U.S. Government Breaks Your A/C System

Most of us probably don’t think about the ozone day in, day out. But some folks do. And the groups and agencies who keep a close eye on environmental concerns have prompted some actions in recent years that will ultimately affect the operation of central air conditioners across this country. The issue is the refrigerant, R-22, also known as Freon, which has been the predominant refrigerant used in air conditioners for the last 40 years. The federal government has begun a phase-out of equipment that uses this refrigerant because of concerns about ozone depletion. So, as of 2010, no new R-22-based equipment has been manufactured. Sure, the pre-2010 systems can still be operated and repaired, but you’ll still be looking at some logical limits. The R-22 refrigerant can’t be produced or imported after 2020 (only recycled), and the reality is that will affect the cost and availability of this replacement refrigerant as well as the availability of replacement parts for equipment that is no longer being manufactured. To learn more about this issue and how it could affect you, take a look at this info, Why Did the Government Secretly “Break” Your Home Comfort System?

The Stewart Heating & Air Blog: The Once-a-Year Step for Everyday Comfort

The Stewart Heating & Air Blog: The Once-a-Year Step for Everyday Comfort: You’ve probably heard of Poor Richard’s Almanac even if you have never read it. This was a work by Ben Franklin back when the country was yo...

The Once-a-Year Step for Everyday Comfort

You’ve probably heard of Poor Richard’s Almanac even if you have never read it. This was a work by Ben Franklin back when the country was young, and it had a calendar, weather predictions and some wise sayings. Well, if Ben Franklin were writing weather predictions for Contra Costa County, he’d say, “It’s going to be hot this summer.” Seems to me, it happens every year around that time, and this year, we’ll be true to the calendar again. Yet, if only Franklin had had central air conditioning, I think he could have added some updated helpful advice like this: “If you want something to last, you take care of it. If you want something to do its job, you make sure it’s running well. If you want something to protect you in the night, you make sure it doesn’t have any hidden dangers.” Why do I think that? Because here’s what Franklin actually did say: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” You’ve heard it, I’ve heard it, and we all know it’s true. So what ounce of prevention can you bring to your home comfort this spring? One simple step of a preseason checkup on your system can make a world of difference in your comfort all summer long. To learn more about the value of routine maintenance, take a look at this info, The Nutty Way to Solve a Problem Before It Happens.

The Nutty Secret I Actually Didn’t Want You to Know

I never was good at keeping secrets, especially from my customers. After all, I went into this business to help people – to keep you comfortable, to save you energy, to prevent the need for future repairs … good ambitions like that. Oh, that’s still my goal alright. But that means letting you in on a nutty secret that could have brought us a lot more repairs, plus equipment that declined sooner than it needed to. In a sense, that might have been “good” for us, but not really. Instead, here’s what we found is a much better way to be a positive influence in our customers’ lives: we help customers avoid future repairs, inconvenient breakdowns and wasted energy by educating them on the importance of regular tune-ups. We’ve got it on high authority that this is a really good idea and hope you’ll see the merit in taking care of a pretty sizeable investment for your home – so that it will take care of you. Need any more convincing? Take a look at this info, The Nutty Declaration That Can Help You Save.

Time to Dust Off a Few Energy Saving Ideas

Have you ever considered how much the dust that’s gathering in your home is costing you in energy bills? When dust builds up on the registers and vent covers in your home, for example, it becomes “insulation” that blocks the air’s path into the room. The harder a system has to work to keep your home comfortable, the more you pay in utility costs. So as you look ahead, a thorough dusting with special attention to registers and vent covers is a good idea. Other ideas?  Close drapes to keep out the hot daytime sun, especially on south- and west-facing windows. Sunny windows make air conditioners work 2 to 3 times harder.  Close fireplace dampers or glass doors. Going up the chimney with a bound may serve as a dramatic exit for Santa, but don’t allow your cooled air to use that same escape hatch.  Position your refrigerator away from sunny windows, hot water heaters, warm air from heating ducts, radiators, stoves and other heat sources. The heat makes cooling harder for your refrigerator. These are just a few natural, free ways to help reduce your energy costs and increase your comfort. Other small steps can also make a big difference. For example: It’s no news that energy costs are a big expense for homeowners. And not surprisingly, heating and cooling account for more than half of this amount. If you’d like to learn more about conserving energy in your home, this info will get you started – Is Your Home at the Center of an Energy-Loss Vortex?.

Is Your Home At the Center of An Energy Loss Vortex?

That’s not quite as far-fetched as it seems. See, your home comfort system worked very hard to keep you cozy all Winter. Now with Summer around the corner, you sure don’t want system wear and tear to create a black hole in your wallet. I think we all know how expensive space programs can be! This might sound funny to say but right about now, we usually hear an increase in complaints. Oh, I probably wouldn’t be telling you this if these complaints are about us (they’re not!). What I mean is, right about now, we start hearing complaints about high energy bills. Now, it’s not like we’re physicists. Yet, we actually can have an impact on the energy costs in your home. When operating properly, your home comfort system will work more efficiently and save energy – which can mean lower monthly energy bills. That’s why each spring, we get calls for system tune-ups that effectively increase the efficiency of home systems – and help prevent untimely breakdowns of your home comfort system. Hope we’ll be heading to your home soon. If you didn’t have us out last year, you may not realize how much better your system could have been protecting your personal comfort, your energy bills … and more. But don’t make that mistake this year. Learn more about how proper equipment operation affects energy costs. Take a look at this info, Attention: Seasonal Energy Alert.

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.