Being Uncomfortable Is a Matter of Degrees

Thermostat settings on your air conditioning system are most times directed by personal preference as well as energy savings preference.

For example, the Energy Star program recommends a setting of 78 degrees for conserving energy and staying comfortable while you’re in the home – plus, programming your thermostat for higher temperatures when you’re away during the day.

Others might be more comfortable at 75 degrees, or lower. Again, it’s a balance between your personal comfort and your desire to save on energy usage.

Then there are those other very unfortunate times when the temperatures in your house are not at all what you want them to be. And with growing discomfort, you watch those temperatures inside your house rise to 80, 85, 88… Not good. Not good at all.

However, there’s one solution we recommend as your best option to avoid this scenario. Please take a moment and look at this report, Why Your Air Conditioning System Needs Prep Work for Summer’s Long, Hot Run.

If AC Repairmen Made Predictions

We’re used to the weather folks giving us a heads-up about what’s going to happen during the day – you know, something along the lines of, “Most parts of Northwest Indiana will see a few showers this morning, but sunshine returns in the afternoon as highs head toward the 90s.”

But if you’re holding your breath that your air conditioning system will hold out for another summer, you’d probably do well with a report along these lines: “The morning will start off calm but strange noises coming from your air conditioning system will indicate that you’re going to have some real problems staying cool in the afternoon as highs head toward the 90s.”

Obviously, our service technicians don’t make predictions like that, but even so, we do know a lot about how air conditioning systems work and how the effects of time impact their performance and leave them vulnerable to poorly timed repairs.

If you’d like to know how well your air conditioning system is going to perform this summer, we’ve got some guidance that could be very helpful. Take a look at this report, How to Predict Your Next Air Conditioning Breakdown.

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.

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.

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.

Are You in This Camp?

"Tough it out." "Grin and bear it." "Get over it."

If that sounds like a few choice phrases you tend to tell yourself, that might mean you’re a long-term allergy sufferer. After all, there’s not much you can do about the air, the pollen, the seasons of the year. So you just push on through.

In Valparaiso, we do have our share of allergens in the outdoor air. Unfortunately, coming inside does not always provide the protection allergy sufferers seek. For one thing, your indoor air quality can be compromised by the outdoor allergens you carry into your home on your clothes, your shoes or your body. Plus, if your pets are entering and exiting, they’re picking up allergens too. Then you mix that with their pet dander for a little sneeze-fest.

And that’s only the beginning. Your home’s indoor air can also hold within it pollutants from cooking, cleaning and bathing; furnishing or carpeting your home; tending to your hobbies; and basically living life. What’s more, in an airtight home, allergens tend to stay inside and keep recycling themselves with the “help” of your air conditioning and heating system.

So we’d like to suggest an alternative. If “toughing it out” is your normal response, there’s a better way. Click here for more information!

Is Dust Causing a Problem?

It’s funny how a simple little thing like dust can cause so much trouble – especially for those prone to allergies and respiratory ailments. It can affect the quality of your indoor air as it collects, and even as it gets cleared away.
Backing up a minute, dust isn’t actually one single thing. It’s a combination of substances, including human skin cells, pet dander, fabric fibers and your basic dirt and debris. All these substances gather together to form dust which gathers on lamp shades, end tables, tops of refrigerators and pretty much everywhere else.
Your electronics like to collect dust. So does your furniture, your door frames, baseboards, even ceilings. Keeping these spots dust-free helps reduce allergies that flare up indoors. We’ve got some more information on that topic in a free report, Is There a Dust Storm in Your Home? Please check it out.