coming in June for everyone here in the San Gabriel Valley. In this plan, you pay not only for the amount of electricity you consume, but also for the times at ... Continue Reading
Selecting a Qualified HVAC Contractor: Why It Matters
Your Family’s Safety and Security Depend On It It may not seem that important, but in a world of fakes, it’s important to get the real deal when it comes to an HVAC contractor for your home. Why? Aside from ensuring you’ll get high quality equipment designed to last well beyond the next service visit, you’ll also have peace of mind from knowing your system is safe as ... Continue Reading
Troubleshooting: When Your Air Conditioner Doesn’t Turn On
Starting Up Your Air Conditioner After a Long Winter’s Nap, and What to Do If It Won't Turn On Winter has passed and the temperatures are rising. You might come home soon from a long day at work to turn on your air conditioner for the first time since the fall, hoping to generate some cool indoor comfort …. and your system won't turn on. What should you do? The ... Continue Reading
HVAC Memes and Pix You Didn’t Know You Needed
Who Knew Furnace and Air Conditioning Issues Were On Everyone’s Minds? It’s that time of year again in Southern California, when you’re never sure if it’s going to be hot enough to need the AC or cool enough to mean the furnace should be on. Apparently this isn’t as simple an issue as it seems! Whether you hang out at home or spend most of your time in a commercial ... Continue Reading
Could Your HVAC Refrigerant Be Leaking?
The Signs May Be There, Here’s How to Tell While indoor comfort is important for residential spaces, some would argue that it’s even more critical in a workplace environment. Research has clearly linked employee productivity with a comfortable temperature. And if it’s seemed hotter lately than you might like inside your office or warehouse despite a reasonable ... Continue Reading
Impress Your Friends and Influence Others with Your Understanding of HVAC System Components!
What is an Air Handler, Anyway? Okay, so maybe not everyone is interested in what makes up the typical HVAC system. But heck, we are! And if indoor comfort matters to you as a commercial building or home owner, well, you should be too. Today’s equipment can be complicated, so understanding some of the more common components of your system can be helpful. First, ... Continue Reading
Because HVAC Is About More Than Indoor Comfort
Heating and Cooling Tells the Story of Our World We talk a lot in this space about the newest technologies in HVAC, but the fact is that the basic heating and cooling systems we take for granted are the culmination of centuries’ worth of innovation and research. Modern, reliable heating and air conditioning equipment has not only enabled the growth of business and ... Continue Reading
