Larson Air Conditioning, LLC installed a high quality "Gas Pack" unit, with excellent craftsmanship, at a price that was moderate in comparison to estimates I had received from other companies. Larson gets my call for HVAC system work every time.
Description of Work: As a retired journeyman electrician trained by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union, I have participated in the construction of a vast array of industrial and commercial complexes, along with virtually every type of electro-mechanical system that facilitates mass production, and the technology that is associated with the infrastructure of urban environments. Having dealt with hundreds of contractors, I can tell you that Larson Air Conditioning employs the most highly skilled and best equipped professionals I have ever seen. Air conditioning and heating units incorporate the most intricate assembly of electro- mechanical components of all the equipment that is installed in your house. It requires knowledge of scientific principles in conjunction with incisive understanding of technological applications to calculate the load requirements of a given structure and correlate its inherent design characteristics to determine the output capacity of the HVAC unit your environment needs. A simple mistake in locating a thermostat that places it at an inappropriate angle to the pathway that facilitates an HVAC unit’s return air current can cost thousands of dollars in unnecessary utility bills, and thousands more in undue expenses required to repair a system that may incur excessive wear due to an inappropriate installation of its components. Using an HVAC unit that is too large for a structure will cause as many performance issues as a unit that is too small, and this subject was particularity important to me as my house has some problematic features. To my relief it was clear that Larson’s estimator understood everything associated with these matters, and it only took about 90-seconds for him to assess these problems and to explain his conclusions. Larson’s estimator may well have examined the HVAC unit on top of my house via Google Earth, before he left his office. He clearly knew the options we had for adapting a Lennox or other brand of unit to the existing ductwork in place of the Rheem we were replacing. He didn’t even need to take a measurement. The old Rheem ran like a steam locomotive, rumbling on top of a couple of four by fours. Over the years I had various contractors tune up the Rheem, and obtained estimates for its replacement, so I knew that Larson’s charges for installing a Lennox 3.5 ton, 14 SEER unit were actually moderate in comparison to other quotes I had received. It was readily apparent that Larson had competitive pricing for installing top rated HVAC units, and I knew that every person involved in its installation would be a master mechanic. Larson mounted the new Lennox on a state-of-the-art uni-strut framework, designed to facilitate foolproof leveling of the unit that ensures the efficient operation of every moving component throughout the system, i.e. bearings, axels, armatures, etc. Proper orientation of these mechanisms is crucial to prevent unnecessary vibration, and wear. That is what you are hearing if the sound of your HVAC unit causes ringing in your ears. Larson also employed a subcontractor to fabricate insulated ductwork necessary to adapt the new unit. The quality of everything reflected perfect craftsmanship. Many contractors take a casual attitude towards such matters, but I assure you that when Larson installs an HVAC unit, their mechanics work out the exact specifications necessary to adapt everything with precise tolerances and orientation. Such matters are absolutely essential to assure optimal performance of these units and to prevent premature wear and failure of their components. Of course, statistically, even under ideal circumstances with the best equipment and the highest quality installation, the components of any system will experience a certain percentage of failure. Consumer research regarding the HVAC industry indicates that roughly one in four HVAC units will have a major component failure over the course of 3-5 years, regardless of a given manufacturer’s ratings in terms of their equipment’s reliability and consumer satisfaction. There’s a multitude of factors associated with machining and assembly of components for these units, and while a single summer in Arizona will clearly put those components to the test, their ultimate challenge will likely come 3-5 years after the manufacturer’s standard warranty expires. Fortunately, you can totally protect yourself from incurring any expenses related to the failure of components and labor costs necessary to replace them for up to 10-years, if you purchase one of the manufacturer’s extended parts and labor warranties along with your new HVAC unit. The extended parts and labor warranties that you can purchase through Larson Air Conditioning, constitute a contractual agreement between you, the consumer, and the manufacturer, which insures that if any component in the HVAC unit fails within a period of up to 10-years, the manufacturer will be obligated to pay all costs for new parts and the expenses for labor necessary to replace them. The manufacturer’s extended parts and labor warranties for these units are an excellent value, which provide benefits that very likely cost manufacturers considerably more money to fulfill than the percentage of unit cost that you pay up front for the warranty. Think of it this way. The Lennox Company does not just let anybody who attends vocational school install their equipment, because for an extra $799.00 Lennox will be obligated to guarantee your new HVAC unit against any failure of parts, and will have to pay all labor costs associated with such failures for a period of 10-years. This gives Lennox a profit incentive for maintaining your HVAC unit in optimal condition throughout the entire warranty period. If there is ever a catastrophic failure of components during the entire period of time set forth by the extended warranty, Lennox may need to completely replace that unit, and the warranty period you purchased would recommence, again. To insure that corporate shareholders do not incur such financial losses, Lenox will have Larson Air Conditioning mechanics or their affiliates tune up your HVAC unit twice each year, in the spring and fall. They will download, transmit, and analyze the precise performance data associated with your Lennox HVAC unit, and their technicians will automatically have parts replaced if readings of a component’s performance suggest it is malfunctioning. They will make sure that every component in your unit, its servos, valves, motors, relays, capacitors, and expensive circuit boards are working together, properly, without failures. Aftermarket parts are frequently engineered with higher standards than the original parts manufacturers utilize in mass production, so if your unit has a weak component Lennox will want to fix it, rapidly, without you even making a call. Even a minor component could cost more to replace than the price of a manufacturer’s extended parts and labor warranty, if it fails after the manufacturer’s standard warranty period ends. You would pay considerably more simply to have your new HVAC unit tuned up once a year if you decline to purchase the manufacturer’s extended parts and labor warranty. While conversely, if you do purchase this warranty you will have the benefit of all those regular tune-ups at a reduced cost, and your HVAC unit will likely operate for 20-years or more, with professional maintenance. The Lennox HVAC unit that Larson Air Conditioning installed has filled my house with a blissful silence, and what seems like an entirely new formula for air. I don’t even need to go up on the roof to know that the unit has been installed with the highest grade of materials and standards of craftsmanship. That is the only type of work that Larson Air Conditioning mechanics perform.