CLA Mechanical

10/28/2026

Post install revisit on a beautiful Aruba from Velocity Boiler Works. The entire house was flushed with Sentinel X400, which is a cleaning agent and rust inhibitor.

The rust and scale that forms year after year in radiators and baseboards will prevent the boiler hot water from radiating into the home. That rust shortens the life of circulator pumps and lowers the alkalinity of the water, ultimately causing the boiler itself to corrode and fail.

When comparing quotes from different companies, always ask what post installation care will look like. These may seem like details but extending the life of the product is a great investment.

10/26/2026

Modernizing and simplifying a hydronic piping layout is really satisfying. No one wants to open a closet door and say “what is even happening here.”

New digital platforms make simplification easy, and have LED lighting and digital screens to tell a homeowner what is wrong before a phone call to a contractor is made. Most problems can be easily solved or manually switched to provide heat until help arrives.

We talk a good amount of pride in our workmanship, and finish each job knowing we provided the best materials and craftsmanship possible.

10/26/2026

Temperatures are dropping and we are taking a break from AC installs to provide this family with a Velocity Aruba 6 natural gas boiler.

We install natural gas, propane, and oil boilers of all sizes, including wall hung combi units like the Phantom II and Raptor.

Spring and fall are the best times to replace an aging, inefficient hydronic boiler system so you aren’t left without heat for a period of time.

We would love to see some questions or comments about any hydronic heating topics below!

10/25/2026

10/22/2026

We’re finishing up a Bosch IDS 2.0 heat pump install with ductwork just in time for some seasonally normal temperatures.

These inverter driven variable speed heat pumps can cool and heat your home in just about any weather, even into sub freezing temperatures without the need of auxiliary electric heat kits. They are warm in the winter and provide superior dehumidification in the summer months.

To get the most out of an attic system of any type, airflow and duct leakage are key factors.
You’ll never achieve your comfort and efficiency goals if the unit can’t breathe as designed.

The system also has MERV13 filtration for superior filtration, along with sealed and heat reflective insulated ductwork.

If you have any questions, please comment below!

09/29/2026

With current fuel oil pricing, more people are looking to make the transition to electric heating or natural gas if available.

A modern inverter heat pump is an excellent choice, but conditions must be met to reach your goals for comfort and longevity.

After the initial visit we provided options of different heat pump models and reviewed the pros and cons of each, along with our own experience.

Once the client narrowed the field and chose what would work best for their needs, we performed a Manual J heat load calculation with ductwork design according to the model chosen. We could all clearly see how much heating and cooling the home required along with the needs of every room. We had identified ductwork deficiencies at the initial visit and were certain we couldn’t just swap attic units as they were advised by other companies when collecting quotes.

After removal of the original unit, we found that approximately 1/3 of the original AC coil had never seen airflow in 20 years, confirming our assessment. Pic in the comments.

We perform one project at a time for wonderful local people, and want them to get the best experience possible with their new equipment.

08/14/2026

CLA Mechanical will be closing Friday August 14th at 4pm and reopening Monday August 31st at 8am.
Please email any questions or concerns you may have during this time. Thank you!

08/12/2026

So we had our first large warranty claim in over 3 years and we would like to take a moment to tell what the experience was like for both the customer as well as us, the installing contractor.

After a few call backs for mixed performance, the outdoor condenser quit after just 11 months which is highly unusual. The system was sized and installed correctly, recorded performance data and photos were reviewed by Amana tech support. I let them know that the compressor was failing and would need to be replaced. They acknowledged that it was a manufacturers defect in the Copeland Scroll compressor and ended the call.

Our suppliers regional manager called me within 15 minutes to let me know an entire replacement unit was ready for pickup and the customers AC was running better than ever in less than 48 hours.

No sending parts three weeks later through UPS, no warranty documents to endlessly file and be rejected (Lennox & Carrier we’re talking about you), no holdups for us or the customer. All we had to do was exchange the outdoor unit at the loading dock and install the new one.

We’re proud to stand behind our work and even happier to work with a manufacturer who is willing to stand behind their product. We are sticking with the Amana ALXS5 and ALZS5 series condensers as our main product line moving forward to provide our clients with the best experience possible.

08/11/2026

Attention Heat Pump owners! This is how your AC feels after working all summer, and it is not prepared to deal with any type of winter. Heat pumps are asked to run 10 months out of the year and need extra care. PECO rates are up and if your unit can’t keep up, your next bill will be sky high.

We are looking to schedule customers for heat pump, gas, & LP furnace checkups around Halloween.

08/09/2026

Work in Progress! We’re adding the affordability and flexibility of a ductless multizone heat pump to a building from the early 1800’s.

We will post some finished pictures once the interior renovations are completed. Multizone heat pumps provide plenty of heating and cooling to each individual zone when properly installed. Generally the only drawback of a multi zone condenser is the inability to provide adequate heat in extremely low temperatures. If low ambient temperatures are an issue, we recommend moving to a traditional 1:1 ductless built for that purpose.