June 2009 Archives

If we told you about an investment that would multiply your money 10 times, would you be interested?  I thought so.

So here's our hot investment tip: the money you spend keeping your AC system maintained can easily save you 10 times your maintenance cost--or more!  Yearly maintenance will lower your utility bill, prevent costly repairs, and extend the life of your equipment.  Quite simply, it's one of the best investments you can make.

So how do you make sure you're getting your money's worth on a maintenance call?  An average maintenance visit should cost about $100, and your contractor should:

•    Clean coils, both indoors and outdoors.
•    Check for proper airflow.
•    Check the thermostat setting.
•    Check the refrigerant pressure.
•    Check all electrical connections.
•    Lubricate all moving parts (especially important in older AC systems where the bearings may not be sealed).

If you're dealing with an air conditioning service company for the first time, you can protect yourself by asking for a copy of their license and insurance certificates, and by checking references.

But, no matter what the stock market does, don't miss out on this investment!

In this blog, we frequently give advice that will actually help you avoid calling heating and AC contractors like ourselves.

It's not that we don't like to stay busy.  We do.  But we don't like having to charge people for repairs that were really unnecessary, or for something they could have done themselves.

But with this post, we are encouraging you to call your AC contractor, at least once a year, to get your central AC system inspected and maintained (twice a year if the same system is also used for heating).

This is not about creating busywork for contractors.  In fact, at Heritage, we don't make much on maintenance calls, but we know how important they are.  

With rising utility bills, it's more important than ever to keep your AC running efficiently, smoothly, and economically.  And regular AC maintenance will not only maximize your energy savings, it will also help prevent problems and extend the life of your equipment.  It will pay for itself, over and over again.  

In our next blog post, we'll tell how to make sure you are getting your money's worth with your AC maintenance call.

Airplane pilots know that going through a pre-flight checklist can keep them from crashing and burning.

Likewise, going through this simple pre-season checklist with your AC can keep your system from crashing and burning when the weather heats up.  

•    Make sure nothing is blocking the airflow around the unit.  Clean away leaves and debris.  Remove any winter coverings.  But if you decide to open the unit, remember to disconnect the power.
•    Check/replace the batteries.  
•    Check/replace the air filter.  Dirty filters cause a host of problems.  They slow your system down, make it less efficient, lead to more repairs, and shorten the life of your equipment.  
•    Test-drive your system while it's still mild.  If you wait until it's hot to crank up your AC, and then it breaks down, you'll be uncomfortable waiting for service.  Do a test run of your system before summer.   

Your AC contractor will probably be happy to help you out with any of these things--but he'll have to charge you.  And the truth is, you can do these things yourself and cut down on repair costs.  

Remember that airplane pilot: he never skips the pre-flight checklist.

If your AC is aging, we've got good news: 2009 and 2010 will be very good years to get a new system.  The federal government is offering up to $1,500 in tax credit for energy-efficient upgrades to your home--such as new insulation, windows, heating, or air conditioning.  

Here's how it works.  The credits are worth 30 percent of the cost of the upgrades, up to $1500.  For example, if you spend $5,000 on eligible air conditioning, you can get $1500 back.  

If your AC is not old (less than 10 years), you can use the tax credit to upgrade your windows or insulation.   (In fact, if your windows or insulation are not up to snuff, you should probably start there first--no matter what an AC contractor might say.  You don't want to invest in new, energy-efficient AC only to find out that your energy bill stays high because your windows and insulation are "leaky.")  

But if your AC is more than 10 years old, you should look into this.  You can do something to save energy and protect the environment, and Uncle Sam will do something for you!  To learn more, visit http://www.energystar.gov and search for "Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency."

Maybe you've heard the old saying, "For lack of a horseshoe the horse was lost, for lack of a horse, the rider was lost, for lack of a rider the battle was lost."  

We see something like this as we service AC systems in New Hampshire.  People often end up losing their AC system--or incur needless, expensive repairs--simply because they overlooked the small things.

So what's the "horseshoe" for your AC system?  It's the filter!  You should change your AC filter every one to two months (depending on usage).  Otherwise, your system begins to "run dirty," and this has several negative results.  You breathe dirtier air.  Your energy bill is higher (because your system has to work harder to push air through the dirty filter).  And over time, running with a dirty filter can lead to more repairs and even shorten the life of your equipment.

Remember:  "For lack of a clean filter the AC was lost."

(NOTE: You might not hear this advice from some AC contractors--because it's not always in their interest to tell you.  But it is in your interest to hear it!)