undersized and unsatisfactory
The owner of Centex Mechanical insisted that only by use of his computer program could the required air\-conditioning capacity in tonnage accurately be determined, and that problems \-\- such as mold and premature failure of the compressor \-\- would occur if the system was larger than required. The owner personally inspected the dwelling, which is a well\-insulated structure built inside of an insulated metallic barn, but has a number of windows to the outside. Thus, the only direct solar heating is through the windows. I made clear to the owner of Centex the fact that windows of the dwelling and doors of the barn would be open in the daytime, in order to admit a maximum amount of sunlight. I also made clear the fact that, for restful sleep, I need the temperature within the dwelling to be 65F or lower. Despite my concerns that a four\-ton system was needed, Centex installed a three\-ton system. I discovered that, on hot days in July, the system was unable to bring the dwelling below 70 degrees. When I complained to Centex, I was told that I should install blinds or shutters on the windows, to reduce the heat load from sunlight. Centex also told me that the insulation of the dwelling was inadequate. I also discovered that, in both July and August, if I wait until midnight to turn down the thermostat to 65F, the temperature does not drop to 65 until 4am or 5am. Now the only way to get a restful sleep at 65F is to keep the thermostat turned down to 65F during the day; but this is expensive, because the three\-ton unit must run non\-stop all day at full capacity, with the result that the daytime temperature is a bit too cool for comfort. I am not satisfied with the performance of this system. It is apparent that Centex should have installed a unit of about four\-ton capacity, so that the temperature of the dwelling can be lowered more rapidly. Unless and until Centex installs a larger unit, I cannot recommend Centex.
RUSSELL
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August 29, 2017