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!
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/
Ever have your oven go out on you when you are having 15 people over for dinner? Has your clothes washer quit when you have that big job interview the next morning? What about the freezer that turned your strawberry ice cream into just strawberry cream? Well, we have the solution for you!
At the beginning of the year, The Appliance Repairman ventured out on their own from AAA Heating & Air Conditioning and became a separate company. You could say we are now sisters. Who love each other very much, as all siblings should.
The Appliance Repairman is your one-stop-shop for all of your broken appliances. That’s right, they can fix your dishwasher with one hand and check your microwave out with the other, and maybe find that necklace you didn’t know you accidentally cleaned with your dishes. All at the same time. Well, maybe their techs aren’t quite that dexterous, but still, they do an excellent job of finding the source of your problem quickly and then fixing it so that you would swear it was brand spanking new. Which is pretty darn new.
Call them today at 253-277-1026 and schedule an appointment for them to come out to your home and fix all of your appliance woes. Your appliances will thank you.
At our Kent Heating Contractor office, we have never been accused of being stick-in-the-muds. In fact, we laugh a lot. All the time. People love coming to visit us because we’re so funny. At least that’s what we like to tell ourselves. Knowing that one of the owners was going to be on vacation for a week, we decided to give him a great welcome home surprise. Several hours, 2 rolls of scotch tape, and half a Costco sized roll of foil later, we had created our masterpiece. Yes friends, we foiled his desk. No picture frame or pen or bottle of water was left uncovered. Our owner loved it, as we knew he would. I think he even has some things still foiled even though its been several weeks since his return.
If you’re reading this undecided about our company, take this as our promise that no detail is too small or too large for us. We put our heart into our work, and we do a darn good job of it too. Oh, and when you call to talk to us, feel free to ask us how long this REALLY took.
KOMOnews.com is reporting that Puget Sound Energy has been granted a rate increase by state regulators. KOMO’s website reports:
The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission announced the approval of the increases on Friday. The decision will allow PSE to raise electric rates by 2.8 percent and natural gas rates by 0.8 percent. The new rates will kick in on Wednesday. PSE’s basic charge for electric service will also go up a quarter to $7.25 a month. The basic charge for natural gas service will remain the same, at $10 a month.
If you’re concerned about how the rate increase might affect your heating or cooling bills, you might want to consider a heat pump. Much more efficient than an electric or gas furnace, a heat pump will lower your energy bills and bring you year round comfort. If you are interested in finding out how much energy you can save with a heat pump, call our Kent Heating and Air Conditioning office at 253-630-9224 to get a free analysis for your home.
Because AAA Heating & Air Conditioning cares about helping our customers save money and improve the environment, we wanted to help you make sense of the ENERGY STAR® program and what it means for your heating or cooling system. This is Part 6 of a 9 part series on the subject that is published every other Thursday. If you missed our previous posts, you can find them here: AAA Heating & Air Conditioning ENERGY STAR blog posts
If you are looking to replace or install new ENERGY STAR high-efficiency heating or cooling equipment, you need to find a good company to work with. Reputable companies will:
- Perform an on-site inspection of the work you want completed and provide a detailed proposal in a timely manner
- Demonstrate to you that the company is licensed and insured to repair and install heating and cooling equipment
- Have many years of experience as a business in your community
- Provide examples of quality installation of energy-efficient heating and/or cooling equipment work, with names of customers you can contact
- Complete and submit warranty information on your behalf
- Leave all equipment manuals and provide documentation of installation procedures, such as an AHRI certificate
- Clearly explain the benefits of regular maintenance and help you set up a schedule to keep your system operating at its best
Next week in our series on ENERGY STAR: Energy Star Quality Installations
Source: www.energystar.gov
It’s about time for Spring Cleaning again this year. It can be a daunting task (and not always the most fun one either) so we wanted to give you some suggestions to help you organize your cleaning so you can finish it quickly and feel great about the results.
- Make a list of each room and what needs to be done in it. You will feel great checking things off as you go along.
- Add to your list anything that might not reside in a specific room—changing your furnace filter, sweeping your porch, changing the batteries in your smoke alarms, etc.
- Make sure you have all your cleaning supplies on hand. There is nothing worse than starting a project and then having to run to the store for something you forgot!
- Listen to upbeat music as you clean. You’ll go faster and can dance along as you’re scrubbing. Trust us, it makes it much more fun.
- Tackle one room at a time and work first on the room that will make you feel the best once it’s done. Work from top to bottom in each room to ensure maximum cleanliness.
We hoped this helped get you jump started on your spring cleaning. In a few weeks, we’ll also share some simple homemade cleaners you can make to replace the toxic ones you have in your cupboards.
Here at our AAA Heating & Air Conditioning office, the rain is coming down fast and furious, which reminds us of the possible flooding in our valley. We know the threat of flooding from the Green River Dam is close to passing, but we wanted to pass on the link to the King County website that talks about preparedness. It’s great info to have and keep in a safe place until the next flood season hits us. Check it out at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/safety/FloodPlan.aspx
A Walla Walla, WA elementary school recently was found with exceptionally high levels of radon in the air. The radon was especially present after hours and on the weekends when the heating & cooling system was shut off. The school decided to keep the units running constantly to keep the naturally occurring radioactive gas from reaching dangerous levels until a permanent solution could be found.
While homeowners won’t have to necessarily worry about high levels of radon in their houses, this story does bring a message about the power of your furnace, heat pump, or air conditioner. A good filter on your system will collect dust and other allergens, and allow your family to breathe well. We strongly recommend talking to a heating or cooling company about your filtration options to ensure that the air inside of your home is healthy for you and your family. You can always call us at 253-630-9224 and we would be happy to answer any questions over the phone for you.
Because AAA Heating & Air Conditioning cares about helping our customers save money and improve the environment, we wanted to help you make sense of the ENERGY STAR® program and what it means for your heating or cooling system. This is Part 3 of a 9 part series on the subject that is published every other Thursday. If you missed our previous posts, you can find them here: AAA Heating & Air Conditioning ENERGY STAR blog posts
Ductwork is what distributes the heated or cooled air from your furnace throughout the rest of the house. In a typical house, 20% of that air is lost due to leaks, holes, and poorly connected ducts. Inefficient heating or cooling systems, high utility bills, and difficulty keeping the house comfortable are the result.
If you feel comfortable enough, you can seal leaks by yourself with a mastic sealant or a foil tape. You will also want to ensure that the connections at the vents and registers are well-sealed where they meet the floors, walls, and ceiling.
However, many homeowners choose to hire a professional Heating and Cooling Contractor to perform an inspection on the duct work and to make any repairs. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends looking for a contractor who will:
- Inspect the whole duct system, including the attic, basement, and crawlspace
- Evaluate the system’s supply and return air balance. Many systems have air return ducts that are too small
- Repair or replace damaged, disconnected, or undersized ducts and straighten out flexible ducts that are tangled or crushed
- Seal leaks and connections
- Seal gaps behind registers and grills where the duct meets the floor, wall, or ceiling
- Insulate ducts in unconditioned areas
- Use diagnostic tools to evaluate air flow after repairs are completed
AAA Heating & Air Conditioning has trained specialists who can perform these checks and repairs for you. Give us a call at 253-630-9224 to schedule an appointment.
Next time in our series on ENERGY STAR: Using Programmable Thermostats
Source: www.energystar.gov
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.
