After owning my own home and handling all the regular tasks, repairs and responsibilities over nearly thirty years, I’ve learned the importance of maintenance.

I’ve figured out that thoroughly cleaning, greasing and oiling the lawn mower before putting it away for the winter helps to prevent repairs and frustration in the spring.

Draining the hot water tank every year lengthens the unit’s lifespan. Cleaning the lint trap on the dryer and scheduling professional vent cleaning combats fire hazards and keeps the appliance operating at its best. I know how important it is to have my car serviced, my gutters cleaned and plumbing system inspected. Every fall, I make sure to schedule professional upkeep for my furnace. In the spring, I call to set up an appointment for air conditioner service. A record of annual maintenance is necessary to fulfill the requirements of the heating and cooling systems manufacturer’s warranties. A licensed and certified HVAC contractor takes the equipment apartment to carefully inspect the inner workings. He looks for any worn or broken parts and replaces them if necessary. He cleans the equipment, removing the buildup of dust, pollen, lint and other debris and applies a chemical disinfectant to kill and protect against the growth of bacteria, mold, mildew and algae. By tightening electrical wires, lubricating moving parts, verifying the integrity of the heat exchanger and testing the refrigerant charge, he optimizes the performance of the furnace and air conditioner. I can be sure both systems are prepared to handle the upcoming workload. My family will benefit from a more comfortable and hygienic living environment. I’ll appreciate lower monthly utility bills and fewer repairs expenses. The heating and cooling system should operate more efficiently and reliably. I can expect them to last longer as well.

 

New HVAC

Last week, I noticed that one of the zones in my home had no heat coming from the vents. I fiddled with the thermostat but couldn’t get it to work. Since it’s the middle of December and there was a blizzard on the way, I decided it best to call for repairs right away. I managed to get an appointment for the following day. The repairman showed up right on time and spent less than thirty minutes working on the heating system. He told me everything was all fixed and presented me with a considerable bill for his services. I checked and there seemed to be warm air flowing from the vents, so I paid the repair bill. Within two hours, my entire heating system shutdown and wouldn’t start back up. I tried everything and finally had to call the HVAC contractor back. He was unable to return until the following afternoon. I then went without heat overnight. I was very thankful for my heated blanket. With the outdoor temperature dropping down into the teens, the house became uncomfortably cold really quickly. When the HVAC technician returned to inspect the heating system, he discovered a faulty part that needed to be replaced. Since he had to order the part, I went without heat for another night. I also needed to interrupt my workday three days in a row to meet with the technician. For each appointment, he failed to take off his shoes and tracked dirty through my house, making a mess for me to clean up. I was very unhappy with the level of service provided by this HVAC contractor.

Geo heat pump

In my local area, the summers are hot with excessive humidity.

When the winter weather arrives, it brings temperatures well below zero with brutal wind chill.

We rely heavily on cooling and heating just about all year round and cost adds up to about fifty percent of our annual energy expenses. The duct system is designed to move heated or cooled air from the air conditioner and furnace to every room in the house. With constant wear and tear, the network of pipes gradually develops holes and cracks that allow the air to escape. Because the maximum amount of conditioned air fails to end up where it’s supposed to go, various rooms never feel quite warm or cool enough. It’s not uncommon to waste up to twenty percent of the energy that the furnace and air conditioner produce. This forces the system to run longer to and increases operational costs. It negatively impacts the environment, the budget and even the long-term reliability of the furnace and air conditioner. Sealing up those holes lessens the chance malfunctions and helps the heating/cooling equipment to last longer. Duct sealing significantly reduces utility bills and pays for itself very quickly. It also prevents dust, pollen, dander, bacteria and all sorts of allergens from getting drawn into the system and introduced into the breathing air. These contaminants cause serious air quality problems that can aggravate allergies and cause respiratory concerns. Leaky ducts are the ideal habitat for mold, mildew, bacteria and pests to thrive. I make sure to have the ductwork professionally inspected every year. The technician completes a testing process to identify leaks and provides any necessary sealing.

Air conditioning filter

My family lives an extremely hectic lifestyle.

My husband and I both work full-time jobs with a great deal of responsibilities.

We have three sons who are all involved in hockey with practices throughout the week, games over the weekends and skill camps during the summers. We spend a lot of time in the car, at the ice rink and away from home. It’s difficult to keep up regular tasks such as laundry, grocery shopping, mowing the lawn, washing dishes and changing the oil in the car. There’s no extra time available to handle needless disruptions or repairs. We need our household to run as efficiently and smoothly as possible. One of the most valuable investments we’ve made was the upgrade to a smart thermostat. The new thermostat includes wifi connectivity that works through an app on our phones. Whether we’re sitting on the couch, at our desks at work, away on vacation or watching a hockey game, we have easy access to adjustment and information. We are able to raise or lower temperature, check the indoor temperature and even track our energy usage. We receive alerts when it’s time to change the air filter or schedule professional maintenance. We get notified when there’s a temperature fluctuation, problem with the furnace or air conditioner or power outage. Plus, the thermostat tracks the locations of our phones and automatically alters the temperature to conserve energy when the house is empty and welcomes us back to perfect comfort. Because of the smart thermostat, we save a ton of money on utility bills, take better care of the heating/cooling equipment and can concentrate on more important things.
Cooling and heating company

My husband and I went out of town Saturday afternoon and we decided to spend the night at a hotel.

We left the kids alone and we told them that we were probably going to stay somewhere overnight.

Both of our children are teenagers and my husband and I did not think it would be a big deal to leave them home alone all weekend. We had left them alone before in the past and they never had any problems. Things were much different this time. An hour after my husband and I pulled out of the driveway, we received the first of a dozen distress phone calls. The heater in the house suddenly stopped working. The kids said it was getting colder and colder, but the heater didn’t come on. My husband tried to troubleshoot the problem with our oldest son, but they couldn’t figure out how to fix the problem together. My husband called his brother who is an electrician, and he asked the guy to go to the house to look at the heater. Dave was pretty busy, but he offered to look in on the kids later that day. The kids called three more times during the day to complain about the heater. When Dave arrived at our house a few hours later, he called on his phone to tell us that the indoor temperature was 51 degrees. He didn’t know why the heater wasn’t working, but he said he was taking the kids over to his house until we could get home and fix the furnace.

 

Heating technician

In order to accommodate more customers, the company where I work is changing their hours for the winter season.

I work for a company that installs and repairs heating equipment. The busiest time of the year for us is during the winter season. We have repairs, tune-ups, and replacement appointments scheduled every day of the week. Unfortunately, the daylight hours are shorter and we lose valuable sunlight Most of the time the sun sets around 5, and we lose a lot of daylight hours. This year, we are going to start at 7 in the morning instead of 8. The boss said that the new winter hours will help us complete more jobs before the daylight hours are gone. We often run into problems with daylight and it’s hard to see after dark. Even with a flashlight, it can be difficult to diagnose a heating problem. The extra early hour might seem like no big deal to most people, but that hour means that I have to get up a lot earlier for work. I have a 40 minute commute in the morning to my job at the heating company. If I have to be there an hour early, that means driving in the same traffic that is going downtown for business. There is no way to avoid the traffic at that time of the morning. The new schedule for heating equipment repairs and installations is going to be a pain in the butt. When winter is over, the boss said we will go back to our regular start time of 8am. Until then, we’re stuck with the early hours.

 

Heating technology

I bought a diesel truck when I got my settlement money.

I knew that I needed a big truck to pull my RV and I got a great deal on an older diesel. I didn’t really know anything about diesel trucks when I bought this one, but I’m quickly learning a lot. The temperatures have been extremely cold and chilly this week, and the overnight lows have been close to freezing. Couple of days ago, I couldn’t get my truck to start in the morning. I was really starting to worry. Another camper in the RV across the street came over to lend a helping hand. He told me that the truck probably wasn’t going to start because of the cold temperatures. The guy suggested putting a space heater under the truck at night. I thought he was joking, but he was serious. He told me that a small $15 space heater would do a fine job and he told me not to spend a heap of money. The guy told me to put a couple of blankets over the front of the truck to block most of the wind and cold air. He told me to put the space heater under the truck by the engine. I was worried about the fuel combustion, but the guy told me that diesel fuel does not ignite easily. I didn’t want to look silly, but the next time we had overnight freezing temperatures, I used the space heater. I didn’t have any trouble starting up the truck in the morning. I really think the space heater is the reason.

Heating contractor

I hardly ever make $50 on a Wednesday at the pizza shop, but this week I made almost a hundred dollars.

The day was already busy due to the fact that it was snowing and there was ice on the ground. We’re always a lot busier during the day when the weather is harsh. Nobody wants to pick up a pizza or breadsticks when it’s raining or snowing and almost all of our orders are delivered. It was cold and it was snowing on Wednesday and we were busier than normal. I had five deliveries before noon. One of those deliveries was a 25 pizza pie order that went to an HVAC repair store. The manager for the HVAC repair store ordered the pizzas in the morning so we could have them ready at lunch time. I delivered the pizza hot and fresh and on time. I didn’t expect the manager of the HVAC repair store to give me a $50 tip. When he gave me the cash, I was shocked. It’s the biggest tip that I have received in a long time. I got a $60 tip one year during the Super Bowl, but the customer was extremely drunk and I still think it was a mistake. I made $100 on that day and I used the money to buy a really nice gift for my mom. Her birthday is on Monday and we are going out to dinner to celebrate. My sister is coming and so is my mom’s boyfriend. She is going to love the present I bought with my fat tip.

Cooling equipment

My sister is one of those people who feel that a woman should always have smooth skin that is free of wrinkles.

She came to visit me about four months ago, and she had her nose in the air the entire time she was in my home.

She complained how bad my air quality was for her. She also reminded me that I was the younger sister, and I looked at least ten years older. I raised an eyebrow and looked into her eyes. I told her she could fool most people, but not me. I could see how much makeup she had in those wrinkles. She couldn’t cover them up. It wasn’t long after that, she decided it was time to leave. That’s why I was so surprised when I got a present in the mail a week ago. She hadn’t bought me a birthday present since I turned eighteen. My husband laughed and asked if I thought it was safe to open. She didn’t approve of my lifestyle, but I was sure she wouldn’t hurt me. It shocked me to see a humidifier come out of the box. My husband held up the humidifier and asked why she would think we needed it. I told him what she said about the air quality and how it was making me look older. She thought a humidifier would help my skin to look younger. He laughed and told me he thought I was beautiful, but it didn’t take him long to hook up the humidifier. I had to admit that the humidifier did make a big difference in our air.

Cooling equipment

Every time it snows, or it gets cold, our ramp ices up.

My husband has tried the snow blower, the leaf blower, and even the heat gun, to keep the ramp cleaned off.

Since I had my car accident, I have had many surgeries and I have a hard time getting up and down stairs. Without the ramp, I have no way in and out of my home. After the last snowstorm, he said he was tired of spending hours trying to deice the ramp. He said he had to come with another way to get it cleaned and quickly. He started talking about a hot water heater and pumping the hot water to pipes that would be zig-zagged under the ramp. I looked at him and said that he was talking about radiant heating for the ramp. He just gave me an odd look and then said if that was how I wanted to look at it then it was going to be radiant heating. I am normally so right that I am wrong, as far as he’s concerned. As he began putting pipes beneath the ramp, I offered to help. He told me that I would just be in the way. My dad was an HVAC technician and he taught me a lot about radiant heating, but my husband didn’t want my help? I knew he was afraid I would be able to do the work just as good if not better than he could. When I questioned him about this, he told me I was a pain in the butt, but he didn’t deny that I was right.

furnace/heater