Service & Maintenance

Bay Area Services is a full-service heating and cooling contractor and Brown County's only Trane Comfort Specialist™ dealer.  Bay Area Services is the largest residential new construction and add-on replacement provider in the area and Wisconsin's largest Trane dealer.  The Trane Comfort Specialist™ designation is awarded to dealers with proven commitment to continuously providing the highest standards in customer satisfaction.  Bay Area Services offers a full line of dependable, high efficiency Trane and Honeywell products to fulfill your comfort and indoor air quality needs.  Bay Area Services has provided homeowners with custom designed indoor comfort systems since 1981.  Working hand in hand with the homeowner to educate and guide is Bay Area’s key to complete customer satisfaction.  Customers are always welcome to visit the area’s only fully stocked comfort showroom to explore their possibilities and ask questions.

Bay Area Services strongly believes in preventative maintenance for your heating & cooling systems. Our Safety & Efficiency Agreement is a great way to ensure your system is running in top efficiency and peak performance for many years.

Heating & Air Conditioning Maintenance Questions & Answers:

Q: How often should my air conditioner be recharged with new freon?

A: Contrary to popular belief, air conditioners do not consume refrigerant (freon) as a car consumes oil, so under ideal conditions it would never need changing or filling. Therefore, a low freon level indicates a leak which should be repaired before adding more. While most new system connections are welded to minimize leaks, many older units were connected with mechanical flared fittings which can vibrate loose over the years, causing leaks. Freon leaks are a problem because:

• Low or high freon levels drastically reduce efficiency of the air conditioner.
• They can freeze the evaporator coil, causing it to literally ice up.
• Freon is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) controlled substance, deemed hazardous if released into the environment.
• The heart of the unit is the compressor, which is cooled by the refrigerant. Over time, low freon levels can cause overheating and premature failure of the compressor, often requiring complete replacement of the compressor or the entire condensing unit-a very expensive proposition.

Q: Are regular tune-ups worthwhile?

A: Definitely! We recommend annual air conditioning tune-ups in the spring and furnace tune-ups every fall. Although regular checkups will not absolutely guarantee that a unit will continue to work perfectly throughout the season, they will reveal most small problems that can lead to major, far more expensive problems if left unattended and will keep the unit running at peak efficiency.

Q: What does an air conditioning tune-up consist of?

A: It consists of the following steps:

• Clean indoor and outdoor coils

• Check blower wheel and motor, lubricate motor and check belt

• Check thermostat operation and calibration

• Check operation of all safety controls

• Check current draw and voltage under full load

• Inspect wiring and connections, repair if necessary

• Check refrigerant charge

• Test compressor contacts

• Inspect air filter condition

• Check condensate pump and drain line

• Check fan switch operation and adjust settings

• Service sticker installed

Q: Is there anything a homeowner can do to maintain the air conditioning unit?

A: Yes. The first thing to check before turning on your unit is to make sure the condensing unit located outside is not covered up. The unit needs to draw air into the system in order to have something to cool and blow out inside, but the process is hindered if it cannot pull enough air in from outside.

Many homeowners call because their air conditioner isn't cooling their house, only to find they forgot they had temporarily stacked lawn furniture, bags of leaves and lawn clippings, etc. around their outside unit over the winter. Some people cover their condenser to "protect" it from the elements during the winter, although these units are designed for outdoor installation and require no protection at all.

Here are some basic tips:

• Run your air conditioner for a few minutes now, before you need it. If you wait until the first hot day to discover is isn't working, you'll find yourself on a waiting list, sweltering sometimes for days before an air conditioning specialist can come to fix it.
• Change the filters regularly. Dirty filters restrict air flow, reducing efficiency and worse case, can cause the evaporator to ice up. Disposable fiberglass filters should be replaced monthly, media style filters should be replaced every 4 to 6 months, electrostatic or electronic filters need to be washed every month to every other month.
• Be sure all access panels are secure, with all the screws in place.
• Clean obvious obstructions such as newspaper, leaves, etc. from around the exterior of the unit.
• Be sure the thermostat is set in the cooling mode. Just setting the dial below room temperature will not activate the air conditioning if it is set in the heat mode.

A thoroughly cleaned air conditioning unit will operate at top efficiency. However, homeowners are strongly discouraged from using a hose and water to try clean it themselves because of the very serious risk of electrical shock and possible shorting of electrical components.

Q: Why should I have my heating system tuned up yearly?

A: Safety

• Carbon monoxide kills hundreds of people  each year.  A clean and properly vented heating system reduces the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. 
• Gas lines from the shut-off valve to the heating system are checked for leaks.  Even small gas leaks can build up and cause explosion or fire.

Improved Efficiency

• A clean & properly lubricated heating system will use less fuel & electricity to operate.  The moving parts will be able to move more freely using less energy.
• Gas pressures are tested and calibrated to the specifications of your heating system.
• Thermostats and switches will be tested and calibrated for peak performance.

 System Life & Performance

• Buildup on motors and other moving parts greatly reduces the performance and life of heating systems.
• Dust and debris buildup may cause burners and ignition devices to work improperly.
• A system with dirty components may corrode or rust much more quickly than a system that is regularly cleaned.

Like most anything you own, you will find that regular maintenance is far less costly than repairs or even replacement later.