Airtech

By Special to the Sentinel Monday, July 7, 2014

Tell us about your life outside of work. My wife Tammy and I attend all home games for the Denver Broncos. We also enjoy camping on the Grand Mesa and trail riding on our ATVs with our children. We do our best to make time for many charitable events for the benefit of the community through our involvement with the Knights of Columbus. Tammy and I have our oldest son, Richard Hopkins who is a mechanical engineer in Denver and two daughters, Melissa Hopkins who is a project manager for Airtech and Heather Hopkins, a health and fitness trainer here in Grand Junction. Our family is close and we do enjoy spending time together on family trips and holidays.

What do you enjoy about living in Western Colorado? Everything! Its a wonderful community with endless options for recreational activities, the weather is great through all four seasons and you just cant beat the 360? views of the mountains surrounding us. Overall, its been an enjoyable and safe place to raise my family.

How did you get started in the industry? A good friend introduced me to the refrigeration industry. I became very interested by the science and theory of the refrigeration process. I spent 2 years in trade school at NDSCS North Dakota State College of Science and now with 30 years of practical experience, I am very confident & knowledgeable in all aspects of this industry.

How has the industry changed since you got started? Residential customers have really become energy conscience. Homeowners now demand the appliances that qualify for rebates from utilities and seem to be very educated on the types and brands of equipment. Indoor air quality is very important as well, filtering equipment, duct cleaning, ductwork sealed and insulated. These types of things were never considered when I first got into the business.

What should consumers know about heating and cooling their new home? There are several new heating and cooling products that exist today. If you are wanting hot water heat in the floor or baseboard heat you then must invest additional dollars into an air conditioning system, whether it be evaporative or central forced air conditioning. It is likely that a complete forced air system, that heats, cools, cleans & humidifies the air, can be installed for the same cost as just an in floor radiant heat system. If indoor air quality and general comfort are both a requirement, then forced air is the best choice. Many customers insist on heated floors, but then they must budget for a complete forced air system in order to have central forced air conditioning. Another thing to be aware of is that evaporative cooling, while affordable, is not a replacement for the comfort and air quality that central air conditioning provides. It is a myth that central air conditioning is more expensive to operate, if the system is sized correctly and the efficiency is selected properly, homeowners can achieve low utility costs and much more comfort for the same cost of operation as those other low cost systems.

How does Airtech stand out from other companies in the same market? As a company, we prefer to meet with the homeowner to assure we get them the system best suited to their personal needs as well as offer them affordable equipment that makes sense and will keep their utility bills as low as possible. We will perform a heat gain and heat loss calculation to assure that a system is correctly sized. Airtech is now an accredited Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) member, which is an entity that sets the highest of quality standards.

Looking for help improving your home? Call the HBA of Northwestern Colorado at (970) 245-0253 or visit http://www.hbanwco.com

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Airtech