Articles Written By: cdoelle

October Special – Furnace Inspection

Date: October 15, 2012 Author: cdoelle Comments: Leave a reply

October Special – Furnace inspection only 59.50

PLUS, 10 percent off any American Standard gas furnace or 10 percent off any American Standard complete system.

October Special - Furnace inspectionThe cool weather has started and it won’t be long before the really cold stuff gets here!  But before you turn up the heat, have your system serviced. Our inspectors have found that many people do not service their furnaces every year. In fact, from the look of these furnaces, we wonder if any have ever been serviced.

If you are tempted to check your heating system yourself, we suggest you resist temptation. Unless you are a heating technician, you will not likely detect problems in your system with great accuracy. This is one system that requires a licensed technician.

Your heating system burns fuel. In a well- functioning system, the heat from the combustion process goes into your house while the combustion gasses vent outside. There are several reasons why combustion gasses may end up flowing into the house. If an animal builds its home in your flu pipe, for example, combustion gasses can back up into your house. Combustion gasses that leak into your house present health and safety hazards. In a worst-case scenario, carbon monoxide poisoning can lead to death. When a technician services your heating system, he should verify the flow of combustion gasses. The technician will also look for leaking natural gas or oil and check for proper ignition. Once again, health and safety are the concern.

Efficiency
A well-tuned heating system is more efficient. This is good for the environment and saves you money. A quick adjustment of the fuel mixture in your heating system may make all the difference. Again, this is something only a technician can assess.

Keep It Running
A well- maintained heating system will last longer. If you service your furnace yearly, any adverse conditions will only have an opportunity to damage your furnace for, at most, one season. For instance, if you call a technician at the beginning of the winter, he or she may find a problem, such as a condensation leak, in your high efficiency furnace. The condensate from a high efficiency furnace is fairly corrosive and can damage your furnace. If the problem were left for several years, the furnace would fail before its
intended life expectancy.

Inexpensive Peace Of Mind
A yearly service call by a qualified heating technician is not expensive and the job doesn’t take long. Our October Special is a great way to get this done at a discount.   If the technician does find something wrong, it is better to know about it now, before the problem gets worse and costs much more. If the prospect of an unexpected repair does not appeal to you, you can buy a basic warranty package that will cover the cost of many of these repairs. Before you buy the warranty, however, read the fine print: not all warranties are the same. Some exclude virtually everything that can go wrong, rendering them useless.

To take advantage of this offer, you MUST call and schedule the appointment before the end of October.  The actual appointment may be in November, but the appointment must be scheduled before the end of the month!

Being Social with the Social Media guy!

Date: September 2, 2012 Author: cdoelle Comments: Leave a reply

Our good friend, Chris Doelle, who has helped us make our mark on the social media world with his company, Fresh Media Works, dropped by the office the other day to visit.  We are big fans of everything he does for us and his other clients.

Lisa and Chris

If you need any help with your marketing efforts, give Chris a call and make sure you mention where you heard about him.

Texas is 9th Fastest Warming State

Date: July 28, 2012 Author: cdoelle Comments: Leave a reply

I am not going to get into the whole global warming debate.  Whether or not man is responsible for raising the temperature doesn’t really matter.  What does matter is that it is HOT and getting HOTTER!

According to Climate Central, Texas is one of the hottest.  In looking back at temperature records since 1911, things have taken a definite swing toward the warmer after 1970.  Since that time, Texas is the 9th fastest warming state – raising 0.575 degrees F per decade.

What does that mean?  Again, it doesn’t matter why it’s happening.  All that matters is what you do about it.  Of course, make sure your HVAC unit is running smooth before it decides to take an unscheduled break in the middle of August.  Another thing you can do is follow our twitter feed (@TheCoolDudeAC) and read our periodic energy saving tips.

Maximize Your Cooling

Date: May 31, 2012 Author: cdoelle Comments: 1 Reply

If you’re installing any kind of air conditioner, be sure to get the right size. A unit that’s too small won’t cut the heat, but an oversized system wastes energy. Match room size with cooling capacity, measured in British thermal units, or Btu: the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit at a specified temperature. Follow these steps to determine what size unit will maximize your cooling.

1. Calculate the square footage of the area to be cooled.

2. Determine the best approximate cooling capacity using this chart (capacity will differ depending on ceiling height).

Square Feet           Btu
550 to 700            14,000
700 to 1,000         18,000
1,000 to 1,200      21,000
1,200 to 1,400      23,000
1,400 to 1,500      24,000
1,500 to 2,000      30,000
2,000 to 2,500      34,000

3. Adjust measurements in these situations:

  • Reduce capacity by 10 percent for shaded rooms.
  • Increase capacity by 10 percent for sunny rooms.
  • If more than two people regularly occupy a room, add 600 Btu for each additional person.
  • If a unit is used in a kitchen, increase capacity by 4,000 Btu.

And consider where you install a unit: If you’re mounting an air conditioner near the corner of a room, look for a unit that can send the airflow in the right direction.

Source: www.energystar.gov