• week of July 26, 2010 - Your outdoor unit and how it can effect the cooling of your home:   Avoid locating your air conditioner in direct sunlight, particularly on the south side of your home, where it will be forced to work much harder to do its job.
   If it is in direct sunlight, consider planting trees and shrub, to shade it. However make sure there is plenty of space around the unit for proper air flow.
   Keep leaves, grass, and storage at least 2 feet away from outside unit.
• week of July 12, 2010 - Help your AC be more efficient: In addition to not using your oven or stove during the hottest part of the day, other major appliances such as dishwashers and dryers should be used in the cooler times of day.
   Humidity causes your a/c to work harder, avoid steamy showers, baths, or boiling water for long periods of time
   Whole-house fans help cool your home by pulling cool air through the house and exhausting warm air through the attic. 
• week of July 5, 2010 - Happy Birthday America! During the July 4th holiday we have technicians available to assist you with your emergency cooling needs. Please call 704.321.5207 and follow the prompts to leave a message for a technician to return your call. From our family to yours, we hope you have a wonderful holiday!
• week of June 28, 2010 - Check your filter every month especially during heavy use in summer. If the filter looks dirty, change it. At a minimum, change the filter every 3 months. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you cool — wasting energy. A clean filter will also prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system — leading to expensive maintenance and/or early system failure.
• week of June 21, 2010 - If you see an ice build-up on your outdoor unit during cooling season use the thermostat to turn the a/c off and the fan on. This will melt the ice and allow the technician access your unit where the problem probably is.
• week of June 14, 2010 - Energy savings during cooling season (part 2):
   Check the fireplace damper. An open damper will pull cooled air right up the chimney.
   During the cooling season, keep the window coverings closed during the day to prevent solar gain:
     o Opaque roller shades block 80 percent of the sun's heat.
     o White Venetian blinds block 45 to 50 percent of the sun's heat.
     o Awnings, sunscreens or overhangs reduce heat gain up to 90 percent.                      
• week of June 7, 2010 - Energy savings during cooling season (part 1):
   Clean or replace filters once a month or as needed.
   Clean air registers; make sure they're not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes.
   Turn off kitchen, bath, and other exhaust fans within 20 minutes after you are done cooking or bathing.
• week of May 31, 2010 - Before you call for emergency service we recommend trying these 3 tips; they will save you money and time.
   Check the thermostat to verify that it is calling for cooling.
   Check your breaker box to verify the breaker is on.
   Check outdoor fuses or disconnect.
• week of May 24, 2010 - Use fans with your AC to make your home more comfortable. Use fans during the summer to create a wind chill effect that will make your home more comfortable. If you use air conditioning, a ceiling fan will allow you to raise the thermostat setting about 4°F with no reduction in comfort. Also, turn off fans when you leave the room. Remember that fans cool people, not rooms.
• week of May 17, 2010 - Is R-22 Reon (refrigerant) still available? Yes, it is and it will be available for many years to come. While it is being phased out, chemical manufacturers may still produce R-22 to service existing equipment until January 1, 2020. After that date, use of existing refrigerant, including refrigerant that has been recovered and recycled, will be allowed to service existing systems. For more information, visit the US Environmental Protection Agency web site.
• week of May 10, 2010 - Proper thermostat usage can save you money (part 2) Use a 7 day programmable thermostat to adjust your home’s temperature to be warmer when no one is home, everyone is sleeping or while everyone is inactive. Also set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be.
• week of May 3, 2010 - Proper thermostat usage can save you money (part 1) Avoid setting your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and, therefore, unnecessary expense. Also avoid placing lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
• week of April 26, 2010 - Are your Ducts Insulated? 
  § Make sure your home has the appropriate amount of insulation in walls, attics and crawl spaces. Insulation is just as important in the summer as it is during the winter since it helps keep warm air outside. Seal and insulate air-conditioning ducts that run through unconditioned spaces.
  § When doing ductwork, be sure to get professional help. Changes and repairs to a duct system should always be performed by a qualified professional.
• week of April 19, 2010 - Have your cooling system checked, cleaned and serviced every year. Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up of your cooling system can improve efficiency and comfort. Here are a few the items that McClintock Heating and Cooling checks, cleans and services when performing your air conditioning maintenance:
  § Outdoor coil will be inspected for heat transfer loss and will be power washed
  § Indoor coils will be inspected
  § Fans will be inspected & cleaned
  § Refrigerant checked for proper charge to assure no leaks
  § Exposed ductwork will be checked for leaks
  § Thermostats will be checked and calibrated as required
  § Motors and bearings will be lubricated as required
  § Controls and safeties will be tested
  § Drain will be checked
  § Relays and contactors will be inspected
  § Unit wiring and electrical disconnect will be inspected
  § Air filters will be inspected and replace if requested
  Advise of any abnormal conditions and make recommendations if necessary
• week of April 12, 2010 - Don't just have your system "checked", have your system "checked, cleaned and serviced". Our seasonal tune up not only checks y our entire system including all exposed ducts to make sure it's operating properly, we clean the coils and fans, plus service the system by tightening electrical connections, lubricating all moving parts and adjusting thermostat calibration.
• week of April 5, 2010 - I have a heat pump, does my sytem still need to be checked and serviced for cooling season? Absolutely! A heat pump system both cools and heats your home and it’s been running most of the winter 8 to 16 hours a day. A thorough check and servicing now will not only keep your heat pump system performing at peak efficiency; it can catch small issues before they become problems.
• week of March 29, 2010 - I just had my system checked last fall, why should I have it checked again this spring? Your a/c unit has been sitting idle since the start of heating season and the outdoor unit, especially the coil, needs to be cleaned of the dirt and debris that has built up during this especially cold and wet winter. A cleaning, tune up and check now, will help your system run more efficiently this summer, saving you money on your power bill as well as taking care of any potential problems that might cause breakdowns.
• week of March 22, 2010 - Select energy efficient products when you buy new heating and cooling equipment. If your heating and air conditioning system is old, consider purchasing a new, energy-efficient model. You could save up to 50% on your utility bill for cooling. A reputable heating and air conditioning company should be able to give you energy fact sheets for different types, models, and designs to help you compare energy usage. For furnaces, look for high Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) ratings. The national minimum is 78% AFUE, but there are ENERGY STAR  For air conditioners, look for a high Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). The current minimum is 13 SEER for central air conditioners. ENERGY STAR models are 14 SEER or more. models on the market that exceed 90% AFUE.
• week of March 15, 2010 - Can an air cleaning system help allergy sufferers? Recent studies show that the Trane CleanEffects, a whole-house air cleaner, removes more than 99% of dust, pollen, dander and other irritants from the filtered air in your home. This means that a Trane CleanEffects can be a powerful solution for helping battle allergies at home, where you and your family may be exposed to irritants that circulate in the air you breathe indoors.
• week of March 8, 2010 - What problems can be caused by a too large or too small system? An oversized system will cost more to install and because it will have a shorter run time, your home will experience improper humidity control and large temperature swings. However an undersized system will be constantly running so you will have higher energy costs, reduced comfort in your home and the system will have a shorter life.
• week of March 1, 2010 - Why is a load calculation important? A proper load calculation is the key to customizing your comfort solution. Experts agree - there is absolutely no other way to ensure your family's comfort, health and safety. ENERGY STAR says - a good contractor WILL NOT size your equipment solely on square footage or assume your existing equipment was sized properly. The U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY website states - it is the contractor's job to perform the correct sizing calculation of the home.

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