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!

Cause and Effect

Posted by & filed under iaq, indoor air quality, robin aire .

You’re probably familiar with the concept of “cause and effect” and how it can lead to a whole bunch of trouble. (Not that I speak from experience. And not that I don’t!) But this basically means that some things happen not just on their own but as part of a set of events.

As an example, let’s say you’re walking into your home when your phone starts ringing. To answer your call, you quickly drop your high-priced prescription sunglasses on the couch. You sense that’s not a good idea, but you tell yourself you’ll pick them up when you finish the call. Then you forget. Can you imagine what “effect” is coming? Yes, someone, maybe even you, will probably be sitting on those glasses in the near future.

See the point (even if through crushed lenses)?

Now let me apply it to something more in my area. If the air inside your home is making respiratory issues like allergies and asthma worse, there could be several causes that are leading to these effects – and several strategies that can help your family breathe a little easier. A few of them are here in this report called, “Improving the Quality of Your Home’s Indoor Air.”

Invisible, Breathable Dangers

Posted by & filed under iaq, indoor air quality, robin aire .

One type of indoor air pollution that you can actually see with your own eyes is smoke. I’m sure you’ve been witness to (or participated in) some type of cooking mishap that filled the kitchen with smoke. It doesn’t take a lot of scientific research to know that the smoke lingering in your home is getting breathed in by your family. That’s obvious, so you open a window or turn on an exhaust fan or do something to help clear the air.

But that’s for dangers that you see. Some indoor air pollution is not as easy to spot. For example, you may not notice the pollutants being produced by mold, dust, pet dander, household cleaners and more. Worse, carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless, but very dangerous.

Well, we have a way to help you see what you’ve been breathing. Interested in learning more indoor air? Hope so. Just call or email, and let us hear from you.