Business Profile: J&J Air

Jeremy Hartlaub, owner of J & J Air, not only provides installation and routine service for existing HVAC units in homes and businesses, but also has expertise in geothermal energy systems, which use heat from the earth. “No matter the temperature outside, it heats and cools your home at 65 degrees,” he says. “It’s about 70 percent more efficient than traditional heating and cooling. No noise or outside units. It has an average life span of 22 years.”

 J & J Air is an authorized WaterFurnace dealer and one of the few in the region with national geothermal certification. Hartlaub’s team assesses use of geothermal energy by measuring each room of a home or business then feeding the information into a computer program. This determines the amount of air conditioning and heating needed. “There is a lot of science to what we do, to do it correctly,” he says.

They drill up to 300 feet deep vertically on the premises or 20 feet horizontally. The plastic piping installed has a 150-year life span with connections that use heat fusion, which doesn’t require joints. “We compare the client’s current utility usage with the geothermal system and how it adds up,” he says. “People typically break even at year seven. After that, they are making money.”

Hartlaub hadn’t planned on being a geothermal expert when he graduated from Bridgewater College in Virginia in 2001. He was on his way to a career in finance, but that dream disappeared with the dot-com collapse. Instead, he and Josh, a college friend, decided to open J & J Air in North Myrtle Beach. “It was that simple when you’re 23 years old,” he says.

Josh departed for other opportunities, but Hartlaub persisted and for the past 17 years has crossed state lines to provide service to North Carolina residents and businesses. “Geothermal is especially beneficial to those with homes on the coast since the weather conditions corrode systems rapidly,” he says. “We run the numbers and people see the difference.”

 Hartlaub and his wife, Sara, live in Calabash with their two preschool-aged children.

Sponsored Content- J & J Air: 2310 Highway E., Suite 106, Longs, SC; (843) 281-9595; jeremy@jandjair.net; jandjair.net