Week of January 23, 2012
Seal and insulate your home to save money on your energy bills!
- Apply silicone caulk to small cracks and polyurethane expandable spray foam to larger cracks.
- Install weather stripping to windows and doors.
- Check or have the insulation levels in your attic, walls and crawlspace checked. If necessary add more insulation.
- Many home improvement stores offer how-to clinics on this subject.
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week of January 9, 2012 - Are you ducts insulated? You can lose up to 60% of your heated air before it reaches the register if your ducts aren't insulated and are in unheated spaces such as the attic or crawlspace.
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week of January 2, 2012 - For energy savings during heating season:
- Use a programmable thermostat to adjust your home's temperature to be cooler when no one is home or everyone is sleeping.
- Make sure registers are not blocked by furniture or drapes.
- Keep draperies and shades on south facing windows open on sunny days to allow sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.
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week of December 26, 2011 - Happy Holidays! From our family to yours, we hope you have a wonderful holiday!
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week of December 19, 2011 - Check your air filter regularly! Check your air filter every month, especially during heavy use in the winter. If the filter looks dirty, change it! A clean filter will prevent dust and dirt from building up on your system, which will not only help your system run better; it can prevent expensive repairs and early system failure.
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week of December 12, 2011 - Save on energy costs by using a Programmable Thermostat. You can save as much as 10% a year on your heating and cooling bills by simply turning your thermostat back 10 to 15% for 8 hours. You can do this automatically by having a qualified technician install a programmable thermostat in your home and program it to turn the temperature in your home up or down according to a preset schedule.
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week of December 5, 2011 - Why is a whole house humidifier good for my home? If your house is too dry, you may need a humidifier to add moisture to your home. Dry air wicks moisture out of porous material such as wood; including hardwood floors and cause splitting and cracking. Your home and its contents can benefit from careful humidifying, especially wooden musical pieces such as pianos, violins and cellos, antique furniture and even moldings and other woodwork.
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week of November 28, 2011 - Will a whole house humidifier make me more comfortable? A host of health issues can plague you if your house isn't properly humidified during the heating season. Heated air is dry air - and dry air with an humidity level of below 30% can cause respiratory irritation, uncomfortably dry nasal passages, nosebleeds and chapped and itchy skin; it can also aggravate conditions such as allergies and asthma. Experts agree that a humidity level of over 30% is optimal and when you are running your heating system that means running a humidifier too.
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week of November 21, 2011 - Happy Thanksgiving! During the long holiday weekend we have technicians available to assist you with your emergency heating and cooling needs. Please call 704.321.5207 and follow the prompts to leave a message for out technician to return your call. From our family to yours, we hope you have a wonderful holiday!
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week of November 14, 2011 - Is R-22 Freon (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, the 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.
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week of November 7, 2011 - Before you call for emergency service: we recommend trying these 3 tips, they can save you money and time.
- Check the thermostat to verify that it is working. If the thermostat screen is blank, check to see if it has batteries (some models do) and replace if necessary. If the screen is flashing a “code” write the information down and turn the system off then back on again so see if it “resets”.
- Check your breaker box to verify the breaker is on.
- Check outdoor fuses or disconnect
