Simple Math: How Routine Maintenance Adds Up to Be Well Worth Your While

Let’s just say there’s a “financial component” to routine maintenance on your heating and cooling system, and the impact it has on your bottom line is far more than the investment you make in the maintenance itself.

Indeed, for that fairly nominal fee, you receive a set of services and guarantees that yield many benefits, including:

Savings on Energy – This is perhaps the number one benefit of routine maintenance. With your heating and cooling costs taking up nearly half of your home’s energy use, the energy efficiency of your comfort system takes the biggest chunk of your energy dollars. As your system gets a little TLC in the form of cleaning, adjusting, lubricating and minor parts replacements, it runs smoother, with less strain and greater efficiency.  

Savings on Repairs – The primary purpose of routine maintenance is to detect a potential problem before it gets bigger, costlier and very inconvenient. Catch something small before it grows – and you get to choose how to solve the problem, instead of finding yourself in an emergency situation.

Savings on Equipment Life – Replacing a home comfort system is considered a major investment for your home. So taking care of it year after year will help it last longer and serve you better.  In the meantime, your equipment parts also last longer – because they’re taken care of.

Continued Comfort, Less Inconvenience – One of the nice things about preventive maintenance is that it is “scheduled” service. You call or email and make the appointment for a time that is convenient for you. In the meantime, there’s no interruption of your comfort. On the other hand, an unmaintained system is heading for a breakdown, and chances are that breakdown will occur at a very inconvenient time. Plus, it could stop running entirely – leaving you and your family in the cold.

More Safety – With the preseason tune-up on your heating system, you can get an all-important safety check to detect the presence of carbon monoxide – an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that can cause serious injury or death to those who unknowingly breathe it in. Faulty heating equipment is one of the causes of carbon monoxide poisoning. Being able to find that problem before it creates danger is all the reason you need to maintain your home comfort system year after year.

Schedule your routine maintenance now. Just call or email, and we’ll take care of you.

Yum!

3 Bean Bake Beans

Recipes from Air Solutions/ DORITO CASSEROLE

     

  DORITO CASSEROLE

COOK 1 LB HAMBURGER MEAT

MIX 1 CAN CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

MIX 1 CAN ROTEL

MIX ALL TOGETHER IN A BOWL

1 BAG DORITOS

LAY DORITOS IN THE BOTTOM OF PAN

POUR MIX ON TOP OF THE CHIPS AND TOP WITH SHREDDED CHEESE

BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 30 TO 40 MIN.

(MAKE SURE CHEESE IS WELL MELTED)

Give Your Home a Spring Checkup

With the wrapped-up winter months now ending, give your home a checkup to make sure all is well inside and out. For example:

·         Inspect your roof’s shingles for signs of damage from winter weather. Clean out gutters of leaves and debris, and check to see that downspouts are directed away from the foundation.

·         Check the foundation for cracks and imperfections. Also, are there low yard levels near the foundation that will collect rainwater?  If so, fill them with compacted soil.

·         If you have a backyard deck, check the area that connects to the house for water stains; consistent water leakage could decay the wood and weaken the structure of the deck. You may also wish to use a pressure washer to rid the deck of moss and mold.

·         Check your doors and windows for leaks. In particular, look for peeling or chipping paint, which could be a sign of water intrusion. Seal any leaks.

·         Check your plumbing for signs of leaks, including your water heater as well as your faucets. Look for sweating pipes and clogged drains. Check your washing machine hoses to detect bulges, cracks or dampness.

Additionally, be sure to give your air conditioning system a bit of maintenance and care, especially since it’s got a pretty strenuous road ahead for the summer months. Keep these tips in mind:

·         Before you turn on your unit, check the condensing unit outside. Make sure it’s not covered up by leaves, shrubs or debris. 

·         Before you really need your air conditioner, give it a test run. Don’t wait until the summer heat hits to find your air conditioner forgot how to work.

·         Change your filters regularly. It’s a small task that makes a big difference. Dirty filters restrict airflow, which reduces efficiency. 

·         Schedule a system tune-up. To prepare your air conditioning system for the hot summer months and to prepare for your utility bills, schedule a spring tune-up. Regular professional maintenance on your air conditioner is important to keep it operating as it should. Schedule your spring tune-up today.

Carbon Monoxide: A Hidden, Silent Killer

Carbon monoxide (CO) is one of the greatest dangers that can affect the quality of the air in your home as well as put your family's life a risk.  The seriousness of carbon monoxide poisoning has partly to do with the difficulty of its detection:  CO is an odorless, colorless gas.  According to the EPA, because you can't see it, taste it or feel its toxic fumes, CO can kill you before you are aware that it's in your home.

Additionally, the symptoms of CO poisoning are much like those of many other illnesses - headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue.  So you might mistake it for a bout of the flu and make the very wrong assumption that staying home will be good for you.

How CO poisoning affects you and your family members will depend on various factors, including age, overall health and the concentration and length of exposure.  Low concentrations of CO could produce fatigue in healthy people but chest pain in people with heart disease.  Higher concentrations could produce impaired vision and coordination; headaches; dizziness; confusion; nausea.  CO is fatal at very high concentrations.

What Causes CO Poisoning?
Exposure to carbon monoxide could come from variety of sources, including; unvented kerosene and gas space heaters; leaking chimneys and furnaces; back-drafting from furnaces, gas water heaters, wood stoves and fireplaces; gas stoves; generators and other gasoline powered equipment; automobile exhaust from attached garages; and tobacco smoke.  In particular, worn or poorly maintained combustion devices - Like furnaces - can be significant sources, or if the flue is improperly sized, blocked disconnected, or leaking.

What Should you Do?
First, install carbon monoxide detectors on each level of your home, especially near bedrooms and one near the main gathering area.  And also follow this guidance from the EPA:
* Keep gas appliances properly adjusted.
* Consider purchasing a vented space heater when replacing an unvented one.
* Install and use an exhaust fan vented to outdoors over gas stoves.
* Open flues when fireplaces are in use.
* Have a trained professional inspect, clean, and tune-up central heating system (Furnaces, flues and chimneys) annually.  Repair any leaks promptly.
* Do not idle the car inside the garage.

Have you had a tune-up and safety inspection on your heating system?  Schedule yours today by clicking here.

Does Cold Weather Cause Colds?

I used to think so. (Hey, the name fits!) But even though winter is the "prime time" for colds, researchers say that sniffles and air temperature aren't necessarily related.

The seasonal occurence may be due to spending more time indoors.  And when indoor groups spend a lot of time together - such as in classrooms - the odds increase that germs will be spread.

Relative humidity may also be a factor.  In colder months, humidity is low, and that gives cold-causing viruses a better chance for survival.  Also, in cold weather, nasal passages' lining become drier and more vulnerable to viral infection.

To prevent colds:
*     Wash your hands.  Hand washing is the simplest and most effective way to avoid colds, especially after making hand contact with others.

*    Don't touch your nose or eyes.  Sneeze or cough into a facial tissue and throw it away.  Be aware that others with colds put you at risk.  Avoid close, prolonged exposure.

*     Check into a humidifier.  These keep the moisture in your home at the ideal level for your comfort and can reduce your chances of getting a cold.  (Plus, they can keep your furniture from swelling or cracking and doors from sticking!)  Call us and we will give you more information on these health and comfort marvels!  They really work.

*     Cold germs can live up to 3 hours on objects and skin.  Cleaning surfaces with a virus-killing disinfectant or a whole house air purification system also prevents spread of infection.

To learn more about preventing colds this season give us a call at 918-299-3433 or visit our website at http://www.callairsolutions.com/

5 Things You Can Do to Get Ready for Winter

By the time really cold wind starts to blow, it is to late to worry about whether or not your home is ready for the cold winter ahead.  What's done is done, and what's not done - well, it could cost you hundreds of dollars in home repairs.  Luckily there's no time like the present to make sure you're prepared before your hindsight kicks in....
1.    Have your heating system cleaned and tuned.  A pre-season tune-up is a good investment - it reduces chances of breakdowns in the middle of winter, improves safety, and pays for itself through more energy efficient operation.

2.    Test your system for hazardous carbon monoxide, which can be produced by dirty or malfunctioning furnace or water heater.  We can also install a low level carbon monoxide alarm.

3.    Have your duct system tested for air leaks.  According to recent research by the US department of Energy, the typical duct system loses 25 to 40 percent of the energy you put out by the central furnace, heater or air conditioner.

4.     Get your home's air checked to find our if the air you breathe is unhealthy.  Your indoor air can be much more polluted than what is outside,  and with all the time spent indoors during the winter, you'll want to ensure your family's health, safety and comfort.

5.    Consider replacing your old furnace or heat pump.  Just like a car, heating equipment doesn't last forever.  If your system is more than 12 years old, and you are planning to stay in your home more than a few years, it is wise to consider replacing it before it fails permanently.  A new system is safer, more dependable, and can pay for itself through energy savings as it is up to twice as energy efficient.

See what else you can do to prepare for winter here.