Heating and Cooling

Having Air Conditioning is almost a requirement in the Tucson and even more important in Phoenix Arizona. At Arico we can replacement Air Conditioning systems as well as service and repair most makes and models. We will supply and install any brand of Air Conditioning equipment your interested in. Our favorite brands are York, Day & Night and Lennox. If your not familiar with the Day and Night brand, Day and Night is made by Carrier Corporation. There are lots of brands out there, and it can be confusing at times. If you have any questions, we'd be happy to answer them for you.

New Air Conditioning Systems

If you think it's time to replace your existing air conditioning system, we try to make it simple for you. You can look at our systems and prices online to get an idea of what is available. Once you have found the system your interested in, we can send out an estimator to look over your existing system and make sure the new system will fit. If your not sure what system you need, our estimator can help you decide that as well.

Energy Efficiency Tax Credits

Federal tax credits are available for $1500 dollars off new energy efficient equipment until December 2010. This higher efficiency equipment will actually cost you less than cheaper 13 seers units. So your actual installation costs are less, plus you'll save over the years on your utility bills.

Air Conditioning System Repairs

For basic repairs we come out to your home or business and diagnose the system. We charge $79 for the first half hour and $85 for each additional hour after. If the repairs appear to be major, we will give you a price to make the repair after our diagnoses is complete. You can then decide if you wish to proceed with the repairs.

We can do leak tests, electronic circuit testing, refrigerant charging, compressor replacements and more. Our technicians are EPA certified and ready to help your out.

System Configurations

Air Conditioning system make ups can be complicated. Here is a list of what you will need to find out before you begin looking for a new system.

1. What size unit do you need?

   • You need to select the tonnage. For Tucson area it is common to use 400 square feet living space to 1 ton. So a 3 ton unit could cool 1200 sq. ft house. Its best to compare it to the unit you have in place now.

2. What fuel do you plan to use?

   • Electric Cooling and Gas heating

   • Electric Cooling and Electric Heating (aka Heat Pump)

3. Split system or a package unit?

   • A split system is a cooling unit outside and a furnace or blower inside.

   • A package unit is when the cooling and heating are together in one unit outside.

Since this can be complicated, you can call us and explain your existing system to us, we will be happy to go over it on the phone with you. Also this list isn't inclusive, there are other combinations and unit types, we listed the most prevalent here.

Seer Rating

Seer Rating is a measurement of how efficient the Air Conditioning unit convert electricity into Cold Air. A higher Seer rating is better. The minimum allowed Seer rating is now 13 Seer. Older units in town can be under 9 Seer. There are units that have over 20 Seer rating. Here is a link to a great tool that gives you an idea of what you can save with a higher Seer Rating.

Sizing Air Conditioning Systems

As stated above, for each 400 square feet of living room in your home you will need 1 ton of cooling capacity. Air Conditioning system are measured in Tonnage, usually residential units range from 1 ton to 5 tons. If home needs more than 5 tons of cooling, a second unit will be installed.

It is usually best to size the unit based on what you currently have installed. Try to find the tonnage or CFMs on the side of the Air Conditioning unit. 400 CFMs = 1 Ton. One CFM is one cubic foot of air per minute. If your units says 2000 CFMs then it would be a 5 ton unit. By the way, 5 tons is not what the weights, it's a measurement of the air flow through the unit.

Over-sizing your Air Conditioning System

If your thinking about increasing the size of the unit, because you think it will be better. You should know, that if you get a unit that is too big (1 ton more than needed), it will cool the air in your house too fast. If you cool the air too fast in your home, humidity doesn't get a chance to be removed from the air. High humidity will cause discomfort just as well as high air temperature. Al so, a bigger than needed unit will cause larger swings in temperature. Two stage compressors can be oversized because they have a slower speed they automatically adjust to as demand decreases.

Under-sizing your Air Conditioning System

Most of us know what happens when you under-size your Air Conditioning system. It runs all the time, and the temperature rises beyond the comfort level. If your current system is doing this, you might consider going up 1 ton over your current system. If only certain rooms are getting hot, then you might have an air duct problem. You should have a technician come out and evaluate your system before making a choice if this is the problem.

Free Estimates

We offer free estimates to replace Air Conditioning Systems, Heat Pumps and Furnaces. We do charge for diagnostic work and other repair work. If your interesting in an estimate give us a call we'll have someone out usually within 24 hours.