That’s right. Fifty years ago, John and Helen Helbing moved their family out to California and John set up Air-Tro Heating and Air Conditioning to provide premier comfort to the residents of the San Gabriel Valley. Midwest Exiles John Helbing was raised in Wisconsin, while Helen was an Illinois native. They had started their family in San Diego, while John was ... 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
Like the Moon Landing and Sesame Street, Air-Tro Is Turning Fifty Years Old!
We’ve Been Keeping California Comfortable Since 1969. Hard to Believe, Isn’t It? Where has the time gone? That’s what we’re asking ourselves this year as we look back to realize Air-Tro is turning 50 years old in 2019. Founded by the Helbing family back in 1969, Air-Tro began as a way to help homeowners, commercial business owners, and even local universities and ... 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
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
It’s a Fact: HVAC Isn’t Just for People.
Pets Need Indoor Comfort Too: Hot Weather Tips For Animal Care When it comes to weather, it’s easy to forget that Fluffy and Fido also need extra special care during the summer and fall here in Southern California. Many animals are extremely sensitive to temperature, rendering a hot spell very dangerous for pets if you’re not paying attention. Along with keeping ... Continue Reading
Air-Tro Takes Your Safety Seriously, with an HVAC Team You Can Trust
When It Comes to Home Security or Air Conditioning Repair, Peace of Mind Is What Counts In a day and age when every newspaper has a story about property crime or worse plaguing our suburbs, your well-being and that of your family has never been more important. At Air-Tro, all of us are parents and children, husbands, and wives. We read those articles too, and worry about ... Continue Reading
FYI: Your HVAC Economizer Is Probably Broken [INFOGRAPHIC]
What You Should Know About the HVAC Equipment You May Not Know You Had If you’re a commercial property owner here in Southern California, chances are you have an economizer along with your HVAC system. They are required by Title 24 of the California energy code. Envisioned as an easy way to conserve energy and lower utility expenditures, these air-side economizers are ... Continue Reading
Turkeys Need Air Conditioning and Other Facts About Our Almost-National Bird
It doesn’t really matter if you have your air conditioning on right now, or that the temperature feels like summer, you can still feel Thanksgiving in the air. The supermarkets are crowded and the shopping malls even more so as our country prepares for a day spent with family and friends. The buzz is palpable, isn’t it? No matter what your circumstances this season, surely ... Continue Reading
Hurricane Harvey Underscores Importance of Air Conditioning for Basic Human Health and Comfort
Comfort Systems Aren’t Just About Convenience. They Save Lives. In the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, we’ve all been glued to our television screens watching the brave responders and courageous survivors struggle against the elements. The overwhelming national outpouring of support and volunteer efforts has been so heartening to see in these times, reminding us ... Continue Reading
Air Conditioning: Funny, Happy, and Just Plain Weird Reactions to HVAC Technology
You Wouldn’t Think Air Conditioning Could Be Controversial, But at the Beginning, It Was In today’s dog days of early fall, it’s hard to imagine living in the San Gabriel Valley without air conditioning. And yet, up until about a hundred years ago, people did exactly that here and everywhere else in the United States. Still, that didn’t stop creative thinkers, ... Continue Reading
Are You An HVAC Boy Scout (or Girl Scout)?
It’s a hot summer day and suddenly, your air conditioner conks out. What do you do? Indoor Comfort Can Be a Lifesaver First, if you have any senior citizens, infants or invalids in your household, consider taking them immediately to a cooler location while the air conditioner gets fixed. Heat exhaustion or worse is prevalent when the temperatures climb, and someone who ... Continue Reading
Air Conditioning: What You Don’t Know Might Hurt You
Cool HVAC News From Fort Worth! It’s a heartwarming story and one we hope “catches on” across the country, as we head into another long, hot summer. As reported by CBS News, World War II veteran Julius Hatley, 95, called 911 in Fort Worth, Texas a couple of weeks ago to report that both his central air conditioning system and his inexpensive wall unit were no longer ... Continue Reading
Life Before Air Conditioning, Or “When It Was Sweaty”
What Did People Do Before Air-Tro? Summer is almost here, and the hot afternoons are only getting warmer as the summer days go by. Anyone who has come from the oven-like outdoor conditions into the cool refreshment of an indoor room can tell you that air conditioning is a lifesaver when July and August hit, especially in Southern California. Indeed, studies of ... Continue Reading
Employee Productivity and Air Conditioning: The Link That Will Save Your Bottom Line
When office space is at a premium and saving money is a top priority, updating or installing air conditioning for your business may seem like an unnecessarily frivolous expense. While fans and wall units may provide some relief from the paralyzing Southern California heat, your staff will be the first to tell you they are not completely effective. And here’s the really ... Continue Reading
Are You in the Cool Crowd? Air Conditioning Facts You Should Know
It’s almost here: the hot season that requires all of us in the San Gabriel Valley who aren’t fond of sweating at our desks to crank up the air conditioner and think about ways to stay cool. And yet, most people aren’t that familiar with the equipment they use both at home and the office. Are you environmentally savvy when it comes to what your air conditioner can and ... Continue Reading
HVAC Humor: Just a Bunch of Hot Air?
Because HVAC consultants have a sense of humor too! The HVAC community is not without a sense of humor. Well, at least we think so. From the new technician who says “everything’s fine” until you notice his singed eyebrows to the customer who asks for an HVAC system that helps with hot flashes, there’s plenty of opportunity for the lighter side in the course of doing ... Continue Reading
Who Knew? Ancient Kuwaitis Had Air Conditioning
Archeologists Make Major HVAC Discovery From the unusual news of the month file, we read recently that Slovakian archeologists working in the Persian Gulf have carefully unearthed a man-made interior air conditioning system on Failaka Island. We bet you didn’t know there was a cadre of Slovakian archeologists out there excavating, did you? And second, we’re ... Continue Reading
Hotter Than Ever: In Praise of Air Conditioning
Air Conditioning: Collateral Benefits That Matter In a year some scientists are calling potentially the hottest ever on record, the battle over the value of air conditioning is still fought in some circles. Would we be better off without it, some ask? Is it somehow more desirable or morally upright to just sweat it out? Looking at the facts, the answer is ... Continue Reading
Air-Tro Heating and Air Conditioning Says Thank You!
It's Our Heating and Air Conditioning Customers Who Make It All Worthwhile. While we do some advertising, our best referrals come from the testimonials and referrals given by our busy customers. We know you have better things to do than write reviews-which is why we're so overwhelmed by your generosity in leaving such nice ones for us, all over town! From Jennifer B. ... Continue Reading
A Look Back: Vintage Air Conditioning Ads
How Air Conditioning Saved Lives, Marriages, and the American Way As the dog days of summer stretch on endlessly, leaving us to dash to and from our air conditioned homes and cars only if we have to, we reflect with gratitude on the enduring value of air conditioning. What the heck did people do before HVAC systems were clean, safe and affordable for most American ... Continue Reading
Air-Tro Inc. Wins Best Heating and Air Conditioning Company for the San Gabriel Valley
Air-Tro, Inc. Voted Best Heating and Air Conditioning Company Thank you everybody! For the third year in a row, Air-Tro, Inc. has been voted the best heating and air conditioning company in the San Gabriel Valley by readers of the Monrovia Weekly and other popular local papers in the communities of Pasadena, San Gabriel, Sierra Madre, Arcadia, El Monte, Temple City, ... Continue Reading
Keep Temperatures Constant and Have a Cool Home
Upgrading your air conditioner can help lower your energy bills, but for the greatest savings you can't rely only on your air conditioner. One of the best ways to keep your energy bills down is to reduce heat gain in your home to reduce your air conditioner's running time. Here are the steps you can take today. 1. Use landscaping Well placed trees or shrubs can provide ... Continue Reading
How Activated Carbon Filtration Improves Your Indoor Air Quality?
One of best ways to maintain excellent indoor air quality in your Pasadena-area home is regularly inspecting your HVAC system’s air filters and changing them when needed (generally every two to three months). Much attention has been paid to the MERV ratings for particulate filters used in heating and cooling systems and this is important information to know. But what about ... Continue Reading
Heat Pumps a Good Fit for Warm Climates
Heat pumps are considered a much more energy-efficient way to heat and cool a home than air conditioning and furnace alternatives. A heat pump is capable of delivering one-and-a-half to three times more heat energy than the energy it uses to run. Heat pumps are becoming an increasingly favored type of heating and cooling option, particularly in areas with moderate winters. ... Continue Reading
