I think we can all agree that our pandemic year brought about plenty of changes and sacrifices.

This was certainly true for me.

While I don’t have a family to care for, I still wanted to be sure that I was doing my best to follow protocols for Covid. That meant that I had to stay home initially and work in the relative security of the HVAC in my house. However, this was not a long term solution. This was due to the fact that I run a small business which requires me to be visiting my customers onsite. Under normal circumstances that meant flying to onsite locations 7 or 8 times a month. With the pandemic and being at home in the HVAC security of my home, that was not feasible. Yet, I was able to keep things going until I could travel. However, no matter the HEPA filters, I wasn’t getting on a plane. So that meant I had to get in my car, crank the air conditioning and set about on a road trip. And it was a road trip for the ages. I essentially lived on the road visiting customers for months at a time. What I found was surprisingly great. I loved the fact that, while in my car, I didn’t have to deal with bad heating and cooling like on the plane. Plus, I finally found the lodging option that had the consistent quality heating and air that I had been searching for. Now that I’m vaccinated, I will once again go with air travel but only for the far away places. I think I’ll keep up the road trips and enjoy the benefits of having great HVAC comfort.
air conditioning repair

I have been reminding myself over the past year that what my wife and I are going through it just temporary.

This has sort of become like a mantra in fact.

But, reminding myself that I’m in the midst of a process really helps me to deal with all of this. I just wish the heating and cooling was better but that too is just temporary. My wife and I decided over a year ago that keeping the family home was just not a sustainable or tenable thing to do. So we chose to replace the HVAC equipment, upgrade the kitchen and do a few other things to get the house on the market. Just doing that was hard enough for me. I can’t tell you how surprised I was to feel so deeply about that house and all of our family memories. Yet, we knew that it was time to move on to a smaller place. And that would also require a bit of a paring down as well. This led us to the rental condo we are in currently. We rented it to have a place to move to once the house sold. It’s a good thing we had it because the house sold quick. That new zone controlled HVAC was a big selling point I have to say. We have been here about 6 months and it’s okay except for the HVAC equipment. This condo has very old and outdated heating and cooling equipment. The result is very inconsistent heating and cooling comfort. But, we are looking at homes and it won’t be long before this temporary HVAC situation is over.

electric heater

I understand that teenage girls least favorite thing is to have dad hanging around.

• This is especially true when it comes to when their friends are around.

While I know this fact, it doesn’t make it all that easy to do anything around my house. This is due to the fact that I live in a house full of preteen and teen females and their mom. Just trying to find a spot in the HVAC to relax is an effort. I could be relaxing in my recliner enjoying the air conditioning when a group of teenage girls led by one of my daughters strolls in. And I’m the one who gets the look of “why are you still here”. Doesn’t matter that we share the house that I pay for or that I was there first, I have to leave. My buddies laugh at me but they really weren’t very helpful except for one friend. He stated the obvious when he suggested that I needed my own man cave. This seemed almost trite but when I got to thinking about it, he was spot on. However, there was no place to go but the basement. But this is where this buddy really came through for me. He helped me carve out a spot downstairs by putting up some interior walls. My buddy also got a friend of his who was an HVAC technician to help us install some quality heating and air. I purchased a ductless heat pump online and we were able to install that ductless heat pump in mere hours. And all it cost me was some sandwiches and craft beer.

gas fireplace

I’m not the most on task sort of person.

And that’s putting it mildly. My idea of a task is going to the fridge for another sandwich before returning to enjoy the heating and cooling comfort of the HVAC in my home. But that just doesn’t go over all that well at home. The fact that I hold down an adult job with plenty of responsibilities does not at all let me off the hook when it comes to my chore list. But I sure do like to mention just how hard I work so maybe I’ll get some more time on the couch in the HVAC. Yet, I normally get an eye roll from my wife who then recites the tasks that I have yet to complete. Honestly, if the truth be fully told, I’m pretty impressed that my wife is still married to me. It has to be just confounding to deal with a sack of lazy bones like me. This realization motivated me to get better about a few things around the house that are my sole responsibility. I started with the HVAC chores. This is my realm as I’ve been designated to be the one who deals with all things heating and cooling. This is fine and a good place to start. That’s because there really isn’t all that much to it. But my HVAC chores are essential to the good health and operation of the HVAC equipment. So I change the air filter every month without fail now. And I make sure vents and the HVAC cabinet are free of obstructions. I also just signed us up for the HVAC service plan the HVAC company offers.

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We are well into summer here.

• But I’m still a mixture of glowing and gloating over the HVAC savings I made happen this past winter.

This was the first time since living this far north that I have seen the HVAC heating costs go backward at all. And I didn’t buy all new HVAC equipment either. While I would love to have the super efficient high SEER heating and cooling equipment, that will have to wait a few more years. When I bought this home, I inherited the heating and cooling equipment. It’s decent and was just over ten years old at the time. So it will be a time before I’m in the market for new HVAC equipment. But when that time comes, I will for sure be getting quality heating and air that also comes in the most efficient package possible. No, it wasn’t that I got new HVAC equipment which resulted in the heating savings. It’s just that I got a bit more proactive last fall prior to the cold settling in. I always have the HVAC technician out to do the heating maintenance in the fall. This ensures that the gas furnace is ready for the long winter as well as allowing it operate at its most efficient. But I went a step further this year. I made sure the house was prepared as well. That meant replacing a storm door or two. Then I went to the attic and put down more insulation. Breaking out the caulk gun, I went from roof to foundation making sure there were no gaps or cracks that could leak HVAC treated air. And I ended up saving almost 20 percent on my heating bills over the entire winter!

ductless hvac

I have been back and forth on this HVAC equipment replacement thing for months.

We had the HVAC technician out last fall to do the heating maintenance as we always do.

However this time, the HVAC professional had some news that I really wasn’t quite ready for. He told me that the HVAC equipment wasn’t far from the end of its productivity. This came as a surprise but not a shock. I think when we bought the house, we knew that we probably were going to have to replace the HVAC unit sooner rather than later. Still, I had hoped to have a few more years in order to be better prepared for such an expense. But here I am. I tried to pin the HVAC professional down on how long we had. Of course, he can’t really say with any sort of precision. However, he told me that I would see a big spike in HVAC utility costs toward the end. He said at that point, we needed to have a replacement plan in place and an installation date in mind. So the last few months I have been attempting to save money for the new HVAC equipment. I’ve met with the HVAC contractor as well. We have worked together to figure out the top three options when it comes to heating and cooling equipment. I’m thankful for his input as I think those options will fit our budget and still deliver quality heating and air we expect. But I still haven’t stroked a check to the HVAC company just yet. I can’t really explain the hesitation. I suppose I just want to get the very last drop out of the old HVAC equipment.

 

ventilation

I certainly don’t enjoy spending more money than I need to.

Actually, I do my very best not to spend on anything that isn’t of value or needed.

And while I do spend on fun as I find that essential, I don’t throw away money on too much entertainment. Being this conscious of my spending begs the question as to why I spend my money on HVAC maintenance. There are several of my friends and acquaintances who question my being a part of the HVAC company’s HVAC service plan. I guess I can sort of understand that my spending on HVAC maintenance could be viewed as odd. But I think that also completely misses the point. I find that paying for consistent service on my HVAC equipment is more of a long term investment. I’m not spending my money on the HVAC service plan in order to simply enrich the HVAC company. No, my feeling is that every dime I put into the HVAC service plan will come back to me and then some. I plan to have my HVAC equipment for at least 25 years. And I like to enjoy uninterrupted heating and cooling comfort as well. It’s really a no brainer when you consider a few facts. First, as part of the HVAC service plan, I don’t have to pay for any labor or service calls if there is a problem with the HVAC unit. Second, there is abundant data that proves HVAC maintenance extends the life of an HVAC unit a minimum of 7 years. And finally, I spent a lot of money on quality heating and air equipment. So of course I’m going to take care of it.

 

hvac home services

There is a lot to learn when you move down south.

It’s a different world than what I’m accustomed to.

And it’s not just the accent. The way of life seems slower. Even the food is different. But one thing is for sure, I have never used more air conditioning in my life. When we decided to move south, our friends warned us about the heat. I thought it couldn’t be all that bad. However, I really wasn’t understanding just how the heat and humidity dominate four months of the year. I simply can’t go outside for very long during the afternoon. It’s in the air conditioning for me for much of the summer. But I learned right quick just how expensive HVAC cooling can be down here. I found out that a homeowner had to prepare for summer much the same way we prepared for winter up north. And that starts with making sure the house is sealed up tight. I started out by replacing the sun damaged weather stripping around all the doors. That made a big difference. I wanted to be sure I couldn’t see any daylight in any door or slider. I even caulked any sort of gap I could find that might let in heat and let out HVAC cooling. However, just like a furnace, I had to adjust to a thermostat setting that was reasonable and that I could afford. I’m into my fifth summer and actually, I’ve gotten to where I get outside of the HVAC a lot more than I first did. I just do my thing early in the morning or later in the evening.

gas furnace

When you add the air purifier to the quality central air conditioning in my doctor’s office, it just makes for a really nice relaxing and healthy experience.

It is the beginning of the summer, and always this time of year I have my yearly check up scheduled with my doctor. Even though it is scheduled, I still have to wait in the waiting room for my turn. Thankfully, my doctor’s office has the most awesome central air conditioning! They actually have the greatest commercial heating and air conditioning system money could buy, plus an air purifier in there. It is a doctor’s office, so of course they want to keep things nice and clean. I have been to doctor’s offices in the past that have horrible air conditioning and heating. But not the doctor I use today. I asked them in the office once about their central heating and air conditioning system and they told me that they do in fact have the most top of the line central heating and air conditioning system unit on the market today in commercial HVAC. Some doctor’s offices have nothing more than a window air conditioning system and sometimes central heating to keep the place warm in the winter. But no air purifier. When you add the air purifier to the quality central air conditioning in my doctor’s office, it just makes for a really nice relaxing and healthy experience. I was able to wait in the waiting room in sheer indoor comfort. I even fell asleep at one point while waiting. That is how relaxed I was in there! My check up came out fine and I have to return again in the Fall for another one. At that time the central heating may be on.

Heating technology

I really hate it when you have to sit around and wait for repair of anything all day.

This was the case when my central heating and air conditioning system was having issues and I had to call the local heat and a/c company to send out one of their certified heating and cooling specialists.

They gave me a time window of 8am to 5pm. This was utter ridiculous. Why could not they have gave an hour time window? And why do businesses like heating and air conditioning companies pull this junk all of the time? I just don’t get it and it is not fair to the customer. How would the heating and air conditioning specialists like it if they had to sit around all day, have to lose time from their job and just blow the entire day away because of waiting on something that should be given a direct time. I don’t think the heating and air conditioning specialists would like it that much! But of course, these major corporations do not care in the least about things like that. It’s always their way or none at all. I almost feel like starting my own heating and air conditioning company that will give exact appointments for HVAC repair and other heating and air conditioning home services. With the time being simple and exact, it would put these time wasting heat and a/c corporations out of business because everyone would come to me before them. That would be a well known fact. Needless to say, the heating and air conditioning specialist didn’t show up that day till almost 4pm!

heating and cooling service