General Info:
JAG is short for Just A. Guy. My wife is a part of this, but for the most part, it is just me; Just a guy. We live in Springville Utah with our three children and I am studying accounting at Utah Valley University.
I have been working on automotive air conditioning systems since 2003 when I was working at a automotive repair shop as a mechanic. I am licensed under EPA Section 609 have kept up with the changes. Air conditioning repair has been a hobby of mine for a long time because of the high cost of repairs at most repair facilities. However, I have continually studied and learned more about air conditioning systems, the principles they work on, diagnostic techniques, and proper handling of refrigerants. Over the past 5 years, I have purchased more and more tools and equipment and have been repairing systems for friends and family. Last year, I placed a few ads to see if there was much interest and call for automotive air conditioning repair.
Convenience and flexibility are key components of my business plan. My target market is anyone who can not afford or does not want to pay the high cost of air conditioning repairs at a normal repair shop. I am not targeting the customers with the newest vehicles, but those that are a little older. I want to help those who can not justify the high cost of repairs on vehicles. When given an estimate of over $1,000 to replace a AC compressor on a car built in 1995, most people would say the car is not worth that much. I say the job can be done to the same standards and quality of parts used for much less, sometimes as much as half the cost. This allows the repairs to be made and the owners and possibly children to be comfortable in the heat of the summer months.
For body shops, do-it-yourself mechanics and others who do not have the necessary equipment, my services can be used to help make sure the job is done right. I can remove the refrigerant and let someone else do the repairs; then return at a later time to properly recharge the system to factory specifications. This allows work to be done on others schedules, at a further reduced cost, and still legal under federal regulations. The most common refrigerant right now, R134a, can be purchased by anyone without a license. Legally, anyone can add this to their own vehicles. However, under the law, no one can work on the AC of a vehicle they do not own. After recovering the old refrigerant, anyone can then change out the necessary parts. Once the system is put back together, I can draw a vacuum, check for leaks, and properly recharge the system. Having most of the labor done by someone else further reduces the cost when compared to a traditional repair facility.
Being licensed under EPA Section 609 allows me to legally work on automotive air conditioning systems and other similar systems with belt-driven compressors. This includes farm and construction equipment and over-the-road trucks.