Contractor won’t return my calls

Before you select a contractor, it might be worth asking whether any other contractors will honor his warranty in the unlikely event that he can’t do the work.

Last year, I had a heating and air conditioning contractor install a new air conditioner in my home. One month later, the air conditioner stopped working. I had a warranty on the contractor’s labor, so I called him to request his services. For several days I called him, but he never returned my calls. After doing an internet search, I found some rather negative comments about his work on review websites. I finally found out that he had gone out of business, so it looked like I might be spending the summer without air conditioning. I decided to contact the manufacturer of the air conditioner to see if there was anything they might be able to do. The manager suggested that I call several HVAC companies – those with good reputations – to inquire about technicians who could service my air conditioner. Thankfully, there was an air conditioning specialist who was kind enough to come and fix the system, charging me only for parts. As I paid him, he indicated that the original HVAC guy was well-known for his poor business practices. Lesson learned the hard way, I thought to myself. I now tell anyone who is looking for a heating or cooling technician to be sure to get references before selecting one. I listened naively to the claims that were made by the contractor himself, including the fact that he had installed hundreds of air conditioners. The only good that came out of this experience is that I won’t be fooled again.

heating maintenance

Forgetting the ‘V’ in HVAC

When it comes to the acronym ‘HVAC’, most people refer only to the ‘H’ (heating) and the ‘A/C’ (air conditioning).

But the ‘V’ (ventilation) is important too – especially with new homes, which are built tighter than ever.

Energy codes require higher levels of air sealing and blower door tests to verify air tightness. And tight homes need mechanical ventilation, especially in bathrooms. Imagine stepping out of a nice hot shower, wiping the mirror with your towel in order to see yourself. Of course the hot steam produced the foggy mirror, but where does the excess moisture go? Without proper ventilation, it goes behind the walls, the tiles, and the floor, all of which can lead to mold and mildew. Any HVAC technician worth his weight in salt understands the importance of proper ventilation fans that protect against the harmful effects of the mold and mildew. They understand that a fan does more than just remove steam. Proper ventilation needs to be powerful enough to remove all of the steam. And if a bathroom is not located on an outside wall, an HVAC contractor can easily run ductwork to remove the moisture. Finally, an HVAC technician should offer a brief explanation of how long to run the bathroom fan in order to properly ventilate bathrooms. Most people leave the fan on only while they’re still in the bathroom. But the best practice is to leave the fan on for up to an hour in order to properly ventilate the room. A ventilation expert should emphasize that by venting out the excess moisture, you are actually contributing to your family’s health. And if you can’t stand the noise that the bathroom ventilator fan makes, for a few extra dollars, you can have a quiet bathroom ceiling fan installed.

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A/C didn’t work today

Today was the first warm day of the year.

This winter was an especially cold winter too.

We ran the oil furnace from the end of October until the end March non stop. For the last month we have turned on the oil furnace only at night. But today, we actually needed air conditioning. I like to get HVAC maintenance done before I use it for the first time in a year. I prefer to make sure everything is all oiled up and running smoothly before I ask a lot of my HVAC system. Of course, I haven’t done that yet this year. I was planning to have the air conditioner serviced next month. That is usually when the warm weather hits us. But today was super hot. Yesterday we had a high of 60 degrees. Today we had a high of 87. What a difference! I decided it wouldn’t hurt if I turned on the air conditioner today. After all, we take good care of our HVAC system so it should be fine, right? Wrong. That turned out to be a huge mistake. I could tell something was wrong within minutes of turning on the air conditioner. The air didn’t get cold. I left it on for several more minutes but it never cooled down. Eventually, I turned the air conditioner back off and called up our HVAC professionals. They were backed up with calls. I guess everyone was having problems after turning their air conditioners on for the first time this year. However, our HVAC supplier did eventually find time to pay us a visit. They got our air conditioner fixed up quickly and now it is working great again. I am super happy. Tomorrow it is going to be a high of 52.

 

local contractor

Don’t leave your phone on the gas fireplace

My young niece is crying.

She is upset because her vacation was ruined.

Well, I don’t see how a broken phone equals a ruined vacation but then again I am not a 12 year old. I made the mistake of inviting my brother and his family up for a week over the holiday. I haven’t seen my brother Dillan in a few years and I thought we would all have fun together. I bought sleds for the kids and turned on the old gas stove. I remember, when Dillan and I were younger we had this wood stove that our parents would light up whenever it snowed. After we were done playing in the snow we would put our wet boots and gloves near the fireplace and they would dry out quickly. Well, I didn’t want to deal with all of that wood chopping so I got a gas stove for my house. I turned it on for the kids to enjoy but they just stared at their phones the whole time. They weren’t interested in sledding at all. Then my niece left her cell phone on the gas stove overnight. Now the phone is completely destroyed. Of course it is. I guess they have an electric stove fireplace at home. That thing is all plastic and doesn’t get hot on top like a gas stove does. Oh well, these things happen. Maybe now she will have fun playing outside instead of staring at a screen all day. Either that or Dillan will run into town and buy her a new phone. It doesn’t much matter to me.

 

 

indoor comfort business