HVAC information for Homeowners

These days, you really have to budget carefully with everything.

Grocery prices are expensive, gas is expensive, and inflation is a serious threat to everybody. With the way things are going, I wouldn’t be surprised seeing people fighting over food and gas, which probably is something that is already happening. I’ve seen pictures of people with locks installed on their gas tanks so people won’t steal their fuel. It really is a sad thing, but still, we have to hope for a better future and hopefully learn how to make the right decisions in life. We are living in uncertain times indeed, but I still have hope that we can carry on. In our home, we have a super tight budget that works for us. We have an economic vehicle, a hybrid so we can go far on a single tank of gas. We also try not to use the AC system in the car when we drive places, instead we open the windows for our cooling needs. It’s not as nice as air conditioning of course, but we know that we are at least saving on gas which is becoming way too expensive in such a hurry. I mean, if we can’t afford to put gas in our vehicle and make it last for as long as possible, we won’t be able to get to the places we need. We won’t be able to go to the store to get groceries. We’re now thinking we have to store food, water, and fuel. One thing I’m thankful for is the fact that we invested in a ductless mini split system so many years back and had solar panels installed. This HVAC system has been keeping us comfortable with low energy bills, and at least that’s something we won’t have to worry about.

 

Cooling products

I have to tell you, it’s not a fun thing when you are surrounded by HVAC vents in the summer that aren’t pushing out cold air.

I had to experience this recently at my home, and it’s honestly my own fault.

I really should have called the HVAC company to have my cooling system tuned up, but cash has been so tight as of late. It was so foolish of me though thinking that I could somehow save money by not maintaining a major system in my home. Things were so miserable in my home when the cooling system broke down, I was honestly thinking of calling for emergency repair services. The thing is, those services are way too expensive! Instead, I ordered a couple of window AC units to be delivered overnight, and then I hooked those up to keep the house somewhat cool while I was waiting for an official HVAC technician to arrive. It honestly took a whole week for an HVAC expert to arrive. He actually was surprised when our house wasn’t completely boiling and miserable, but he saw that we were using the window AC units. Those window AC units didn’t work so bad, and I made sure to tell friends and family about those, people who were struggling with their cooling systems having issues as well. I can’t tell you how happy I was when I had the cooling system finally working. Of course, it got me thinking about upgrading to something better and more efficient in the future. The HVAC pro said we should think about going for a ductless HVAC system, since they are far more energy efficient.

 

air conditioning filter

We knew it was going to be a tight squeeze, but we thought we were prepared for it.

There were eight of us who would be sharing one condo at the beachside for the whole week of spring break.

Accommodations were exclusive and expensive in this area, which is why so many of us decided to stay in one place – it was the only way we could afford to go! Between splitting the rental costs, we would barely have enough money left over for booze and weed. We were prepared for close quarters, and sharing a bathroom, but we were not prepared for a lack of central air conditioning in this condo. The only things they had for temperature control were a series of small space heaters scattered around the house. Heating was not the issue here, cooling was the issue, so how could these heaters help us? We were all pretty upset about it, until finally one of us got the real estate agent on the line, who explained to us that those weren’t space heaters at all. They were cooling units, little air conditioners that were strong enough to cool off one room. If all the little AC units were running at once, then the condo cooled off very nicely. We all felt pretty stupid about it, because once we took a closer look the machines clearly labled as air conditioners. The rest of spring break was a blur, but we all had a great time and the air conditioning in the condo was amazing. Maybe I should get a little AC unit for my house.

 

ductwork

For the dire heat of summer, a little A/C unit like that will only go so far, and you can’t take extra clothes off to get cooler

I am very excited about getting my tax return. This is the first time in years that I actually will get a refund! Usually I have to pay money, which is ridiculous because they already take money out of every single check. And yet I have to pay more? Don’t get me started on federal taxes, it is simply infuriating to me! This year the tax refund will be especially helpful, because summer is just around the corner and I have a lot to do to prepare for it. I barely made it through the winter, and that was only because of a space heater. Before the heavy heat waves hit us, I need to have my central HVAC system repaired or I will be in trouble. If I don’t get it done, then I will have to rely on a small, portable air conditioner for the summer and I do not want that! Heating and cooling work differently, and the little space heater I had was barely enough to take the edge off of the winter chill. The thing about a space heater is that you can always use blankets and winter clothes if you need to. For the dire heat of summer, a little A/C unit like that will only go so far, and you can’t take extra clothes off to get cooler. If it’s hot with clothes on, it’s still not naked, but far less comfortable, so I really hope I have enough money for legit AC repairs. Let’s all hope Uncle Sam gives me enough of my own money back!

Heating tune up

My boss is a retired professional wrestler.

I won’t say his name, because he might end up firing me for blogging about him, but let’s say that 20 years ago he was a very famous face in the southern pro wrestling scene.

He is the owner of this company, something he invested in years ago, and comes around to visit the shop on a regular basis. I think this is mostly because he is old and retired and needs something to do. Although he owns this HVAC repair shop, he doesn’t know the first thing about the work – because why would he need to? His stock and trade was bashing heads and playing to the crowd, the only reason he owns an HVAC shop is because it was given to him in lieu of pay back in 1989. The wrestling promoter at the time was flat broke, and I don’t know what kind of strongarm tactics the boss used, but rather than take a beating the guy signed over his HVAC business. Since wrestlers don’t have a 401k, he held onto the HVAC company for all these years just as a source of revenue after he retired. We are not alone, by the way, aside from the HVAC company he also owns a car mechanic, a music store, and a gas station. He tells us that of all his businesses, the HVAC shop is his favorite because it has the best workers. I have a sneaking suspicion that he tells that to the employees at all his stores, because he’s still good at working a crowd.

 

Air conditioner service

They could literally stand on top of an A/C vent now and keep cool all through their performances

As a general rule, air conditioners and music do not go hand in hand. They always make too much noise, and disrupt the flow of the music. This is why a lot of major rock bands used to keep huge oversized fans just offstage. They would keep a continuous blast of air moving across the stage, which helped to keep the musicians cool under the hot stage lights. It was not very efficient, even if it was pretty quiet, but I had a better idea. As a certified HVAC tech I was overqualified to be a roadie, but I had always been in love with live music. I went to the band I was working for at the time, and told them I could rig up air ducts into the stage itself, so they could pipe in AC from behind the stage. It would be far enough away that the sounds of the air conditioners wouldn’t disrupt the music, and would give them air vents they could stand on top of and the audience would never notice. It took a little trial and error to get the air vents and ductwork placed just right, but we finally made it work, and the band was stoked. They could literally stand on top of an A/C vent now and keep cool all through their performances. This was a while ago, by the way, before a time when HVAC tech was smooth and quiet and able to be placed virtually anywhere. At the time, we were all way ahead of the curve!

 

 

Click for more on heating

Due to the changingly overheated weather, it has made being inside of my house difficult.

The hot plus cold temperatures have been around the 72s plus 90s, plus there has also been continuous sunshine.

I’m sure my house is slightly hotter as well, since the sun is directly shining on my home. I have been finding it tough to concentrate on my tasks, due to the overbearing heat! The worst area is, I can’t even do much about it. One because I can’t control the weather, plus more than one, because my air conditioning unit is almost non functional. It technically still works, however not unquestionably well. I might as well not have an cooling system system. It has been this way for a year or so, plus I just don’t have enough money to repair it. I used to live with my roommate, plus we would both pay for any kind of repairs the air conditioning device needed, however my roommate stopped paying her half, so after a big fight, she moved out. Now I am left to deal with any issues the cooling component has, which unluckyly is plenty. I am slowly saving up enough money to repair the air conditioner, but I have a feeling that it is going to be awhile… Until then, on afternoons savor this, there is not much I can do however just try plus bear the heat; Fans help, plus so does taking cold showers, however having a fully toiling HVAC unit is what I need the most. I will be glad when I have enough money saved up.

 

a/c products

Due to the increasingly hot weather, it has made being inside of our house difficult.

The un-even temperatures have been around the 82s and 90s, and there has also been continuous sunshine. I’m sure our house is slightly hotter as well, since the sun is directly shining on our home. I have been finding it hard to concentrate on our jobs, due to the overbearing heat! The worst section is, I can’t even do much about it. One because I can’t control the weather, and multiple, because our air conditioner component is almost non functional. It technically still works, however not very well. I might as well not have an a/c system. It has been this way for a year or so, and I just don’t have enough money to maintenance it. I used to live with our roommate, and both of us would both spend our money for any kind of repairs the air conditioner device needed, however our roommate stopped paying his half, so after a sizable fight, he moved out, now I am left to deal with any issues the cooling component has, which unfortunately is plenty. I am slowly saving up enough money to maintenance the air conditioner, however I have a feeling that it is going to be awhile, then until then, on afternoons adore this, there is not much I can do however just try and bear the heat. Fans help, and so does taking chilly showers, however having a fully working Heating, Ventilation, and A/C machine is what I need the most. I will be glad when I have enough money saved up.

quality hvac

The modern heating system has significantly improved the comfort, cleanliness and efficiency of the home

When my wife and I purchased our home, the heating system was outdated and had not been properly maintained. We didn’t have the money to replace the furnace right away. We had a long list of repairs that were most important. Broken windows needed to be replaced. The water heater, roof and our water pipes leaked. Our refrigerator, oven, dishwasher and washing machine all needed to be replaced. My wife and I hoped to have a new furnace installed within five years. Unfortunately, there seemed to always be something else that took priority. We needed to buy new tires for the car, repair the gutters and buy a new lawn mower. By the time we saved up some extra money, and we’re able to afford a new furnace, we’d been living with the old heating system for nearly ten years. In our local area, the winter weather lasts for more than half the year. The furnace couldn’t keep up with the sub zero temperatures. The house would feel chilly. My wife and I would adjust the thermostat a few degrees lower and dress in layers of sweaters. We relied heavily on electric heating blankets. We complained about the influx of dust from the vents and high utility bills. I was conscientious about changing the air filter every month and set up professional maintenance in the fall. Every year, the HVAC contractor who provided the service would warn that the heater was at the end of its lifespan. Keeping that ancient furnace running seemed like a good way to save money. We were able to delay the installation project. Our furnace finally failed in the middle of a December blizzard. The outside temperature was down to ten degrees, and we were left without heat. Instead of having the opportunity to research various models, we were in a rush and forced to accept whatever heating system the contractor had available. We needed to get the furnace installed as quickly as possible. Once the new furnace was operational, we realized we should have made the investment a long time ago. The modern heating system has significantly improved the comfort, cleanliness and efficiency of the home. Our monthly utility bills are noticeably lower. The savings will help to pay for the investment.

 

 

Cooling technician

I really don’t like this time of year

I live far enough south that I never need to worry about snow and sub zero temperatures. Even in the middle of the winter, it’s rare for the conditions to drop below forty degrees. However, the summers are long, hot and humid. We often experience temperatures in the nineties or even the triple digits. Because of the climate, it’s necessary to have both heating and cooling for the home. We have a packaged unit that is installed outside, links to ducts concealed in the attic and provides year round comfort. There are supply and return vents in the ceiling and a thermostat to adjust comfort levels. For the majority of the year, the system is switched to cooling mode. Our winter weather only lasts a couple of months. Currently, we are at the time of year when the weather transitions from chilly to hot. The nights are cold, with temperatures dropping into the forties. Once the sun comes up, the temperature gradually rises and gets up into the mid eighties. I switch the system to heating mode before I go to bed at night. When I get up in the morning, I shut the system off entirely. Right around noon, it’s necessary to turn on the air conditioning. This seems very counter-productive. I try to conserve energy, minimize wear and tear on the system and keep my monthly utility bills as low as possible. I really don’t like this time of year. I am thankful that this type of weather doesn’t usually last long. Within a few weeks, I should be able to run the system in cooling mode at all times.

Cooling industry