If Only You Had a Crystal Ball

“Didn’t see that one coming.” Famous words said “after the fact,” and often with sarcasm. While we may say things like “If only I had a crystal ball,” the truth is, paying attention to patterns can give you a good sense of what’s ahead. For example, as you get to know people, you can sort of predict how they’ll react to work stress, social situations or even their team losing a big game. You just know what to expect because you’ve seen their reactions before. Same goes for things in and around your home. For example, let’s say you have a car that periodically breaks down at inopportune times. If you’re looking at driving it across the country – well, you can just expect that you’re going to have trouble along the way. So what would you say about your heating system? What does the crystal ball – or, more appropriately, the patterns – tell you about when to plan for a breakdown? Not sure? Well, check out this info for when, exactly, you can expect the unexpected.

Cost of Comfort

With the economy the way it is and rising natural gas costs, we have to try and find a balance of cost over comfort. That’s why being energy efficient is so important these days because it can save you a lot of money on your energy bills. At STEWART, we have several ways to check your system to make sure it is running at optimal performance and keeping more money in your pocket. There are also some small things that you can do to cut down on energy costs. Change your HVAC filters monthly during peak heating and cooling seasons. They only cost a few bucks to replace and a dirty filter makes your system work harder and longer. You can also look for any leaks around your windows or doors that could be letting the heat escape. If you want to know more about what to expect come this cold season, read our free report “Predicting the Cost of Your Home Heating.” You can see more about the costs of natural gas and a way to cut down your energy usage by 20% from last year.

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 About My Warranty?

Most heating and cooling systems will come with a warranty whenever you purchase a new system. The length of coverage ranges depending on the system and you can even extend them sometimes when your coverage is almost up. Warranties are great for those unforeseen repair needs, especially if your system is only a few years old. But did you know that your warranty could be voided if the manufacturer determines that neglect of maintenance was the cause? Just like you would get an oil change or tune-up on your car, your heating and cooling system needs this same attention. You don’t want your car’s transmission to blow up just like you don’t want your heater to stop working this fall. Especially if you’ll be stuck with the full bill because it could have been prevented with a tune-up. Unfortunately sometimes, we’ve just got to learn, but we have come up with a few ways to help you avoid this trouble with “How to Avoid Lessons Learned the Hard Way.” Take a look; it could save you a lot of money in the future.

Working Out

Every so often I’ll get motivated to start a new exercise plan. Since it’s been a long time in between my workouts, I have to make sure I stretch well and I usually end up sore anyway. It takes a couple weeks to get into the swing of things and back to my normal pace. It’s like this with a lot of things. Football players have off-seasons where they aren’t playing as often so when the season rolls back around, they’ve got training camps, workouts and even practice games. We don’t expect them to take a break and come back performing better than last year. So why do we do this with our home comfort systems? We haven’t used them all year and when the cold comes rolling in, we expect them to work 100%. Our systems are kind of like us; during the summer, they’ve done a lot of “sitting” so when the winter arrives, they need a little bit of help to be in their best working condition. It makes them much more efficient and can actually save you a lot of money. Want to learn how to get your system performing better? Read “There’s No Business Like Slow Business” to find out how to give your home comfort system the “workout” it needs.

Discovering Cracks in Your Energy Efficiency

The common expression “One thing leads to another” certainly holds true in your household energy use. A cracked door here, an open window there – while your air conditioning system is churning out cool air – will lead you from energy efficiency to extra energy usage. And that leads to higher energy bills. Any number of vulnerabilities in the airtightness of your home can cause your home comfort system to work overtime – needlessly sending your energy bills upward. In your mind’s eye, you can almost picture your nicely cooled air escaping through these various openings. But now with a special test, you don’t have to settle for your imagination or guesswork. You can get a very clear picture of what’s happening with your energy use throughout your whole house. We’ve got some information about how trained technicians employ high-tech equipment to pinpoint trouble spots, and you can find out more in this report, How to Look at Your Energy Use from All Angles. Please check it out.

Discovering Cracks in Your Energy Efficiency

The common expression “One thing leads to another” certainly holds true in your household energy use. A cracked door here, an open window there – while your air conditioning system is churning out cool air – will lead you from energy efficiency to extra energy usage. And that leads to higher energy bills. Any number of vulnerabilities in the airtightness of your home can cause your home comfort system to work overtime – needlessly sending your energy bills upward. In your mind’s eye, you can almost picture your nicely cooled air escaping through these various openings. But now with a special test, you don’t have to settle for your imagination or guesswork. You can get a very clear picture of what’s happening with your energy use throughout your whole house. We’ve got some information about how trained technicians employ high-tech equipment to pinpoint trouble spots, and you can find out more in this report, How to Look at Your Energy Use from All Angles. Please check it out.

When You Need to See It to Believe It

Have you ever noticed that people seem a little more cynical than they used to? They just can’t quite trust the claims they’re hearing. Or, have you noticed that advertisers keep trying harder and harder to separate you from your money? They just can’t stop making bigger claims. I’d say one has to do with the other. The bigger the promises, the better the slogans, the tougher the selling… well, it just makes people wonder what to believe. We’re all familiar with the old saying, “If it’s too good to be true, it is.” But that doesn’t mean advertisers don’t keep trying to make us forget. So what’s that got to do with you? And with me? It’s just my way of saying I’d rather shoot straight with you on what you’ll get and what we’ll do for you. I promise you our best because I want to stay your friend for a long, long time. And for me, friendship starts by treating you right. Give us a chance, and you’ll see for yourself. As a matter of fact, this info shows what we can do right now for your air conditioning and heating. Please take a look.

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.

Discovering Cracks in Your Energy Efficiency

The common expression “One thing leads to another” certainly holds true in your household energy use. A cracked door here, an open window there – while your air conditioning system is churning out cool air – will lead you from energy efficiency to extra energy usage. And that leads to higher energy bills. Any number of vulnerabilities in the airtightness of your home can cause your home comfort system to work overtime – needlessly sending your energy bills upward. In your mind’s eye, you can almost picture your nicely cooled air escaping through these various openings. But now with a special test, you don’t have to settle for your imagination or guesswork. You can get a very clear picture of what’s happening with your energy use throughout your whole house. We’ve got some information about how trained technicians employ high-tech equipment to pinpoint trouble spots, and you can find out more in this report, How to Look at Your Energy Use from All Angles. Please check it out.

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 Contra Costa County, 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. Hope you’ll take a look at this IAQ solution.

This Little Piggy Wants to Save Money…

I don’t know about you, but this is the time of year when money gets tight around my home. With all of the holidays – which is great fun – money has the potential to add up quickly – and then add to that the expense of trying to keep the house heated and everyone warm – well, it is an almost suffocating time of year for the dear ol’ piggy bank. I am pretty sure I want what everyone else wants – to spend less on my utilities and to put more money into savings. Energy expenses are just through the roof these days and it doesn’t seem like that will change anytime soon, if ever. But what can we really do about it? We HAVE to heat our homes; that part is not really an option and while I do enjoy a good fire every now and then, it is really not an efficient way to warm our homes all winter long. A solution may be easier to come by than you think. Read “Have You Heard about Hybrid Heating?” This is something to get really excited about and a way to let that piggy bank fill up with savings.

Questions You’d Like to Ask Your Furnace

Do you ever get the feeling that your old furnace has a mind of its own? Sometimes it probably seems that way. These older models do appear to get more and more stubborn over time – not unlike the rest of us! It’s as if all you’re asking is, “Can we have a little heat?” And they say, “Wait and see.” Worse, they refuse to do what you ask, which is simply, “Will you keep me warm this winter and save on my energy bills?” As your household systems age, how they answer these questions become less and less of a sure thing. In many cases, you can count on more and more unwelcome repairs, plus a larger use of energy. When you add it all up, oftentimes a replacement makes the most sense for your budget as well as your comfort. If you’re in that decision-making mode about your new furnace, this free report, Making the Case When Your Furnace Doesn’t Make the Grade, tells you what to look for when it’s time to replace. Read and learn more.

If Only You Had a Crystal Ball

“Didn’t see that one coming.” Famous words said “after the fact,” and often with sarcasm. While we may say things like “If only I had a crystal ball,” the truth is, paying attention to patterns can give you a good sense of what’s ahead. For example, as you get to know people, you can sort of predict how they’ll react to work stress, social situations or even their team losing a big game. You just know what to expect because you’ve seen their reactions before. Same goes for things in and around your home. For example, let’s say you have a car that periodically breaks down at inopportune times. If you’re looking at driving it across the country – well, you can just expect that you’re going to have trouble along the way. So what would you say about your heating system? What does the crystal ball – or, more appropriately, the patterns – tell you about when to plan for a breakdown? Not sure? Well, check out this info for when, exactly, you can expect the unexpected.