Jim McKinny is the owner of Cool Aid Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, the family-owned HVAC and commercial refrigeration company serving the San Francisco Bay Area since 1966. Over a 37+ year career, Jim has personally installed or repaired several thousand air conditioning and refrigeration units — and many thousands more through the company's technicians.
The company was founded by Jim's father, Glenn McKinny — a U.S. Navy Chief Engineer — who built the business on integrity, technical expertise, and a commitment to doing the job right. Today Jim leads the second generation of the family business across San Jose, Santa Clara, and the greater Bay Area.
Licenses & certifications
- California C-20 — HVAC Contractor License
- California C-38: Refrigeration Contractor License
- EPA Universal Certification (Section 608)
Factory-authorized service
Cool Aid is an authorized repair company for many of the industry's leading manufacturers, with ongoing factory training on their latest equipment:
- True Manufacturing
- Traulsen
- Turbo Air
- Dukers
- Manitowoc Ice
- Hoshizaki
- Scotsman
- Daikin
- Amana
- Goodman
- York
- Trane
- Carrier
Areas of expertise
- Residential heating, cooling, and air-conditioning service
- Commercial HVAC repair, installation, and maintenance
- Commercial refrigeration — walk-in coolers, reach-in units, and ice machines
- Server-room and mission-critical cooling
- emergency HVAC and refrigeration response
Staying current
Jim and the Cool Aid team continually undergo manufacturer training on the latest equipment and on the new low-GWP refrigerants used in today's systems — including R-32, R-454B, and R-290 — so customers get service built around current code and current technology, not just legacy know-how.
What we do differently
— Jim McKinny
Notable projects
From a refrigerant-leak repair on a specialized defense-transport cooling system, to running 160 feet of copper line set for the Bowlero family entertainment center at Valley Fair, to same-day emergency saves for Bay Area hotels and restaurants — see a few of the jobs that show what hands-on experience looks like on our case studies page.
Meet the team
Jim leads a team of seasoned technicians who share the same standard and training, including senior refrigeration technician Dao Nguyen and George Barnes.
Our guarantee
Every job Cool Aid performs is backed by a 1-year parts and labor warranty. We stand behind the work, and we do it right the first time.
Join Our List of Satisfied Clients
We’re proud to earn the trust of each and every customer we serve. From first-time callers to long-term service plan holders, your comfort and satisfaction are our priority.