Taking the Measure of Things

When you take a test, do you get testy? It’s funny how those words are so similar – and probably not a coincidence. If you’ve got school-age kids around, you might notice that they get testy when it’s exam time, or you might get testy when it’s time to see the grades!

Ultimately, testing is about measuring – and not just about measuring what has been learned in educational environments. For example, you’ve surely heard on your radio or television the break for the Emergency Broadcast System that begins, “This is a test.” Systems get tested to make sure they’ll be ready to do what they need to do when the time comes.

By the same token, you can think of a tune-up as a preseason test of your heating system. There’s a lot that needs to be measured and checked to ensure good performance during those heavy use days. To learn more about what typically takes place, take a look at this free report, When Your Furnace Doesn’t Pass the Hearing Test.

I'm Glad You Asked...

“But why?” you may ask. “Why should I get my furnace tuned up when it seems to be working fine?” Well, I was hoping I’d get a chance to answer that question. It’s just something you might call “taking care of business.” There are certain things we do that may be inconvenient at the moment – but they keep us from having to take care of something much worse down the line.

It’s like going to the doctor for a checkup each year. Maybe nothing’s wrong, but if something is starting to develop, we want to find it quickly before it gets worse. Our health matters to us, so this makes sense. The same is true for going to the dentist. No one enjoys the ritual of cleanings and dental checks, but they keep our teeth “tuned up,” you could say, so we can keep enjoying our favorite foods.

Now that we’re headed into winter, our furnace or heater will matter to us even more. So we want to do a preventive checkup to make sure it’ll be in good shape on the days and nights when we’re counting on it for our comfort and safety.

Would you like to learn more? Take a look at this free report, What’s the Big Deal About Tune- Ups?

You’ve Been Breathing WHAT?

Quick question: what’s the worst thing you’ll breathe today? Yeah, I know. It’s an odd thing to ask, but you might not be aware of the odd things that end up in your indoor air.

For example, have you ever heard of something called a Volatile Organic Compound? Well, whether you’ve heard of it or not, there’s a chance you just breathed one in. That’s right. Just while you were sitting there, you may have just breathed in a Volatile Organic Compound.

Believe me, this is something that’s very common. That’s because VOCs are gases that are emitted by a wide array of common products, including paints, varnishes, cleaning supplies, printers, glues, permanent markers and so forth. And the VOCs that fill our airtight homes are a part of what’s led to the declining quality of indoor air in recent years.

If you’d like to learn more (and I hope you do), take a look at this free report, Why Is Indoor Air So Much Worse than Outdoor Air?

Where Did Those Sniffles Come From?

So let’s conduct a brief survey – brief meaning one question and you’re the only one who has to answer. Here goes: When you get a sniffle of some type, are you likely to take full responsibility, or are you going to look with a suspicious eye toward your kids, spouse, co-workers or strangers in shops or restaurants?

Well, I know – we don’t invent germs and viruses. They had to come from somewhere. But these upper respiratory-type ailments don’t always come from “germs.” They actually could come from carpet, or furniture, or hair spray, or even that air freshener you plug in to “freshen” up the air.

The quality of your indoor air can be affected by many common household belongings. It can also be affected by many ordinary activities, including cooking, building a fire or enjoying a hobby. To learn more, take a look at this free report, Is that Sniffle from a Cold? Or from Your Indoor Air?

Now or Later? And the Big Impact that Small Question Can Have

At some point any of us will say, “I’ll deal with that later.” There is, after all, only so much our “now” can hold. Whether limited time, limited money, limited mental energy, limited physical energy or a mix of all of those at once, the “now” that’s right in front of us for handling issues has to be well managed.

So you want to make good choices – the kind that looks past the now to what’s coming later. Maybe you’ll ask a set of questions like: In the future, will this action help prevent prospective problems that will cost me more time, more money, more inconvenience and be really uncomfortable at an unfortunate time?

That’s the sort of question you might ask yourself when you’re considering routine maintenance on your home comfort system. When you look at it in the context of “now or later,” it’s pretty easy to figure out the answer that makes the most sense. To learn more, take a look at this free report, Simple Math: How Routine Maintenance Adds Up to Be Well Worth Your While.

Standing By For Your Call!

If you’re old enough to remember the iconic Maytag repairman from TV commercials of days gone by, you’ll remember how bored and lonely he was because Maytag washing machines never needed repair. That whole campaign was a great idea because of how long it lasted in popular culture and what a good message it was for customers to hear: you’re not going to have a problem with our products.

In our work, we have a similar message. If we’ve tuned up your furnace for the winter season, you shouldn’t have any problem. In fact, if we tuned up every customer we served prior to winter, we might feel a little like that Maytag repairman. Still, we know the unexpected can happen. Plus, sometimes you just have questions. So, just know, we’ll always welcome your call.

One of the other great lines from infomercials of days gone by was the call to action at the end: “Operators are standing by.” That meant “call now and someone will be able to help you.” You could almost picture a whole room of desks with telephones just waiting to be answered. So think of that when you call us. We’re standing by, ready to help. Whatever home comfort issue is on your mind, just call us at (512) 252-4700 or contact us through our website, and we’ll get someone to you right away.

Uncovering the Mystery of Maintenance

Maybe you’ve invited a service technician to your home before (yes, we do think of this as “invited” because we’re glad to be chosen by you). But once he got there, you started hearing clicks and clanks and simple expressions like, “Hmmm.” So you start wondering, “What in the world is he doing?”

Well, I can sympathize. It isn’t fun to have a stranger in your home sort of doing his own thing, as if you don’t need to be involved. That’s why our techs explain what they’re going to do, and then when they’re done, explain what they did. It takes the mystery out of maintenance. It reassures you about what’s taking place on a very important piece of equipment in your home.

Maintenance involves specific steps, particular to the equipment. In fact, we can tell you now what kinds of things are going to take place to save you energy, convenience and comfort. To learn more, take a look at this free report, What’s on Your Maintenance Checklist?

Lost in Translation

How about a quick language test? Ever hear of the terms SEER and EER? Well, if it’s near dinnertime, you might think that SEER sounds like something you do to a steak, and EER sounds like corn just off the stalk. So maybe I’m just hungry, but I’m not talking dinner – I’m talking comfort.

And therein lies the problem. If you don’t share a common language, it’s hard to understand what someone is trying to tell you.

This concept is true in all sorts of ways – whether it’s English vs. French, or text message acronyms vs. correct spelling in complete sentences, or industry terms vs. what words people actually understand.

All industries seem to have an “insider language,” where words and technical terms are thrown around as if they should make sense to everybody. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t.

We see that often as our customers are trying to choose the most energy-efficient solutions for their home, but sometimes they feel like things are lost in translation. If that could be you, you might appreciate this brief report on, “The Language of Energy Efficiency.” Take a look.

Decisions, Decisions...

Are you the sort of person who says, “I may be indecisive, but I’m not sure.” If given the choice between “Yes, No or Maybe,” do you look for the checkbox that says, “All of the above?” You have my sympathies…

Making decisions is no laughing matter, and homeowners are faced with a slew of them. Some are smallish, like selecting new towels for the guest bathroom. Some are a little larger, like choosing a new bed for the guest bedroom. Some are even larger – like figuring out how to avoid in-law houseguests once they find out about your new towels and bedroom set!

And believe it or not, some decisions get even more sizeable than that – like whether or not to replace a home comfort system. Well, if you’re in the “fact-collecting” mode for that last one, we’ve got some information that can help.

With the summer we’re having, your air conditioning unit is experiencing a heavy load. But is it up for the job? Take a look at this free report, “Repair or Replace? How Do You Know?”

Not the End of Allergies?

One good thing about the end of springtime is the end of spring allergies. And now we have summertime, where the breathing’s easy… achoo!

Ah, yes, summertime sneezes. That can be quite a bit for all of your family’s noses to handle. And why is this happening, you ask?

Most folks think that spring allergies are worse than summer, thanks to pollen and new growth in lawns and gardens. But summertime also has active allergy issues, especially when staying cool means spending long periods of time inside tightly closed homes.

Indoor air can trap all sorts of pollutants that make respiratory issues worse and set off sneezing. Quite a number of our customers have had significant trouble with allergies and asthma, and we help them out by identifying the trouble spots we detect in the air in their home.

If you’d like to know more about what could be lurking in your indoor air, check out this free report, “Identifying Asthma and Allergy Triggers in Your Home.”

Your Best Bet

How about taking a moment to reflect on one of my most favorite, most fun words in the whole world: maintenance.

Well, maybe it doesn’t sound like a “fun” word to you, like it does to me.

So why all the excitement? Well, I get excited about lower energy bills and fewer repairs – both of which are the results of maintaining your home comfort system. Not making sense yet? Think of it this way…

Maintaining your car keeps it in its best condition. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle keeps you in your best condition. Maintaining a steady income provides for what you need. No matter how you look at it, maintenance is the best bet for good results.

And your home comfort system isn’t any different if you want it to perform at its highest efficiency for your best comfort.

If you’d like to know more about how maintenance helps and what it involves, take a look at this free report, “The Perks of a Well-Maintained Air Conditioner.”

Cause and Effect

You're probably familiar with the concept of "cause and effect" and how it can lead to a whole bunch of trouble. (Not that I speak from experience. And not that I don't!) But this basically means that some things happen not just on their own but as part of a set of events.

As an example, let's say you’re walking into your home when your phone starts ringing. To answer your call, you quickly drop your high-priced prescription sunglasses on the couch. You sense that's not a good idea, but you tell yourself you'll pick them up when you finish the call. Then you forget. Can you imagine what "effect" is coming? Yes, someone, maybe even you, will probably be sitting on those glasses in the near future.

See the point (even if through crushed lenses)?

Now let me apply it to something more in my area. If the air inside your home is making respiratory issues like allergies and asthma worse, there could be several causes that are leading to these effects - and several strategies that can help your family breathe a little easier. A few of them are here in this report called, "Improving the Quality of Your Home’s Indoor Air."

Trust, But Verify

Do you ever feel like you’re scaring people? Let’s say when you visit a home, you sense that the family that invited you would like you to go through a security clearance before entering. Well, that could make the social gathering a little awkward. And yet, I’m sympathetic because I know a little about what that’s like – from both sides.

In this business, contractors sometimes get painted with a broad brush. A couple of fly-by-night operations swoop in, make promises, cash checks and leave town with work undone – and others who really do want to help feel the cloud of suspicion. It happens. So let me share a helpful piece of advice: “Trust, but verify.”

That’s a phrase Ronald Reagan made famous when he was talking about the old Soviet Union. Basically, it means to proceed confidently but with the backing of verification. Calling about home comfort services may not be on the same level as the signing of treaties with communist countries, but please feel free to verify our promises. And you can look for that type of verification in our guarantees, long work history in this community, testimonials of satisfied customers… and in many other ways.

So let us hear from you when you need us!

When Waiting Doesn’t Make Sense

Here's one of my all-time favorite phrases: "I'll deal with that later." Actually, I misplaced my sarcasm font or I would have used it just then. But a lot of people I know really do like that phrase.

Sort of like "deferred maintenance." This is a concept known by businesses and institutions with property, buildings and equipment that basically means, "We don't have the budget to repair what's declining as it is declining, so we'll deal with it later." It's easy to sympathize with the approach of waiting until something is broken until calling for a repair. But it can also be a costly approach.

Homeownership isn't really any different. We have to keep an eye on the systems and infrastructure that keep our home running. Your air conditioning system, obviously, is in this equation.

By investing each year in routine maintenance, you can save long term on the cost of repairs, extend the life of your equipment and avoid inconvenient breakdowns. It's simple logic, and only takes a little bit of planning, which means - dare I say? - dealing with it now. But that doesn't have to be scary. Read "Make Plans for Air Conditioning Maintenance" for quick tips to maintaining your system.

Taking Care of Your Investments

No, this is not an article on financial planning, but this is certainly an issue that could affect your financial well-being.

Your home comfort system is a big investment, no question about it. If you take care of this investment, it will take care of you – over a longer equipment life that is spent operating efficiently, saving you energy dollars and keeping you comfortable. Not a bad result for routine maintenance.

Yes, maintenance matters. But what does it involve? If you’d like to learn more, take a look at our free report, “A Quick and Simple Home Investment,” available on our Facebook Page for a limited time!

A Little Bit Here and a Little Bit There Makes a Difference

Save a little money here, save a little money there, and pretty soon it adds up, right? Well, one of the areas where we most like to see our customers save money is in your energy use.

When the days are very hot, your air conditioning can account for up to 70% of your utility bill. So it makes sense that whatever you can do to improve energy efficiency at home can help you keep more money in your own pocketbook (and send less to your utilities).

But the important point to make here is that you don’t have to take big steps to save energy. You can take small steps over time or make a few small changes in your habits. And you’ll find a lot of ideas for doing just that at the link below.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can keep more energy dollars for yourself while enjoying more comfort at home, we’ve got a free report with 10 good tips on how to “Save Energy. Stay Comfortably Cool.”

How to Shine a Little Light on a Dark Night

Spring storms aren’t always predictable. You don’t exactly know when you’ll lose power and not be able to cook, keep your refrigerator working, stay comfortable or find your way in the dark. That’s why a lot of homeowners create a backup plan. They make the fairly small investment in a home generator to save themselves a lot of trouble later on.

Have you wondered about getting a generator for your home? If so, how do you decide which one is right for you? And how do you safely operate a generator? These are big questions, and we can help you get started on the answers.

If you’d like to learn more about selecting and operating home generators, take a look at our free report: “Power Outages to Come?”

Better Breathing

There’s something about spring… it’s sort of a “best of times, worst of times” season of the year. The crisp cool air can be quite nice after wintry mixes are done, and you feel that need to spend more time outdoors.

And yet, that nice, fresh air is also picking up a few particles from the lawn and garden that can make breathing a chore.

Inside, you’re not exactly safe either if the quality of your indoor air is affected by contaminants. High humidity, for example, can create a breeding ground for mold and dust mites that produce an unhealthy breathing ground for you and your family.

If you’d like to learn more about these issues, take a look at our free report, “Is the Air in Your Home Making Spring Allergies Worse?”

Environmental TLC

It’s not hard to see the value in being sensitive to the environment. Take air pollution in particular. The smog-like substances that spread out into our communities can find their way into our lungs, affecting our health.

Some of this air pollution comes from the fossil fuels that are burned to generate the electricity that runs our homes. So whatever we do to reduce our use of these fossil fuels is better for the air around us.

Environmentally-conscious habits among homeowners can begin with steps as simple as turning off the light when you leave the room. Going further, energy-efficient appliances will help because they require less energy to operate.

If you’d like to learn more, take a look at our free report, available on our Facebook Page for a limited time: Energy Use in Your Home Affects the World Around You.

Is Your Home Trying to Tell You Something?

Sometimes you can hear little noises that tell you your home has a concern to address. You know, something like the drip, drip, drip of a faucet that says "fix me." Or the sound of wind that's coming through a crack that should be patched.

Spring is a good time to walk through your home just to "look and listen" to the maintenance issues that cropped up over the winter months. That way you’ll know what needs tending to.

Along those same lines, be sure to add your home comfort system to your maintenance list. Routine maintenance is one of the most practical ways you can preserve the life of your system and preserve your pocketbook at the same time. Maintained systems run more efficiently, which saves you money.

What else should your maintenance tour include? For ideas, take a look at our free report, "Give Your Home a Spring Checkup,"

Know the Signs of a Home Improvement Scam

I know how it is. Sometimes homeowners are concerned about calling a contractor to their home for a problem. They know they want a tune-up or repair, but they’re expecting the contractor to try to talk them into getting more than they need. It’s such a common concern that I want to reassure you that we do things differently here.

Our tech will come out for a thorough evaluation of the problem you’ve been experiencing. We’ll present a solution that we recommend. We’ll fully explain the reasoning behind this recommendation, and we’ll put the estimate and guarantees in writing so that you won’t have any surprises. Not only that, you always have the choice to say “no” or “not now.” There’s no pressure at all. And, should you have any additional concerns, we stand behind our work.

We used advanced technology to make sure you get the best evaluation and repair. And we keep your comfort and safety foremost in our mind. So call us whenever you need us.

In the meantime, if you want to get a better sense about people working in your home, take a look at this video that could help you know what to watch for when approached by a home improvement contractor. 

To Replace or Not Replace

With temperatures in low digits like they are now, our heaters and furnaces begin to seem like one of the best inventions ever. Truly, the development of home comfort systems was more than just a good idea. They’re actually life-savers during the harshest weather days.

We always tell friends that maintaining your system year after year does two important things: it helps lengthen the life of the system itself, and it helps improve its energy-efficiency. After all, the quality of your system is directly related to the quantity of energy dollars you spend. And, for wintertime especially, system maintenance alerts you to lurking dangers, such as the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning from faulty equipment.

Even so, no matter how well you maintain your equipment, at some point, replacement time comes. If you think that’s true for your home, we’ve got two important things we want you to know. 

Carbon Monoxide: A Hidden, Silent Killer

Carbon monoxide (CO) is one of the greatest dangers that can affect the quality of the air in your home as well as put your family’s life at risk. The seriousness of carbon monoxide poisoning has partly to do with the difficulty of its detection: CO is an odorless, colorless gas. According to the EPA, because you can’t see it, taste it or feel its toxic fumes, CO can kill you before you are aware that it’s in your home.

Additionally, the symptoms of CO poisoning are much like those of many other illnesses – headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue. So you might mistake it for a bout of the flu and make the very wrong assumption that staying home will be good for you.

How CO poisoning affects you and your family members will depend on various factors, including age, overall health and the concentration and length of exposure. Low concentrations of CO could produce fatigue in healthy people but chest pain in people with heart disease. Higher concentrations could produce impaired vision and coordination; headaches; dizziness; confusion; nausea. CO is fatal at very high concentrations.

What Causes CO Poisoning?

Exposure to carbon monoxide could come from variety of sources, including: unvented kerosene and gas space heaters; leaking chimneys and furnaces; back-drafting from furnaces, gas water heaters, wood stoves, and fireplaces; gas stoves; generators and other gasoline powered equipment; automobile exhaust from attached garages; and tobacco smoke. In particular, worn or poorly maintained combustion devices – like boilers and furnaces – can be significant sources, or if the flue is improperly sized, blocked, disconnected, or leaking.

What Should You Do?

First, install carbon monoxide detectors on each level of your home, especially near bedrooms and one near the main gathering area. And also follow this guidance from the EPA:

·                Keep gas appliances properly adjusted.

·                Consider purchasing a vented space heater when replacing an unvented one.

·                Use proper fuel in kerosene space heaters.

·                Install and use an exhaust fan vented to outdoors over gas stoves.

·                Open flues when fireplaces are in use.

·                Have a trained professional inspect, clean, and tune-up central heating system (furnaces, flues, and chimneys) annually. Repair any leaks promptly.

·                Do not idle the car inside garage.

Have you had a tune-up and safety inspection on your heating system? Call us to schedule one at (512) 252-4700.

Give Your Home a Little TLC This Winter

In the lead up to winter weather, it’s a good idea to take stock of your home’s condition and tend to routine seasonal maintenance. After all, the steps you take now can help you and your family stays comfy and cozy when the weather turns bitter.

Winter home maintenance typically involves several areas of attention, including:

·         Gutters and Downspouts – Keeping gutters and downspouts clear of debris and fallen leaves should be a routine task, especially as winter approaches. Spraying water down the downspouts will help loosen and wash away debris. You may also want to consider gutter screens for your gutters.

·         Roof – Speaking of the roof, check for loose, damaged or missing shingles or tiles, or problems with flashing – any of which could lead to leaks. If found, make sure they’re repaired. Also, check the underside of the roof for any spots or odors that may be signs of a leak.

·         Windows and Doors – Check weather-stripping on doors, and check caulk on windows. Or consider both if you’ve done neither. Caulking helps seal gaps, keep heat in and keep moisture away.

·         Seal Leaks – While windows and doors are obvious sources of cracks, any cracks in the exterior of your house can let heat out. Check all exterior areas and fill and seal any cracks that are located with a caulking compound.

·         Home Heating – Schedule a cleaning and inspection of your heating system. Ask about duct cleaning, too, if it’s been awhile since you’ve had that service done. Also, inspect your fireplace and chimney.

·         Insulation – If you aren’t sure if your home is properly insulated, or if you’re concerned that your insulation may be damaged, give us a call and we can inspect it for you. Proper insulation can result in significant energy savings. Give us a call for a free inspection!

·         Other Areas – Once you’ve given your home a complete once-over, don’t stop there. Check the driveway and sidewalk for cracks, and check the curb and gutter near your driveway to make sure they are clear of debris.

Let us know if we can help by inspecting your heating system and other areas of your home that may need winterizing for you and your family to stay warm and cozy this winter.  Call (512) 252-4700.

Does Cold Weather Cause Colds?

I used to think so. (Hey, the name fits!) But even though fall and winter are the “prime time” for colds, researchers say that sniffles and air temperature aren’t necessarily related.

The seasonal occurrence may be due to spending more time indoors. And when indoor groups spend a lot of time together – such as in classrooms – the odds increase that germs will be spread.

Relative humidity may also be a factor. In colder months, humidity is low, and that gives cold-causing viruses a better chance for survival. Also, in cold weather, nasal passages’ lining become drier and more vulnerable to viral infection.

To prevent colds:

§  Wash your hands. Hand washing is the simplest and most effective way to avoid colds, especially after making hand contact with others.

§  Don’t touch your nose and eyes. Sneeze or cough into a facial tissue and throw it away. Be aware that others with colds put you at risk. Avoid close, prolonged exposure.

§  Check into a humidifier. These keep the moisture in your home at the ideal level for your comfort and can reduce your chances of getting a cold. (Plus, they can keep your furniture from swelling or cracking and doors from sticking!) Call us and we will give you more info on these health and comfort marvels! They really work.

§  Cold germs can live up to 3 hours on objects and skin. Cleaning surfaces with a virus-killing disinfectant also helps prevent spread of infection.

Winter Heating Bills Go Sky-high This Year

While some of the situation is out of our hands – the price of crude oil, for instance – there are many things we can do to keep a rein on our winter heating bills. 

Your heating system is the one element that should get the closest look before the cold, costly winter sets in.  Now is a great time to have a service tech give your system a thorough evaluation to make sure it’s running properly.

Additionally, the federal government’s ENERGY STAR program makes several recommendations about how you can heat your home smartly this winter, including: 

§  Replace the air filter in your furnace regularly.  Dirty filters reduce air flow, which makes getting the warm air to the registers a lot tougher. 

§  Install a programmable thermostat.  Why heat the home while you’re away?  Setting back the temperature in your household when you’re asleep or at work is another opportunity for energy savings – as much as $100 each year on energy costs. 

§  Seal up your home.  Sealing holes, cracks and openings and then adding insulation is one of the most cost-effective means of improving comfort and reducing energy use.  Cracks in windows and doors can be plugged through weather-stripping and caulking.