Let’s first talk about the furnace. A dirty furnace can cause you a lot of problems. When a furnace becomes dirty it slows down the furnace’s performance and causes the coil above your furnace to become plugged up. If this is allowed to continue without getting properly cleaned out this can cause cracks in your heat exchanger to form. Now cracks can and will happen to your furnace just because it is old, has been used quite a lot over the years and well because nothing can last for forever. But if you keep a dirty furnace that is only going to quicken the process of it breaking down and costing you a lot of money to install a new one.

The same principle goes for your air conditioner, you need to be checking the air conditioner every month for any debris that can become stuck the in outer fins and cause it to become clogged. Here in Kansas there are a lot of us who have to worry about all the Cottonwood trees when they are in bloom during the Summer. That cotton can easily get caught in your system and if ignore, just like your furnace, it will eventually break down and will have to be replaced. Another tip you may not know to protect your air conditioner is to make sure that any pets DO NOT use the system as a place to mark their territory. I have and do own a couple of dogs myself and I’ve had to train them to not go over to my air conditioner and use it as their own private bathroom. The reason you shouldn’t let your pets do this is because your pet’s urine will act as an acid on the air conditioner and literally eat and deteriorate it. So for the sake of your wallet, don’t let your pets use your cooling system as a bathroom.

Now it comes to your filters, I said this I don’t know how many times or to how many customers, but I will say it a thousand more…ALWAYS check and change your filters REGULARLY. And when I say regularly I mean like every month you need to get that filter out and make sure that it is either still clean and could last you another month or change it immediately because it’s so dirty and fuzzy looking that it looks like a cat or some furry animal crawled into it and flattened itself out. A dirty filter can affect your heating and cooling system so badly if it is not changed out, it causes the air flow to be restricted, will cause your coil to become plugged up with all kinds of junk and make the system over compensate, which causes it to break down really fast.

So please check your system on a regular monthly basis and also remember to have the furnace and air conditioning professionally serviced once a year to ensure that everything is thoroughly cleaned and ready to last you though the season.

Now let’s talk this, the thermostat or t-stat as us technicians call it. Your thermostat is obviously what controls the climate in your home, for making it as cool or as warm as you want it to be. The controls are pretty basic and easy to understand without reading a manual…unless you got one of those fancy do-hickies that you can control from your computer for phone. Those, you will have to use a manual. Even us technicians sometimes have trouble installing those fancy ones. But for the most part all t-stats do the same thing, control your air. The thermostat controls how much and when to start the cycle of heating or cooling your home.

What you might not know is that your thermostat can be the problem of why your hvac system is not working. If your thermostat is not wired correctly to your furnace and air conditioner will not get the correct signals it needs to know when to come on and shut off. Obviously we all know that there are wires in the thermostat that send a signal to you system to heat or cool your home, but if your wiring is all messed up you could have the potential of making your air conditioner come on in the middle of a snow storm instead of the furnace. How you can determine if the wiring is bad is if the furnace comes on instead of the air conditioning like you wanted, if you have recently checked and changed your filters, had your furnace or air conditioner cleaned and made sure that your batteries are still working or just changed them out. If you have done all of these things and the thermostat still isn’t sending the right signals or not signals at all, that is when you need to call us!

Ok, now I need to talk about your batteries, a lot of people don’t really think about this first but the batteries in your t-stat could be a factor as to what is or isn’t turning on your system. We’ve had a lot of customers in our day call in a panic about their air conditioner or furnace not working or turning on, and when we get there it’s a simple change out of the batteries. Now don’t ever be embarrassed if it just a simple change out of the batteries and that was all that the technician did, it’s what we are trained to check and do. And trust me there are a TON of people out there that it has happened to. But ALWAYS check your batteries before you call a professional hvac tech, it will save you a diagnostic fee.

In some cases there is nothing wrong with the wiring or the batteries and it is just a bad thermostat, not everything will always come out working correctly. For some people they have just been given a lemon, and do you know what you need to do with that lemon? Get your receipt and take it back. I wouldn’t try to make lemonade with that, ever. If I’ve spent my hard-earned money on something, you better believe that if it doesn’t work the second I set it up, I immediately take it back. There have been plenty of customers we’ve had to deal with in the past that they swore nothing was wrong with their thermostat and that it was something that the previous company had done or that we had messed something up when we were out there last…Most cases it was just a bad thermostat.

I hope this has helped shed some light on system and helped you better understand what is involved in what can go wrong with your system. Now, this is not the only thing that can go wrong with your system. There is of course other things that can break down, get plugged up or crack. But this is one thing that you can control or potentially fix yourself. As always if you ever feel unsure and would rather have a professional show you what you can do to fix it or have any questions, please do not hesitate to call! That is what we are here for, to help you achieve comfort in your home.

               The reason you need to be taking a closer look at your heating and cooling system is because it all involves the air you breathe (I’ll expand in more detail what all is in the air you breathe, in a few weeks). Though for right now, you should already know that what you what you breathe in can greatly affect your health. Your heating and cooling system all has to do with air. It can make the air in your home hot or cold and it can be the reason your family stays healthy or continues to get sick. The hvac system is a big contributor as to what all goes and doesn’t go into the air of your home.

               Another reason that your heating and cooling system is important is that it keeps you and your family happy and comfortable. It’s been proven that the temperature in a building can greatly affect the mood of everyone inside. Who wants to spend the evening with icicles forming on their toes or sweltering in heat 30 degrees more than it is outside? When everyone is miserable it makes for an awful time, and no one wants to feel uncomfortable.

               If you just give your heating and cooling system a little of your time once a month to look over everything make sure the filter is changed out, there is no debris on your outside unit and there is no soot or dust in your furnace. It will make a world of difference on your system, help make the air in your home safe to breathe and keep your family happy and comfortable.

What is carbon monoxide?

Carbon monoxide, or CO, is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death.

Where is CO found?

CO is found in combustion fumes, such as those produced by cars and trucks, small gasoline engines, stoves, lanterns, burning charcoal and wood, and gas ranges and heating systems. CO from these sources can build up in enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces. People and animals in these spaces can be poisoned by breathing it.

What are the symptoms of CO poisoning?

The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. High levels of CO inhalation can cause loss of consciousness and death. Unless suspected, CO poisoning can be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms mimic other illnesses. People who are sleeping or intoxicated can die from CO poisoning before ever experiencing symptoms.

How does CO poisoning work?

Red blood cells pick up CO quicker than they pick up oxygen. If there is a lot of CO in the air, the body may replace oxygen in blood with CO. This blocks oxygen from getting into the body, which can damage tissues and result in death.

Who is at risk from CO poisoning?

All people and animals are at risk for CO poisoning. Certain groups — unborn babies, infants, and people with chronic heart disease, anemia, or respiratory problems — are more susceptible to its effects. Each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning, more than 20,000 visit the emergency room and more than 4,000 are hospitalized due to CO poisoning. Fatality is highest among Americans 65 and older.

To read more on how to provent this from happening to your family click on this link:  http://www.cdc.gov/co/faqs.htm 

And if you are needing help on preventing your family from getting carbon monoxide poisoning give us a call today!!

(See diagram below.)

As you can see Kansas is in the Northern Region for the efficiency to be no less than 90%. This new mandate is set to go into effect on May 1, 2013. This means that it will be illegal for us as a company to sell or install any 80% furnace after May 1^st of 2013.

If you are interested in reading up on all the information on this follow the links below:

https://www.acca.org/archives/industry-resources/government-affairs/hot-air/5808

http://www.aga.org/Kc/OperationsEngineering/codesandstds/buildingcodesandstandardsnews/Pages/DOEtoIssueDirectFinalRule(DFR)onResidentialFurnacesMandating90AFUEFurnacesinthe%E2%80%9CNorth%E2%80%9D.aspx

If you are interested in getting your furnace looked at or have an old worn out furnace that needs to be replaced and you don’t want to upgrade to a 90% or higher. Now is the time for you to get it done before it is too late.

Give us a call and we’d be more than happy to get you on the schedule today 316-869-0199!!

This is the family

 I just thought it should I upload a picture of all of us and what we all look like. I am so proud of my company and I’m so blessed that my family is a big part of it.

Thanks!