See all of that cardboard? Just yesterday that was at one of our customers’ houses. Our technician Ron told me that he had a customer who had a lot of cardboard in their garage but they didn’t know what to do with it. As a courtesy, he offered to take it and recycle it for them. Twenty minutes later his van was full and he was on his way back to our Service Center to drop it off.
Stories like that are what make me proud to work for AAA Heating & Air Conditioning. Our employees strive to provide customer service that is above and beyond our customers’ expectations. I have heard of technicians changing light bulbs, moving furniture, and even mowing the lawn! And it doesn’t stop there… the lovely people you talk to when you call in to our office have even been known to look up information for callers about other companies!
At AAA Heating & Air Conditioning, we strive to exceed your expectations in every way. We promise that you won’t be disappointed!
When was the last time that you looked in your dryer vent? A lot of people don’t think to ever take a peek and unknowingly let the lint quietly build up until it becomes a safety hazard. One of our technicians was talking today about how he sees this problem a lot and wanted me to share with you the best ways of cleaning it out. I fully agree with him that this is such an important home safety issue that it needs to be talked about. You need to be checking your vent every few months to prevent fires from starting.
So here’s what you have to do:
- Detach the dryer vent from the dryer
- Use an electric leaf blower or a shop vac set in reverse to blow through the tubing. All of the gunk that is in there will come out of your house on the other side. IMPORTANT NOTE: Do NOT use a gas leaf blower inside your home because the fumes are toxic and can cause some serious health risks, even death
- Check the vent outside of your house and clear out all of the remaining debris
Another thing to take a look at is how close the vent is to your heat pump or air conditioner. Often they are installed close together and lint from the dryer vent gets in the coils of your outdoor unit. You will want to examine the unit to see if there is any buildup. If you find any lint, have a reputable HVAC company do a professional tune up and cleaning on the system to ensure that there is no damage to the unit. They will also be able to talk with you about ways to prevent the lint from collecting on the coils (in fact, my technician said he recommends a solution involving pantyhose). If you want more information or to schedule a cleaning for your unit call me, Angie, at 253-630-9224.
If I haven’t convinced you yet to take a look at your dryer vent, check out this news story about a family in Kent who suffered a tragic fire because of a clogged dryer vent. Please don’t let this happen to you! http://www.kirotv.com/video/9914544/
I just found a cool site still in Beta testing that lets you see what energy usage your home has. Microsoft’s new Hohm program allows you to see what you’re using, what people in your area are using, and what you can do to improve the amount of energy you use. They give some great tips on everything from weather stripping your home to reducing your heating and cooling bills to how much energy your hair dryer uses. I bet you’ve never actually stopped to think about that, have you? I know I haven’t.
Hohm is actually a pretty cool site. I went on and compared the houses of a couple of my friends and it was interesting to be able to report back to them who “won” the challenge. If nothing else, it’s fun to spy on your neighbors, right? It’s ok, we all do it. Check out Hohm at http://www.microsoft-hohm.com/
Even though our weather is abysmal and dreary right now, we are about to head into the most glorious of seasons in Western Washington– the summer. Soon we will have some hot weather coming our way and you will want to be prepared. And I mean more than just rolling out the lemonade. I’m talking about air conditioning. We’ll discuss it more as the warm weather starts to arrive, but for the moment I wanted to pass on a fact I found interesting. So many people in our area have the perception that air conditioning is rare in homes, but the U.S. Energy Administration reports that in reality, the percentage of homes with central air-conditioning has more than doubled since 1980, with nearly 60% of homes having a central system. Some food for thought as you are pondering “To A.C. or not to A.C.” (I know, sometimes I make really lame jokes. Wait, you didn’t think it was funny? It was, I promise).
See all of that cardboard? Just yesterday that was at one of our customers’ houses. Our technician Ron told me that he had a customer who had a lot of cardboard in their garage but they didn’t know what to do with it. As a courtesy, he offered to take it and recycle it for them. Twenty minutes later his van was full and he was on his way back to our Service Center to drop it off.
