The Once a Year Step for Everyday Comfort

You've probably heard of Poor Richard's Almanac even if you have never read it. This was a work by Ben Franklin back when the country was young, and it had a calendar, weather predictions and some wise sayings.

Well, if Ben Franklin were writing weather predictions for Texas, he'd say, "It's going to be hot this summer." Seems to me, it happens every year around that time, and this year, we'll be true to the calendar again.

Yet, if only Franklin had had central air conditioning, I think he could have added some updated helpful advice like this:

"If you want something to last, you take care of it. If you want something to do its job, you make sure it's running well. If you want something to protect you in the night, you make sure it doesn't have any hidden dangers."

Why do I think that? Because here's what Franklin actually did say: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

You've heard it, I've heard it, and we all know it's true.

So what ounce of prevention can you bring to your home comfort this spring? One simple step of a preseason checkup on your system can make a world of difference in your comfort all summer long. To learn more about the value of routine maintenance, take a look at this info, The Nutty Way to Solve a Problem Before It Happens.

Time to Dust Off a Few Energy Saving Ideas

Have you ever considered how much the dust that's gathering in your home is costing you in energy bills?

When dust builds up on the registers and vent covers in your home, for example, it becomes "insulation" that blocks the air's path into the room. The harder a system has to work to keep your home comfortable, the more you pay in utility costs.

So as you look ahead, a thorough dusting with special attention to registers and vent covers is a good idea. Other ideas?

• Close drapes to keep out the hot daytime sun, especially on south- and west-facing windows. Sunny windows make air conditioners work 2 to 3 times harder.
• Close fireplace dampers or glass doors. Going up the chimney with a bound may serve as a dramatic exit for Santa, but don't allow your cooled air to use that same escape hatch.
• Position your refrigerator away from sunny windows, hot water heaters, warm air from heating ducts, radiators, stoves and other heat sources. The heat makes cooling harder for your refrigerator.

These are just a few natural, free ways to help reduce your energy costs and increase your comfort. Other small steps can also make a big difference. For example:

It's no news that energy costs are a big expense for homeowners. And not surprisingly, heating and cooling account for more than half of this amount. If you'd like to learn more about conserving energy in your home, this info will get you started – Is Your Home at the Center of an Energy-Loss Vortex?

Just Another Part of Your Routine

There are certain routines that are as common as having a cup of coffee in the morning. (Or, if you prefer, a big glass of orange juice or soft drink of choice.) When that’s your routine, you don’t keep deciding every day whether that’s how you’ll start your morning. You just keep doing it.

That’s how we’d like for everyone to think about routine service on your heating system. As winter sets in strong, it’s in your best interest (by far) to have your system serviced so that you can be assured of repair-free, safe operation throughout the season – and with the best energy efficiency your system can provide.

But what’s the best way to integrate this great idea in your routine? Start by reading this quick report, Making Routine Maintenance a Part of Your Seasonal Routine.

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?

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.”

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?”

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,"