Can Your Furnace Pass the “Confidence” Test?

Is your furnace good for one more season, or can you expect a collapse at the most inopportune (AKA coldest) moment possible? This is what a lot of homeowners wonder when they’ve been patching the same system for several years now. But here’s another question to consider: what could you expect if you made the decision to upgrade to a new furnace now? Confidence is the main answer. There’s just something very “worry-free” about feeling that chill in the air and knowing that your thermostat is about to trigger all those wonderful operational sounds you’ve come to recognize as heat on its way. And pretty soon you’re wrapped in warmth and comfort. You’ve also got the confidence that hidden problems in an old furnace aren’t about to create very real trouble in your indoor air – especially through dangerous carbon monoxide leaks. Then there’s improved energy efficiency. Instead of cautiously keeping your thermostat set just outside your comfort range – in order to save energy dollars – a new system keeps you comfortable and saves on your energy bills. Time takes a toll on our household systems. If you’d like to know how to make a good decision on when to upgrade, take a look at this report:

New vs. Old

In a war of new vs. old, who wins? I guess it would depend on what we were referring to. I personally think “old” music is better than the “new” stuff that is called music now. Between old and new cars… that’s a tossup for me; I like features from both. Old dog vs. new dog… I’ll take my old dog, thank you very much. But, when talking about an old vs. new heating system, it’s new that wins hands down every time. The old ones just cannot compete. They use more energy to produce the same amount of heat as the new ones which means they cost us more money just to run them. They can give out at any moment and then what are you left with – a cold home and a big bill. But don’t take my word for it. Read “Hey, I’m freezing in here. Is the furnace even working?” and find out why a new heating system is the way to go this winter.

Ready for the Winter?

Let’s face it: It seems like it’s getting colder every year. As the temperatures go down, we depend more and more on our home comfort systems. If you’ve got a well-maintained, fairly new, energy-efficient home comfort system, you’re probably thinking “No problem. I’ve got this.” But if your heating and air conditioning system has struggled to make it through the last few winters, then you may be thinking something quite a bit different. Your system may be trying to warn you of a bigger problem. You may have noticed inconsistent comfort, or even more repairs than usual. Your energy bills could even be higher due to your home comfort system underperforming. These colder temperatures are going to put more strain on your system and consume even more energy. And as if that is not enough, we are also going to see an increase in natural gas prices to go along with these lower temperatures. If your system is not working to its full capacity, it can end up costing you a lot come this winter. If you want some help beating these high natural gas prices, then we have some good information that’ll get you through this price surge. Read “Beat Natural Gas Prices” to learn more.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Can Your Furnace Pass the “Confidence” Test?

Is your furnace good for one more season, or can you expect a collapse at the most inopportune (AKA coldest) moment possible? This is what a lot of homeowners wonder when they’ve been patching the same system for several years now. But here’s another question to consider: what could you expect if you made the decision to upgrade to a new furnace now? Confidence is the main answer. There’s just something very “worry-free” about feeling that chill in the air and knowing that your thermostat is about to trigger all those wonderful operational sounds you’ve come to recognize as heat on its way. And pretty soon you’re wrapped in warmth and comfort. You’ve also got the confidence that hidden problems in an old furnace aren’t about to create very real trouble in your indoor air – especially through dangerous carbon monoxide leaks. Then there’s improved energy efficiency. Instead of cautiously keeping your thermostat set just outside your comfort range – in order to save energy dollars – a new system keeps you comfortable and saves on your energy bills. Time takes a toll on our household systems. If you’d like to know how to make a good decision on when to upgrade, take a look at this report:

The Answers Are in the Questions

Sometimes, when facing decisions, the answers we seek are in the questions we ask. Well, not always directly. If you ask, “What’s for lunch?” hamburger and fries show up nowhere in those words. But it does start the thinking process about the “problem” of lunch that eventually leads to a solution (hamburger and fries). In homeownership, you see this happening with questions that begin with, “Are these energy bills ever going to stop going up?” Or maybe you’re asking, “Does it feel too cold in here to you? Can you do something with that thermostat? How old is this thing anyway? Didn’t we have a breakdown last year too?” When questions like these keep popping up, you know you’re heading into a decision-making mode in your home comfort. Are you there yet? Getting closer? Take a look at this info, which asks important questions about your home heating.

Predictions… Are They a Gift or a Curse?

Most people, by nature, want to know what is in their future. Some predictions are wonderful to have like... “It is going to be a mild summer.” That one is awesome, so it would definitely be listed in the “gift” category. Other predictions may make life a little difficult for someone involved in the prediction. I would imagine it is both a coaching dream and nightmare to be predicted to win a national championship. On one hand, surely it makes recruiting a breeze – who wouldn’t want to be on that team! On the other hand, I am assuming the coach would have to work very, very hard to keep the team focused on each and every game left to play. So maybe that one is a gift and a curse. Another “gift” is knowing that this is going to be a COLD winter. Knowing it in advance allows you to make adjustments to your heating system so that you save money this winter instead of spending it unnecessarily. If you are interested in learning more about saving money on energy bills, read “Who Keeps Messing Around With Your Home’s Gas Bills?”