Friday, July 31, 2015

Me, Me, Pay Attention to Me

With all the things that scream out for our attention, it is no wonder we neglect certain things until we absolutely have to fix them. We have to mow the lawn and trim the shrubs or our yards will look more like fields.

We have to pay our bills or we won’t have any water, electricity or gas.

We have to go grocery shopping, do our laundry and put gas in the car because if we don’t… we won’t be able to drive anywhere, eat anything or have anything to wear.

It makes sense that we do these things automatically because there are immediate (undesirable) consequences if we don’t.

There is something else that has an undesirable consequence for neglecting it... our home cooling system. When we use it year after year without giving it even a little bit of attention, it starts to break down, parts get loose dirt and grime start to build up and it takes more and more energy to keep us cool (which means our energy bills go up).

It also means our repairs bills are likely to increase. Instead of a minor repair, we will end up with a large, costly repair.

Read Taking Care of Business to learn more about how a yearly tune-up can save you money on energy bills, costly repairs and help your unit run more smoothly.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Bigger Isn’t Always Better

We have become somewhat accustomed to the notion that “Bigger is Better.” Whether we are at a drive-thru where you can “super size” for a better “value” than a regular meal or driving the bigger truck or SUV so you can see over the other cars, we like things BIG.

A big fish is better than a small fish. A big boat is better than a small boat. And so on… you get the idea.

Surprisingly though, bigger isn’t always better when talking about a new “high efficiency” cooling system. If you bought a new air conditioner today, it will probably be smaller than the one you bought 10 to 15 years ago.

Just replacing your old A/C with a new one the same size could cause you trouble down the road because it will be too big to meet your needs. This is, of course, assuming you have the appropriately sized air conditioner for your home now. A cooling system too big for your home will cause frequent on-and-off cycling which will affect the humidity control in your home. Poor humidity control can lead to moisture in the air which, in turn, will lead to mold and mildew, not to mention, humid air that is just plain uncomfortable.

It is hard to imagine there is a service industry these days that is saying, “Not so fast… a bigger cooling system may NOT be what your home needs. You may need just a smaller, more efficient system to have your home feeling cool and save you money on energy costs.” To learn more about “high efficiency” cooling systems and ways to take advantage of this wonderful weather we’ve been enjoying, read How a Really Cool Summer Can Put $2620 of Savings in Your Pocket.