Clearing Out & Cleaning Up

It hits everyone around this time of year that things have accumulated, piled up, been neglected and generally overlooked. The warm weather inspires us to wipe away the cobwebs that formed in the previous months and get our homes ready to fully enjoy during the long summer days.

Clearing out winter and spring growth and grime and de-cluttering your rooms and outdoors so you can enjoy your living spaces just makes you feel good. A lot of homeowners even have their pressure washers out and are cleaning off their concrete and siding. This is also the perfect time to have your home’s cooling system cleaned and serviced.

Think about it. You have not turned your air conditioner on since last year and it has just been sitting there, outside, in all the winter weather and muck. Just sitting there accumulating dirt and dust and parts rusting and getting loose. It seems a little absurd to wash away dirt from your driveway and walkways, but not clean the unit that is blowing air into your home.

No one expects a car that has been sitting for months, unused, to crank right up and run efficiently, but that is exactly what we think should happen every year with our home cooling system.

In order to really get our homes running efficiently during these long, hot days of summer, we need to have a professional service our air conditioning system. To learn more about what routine maintenance your system needs, read A Little TLC Goes a Long Way.

Are We Too Busy to Care?

Ever see trash on the road, in the lake, floating down streams and feel sad? What are we so busy doing that we cannot make sure our trash gets into a trash can and then on to the appropriate places?

I am not suggesting we all suddenly transform into “Save the Planet” activists. But, really, there is probably more we could be doing to help preserve what we have even from the comforts of our very own homes.

Wouldn't it be great if there was something we could do to help save us money while also helping to protect the planet?

Well, there is one very important thing we can do and that is to have our home cooling systems serviced each and every year so they are running efficiently and not using unnecessary energy which, in turn, means we are paying more money to use them than we should.

Read “Just Living or Really Helping” to help you discover more ways to save money on your energy bills (while still using your air conditioner) + get the added bonus of how you can help out Earth.

Who Else Wants to Save Money?

We've been working with several customers this week on a pretty smart deal. Yep, it's so smart, it's like this deal just graduated with highest honors from the School of Cool.

What could it be? Drum roll, please… it's our Maintenance Agreement Program.

This is something we created a few years ago that's worked out great for our customers. That's because it gives you a tuned-up system for the cooling season (and later for the heating season), plus repair discounts, priority service and improved energy efficiency from a system that's properly maintained.

Helping you figure out the smart way to take care of your home comfort and energy usage is just one of the ways we like to look out for the people who are very important to us. So, the next time we're in your home, I hope you'll give us a chance to show you how joining a year-round program that puts your comfort on our priority list would be a big advantage.

In the meantime, to learn more about making routine maintenance a regular part of your household plan, take a look at this info, Here Is a Method that Is Helping Homeowners Save More Energy with Better Comfort.

The Hidden Danger of Breathing

These are the kind of statistics that really make you catch your breath:

• Indoor air is said to be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air – and in some cases, it can be 100 times more polluted!
• Whether we are asleep, working, going to school or staying in for the evening, we spend about 90 percent of our time indoors.
• The EPA estimates that the home is the place where the average person gets 72 percent of his/her exposure to chemicals. In other words, nearly three-fourths of chemical exposure is taking place right at home.

So, poor indoor air quality can be a problem – and a big problem if anyone in your family has a sensitive respiratory system or is prone to allergies and asthma. But how do you know if it's a problem at your house?

Well, you can start here. If you want to learn more about seeing, feeling and smelling the signs, take a look at this info, What Are Your Lungs Telling You About Your Home.

How Do You Know It's Time to Replace How Do You Know If It's Time to Replace Your Air Conditioner?

Sometimes it seems like our homes are a moving target. Just as soon as you get one part of the house just like you want it, something needs tending to in another area. So, for most of us, we're always on the lookout for the next big thing that's going to show up – invited or not – on our "home maintenance" to-do list.

Now, when "air conditioning system replacement" comes up on that list, that's quite a significant situation. Home comfort systems are a sizeable part of your home investment, so it's never something to take lightly. But when it's time, three things should be on your evaluation list:

System Age – If your heat pump or air conditioner is more than 10 years old, you could save up to 20 percent on cooling and heating costs if you replaced it with a unit that has earned the Energy Star label.

Repair/Energy Costs – A home comfort system has what's called "operational" costs. If your system is racking up repair bills and guzzling up your energy dollars, you may be overdue for an efficiency upgrade.

Uncomfortable Environment – A home comfort system is supposed to create a comfortable home environment, right? Well, if you're not comfortable, take note. Are some rooms too hot or too cold? Does your home have humidity problems? This could be a sign of poor or improper equipment operation.

To learn more about improving energy efficiency in your home, take a look at this info, What Does Heat Have to Do with Cold.

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.