Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Extreme Weather Patterns and Your Home Comfort

Have you ever noticed that sometimes life feels like you’re going from one extreme to another? Like, low, high. Cold, hot. We’ve certainly seen those extremes in weather this year – and will be seeing even more.

You’d think that serious cold would be followed by a milder summertime. But that’s not what the weather people see happening. Instead, after a really cold winter pretty much across the country, we’re moving right into another extreme: a really hot summer.

So those really low temperatures are headed really high, and those uncomfortably cold days are about to become uncomfortably hot.

But here’s the good news. This fact of weather life does not mean that you have to be uncomfortable, especially in your own home. In fact, there’s an important step you can take right now to ensure that your home comfort stays steady whatever ups and downs the thermometer shows.

This info tells you lots more. Please take a look.

Friday, June 6, 2014

What’s Your Comfort System Telling You?

Do you sense that your heating and air conditioning system is holding a piece of information you really need to know? Well, it won’t take much detective work to figure that out – because what your system is telling you about the summer heat isn’t a secret.
You can pretty much guarantee that if you’ve got a well-maintained, fairly new energy-efficient home comfort system, it’s saying, “No problem. I’ve got this.” But if your heating and air conditioning system has been chugging through summer heats for a while, the message could be a bit different.
For example, if you can tell that your home comfort system is undergoing strain trying to keep up with rising temperatures, it could be giving clear signs that you need to make another plan for your home comfort this summer. Some of the signs you’ll see will be inconsistent comfort, more repairs than ordinary, higher energy bills – and just an overall sense of uncertainty about whether it’s time to make a change.
Well, we’ve got some news that can help you through that uncertainty – and be very comfortable with whatever decision you make. This info explains what I’m talking about. Please take a look.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

The Shady Side of Energy Savings

There’s a simple principle at work here. If you want less heat in your house, don’t let in so much sunshine. Blocking the sun’s entry points – through your windows, in particular – is one way to keep cooler while saving energy. And the statistics back up the logic.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, window awnings can reduce solar heat gain in the summer by up to 65% on south-facing windows and by 77% on west-facing windows. South or west, that’s a pretty sizeable reduction. Interior blinds on sunny windows help too. As a matter of fact, highly reflective blinds reduce heat gain by around 45% when completely closed and lowered.
Then there are draperies. Their ability to prevent heat gain depends on fabric, color, etc., but as a general rule, you can know that studies show medium-colored draperies with white-plastic backings can reduce heat gains by 33%.
Now, we’re obviously not interior decorators at Kent Heating and Air Conditioning, so you may be wondering what all of this has to do with our area of specialty, your heating and air conditioning system. It’s a simple connection: a number of areas in your home affect your energy use, and we can show you some easy ways to save.
If you’d like to learn about some simple steps to improve your cooling comfort while holding down energy costs, take a look at our report, Common Sense Ways to Stay Cooler This Summer.