Day: September 28, 2018

Home improvement jobs for the pros

Not all home improvement projects are created equal. If you’re changing up the color of your walls you can go ahead and paint those without any serious issues. If you’re replacing carpeting with tile floors, that is another job you can do yourself if you’re really so inclined. But there are some jobs that no homeowner should attempt to do both for safety and legal reasons. Jobs for the Pros Say last year the mighty oak in your front yard was struck by lightning and it has since died, leaving you with Paul Bunyan’s tumbleweed in your front yard. Cutting that rotting hunk of arboreal coral down is not something that any homeowner can just decide to do themselves one day. The possibility for massive damage to not only your home, but your neighbor’s home, your cars, and any power lines nearby, necessitate the need of a professional. They will come and cut the tree down not in one fell swoop usually, but branch-by-branch first and then by cutting the trunk down a dozen feet at a time or so. Another project you cannot attempt yourself is the pumping of your septic tank. Why anyone would want to do this

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The benefits of a new thermostat

If you’re still relying on the thermostat installed when your house was built 20 years ago, you may want to consider an upgrade. Why Invest in a New Thermostat? Here are some of the top reasons homeowners may want to consider upgrading an old thermostat to a newer and better model: Improving Your Home Comfort New thermostats improve the overall air quality experience. Intuitive technology allows thermostat owners to take advantage of energy-saving settings without sacrificing the temperature they want to enjoy. From creating customized settings that adjust to your schedule to receiving just the right amount of airflow for consistent temperature control, new thermostats provide a much better user experience than older counterparts. Lowering Monthly Energy Expenses Thermostats designed to optimize the user experience also improve efficiency. Programmable settings and sensitive sensors reduce the overall need for energy. Over time, those who upgrade to a programmable thermostat may save 10% or more on energy bills, according to the US Department of Energy. Spending Less Time Managing the Thermostat An upgraded thermostat gives owners flexibility. The thermostat can manage settings for optimal comfort throughout the day. Programmable smart thermostats reduce the need for manual control. Reducing Your Environmental Footprint Technology-driven thermostats use

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Energy saving hacks for summer

With summer comes a blast of fun new things to do, but also the scorching heat that watches your energy costs rise. While you’re taking refuge from the blazing sun or trying to cool down after all those fun outdoor activities, check out these 6 energy saving hacks for summer that’ll have you conserving like a pro. Super-Stock That Freezer When you open that door, you’re letting out hours of built-up cold in seconds, which makes the machine work harder to return the temperatures to normal. However, if you keep your freezer well-stocked, those items will hold the cold and make it work less. If you lack food or drinks, simple put water bottles or even newspaper in there. Get a Clothes Line – or Rack Dryers take an incredible amount of power, and even the best-made ones still pump heat into the room – making your AC work harder. To keep them from racking up your electricity bills in the summer, get a clothes line for your yard or (in the case of apartments) invest in a cheap clothing rack to let your items air dry. Plus, this energy saving hack leaves your clothes with a nice sunbathed smell!

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Why Spring is the Best Time for an HVAC Tune-up

Most people try to take great care of their vehicles. Between oil changes, repairs, simple maintenance, fluid checks, and part replacements, your vehicle gets a lot of love. Routine maintenance is an important part of making sure that your car works properly and it also helps you prevent more costly repair needs further on down the road. Now think about how often you use your air conditioner. Don’t you think this important home comfort system deserves some love too? Spring is the perfect time to schedule a seasonal maintenance visit for your HVAC system. Showing your air conditioner a little love before the biggest cooling season of the year is the best way to ensure that it treats you well this summer. 3 Reasons You Need a Spring AC Tune-Up It’s important to keep up with routine maintenance to keep your system running smoothly and efficiently so that it can help keep your family comfortable year-round. Here are just three reasons why spring is the perfect time to schedule an AC tune-up: 1. A tune-up can help increase your HVAC system’s efficiency. When was the last time your HVAC system was cleaned and inspected? Your air conditioner tends to get

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History of Air Conditioning: Keeping Cool Through the Centuries

In 1902, Willis Carrier invented the first modern electrical air conditioner. However, previous generations had their own ways of fighting the heat and keeping themselves cool during the summer. Throughout human history, people have come up with ingenious ways to stay cool during the hottest times of the year. Geothermal and Water Cooling: Everything Old Is New Again In almost every way, human technology has advanced by light-years since the Stone Age. However, state-of-the-art geothermal cooling relies on the same principle that our cave-dwelling ancestors understood millennia ago: it’s cooler underground. The earliest humans dug burrows or settled in existing caves in order to escape the heat above ground. Water cooling is another piece of technology that we associate with modern air conditioning, but this idea is as old as the Pyramids—literally. The ancient Egyptians used to hang wet reeds in their windows so that the water would cool the breezes sweeping in from the hot Nile River valley. The Invention of the Fan Moving air has a greater cooling effect on the skin than stationary air, which is why breezes feel so delightful on hot days. Centuries ago, people realized they could make their own breezes with the use

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What is a Ductless HVAC System and What Are Its Benefits?

Everybody loves central air. It’s an absolutely wonderful invention that allows us to live comfortably in otherwise disagreeable climates. But there are several major drawbacks to central air as a heating and cooling method which have left homeowners frustrated and wanting a better way of doing things. In time past, there wasn’t much in the way of different options to alleviate these frustrations, but recent advances in technology and new ways of using “old” systems has opened up new options for homeowners. Let’s go over how ductless HVAC systems have changed the game for indoor air. Looks Like a Duct, Sucks Like a Duct With central air there is usually a single return per air handler where the warm air from inside the home is sucked into that air handler. Some homes will have two returns for a single air handler, or will have two air handlers for a single floor of the home if it has a large square footage. There is also usually one air handler per floor of the home. But even those extra returns aren’t sufficient to adequately perform some basic functions. Those returns are where the air in the home is filtered. Trying to pull the

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