Archive for the ‘AC Doctor News’ Category

If you’ve got a dirty, old, rusty duct system in place, grab your camera and enter the Dirty Duct Contest! Starting Thursday December 8th, simply post a picture of your dirty duct on our Facebook Fan Page! The 2 pictures with the most ‘Likes’ will win prizes!! Make sure you tell your friends to vote!

PRIZE 1: AirWashIAQ, the all-natural, 100% organic air treatment that goes right to the source of odors. Make your home a healthy home with AirWashIAQ and prevent odor problems from coming back!
PRIZE 2: GemTech Infrared Thermometer with 10:1 distance to spot ratio and wide temperature range.
PRIZE 3: GemTech Temperature Sensing Unit - great for identifying poor ventilated areas!

It’s that time of year again - the dog days of summer. Down here in Houston, it’s turning into an incredibly dry, incredibly hot summer, with no hope for cooler temperatures for months. Aside from spending thousands of dollars that you may not have to upgrade your air conditioner, how can you beat the heat?

You can start by caulking and weather stripping your home. This will fill leaks that allows hot air to flow inside. You will also want to look for holes and separated joints in your duct work and have those repaired - holes and separated joints allow the cooled air out of the vents. While you are having your ducts repaired, add insulation to your attic, crawl spaces, attached garage, and whole house fans where they open to the exterior of your home.

Don’t forget to change your filter - disposable filters should be changed monthly and reusable filters should be washed every other month. After you change your filter, don’t block the intake vent - this will obstruct the air flow making it harder for your air conditioner to keep the house cool.

These things will not only keep you cool, but can even save you some money on your electric bill. You can even take the money you save to put toward a new A/C unit!

It’s the middle of summer, and man is it hot! As the temperatures soar and rainfall diminishes, how do we keep our lawns looking good? It’s a given that at some point during this summer (and summers to come) you will have restricted water usage due to a drought, so I’ve put together some tips for keeping your lawn from dying!

1. Don’t water your lawn with more than 1 inch of water per week – too much water can damage the grass roots.
2. Water early in the morning – you will lose less water to evaporation.
3. Keep your grass at least 2 inches long – longer grass requires less water and lets less water evaporate
4. Remember – if rain is forcasted for your area, then there is no need to water.
5. Turn some of your lawn into gardens – native plants have adapted to the different weather climates and will need less water during drought seasons.
6. Redirect your down spouts into your lawn or garden – when it does rain, much of the rain water will be directed into your lawn and back into the water table.

Implementing some or all of these tips will keep your lawn looking nice while still conserving valuable water.

The economy has caused us all to tighten our belts and cut down on the non-essentials. As we dive head first into summer, I can’t help but realize that the measures I’ve taken to reduce my energy usage are not going to impact my bill like a new HVAC system will. I’ve seen a difference with the new light bulbs and better air filter, and my bill did go even lower when I started changing my air filter more often, but my system is already running around the clock! I know a lot of you are in the same position, so here are my reasons for upgrading.
First off, there’s monetary savings. A high efficiency system will reduce your energy usage, causing your bill to lower. These systems usually pay for themselves in about 12 months.
You will also have a lower environmental impact. Less energy usage translates to fewer carbon emissions and a smaller carbon footprint.
New, energy efficient systems are designed to identify potentially malfunctioning equipment so you can have your unit serviced before it breaks! This helps reduce costly repairs and the discomfort of a malfunctioning system.
Lastly, some systems are designed to have round the clock monitoring. Companies can monitor your energy usage to help you make cutbacks where they are needed. This monitoring can control the unit’s energy usage 24/7 to minimize consumption and maximize savings, as well as make seasonal adjustments.

You read that right - AC Doctor is giving away an AirWashIAQ! What is AirWashIAQ, you ask? It is the latest in indoor air quality - AirWashIAQ uses an exclusive delivery system to turn its cleansing formula into an ultra fine mist. When this mist meets the airborne allergens, it encapsulates them making the particles too heavy to remain airborne. Make your home a healthy home with AirWashIAQ and prevent odor problems from coming back!

1. Revisit Local Rules: Cities are often changing the way they recycle; check your city’s website for information on what is being collected and drop off locations.
2. Know Your Codes: Not all cities recycle all recyclables. While you are looking up drop off locations, make sure to look into your city’s recycle codes - some places only recycles certain kinds of plastics and other materials.
3. Know Your Recyclables: Did you know that some electronics, CDs, wine corks, and candy wrappers are recyclable? Your city may not recycle them, but try a search on earth911.com to see where you can recycle these items.
4. Buy Recycled: Remember learning about supply and demand in high school economics? If there is a demand for recycled products, companies will provide them. Since these items are obviously recyclable, you recycle them, and the whole cycle starts over again. It’s a great way to conserve our natural resources!
5. Make Some Money: Why not make some money while you’re at it? There are places all over the country that will pay you for your recyclables! Ever wonder what the ‘Me 5¢’ on your bottles means? It means each bottle you recycle is worth 5 cents. Not a lot, I’ll admit, but how many bottles do you go through in a year? It adds up, believe me!
   

Going on vacation is supposed to be relaxing, but every time I go away, I can’t help but wonder what state my home is going to be in when I get back. Did I remember to turn off the coffee pot (the answer there is almost always no!), did I close the garage door, did I lock the back door? Will someone break in while I’m gone? These questions can make your vacation more stress-filled than stress-relieving. Well, I can’t tell you how to remember to turn off the coffee maker before leaving for an extended period of time, but here are a few things you can do to make your empty home less attractive to potential burglars.

• Leave interior and exterior lights on, or put them on a timer.
• Have someone you trust pick up mail, newspaper, and any packages you might receive while you’re gone.
• Disable automatic garage doors.
• Take your laptops and cameras with you.

The ultimate goal is to give your home the appearance that someone is there, or will be home soon. Don’t forget - you can always ask your neighborhood watch (of you have one) and your neighbors to keep an eye on your house and let you know if anything out of the ordinary happens.

Today is officially the second day of spring! As the temperatures rise, this is the perfect time to get any home-improvement projects under way. The rainy season isn’t here yet, it’s not too hot outside. But, how do you hire someone to make these improvements? Whether it’s your yearly AC tune-up (ahem - it IS that time again!), re-shingling the roof, or landscaping your yard, you need a professional. A hammer and business cards do not make a professional - you need to do your research to make sure you are entrusting your home with someone that knows what they are doing.

Here is the Better Business Bureau’s checklist to go through before hiring a contractor.

1. Check their track record. You can get a company’s BBB rating and complaint history at www.bbb.org.
2. Compare costs. You want to get at least 3 written bids based on the same warranty, specifications, labor, and time. And remember - cheaper is NOT always better!
3. Check to make sure the company is properly licensed and insured. Without the proper licenses and insurance, they won’t be able to protect you from any damages.
4. Ask for references. Be specific about the references you want - ask for contact information on their 3 most recent jobs. They will be able to give you all kinds of information - whether the contractor sticks to budget, their honesty and integrity, work ethic.
5. Get a written contract. Do not allow the contractor to start working until you have a written, signed agreement including start and completion dates, exact costs, specific work to be done, and warranty costs. Don’t forget to read the fine print before you sign.
6. You should never pay a deposit over 25%-33% of the total job costs, and the final payment should be due upon completion of the work - not before. Always pay by check or credit card and never by cash - this way you will have a record of all payments made.
7. Get all warranty information in writing. Again, you want to read the fine print carefully.
8. Be sure all workers employed by the contractor are bonded to protect you against theft and damage.
9. Check criminal history. Before letting anyone work on your home, check to see if they have a criminal record.

Remember the days of home-made volcanoes? Watching the baking soda and vinegar mixture (with a little red food coloring, of course!) roll down the mountainside, devouring everything in its path? Well, I have another use for your ‘lava’. You can use it to unclog your toilet! My love for all things Green aside, I have a small child and absolutely hate having toxic chemicals in my house – and drain cleaners are one of the worst! The next time your toilet is clogged, pour a cup of baking soda into the bowl, follow with a cup of vinegar, and sit back and watch the show! When the fireworks are over, pour boiling water down the drain to clean everything out – you still might need to follow with your plunger, but the clog will be much less resistant and you won’t risk your (or your little one’s) safety with those toxic drain cleaners!

According to Punxsutawney Phil, we will have an early spring this year. After one of the coldest winters I can remember, I must say I’m looking forward to the warmer weather! As we enter the cooling season, don’t forget to have your Certified AC Doctor Technician perform your yearly check up. You want to make sure your air conditioner is capable of handling yet another scorcher of a summer before summer gets here - 100+ degree temperatures are even more torturous when you don’t have AC!