Episode 30: HVAC Questions with Ladarius Deary

In this episode, Reside Broker/Owner Brady Bridges sits down with Ladarius Deary, owner of Only Way Air, to talk about modern HVAC systems, what to look at before you buy a home, and how to prevent and treat maintenance issues.

Watch the video below or listen at anchor.fm/residedfw, and don’t forget to subscribe to be notified of new updates.

Ladarius has been in business for four years now, doing mostly residental heating and air conditioning with some smaller commercial projects. He chose to focus on HVAC after being laid off several times from the oil and gas industry because it's "never going to go away, people are always going to need it, and a robot can't replace it." 

Ladarius said he's seeing more energy effient units now than what were used in the past, including heat pumps and two stage cooling systems. Modern systems are designed to cool 20 degrees below the ambient temperature - so if it's 100 degrees outside, anything below 80 on the thermostat will require extra energy to maintain and lead to a higher electric bill. He mentioned that setting the thermostat to a lower temperature, like 60 degrees, won't cool your home any more quickly but does make your system run harder and for longer, which can also lead to expensive bills. 

When you're looking at buying a home, he recommended ensuring the HVAC system is the correct size for the square footage of the home before you even make an offer. For a 2,000 square foot home Ladarius said you'd want a 4 ton system. A unit that is too small for the home will "work a lot harder than it needs to, and it's never going to maintain temperature." He also suggested that homebuyers have a separate HVAC inspection in addition to the general home inspection to get a specialist opinion. Ladarius said it will cost you a little more up front for the second inspection, but that could save you thousands of dollars if there's a major problem - and give you the chance to renegotiate the offer terms or walk away.

For homeowners, Ladarius says there's only so much maintenance they can do on their HVAC by themselves, but the most important thing is to change the filters regularly. He suggested changing the standard one inch filters every two to three months, or the larger four inch filters can last for five to six months. Dirty filters restrict the air flow to the unit, so the blower motor has to work harder and may blow out or sieze up when it's overworked. Ladarius mentioned a new motor may be $800-900 so changing the filters is an easy way to protect your investment and your home.

When you're looking for a HVAC company to work with, Ladarius said reviews are the first thing to consider. He mentioned it's important to actually read the reviews to get a sense of how that company works. Sometimes a business will have a bad review but it's actually unrelated to the work they performed or due to circumstances beyond their control. He also suggests asking your friends, family members, or neighbors for their recommendations. 

Ladarius can be reached at 682-777-8272 or onlywayair.com. 

There's much more in the full episode - listen at anchor.fm/residedfw or search Real Talk with Reside Real Estate on Spotify, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Pandora, and more. 

Reside Real Estate represents the region's finest properties with exceptional skill using the most innovative technologies currently available. Reside Real Estate offers ultimate privacy and security, speed, and efficiency. Their years of full-time experience have given them a clear understanding of the mindset of home buyers and sellers and a thorough understanding of the regional marketplace.