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Service Your Air
Conditioner for Summer Comfort
We all know that we can pay our auto mechanics a little now for routine
service, or pay them a lot later for a major repair. The same idea holds true
for your air conditioner or heat pump. If you don't service your air
conditioner or heat pump regularly, you'll find yourself uncomfortable and
broke.
In this
article the term air conditioner will apply to a heat pump or a standard air
conditioner. Both benefit equally from annual service tune-ups.
An air
conditioner is a very tough piece of equipment. It is engineered to withstand
all sorts of abuse and keep on running. This is great in most respects, but it
can lead to complacency about maintenance. Like a car, air conditioners need
regular tune-ups to run properly.
Without
regular maintenance an air conditioner looses about 5% of it's
original efficiency for each year of operation. This means that the 12 SEER unit that you bought just a few years ago may be functioning
like a 9 SEER unit today! The good news is that you can recover most of that
lost efficiency through regular maintenance. Studies show that with regular
tune-ups a unit will maintain up to 95% of it's
original efficiency. This means that the cost of an annual tune-up is recovered
very quickly in savings on your monthly electric bill and reduced repair costs.
A properly serviced air conditioner will also do a better job of dehumidifying
your home.
Many local
air conditioning firms offer special prices at this time of the year. Some even
offer annual service programs that insure that you will be reminded of the need
to service the unit at the beginning of the cooling and heating seasons.
The
service check should include cleaning the condensing unit coils, checking the
amp draw of the compressor, oiling the fan motors, checking that belts are well
adjusted, and checking the system operating pressures and temperatures against
the manufacturers specifications. One of the most
important items to check is the coolant level (commonly know as Freon) in the
air conditioner. A system that is only 10% low on coolant will cost about 20%
more to operate! The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) recommends
that coolant levels be checked every year.
If your
unit is low on coolant, and more must be added, there are new laws governing
its use. Freon is a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) that will damage the Earths
protective ozone layer if released into the atmosphere. The laws governing
CFC's now do not allow your air conditioner contractor to add Freon to a leaky
system. They are first required to find and fix the leak in the system. Don't
ask them to violate this law as they may loose their license if they are caught
doing this.
There are
some things in addition to yearly tune-ups that you can do to help ensure a high
level of comfort and proper system operation. First, buy good filters and
change them regularly. Next, keep bushes and other materials away from the
outside unit of your air conditioner. Another good idea is to avoid closing
supply air outlets in your house. In almost all cases, closing supply outlets
is harmful to the operation of the overall system.
All
equipment, even the most reliable, needs routine maintenance. Complicated equipment like today's air conditioners benefit in many
ways from annual service. They recover much of their lost efficiency,
they are less likely to suffer a major break down, they have a longer life
span, they increase your comfort, and they operate for less money.
Provided
as a service by:
HERE ARE
HELPFUL TIPS ON FINDING A LOCAL PLUMBING COMPANYÉ.LIKE ROTO-ROOTER AND
Sooner or later we all need to call a local Island Park
plumber. Some need a plumbing, heating & air conditioning company.
Here are tips if you live in Island Park LONG ISLAND
NASSAU COUNTY NEW YORK
There are many choices and to name a couple, you have a
national chain like Roto-Rooter¨ and
locally operated Island
Park Pipe Doctor Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning.
A plumber is expensive and there's no way around that.
But, there are a variety of ways to get the most value for your money.
1. Compare
Plumbers' Hourly Rates
The first, and often only thing, that consumers zero in
on when comparing plumbers is their hourly rate. People figure that they should
hire the reputable firm with the lowest rate. Sounds simple and direct, but it
doesn't always work.
The first concern is with the concept of reputable. For
most people, if they have heard the name many times over the years, they feel
that the firm must have an established reputation. Some examples are Roto-Rooter¨
and Island Park Pipe Doctor Plumbing, Heating & Air
Conditioning.
Unfortunately, this is often untrue. In the plumbing field,
in particular, several of the most highly promoted companies have the worst
track records. This is why it's important to get specific references from
others or to go through a prescreened plumbing service.
The second problem with the hourly rate is that it is
difficult to compare rates because of the many ways plumbers count the hours.
Travel time is a factor that should be considered. Plumbers spend a good part
of their day driving from job to job. They must be compensated for this time.
The best way to select a plumber is on his overall
ability to deliver customer satisfaction consistently. Customer satisfaction
takes into account all of these issues and constitutes an accurate indication
of value received. Roto-Rooter¨ and Island Park Pipe Doctor Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning have
100% customer satisfaction goals.
2.
Minimize Plumbing Needs
An entirely different approach to saving money on
plumbing is to reduce the need to call them at all. The most common plumbing
calls have to do with drains. Many homes have one or two problem drains and
several that never need any attention at all.
One common drain problem is the build up of grease. You can
counteract this by doing things to reduce the grease build up. Experiment with
the available products and you may find you can stay one step ahead of a
clogged drain indefinitely. Some people have found success with just pouring
boiling sudsy water down the drain periodically. Roto-Rooter¨ and Island
Park Pipe Doctor Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning are great
companies to call for drain stoppages and cleaning
Hair is another common factor in many plumbing problems.
In most cases, hair can be trapped in some sort of screen or drain cover. Talk
to your plumber next time he's there and ask about suggested ways to prevent
the hair from getting in the drain. It's much easier to gather hair off the
screen periodically than it is to deal with a clogged pipe.
Another costly, but preventable, problem is frozen pipes.
Make sure that all your pipes are in heated spaces. If any are not, make sure
they are well insulated. Each fall, when the weather turns colder, disconnect
and drain your garden hoses, turn-off the indoor cut-off valve located near the
faucet, and open the outdoor faucet. If there is no cut-off valve, consider
installing one. Any water left in pipes exposed to below-zero temperatures will
freeze. Call or visit Roto-Rooter¨ and Island Park Pipe
Doctor Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning
3. Buy
Your Own Plumbing Fixtures
A popular and effective way to save money on plumbing calls
is to buy your own fixtures. Traditionally, plumbers sell you the toilets,
sinks, and faucets that they install. Typically they'll get the items at a
discount and charge you full price. In part, this is to make money and in part
this is to cover the costs of dealing with purchases, returns, and storage.
In recent years, however, some of the home center stores
now charge you prices that are even lower than the contractor prices that
plumbers pay their suppliers. There are many instances where you will do better
buying your own fixtures, providing you have the time to invest in shopping
around. Call or visit Roto-Rooter¨ and The Pipe Doctor Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning
While this approach can save you big bucks, there are
three caveats to keep in mind. First, many fixtures that appear to be great
buys are poorly made or are missing adapters, installing kits or other
components that normally come with similar products. Shop carefully.
Second, if you supply the fixture and the plumber
installs it and something goes wrong, there is likely to be some confusion as
to whose responsibility it is. One way to get around this is to check with the
plumber up front about what brands or lines he recommends and then buy those
brands. Call or visit Roto-Rooter¨ and The Pipe Doctor Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning
Checking with the plumber up front also gets you around
the third problem. Every product or line of products has its own installation
quirks. Choosing a fixture that is familiar to your plumber assures that you
will get the full advantage of his expertise and experience. If instead, you
choose something he's never worked with, expect that you'll be paying for some
on-the-job learning mistakes. Call or visit Roto-Rooter¨ and The Pipe Doctor Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning
4. Reduce
the Plumber's Chargeable Time
Often the easiest way to save money and time, this is an
easy step that is often overlooked. Before you call a plumber, go through your
home and check every faucet and fixture. Make a list of everything that drips,
runs, and is clogged. Then, when you get the plumber out, have him take care of
all the problems at once. You'll avoid additional trip charges, set-up time and
the hassle of scheduling multiple visits.
Anything you can do to save the plumber time will also
save you money. Be organized. This means having a written list of specific
items you want addressed. If you're not sure what the problem is, have a list
of symptoms. Clear the work area. Handle some of the clean up yourself.
5. Install
Water-Saving Plumbing Fixtures
Water and sewage treatment cost money. When you reduce
water consumption, you can save on both counts. If you have an older
water-guzzling toilet and it starts to need repairs, give serious thought to
replacing it entirely.
Instead of spending money on what will probably be a
continuous string of repairs, invest wisely and get a reliable fixture that
will save you money over the long run.
This is also true for faucets and showerheads. Anytime
these need attention, consider replacing them with new, water-saving units. You
can call or schedule online service from Roto-Rooter¨ and The Pipe Doctor Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning.
6. Remodel
the Smart Way
If you are planning more substantial remodeling work,
make sure you get three quotes. More than likely, each plumber will have
different suggestions. Listen to their suggestions and reasons, and decide
which ideas make the most sense to you.
Always get a fixed price for the job and make sure that
model numbers are clearly indicated in the contracts you sign. If the plumber
installs the wrong fixture and you can't figure out whose fault it is, you can
have a real problem. Roto-Rooter¨ and The Pipe Doctor Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning both
give upfront pricing in writing.
EMERGENCY PLUMBER, EMERGENCY
PLUMBING, EMERGENCY HEAT, EMERGENCY HEATING, EMERGENCY AIR, EMERGENCY AIR
CONDITIONING, EMERGENCY HVAC, BOILER LEAKING, BOILER REPAIR, BOILER BROKEN,
BOILER NO HEAT, WATER HEATER LEAKING, WATER HEATER REPAIR, WATER HEATER BROKEN,
PIPES LEAKING, PIPES BROKEN, PIPES REPAIR, TOILET RUNNING.