HVAC FAQ

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Current answers for maintenance plans, diagnostics, tune-ups, and geothermal service.

Maintenance and Pricing FAQ

Current prices and plan names as of September 2026. If you do not see your question here, call 405-375-4822 and ask me.

What are the current HVAC maintenance plans?

One Visit Spring or Fall 360 is $199/year for one included visit. Spring and Fall 360 is $360/year for two included visits. Full Year 360 is $499/year for two included visits and the top-tier emergency-dispatch backstop.

What are the current geothermal maintenance plans?

Geo One Visit Spring or Fall 360 is $360/year, Geo Spring and Fall 360 is $428/year, and Geo Full Year 360 is $499/year.

Is the $99 WH Tune-Up a standalone appointment?

No. WH Tune-Up is a $99 add-on only while Hartzell is already on site for AC, heating, or geothermal work. Standalone gas and electric water-heater tune-ups are $149.

Are diagnostics credited?

The $111 residential diagnostic is not credited. Repair work is quoted before approval.

Do plans include connected thermostat features?

Connected thermostat features are not a universal maintenance-plan benefit. Compatible equipment and any connected-system features have to be confirmed by the office for the specific system.

What do the Spring and Fall 360 and Full Year 360 add over the one-visit plan?

The One Visit Spring or Fall 360 is the visit itself, with no repair discount. Spring and Fall 360 adds a second visit, 10% off repairs up to $300 per repair, and two air filters, one installed at each visit. Full Year 360 keeps all of that, covers your air filters all year (call the office and pick them up at the shop), and waives the $198 emergency dispatch up to two times per plan year. You still pay the $111 diagnostic on those calls, so an emergency costs a Full Year 360 member $111 instead of $309.

Why should I get an HVAC tune-up every year in Oklahoma?

Oklahoma summers regularly pass 100 degrees and winter cold snaps drop into the single digits, so the system works hard at both ends. A tune-up catches small problems like a weak capacitor, a dirty coil, or a slow drain before they turn into a breakdown on the worst day of the year, and it gives you a written record of the system’s condition. A standalone tune-up is $229, weekday 7am to 3pm. Two standalone tune-ups a year are $458, which is why the Spring and Fall 360 at $360 usually makes more sense.

Service Calls and Pricing

What is the dispatch fee and what does it cover?

The dispatch fee is $99. It pays for getting a qualified technician and a stocked truck to your door. There is always a dispatch fee and always a diagnostic fee. The exceptions are the maintenance visit already included in a plan, a free estimate on a new system, and the Full Year 360 emergency dispatch waiver.

What is the diagnostic fee?

The diagnostic is $111. It pays for the time it takes to find the real cause instead of guessing at a part. A residential service call is $210 flat: $99 dispatch plus $111 diagnostic. The diagnostic is not credited back against the repair, and I do not waive the diagnostic. Once I know what failed, you get the repair price in writing before any work starts.

How much is an after-hours emergency call?

$309 flat: $198 dispatch plus $111 diagnostic, non-refundable. That covers residential and standard AC, heating, and heat pumps. Geothermal is the exception at $348 flat any hour, and light commercial up to 15 tons is $389 flat day or night.

How much does it cost to diagnose two systems in one visit?

A dual-system diagnostic is $268 flat for two units in the same visit.

Do you give free estimates on a new system?

Yes. Estimates on new systems and replacements are free, with no truck charge. I size the replacement with a load calculation instead of copying the tonnage off the old unit, and you get a written quote before any work begins.

Can you give me a repair price over the phone?

Not an honest one. A bad capacitor and a failed compressor can look the same from the thermostat. That is what the diagnostic is for.

Repair or Replace

My system is older. How do I know whether to repair or replace it?

A common rule of thumb: when a repair costs more than about half of what a replacement would, and the equipment is more than 10 or 12 years old, replacement usually deserves a serious look. Other signs are repeat breakdowns, rising bills, a system that cannot keep up on the hottest days, and an older system still running R-22, which is no longer produced, so every recharge gets more expensive. I will tell you when a repair makes sense. It is your money, not a sales quota.

What if the same part fails again after a repair?

Every repair carries my 6-month labor guarantee on the part I replaced. Parts carry their manufacturer’s warranty, and I buy parts with a 1-year warranty whenever one is available. If it’s the same part, the same leak or my work, the callback is free. If it’s a different part, it’s a normal service call.

What refrigerant do new systems use?

New residential equipment has moved to lower-impact A2L refrigerants, mainly R-454B and R-32, depending on the brand. The refrigerant is printed on every equipment nameplate, so you can always check what you have.

Geothermal Heat Pumps

How does a geothermal heat pump work?

A geothermal (ground-source) heat pump moves heat between your house and the ground through a loop of buried pipe. A few feet down, the ground stays at a much steadier temperature than the outdoor air, so in winter the system pulls heat out of the ground and in summer it puts heat back. Because it moves heat instead of making it, a geothermal system commonly delivers several units of heating or cooling for every unit of electricity it uses. The U.S. Department of Energy has a plain-language overview.

Are you qualified to install geothermal?

Yes. I am IGSHPA accredited, a ClimateMaster GeoElite dealer, and a WaterFurnace and GeoStar dealer. I design the loop, size the system, and stand behind the install. Water well and geothermal bore drilling is done by my OWRB-licensed driller.

How long does a geothermal system last?

The loop outlasts the equipment. Across 700+ geothermal jobs I have not replaced a single loop field, and I have loops in the ground on their third generation of heat pump equipment. What wears are the parts that move, like loop pumps, and the things that collect, like condensate drains.

Do you do geothermal outside your everyday service area?

Yes. For everyday heating and cooling I run seven counties. For geothermal install, replacement, repair, tune-up, and diagnostics I travel across Oklahoma and into most of the states that border it, depending on the customer and the project. A geothermal diagnostic is $348 flat, and so is a geothermal tune-up.

Is geothermal right for my Oklahoma home?

It can be a strong fit when the load, the ductwork, the loop option, and the budget line up. Acreage usually points to a horizontal loop and a tight town lot to vertical bores. I look at the property at a free estimate before anyone talks about a number. More on my geothermal guide.

Air-Source Heat Pumps and Mini-Splits

Do air-source heat pumps work in Oklahoma winters?

Yes. A standard heat pump handles most Oklahoma winter days, and on the coldest nights it leans on backup heat strips or, in a dual-fuel setup, a gas furnace. Cold-climate models like Mitsubishi’s Hyper-Heat line are built to keep heating well below anything Oklahoma usually sees. I am a Mitsubishi Diamond Dealer.

What is a ductless mini-split and who is it for?

A mini-split is a heat pump with no ductwork: small refrigerant lines connect an outdoor unit to one or more indoor heads on the wall or ceiling. It fits room additions, garages, converted spaces, older homes without ducts, and the one room the central system never keeps comfortable. See ductless mini-splits.

What SEER2 rating should I look for?

SEER2 measures cooling efficiency, and higher is better. Federal minimums went up in 2023. Most homeowners get good value around 15 to 17 SEER2, and the right answer depends on how long you plan to stay and how hard the system runs. I will show you the options side by side on the estimate.

Equipment and Brands

What brands do you install and service?

I am a Trane TCS SELECT dealer, a Mitsubishi Diamond Dealer, and an Amana Brand Advantage dealer. For geothermal I am a ClimateMaster GeoElite, WaterFurnace, and GeoStar dealer. I service all the major brands, no matter who installed them.

Are you licensed and insured?

Yes. I hold an Oklahoma Master HVAC license, my techs are NATE certified, and I carry workers’ compensation and general liability insurance through Federated Insurance. BBB A+ for 11 years.

Service Area

What areas do you serve?

I run seven counties every day: Kingfisher, Canadian, Oklahoma, Garfield, Major, Logan, and Blaine. That covers Kingfisher, Enid, El Reno, Yukon, Mustang, Piedmont, Okarche, Guthrie, Watonga, Okeene, Fairview, and northwest Oklahoma City. Outside those seven I do not cover everyday heating and cooling, and I would rather tell you on the first call. Geothermal is the exception, statewide.

Do you serve Enid?

Yes. Enid is in Garfield County, one of my seven daily counties.

Do you offer same-day service?

Same-day service is offered where the schedule allows. Online booking shows the real open slots, and calling 405-375-4822 early in the day gives you the best shot.

Emergencies and Safety

What should I do right now if I smell gas or see smoke?

If you smell gas, see smoke or fire, hear a carbon monoxide alarm, see exposed live wiring, or have water flooding near electrical equipment: shut the system down if you safely can, leave the building, and call 911 or your utility. Call me once you are safe.

What can I safely check before I call?

Check the thermostat mode and setpoint, the air filter, whether the breaker is tripped (reset it once, not over and over), that registers are open, and whether anything is blocking the outdoor unit. Write down any error code. Do not open panels, handle capacitors, add refrigerant, or work on gas parts. More on safe checks before calling.

How do I stay comfortable while I wait for a repair?

In summer, close blinds on the sunny side, run fans, drink water, and stay on the lowest floor. In winter, close off unused rooms, add blankets, and block drafts at doors. Never use a gas stove, oven, or grill to heat the house, because of carbon monoxide. If someone elderly, very young, or medically fragile is in the house, move them somewhere comfortable until the system is back.

Indoor Air Quality

How often should I change my air filter?

A basic 1-inch filter usually every 30 to 60 days, a pleated 1-inch filter every 60 to 90 days, and a 4 to 5 inch media filter every 6 to 12 months. Pets, smoke, allergies, and construction dust all shorten that. A clogged filter chokes airflow, and low airflow is behind a lot of frozen coils and overheated equipment.

How can I improve the air in my home?

Start with the filter and a clean coil and drain. From there, whole-home filtration, UV lights, humidifiers, and fresh-air ventilation each solve a different problem, so I recommend them based on what you are actually dealing with. See indoor air quality.

Water Heaters

How much is a water heater service call?

If something is wrong and the truck rolls for the water heater, the diagnostic is the standard $210. If my tech is already there for AC or geothermal work, a water heater diagnostic is $149. After hours it is the $309 emergency rate. A dedicated water heater tune-up is $149, and the WH 360 plan is $199 a year. Those numbers are for gas and electric tank units. Tankless has no public price: call with the brand, model, and what it is doing.

Financing and Commercial

Do you offer financing?

Yes, through five lenders: Synchrony (up to 18 months at 0%), Wells Fargo, Wisetack, Klarna (4 interest-free payments over 6 weeks), and JB Financing (routes through 30+ lenders, credit scores as low as 590). Financing covers repairs, maintenance plans, and add-ons, not only new systems. See financing.

Do you work on commercial HVAC?

Yes. Light commercial up to 15 tons is a flat $389 diagnostic, day or night, and you can book it online. Above 15 tons I size the equipment on site and price it from there. Commercial maintenance agreements are priced building by building after a site visit.

Existing signed agreements may have different historical terms.