Monday, March 24, 2014

Here comes the heat!!

It is that time of year again where we go from 70's one day to 40's the next.  We are all trying to make adjustments to our homes comfort during this time of year and all of us (yes even us in the HVAC industry) are not doing a very good job, mostly because Mother Nature is not making it very easy on us.  If you can just hang in there then you will soon be in the sweltering heat of the summer and wishing for Fall to come around and save us from melting.  As we all sit back and reflect on the crazy winter that we have had and curse all of the snow we all begin to daydream about swimming in the pool, going to the lake and just spending time outdoors.  Then it all hits us that with this snowy wet weather we have had that we have a lot of yard work to do to get everything ready for cookouts and lazy days by the pool.  One thing that does not come to the top of our minds is our air conditioners, but it should!  Remember unless you have a heat pump your a/c has sat out in the snow and cold without running since October and now we are going to one day soon flip a switch and want it to come on and work at peak performance.  It might work just fine but then again it might not!  It is like not using your car for 6 months and leaving it sitting in the cold and snow and never starting it up to let it run and then one day hoping in it and taking off and hoping it gets you were you are going. You would not do this to your car so don't do it to your a/c either.  Having your a/c professionally cleaned and serviced before cooling season (this is usually done from April 14- May 31 depending where in the country you live) can save you potentially thousands of dollars!  I am sure that everyone of us could stand to save money(if not call me and I can take that extra cash off your hands).  Here are some important facts about having your home comfort system serviced regularly:

1.  Regular service can help prevent unexpected and costly service calls.
2.  Regular service can help keep your energy bills lower by up to 37%
3.  Regular service can extend the life of your system by up to 5 years
4.  Regular service can keep your home more comfortable and help prevent uneven heating and cooling(hot and cold spots).
5.  Regular service will give you the peace of mind that everything is safe and running a peak performance!

The biggest question that we get is how much does a maintenance contract cost and if my system is newer (5 years of less) do I really need to have maintenance done?  The answer to the second part of this question is YES!  Unless your system was installed within the last year and you have never had to use it for either heating or cooling then YES regular maintenance is critical to keep your investment operating at its peak potential.  The answer the how does it cost well that depends on your location, type of unit, length of contract, and most importantly the HVAC company you choose.  The main thing to remember is there are most of the time other perks that come with being a maintenance contract customer like service discounts, special promotions for contract customers only, unit replacement discounts etc.  So contact your local HVAC dealer ( if you are in Louisville you better be calling us!) and get signed up for a maintenance membership to help protect your investment, your HVAC system is not an appliance it is the largest source of energy consumption in your home using up to 70% of your monthly energy consumption.  So call today and get your system serviced before it is 95 degrees and you are hot and wishing you would have spent that $175 and saved yourself THOUSANDS!

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Paying more can cost you less!

Cheap vs Expensive, Does it pay to spend more?


I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “You get what you pay for”? That doesn’t just apply to throwing the waiter a few bucks before he serves you or spending extra for a reliable car. This holds true to for your air conditioner, too. Below are a few tips to show you that cutting corners will most likely result in you not saving money.

1. Efficient Units vs. Cheap Units

In this economy, many people try and save money wherever they can – buying generic-brand groceries, shopping less, etc. There are certain things, however, that you simply cannot cut back on – and one them in your air conditioning unit. The less expensive the unit, the lower the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating is. Central air conditioning units should have a SEER rating of at least 14. To show you just how much of cost difference you’ll have in the long run, an air conditioner with the lowest SEER rating (8) will cost $100 in energy costs per month, while the highest rating (21) will cost $39 per month. That saves you 61% every month! You may be spending a few hundred now, but you’ll be saving over $700 every single year.

2. Strong Filters vs. Cheap Filters

A filter is an essential part of any air conditioner because its job is to trap all the contaminants from entering the air you breathe in. Now, clearly you want your family, friends and coworkers breathing in fresh, clean air. The sturdier the filter, the better it’ll work. However, if you decided to purchase a very cheap filter, the odds of breathing in those impurities increase dramatically – and no one wants that.

3. Name Brands vs. Cheap Brands

Spending extra money on an air conditioning unit with a name brand isn’t like buying a fancy purse or wallet – a knockoff will hold your money just as well as a Louis Vuitton. A name brand air conditioner, though, will take you from crazy heat to a cool home or office. The reason? Like we said before, you get what you pay for. Cheaper, non-brand name units are physically built cheaper and are, therefore, more likely to break down. What’s worse is that when (not if) they break down, their parts are that much harder to find.