Making Sense of Maintenance

Being the intelligent reader that you are, I know you know that it makes sense to maintain a piece of equipment that represents a sizeable investment on your part. You wouldn’t let anything you value sit idle, untouched, uncared for – and then expect it to perform for you year after year.

That’s why maintenance of your furnace or heater makes so much sense. It preserves your investment, increases comfort and improves safety. And the way maintenance makes the very most sense is to tie the energy-saving, repair-reducing perks of a tune-up with the priority service and discounts that come from being part of a regular maintenance agreement program.

Hope you’ll find out more about how you can save year after year on regular maintenance (and lots of other things). Start by taking a look at this report, The Mechanics of Furnace Maintenance.

Is a Clean House Bad for Your Health?

Keeping air pollution out of your home is not just a matter of cleanliness. Just think about it. You could scrub your floors and countertops, light a perfumed candle – even add a new coat of paint and new carpeting – and while the look will improve, your indoor air could actually be even more compromised.

Household cleaners, perfumes, paint, new carpeting, some types of furniture… any of these can contain chemicals known as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that enter your air and, as a result, could soon enter your family’s respiratory system.

There are a number of other very ordinary, common sources of indoor air pollution. You’ll see more about them if you’ll take a moment to read this report, Sources of Air Pollution in Your Home.

What About My Warranty

Most heating and cooling systems will come with a warranty whenever you purchase a new system. The length of coverage ranges depending on the system and you can even extend them sometimes when your coverage is almost up. Warranties are great for those unforeseen repair needs, especially if your system is only a few years old.

But did you know that your warranty could be voided if the manufacturer determines that neglect of maintenance was the cause? Just like you would get an oil change or tune-up on your car, your heating and cooling system needs this same attention. You don’t want your car’s transmission to blow up just like you don’t want your heater to stop working this fall. Especially if you’ll be stuck with the full bill because it could have been prevented with a tune-up.

Unfortunately sometimes, we’ve just got to learn, but we have come up with a few ways to help you avoid this trouble with “The Importance of Your Annual Tune Up.” Take a look; it could save you a lot of money in the future.

Cost of Comfort

With the economy the way it is and rising natural gas costs, we have to try and find a balance of cost over comfort. That’s why being energy efficient is so important these days because it can save you a lot of money on your energy bills.

At Blackie's Heating and Air Conditioning, we have several ways to check your system to make sure it is running at optimal performance and keeping more money in your pocket. There are also some small things that you can do to cut down on energy costs. Change your HVAC filters monthly during peak heating and cooling seasons. They only cost a few bucks to replace and a dirty filter makes your system work harder and longer. You can also look for any leaks around your windows or doors that could be letting the heat escape.

If you want to know more about what to expect come this cold season, read our free report “Predicting the Cost of Your Home Heating.” You can see more about the costs of natural gas and a way to cut down your energy usage by 20% from last year.

Season of Change

Fall is quite the season of change. The weather is cooler and the leaves are changing; it’s a sight to see. Sweaters and jackets are becoming a must and pretty soon we’ll be breaking out the scarves and gloves. Holidays are just around the corner and things are about to get busy.

During this busy season it’s easy to forget things you have to do. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was someone who could just come in and do it all for you? Do the grocery shopping, the cleaning, the yard work and anything else you can think of. While we may not be able to do all of those things for you, we can get your home comfort system ready for this weather change.

It may not even be something that crossed your mind, but it’s something that you should get checked off your list. If your system has given you trouble in the past, or you just want to get it tuned up, we want to help. Just call or email and let us know.

Timing Is Everything

The simple idea of “it’s all in the timing” can apply to so many areas of our lives – whether you’re talking about finding the right job, the right vehicle, the right home or the right mate. When you time the need with the opportunity and make the right match, it works out great.

“Poor timing” is another matter entirely. That’s when you find out that if you’d called earlier, you would have gotten a big benefit or avoided some significant trouble. But it didn’t work out that way.

Almost anyone who has called us on a very hot day for an emergency repair on an air conditioning system can tell you about poor timing. Breakdowns are never convenient and rarely comfortable. What’s better is when you find out how to avoid them.

Want to learn the best time for tending to air conditioning concerns before they occur? Take a look at this report, Why aCool Day Is the Best Time for Your AC Tune-Up.

Is Dust Causing a Problem?

It’s funny how a simple little thing like dust can cause so much trouble – especially for those prone to allergies and respiratory ailments. It can affect the quality of your indoor air as it collects, and even as it gets cleared away.

Backing up a minute, dust isn’t actually one single thing. It’s a combination of substances, including human skin cells, pet dander, fabric fibers and your basic dirt and debris. All these substances gather together to form dust which gathers on lamp shades, end tables, tops of refrigerators and pretty much everywhere else.

Your electronics like to collect dust. So does your furniture, your door frames, baseboards, even ceilings. Keeping these spots dust-free helps reduce allergies that flare up indoors. We’ve got some more information on that topic in a free report, Is There a Dust Storm in Your Home? Please check it out.