What Everyone Should Know About Contractor Scams

We've all heard these stories and seen the images. When a natural disaster hits a community, friends, neighbors and charities rush in to help. It always warms the heart to see the outreach in services and donations. And yet … there's that other side of the response. There are selfish people who try to take advantage of a bad situation and use the natural disaster as an opportunity to scam.

Often during these times, law enforcement agencies make announcements about what you should and should not look for when hiring someone to work on your home. People become aware, alert. And yet … scam artists come into communities and neighborhoods even when our fellow citizens are warned to be hyper-vigilant, even when the skies are blue, and the wind is calm, and the weather is perfect.

In other words, contractor scams get more attention during natural disasters, but they can occur at anytime, anyplace. And that means right here in Fort Worth. Oh, I don't mean to scare you about any particular situation. I'm not reporting news, just tendencies. I'm talking about possibilities that call for wise practices. For example, here are some of the tips the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends for hiring someone to work on your home:

• Get recommendations from friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers, insurance agents or claims adjusters.
• Deal only with licensed and insured contractors. Check with the local Better Business Bureau and Home Builders Association to see if complaints have been lodged against any contractor you're considering.
• Get a written estimate that includes any oral promises the contractor made. Remember to ask if there's a charge for an estimate before allowing anyone into your home.
• Take your time about signing a contract. Ask for explanations for price variations, and don't automatically choose the lowest bidder.

Please know, we'll be glad to help you with whatever home comfort problem you may be experiencing. At Lightfoot Mechanical, Inc., we're proud to have grown a business through referrals and recommendations from satisfied customers, and we hope our list of satisfied customers includes you too. So, if you need us, just email or call.

How a 1987 Treaty Changed Air Conditioning in 2010

Ever heard of the Montreal Protocol? Like many things that happen among and between nations, even if you haven't heard of it, we're talking about an event that could affect your life – or, in this case, your home comfort.

Offered up in 1987 for nations to sign and adopt, the Montreal Protocol was an international treaty that focused on a concern for how chemicals and other things in the atmosphere were depleting the ozone layer that was protecting life as we know it on earth. The treaty was amended in 1992 to set a timetable for phasing out chemicals known as HCFCs – which includes in this list a refrigerant that has been used in air conditioning systems since the early '70s.

Now, fast forward to today and what this means in practical terms for you: Air conditioners manufactured after 2010 can no longer use the refrigerant R-22 (also known by the brand name Freon) as the coolant of choice. While this refrigerant can still be produced and used to service existing equipment for the time being, in 2020, the production and import of R-22 will end, and it will only be available through recycled and reclaimed processes.

That means simply this: any air conditioning that uses R-22 is looking at a time limit. As you face repairs with any pre-2010 system, we'll be glad to talk with you about the best ways to extend the life of the equipment (hint: regular maintenance!), and when the time is right for replacement, we'll give you our best guidance there too.

In the meantime, to learn more about what's going on, take a look at this info, What Every Homeowner Should Know: Government to Take A/C Refrigerant Off Market.

Time to Dust Off a Few Energy Saving Ideas

Have you ever considered how much the dust that's gathering in your home is costing you in energy bills?

When dust builds up on the registers and vent covers in your home, for example, it becomes "insulation" that blocks the air's path into the room. The harder a system has to work to keep your home comfortable, the more you pay in utility costs.

So as you look ahead, a thorough dusting with special attention to registers and vent covers is a good idea. Other ideas?

• Close drapes to keep out the hot daytime sun, especially on south- and west-facing windows. Sunny windows make air conditioners work 2 to 3 times harder.
• Close fireplace dampers or glass doors. Going up the chimney with a bound may serve as a dramatic exit for Santa, but don't allow your cooled air to use that same escape hatch.
• Position your refrigerator away from sunny windows, hot water heaters, warm air from heating ducts, radiators, stoves and other heat sources. The heat makes cooling harder for your refrigerator.

These are just a few natural, free ways to help reduce your energy costs and increase your comfort. Other small steps can also make a big difference. For example:

It's no news that energy costs are a big expense for homeowners. And not surprisingly, heating and cooling account for more than half of this amount. If you'd like to learn more about conserving energy in your home, this info will get you started – Is Your Home at the Center of an Energy-Loss Vortex?

The Once-a-Year Step for Everyday Comfort

You've probably heard of Poor Richard's Almanac even if you have never read it. This was a work by Ben Franklin back when the country was young, and it had a calendar, weather predictions and some wise sayings.

Well, if Ben Franklin were writing weather predictions for Weatherford, TX, he'd say, "It's going to be hot this summer." Seems to me, it happens every year around that time, and this year, we'll be true to the calendar again.

Yet, if only Franklin had had central air conditioning, I think he could have added some updated helpful advice like this:

"If you want something to last, you take care of it. If you want something to do its job, you make sure it's running well. If you want something to protect you in the night, you make sure it doesn't have any hidden dangers."

Why do I think that? Because here's what Franklin actually did say: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

You've heard it, I've heard it, and we all know it's true.

So what ounce of prevention can you bring to your home comfort this spring? One simple step of a preseason checkup on your system can make a world of difference in your comfort all summer long. To learn more about the value of routine maintenance, take a look at this info, The Nutty Way to Solve a Problem Before It Happens.

Planning Ahead for Your Next Furnace

Hope you’ll take this thought with the optimism with which it is presented: “Nothing lasts forever.” There are lots of reasons why that’s a good thing. For example, do you really want to be placing your mobile calls on a phone the size of a man’s shoe (some seemed that large)? Do you want to be using a dial-up modem (if you know what that is) to check your email?

That’s what the march of time does. As technology improves, older stuff gets further and further behind. Outdated. Inefficient. Breaks down too often. Costs more to keep up than it does to replace.

We’ve all been there. And some of you may be in just that place with your home heating. So how do you know if you’re really there now? Well, when it’s time to replace your furnace, there are some signs you can look for. In particular:

Increasing Age/More Frequent Repairs – That speaks to the first point: nothing lasts forever. If you have a furnace 15 to 20 years or older, you’re facing a situation where you will need an increasing number of repairs. You’ll see this especially in the last two years of furnace life. Plus, as older models continue to age, their replacement parts will be harder to find – meaning, repair delays are another sign.

Higher Energy Bills – A furnace in its declining years will lose its efficiency, and you’ll see that in higher energy bills. In addition, since technology improves over time, the efficiency of these new systems is the best that’s ever been. So you’ll find you’re operating a piece of equipment that is far less energy efficient than the very high-efficiency models now available.

Inconsistent Comfort – Are some rooms too hot or too cold? Are you often adjusting the thermostat? The inability to stay comfortable is a sign that your furnace isn’t able to distribute air properly.

Strange Noises – Actually, this is a universal sign for almost any appliance or piece of equipment. If something doesn’t sound right, there’s probably a reason. Banging, popping and squealing noises, or a blower that turns on and off too frequently, are not the soothing, comforting background music for a cozy evening at home. Get it checked out.

As you keep your eye on frequency of repairs, cost of repairs, cost of energy bills and lack of consistent comfort, let us give you a big-picture look at your home’s energy use to help you in your decision.

Schedule your free energy analysis today. Just call or email, and we’ll take care of you.

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 sizable 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.

How’s the Weather Treating You?

I used to hear this from time to time: “How’s the world treating you?” It’s just one of those friendly greetings which most folks answer with anything from the succinct “Fine” to “Better than I deserve.”

In this work world I live in, what I really want to know is, “How’s the weather treating you?” This is the kind of business where temperatures and weather conditions make a difference in how our customers feel, so I like to know how things are going. Are you comfortable in your home? Is your home heating working like it should? Is it consistent? Reliable? Are your energy bills where you’d expect? Any strange noises or smells causing you concern?

Whatever it is, if you have any trouble, just let us know. We want to make sure you feel just fine when you’re in your home – because that’s what you deserve! Just call or email and let us hear from you.