The Importance of Your Annual Tune Up

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If, as heating and air professionals, we could persuade homeowners to avoid one major outcome, it would be this: take care of your home comfort system equipment so that you don’t have to replace it earlier than necessary.

Heating and cooling systems are sizeable investments for any size home, and they have a direct impact on roughly half of your energy bills each year. The measures homeowners take to preserve the life of their equipment can enable it to last years longer – helping you to prevent a costly expenditure before the recommended time.

In addition, routine preventive maintenance also maintains your system’s energy efficiency, helping you to hold down monthly energy bills. Keeping your system running at peak efficiency is critical to conserving energy use. Routine maintenance also allows a professional technician to discover the occurrence of indoor air quality problems that can prove very harmful to your family – especially carbon monoxide leaks.

And there’s another valid reason homeowners are wise to schedule preventive maintenance. Some will say it’s “not needed” because their system is “under warranty.” However, if a manufacturer determines that neglect of maintenance was the cause of the problem and contributed to the equipment’s failure, the warranty may not cover the repair. This makes sense when you consider that auto manufacturers expect their vehicle owners to routinely change the oil in order to keep their warranties in force.

Given the benefits of preventive maintenance, some still learn the lesson the hard way, however. And here’s why many people choose to ignore free advice that can end up costing them a great deal more: human nature.

Most of us react to problems instead of proactively prevent them. At our shop, we see this evidence in untimely repair calls that reveal a simple truth: preventive maintenance could have kept the system running problem-free.

If you’d like to avoid the mistake of “wait and see,” we’ll be happy to take care of your preventive maintenance. Schedule your tune-up today.

Maintenance Tips

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Keeping your heating and cooling systems in good working order means your utility bills will be lower, your home will be more comfortable, and you’ll need to call for repairs less often.

Maintenance Scheduling

Schedule a maintenance service call before the heating season starts. If there are any problems with your system, it’s better to find out before it’s freezing outside! Do the same for your cooling system before sweltering season begins. Our maintenance customers always receive priority service during peak heating and cooling seasons.

Filters

Replace your heating and cooling air filters every month that they’re in use. Operating your system with old, dirty filters means energy is wasted and your system may even be damaged. While you’re at it, check and clean the filters in your home’s air cleaners and humidifiers.

System Checks

If you have a forced air heating system check your furnace’s blower compartment and blower coils. Vacuum them if you see dirt and dust there. You should also check fan belt tension, and lubricate fan and motor bearings.

  • If you have a steam system, check the shut-off valve for leaks.
  • Bleed hot water system radiators at least once a year.
  • Don’t keep clutter near your furnace. It’s a fire hazard, and may keep your system from operating efficiently.
  • To make sure you’re getting the most out of your heating system, keep the heating registers and vents throughout the house free of dust, dirt, and pet hair by vacuuming them at least once a year.
  • Listen for odd sounds when your heating or cooling system kicks in. If you hear anything unusual, get in touch with your service professional so you can head off problems before they become serious.
  • In winter months, set your ceiling fan at its slowest speed and reverse it in order to gently push warm air down from the ceiling without generating a breeze.

To learn more about what routine maintenance your system needs, contact Robin Aire today!

When Waiting Doesn’t Make Sense

Posted by & filed under hvac, maintenance tips, robin aire, routine maintenance, summer tips .

Here’s one of my all-time favorite phrases: “I’ll deal with that later.” Actually, I misplaced my sarcasm font or I would have used it just then. But a lot of people I know really do like that phrase.

Sort of like “deferred maintenance.” This is a concept known by businesses and institutions with property, buildings and equipment that basically means, “We don’t have the budget to repair what’s declining as it is declining, so we’ll deal with it later.” It’s easy to sympathize with the approach of waiting until something is broken until calling for a repair. But it can also be a costly approach.

Homeownership isn’t really any different. We have to keep an eye on the systems and infrastructure that keep our home running. Your air conditioning system, obviously, is in this equation.

By investing each year in routine maintenance, you can save long term on the cost of repairs, extend the life of your equipment and avoid inconvenient breakdowns. It’s simple logic, and only takes a little bit of planning, which means – dare I say? – dealing with it now. But that doesn’t have to be scary.

Decisions, Decisions…

Posted by & filed under hvac, repair, replace, robin aire .

Are you the sort of person who says, “I may be indecisive, but I’m not sure.” If given the choice between “Yes, No or Maybe,” do you look for the checkbox that says, “All of the above?” You have my sympathies…

Making decisions is no laughing matter, and homeowners are faced with a slew of them. Some are smallish, like selecting new towels for the guest bathroom. Some are a little larger, like choosing a new bed for the guest bedroom. Some are even larger – like figuring out how to avoid in-law houseguests once they find out about your new towels and bedroom set!

And believe it or not, some decisions get even more sizeable than that – like whether or not to replace a home comfort system. Well, if you’re in the “fact-collecting” mode for that last one, we’ve got some information that can help.

With the summer we’re having, your air conditioning unit is experiencing a heavy load. But is it up for the job? Contact us today to find out!

Clearing Out & Cleaning Up

Posted by & filed under de-clutter, efficiency, hvac .

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 your homes running efficiently during these long, hot days of summer, you need to have a professional service our air conditioning system. To learn more about what routine maintenance your system needs, contact us today!