Dear Dave:
We've had flooding this week with all the rain and we got water in our basement and around our outdoor unit. Is that dangerous?
Dear Waterlogged:
It could be if it gets high enough. 3 or 4 inches shouldn't be a problem since all electrical connections are higher than that on both a furnace and an outdoor condensing unit. If it gets higher than that you need to have a serviceperson check it out before turning it back on. Don't forget, your heating and cooling equipment are electrical machines. So anytime there is standing water near them, proceed with caution.
Here's hoping the sun comes out and stays out for awhile!
Sincerely,
David
Buy two get one FREE filters!
It is also now time to change the filter in your indoor unit. We have a coupon in our Comfort News that is going in the mail today. It is Buy Two Filters, Get One Free! Call us right now, however, as we are honoring it without the coupon in hand.You can stock up for the next year and finish up the allergy season with a fresh filter.
Finally, if you have a heat pump, be aware that when they are set to cool, a valve is activated in the outdoor unit. When it's off you may hear a buzzing sound if you are standing near the outdoor condensing unit and that is normal.
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Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Ceiling Fans are COOL!
In summer, the downward draft of a paddle fan creates a breeze and produces a feeling of coolness against the skin, even though a fan does not reduce air temperature. Used with an air-conditioner, fans can cut energy costs a lot.
"Fans make you feel up to eight degrees cooler," said Steve Martin, marketing services manager for the Hunter Fan Company in Memphis. The air-conditioner thermostat in a room equipped with a paddle fan can be raised as much as eight degrees without any loss of comfort, he said.
And every degree you raise you thermostat can save you 3 to 4% on your electric usage.
We know about the "wind chill" factor in the winter. It works in the summer, too! And ceiling fans only cost about 1 cent per hour to operate, making them a real bargain.
"Fans make you feel up to eight degrees cooler," said Steve Martin, marketing services manager for the Hunter Fan Company in Memphis. The air-conditioner thermostat in a room equipped with a paddle fan can be raised as much as eight degrees without any loss of comfort, he said.
And every degree you raise you thermostat can save you 3 to 4% on your electric usage.
We know about the "wind chill" factor in the winter. It works in the summer, too! And ceiling fans only cost about 1 cent per hour to operate, making them a real bargain.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Should I keep my heat pump set tp emergency heat all winter?
Dear Dave:
My builder told me to always run my heat pump on emergency heat in the winter. Why?
Dear Customer:
Your builder must own stock in the electric company. What happens when you set your heat pump to emergency heat is that ONLY your indoor furnace works. Your outdoor heat pump is turned off. If you have a natural gas furnace that is o.k. If you have electric resistance backup or propane, that is a terrible idea. You will literally double the cost of heating your home. A heat pump takes free heat from the outdoor air and "pumps" it into your home. You only pay for the "pumping". The heat is free. Depending on the outdoor temperature it is 2 to 3 times cheaper than propane or an electric furnace. The reason I’ve heard from builders to turn it to "emer. heat" is so you always have real warm air from the registers. High efficient heat pumps have warm air. Usually 95-100 deg. Don’t "buy" into it. Any extra heat you feel is from dollar bills "burning". (Yours when you pay your bill!)Sincerely,
David White
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Finding the company for you:
Every day, week, month of the year someone is ripped off by a home contractor. Whether it is someone charging a ridiculous amount up front for a lesser product or service, or bidding the lowest and then sneaking in extra costs once your house is ripped apart, or charging you a small amount and then doing shoddy work. Or any other thing you can think of. We hear all of the stories. We see and sometimes repair the shoddy work. And we are suspected of being devious ourselves, because in this crooked world it's hard to trust anyone!
So how can you know? Are there clues that this is an honest HVAC contractor? An HVAC contractor you can trust to give a fair price for a job well done?
If it is servicing your system needs, the following guidelines can help:
What if you need a new system? How can you find the right company for that?
And sometimes when we tear down walls, we do have to charge a little more when we find a big surprise! Because truth is, unless you built the house with your own two hands, you just don't know what's under that drywall or up that chimney. But we can promise that we are as upfront about that as possible and we go the extra mile to do the very best we can and live up to the contract we both signed and took seriously to begin with.
Call us! We believe our estimators, our service and installation techs, and all of their support team are the best out there. And we think you will too.
So how can you know? Are there clues that this is an honest HVAC contractor? An HVAC contractor you can trust to give a fair price for a job well done?
If it is servicing your system needs, the following guidelines can help:
- HVAC technicians are trained professionals that have certification from the state. This means they can prove they qualify by having a license.
- An honest technician should be up front about any fee for him checking your system.
- He will do a thorough diagnosis, using proper equipment.
- And when he recommends a repair, he will give you a quote on paper of the part(s) you will need and how much the labor will cost.
- His company will be solid & well known in the community, having been around for years.
- He himself will have years of experience and training.
- They will recommend annual check-ups to keep your system going and set it up so you are reminded each year.
What if you need a new system? How can you find the right company for that?
- A professional will come to your house and discuss your needs and examine your house. They will then give you a quote on a new system on paper, outlining the exact equipment that will be put in your house and exactly what it will cost.
- They will be honest about manufacturers warranties and will warranty their company's work for one year after installation.
- They will have a solid company, known in the community.
- They will provide references.
- They will have proper insurance (liability, workman's comp, etc.)
- They will be able to explain and print the SEER ranking of the equipment you are buying if it is claimed to be high efficiency.
- They pull the city permits.
- They retain their customers.
- Their office is clean showing that they will clean up after themselves.
And sometimes when we tear down walls, we do have to charge a little more when we find a big surprise! Because truth is, unless you built the house with your own two hands, you just don't know what's under that drywall or up that chimney. But we can promise that we are as upfront about that as possible and we go the extra mile to do the very best we can and live up to the contract we both signed and took seriously to begin with.
Call us! We believe our estimators, our service and installation techs, and all of their support team are the best out there. And we think you will too.
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| One of our professional techs intalling a new outdoor HVAC unit |
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| Our men having the tools they need at their fingertips |
Monday, January 31, 2011
Maintenance Agreements Equal Money in Your Pocket
It's true! Don't believe me? Here's some convincing arguements:
1) Regular maintenance keeps your system running efficiently, saving on your utility bills.
2) Potential problems can be prevented and corrected early before equipment fails, thus being much cheaper to fix.
3) Proper and regular servicing extends the life of your heating and cooling system.
4) Our Gold and Silver maintenance plans include the cost of most repairs, meaning you know exactly what to budget for maintenance and servicing of your system for the entire year.
5) Our service technicians change your filter when they come, and clean filters make HVAC systems happy. Happy systems work efficiently. Again, saving you money.
Just like eating healthy foods and exercising keeps your body from suffering a major illness, preventative care is the way to go with HVAC systems.
Even HGTV puts it right at the top of their list of things to do during your spring cleaning.
1) Regular maintenance keeps your system running efficiently, saving on your utility bills.
2) Potential problems can be prevented and corrected early before equipment fails, thus being much cheaper to fix.
3) Proper and regular servicing extends the life of your heating and cooling system.
4) Our Gold and Silver maintenance plans include the cost of most repairs, meaning you know exactly what to budget for maintenance and servicing of your system for the entire year.
5) Our service technicians change your filter when they come, and clean filters make HVAC systems happy. Happy systems work efficiently. Again, saving you money.
Just like eating healthy foods and exercising keeps your body from suffering a major illness, preventative care is the way to go with HVAC systems.
Even HGTV puts it right at the top of their list of things to do during your spring cleaning.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Are you an AEP customer?
David White Services, Maytag, and AEP have a wonderful, wonderful rebate program for you in February.
So often HVAC companies advertise $1000.00 in rebates but when they give you a quote you discover that the $1000.00 worth of rebates is only on their most expensive equipment, or requires you to buy an expensive and often unnecessary indoor air quality product.
But in February 2011 we at David White Services are bringing you a genuine $1000.00 off of a Heat Pump system!
AEP has come up with an amazing program where one of our HVAC energy specialists come out & do an assessment of your house. AEP provides 12 energy saving lightbulbs, a low flow shower head, a setback thermostat, an LED nightlight, and more! Plus the assessment tells you where your house is losing the most energy and how you can save lots of money! It truly is the best program I've seen in a long, long time. For all the details, just click here. On the left you'll see you can click on energy assessment or rebates to find out everything you need to know. Then call us to set up an appointment.
In addition to this we have arranged a $300.00 rebate on qualifying Maytag HVAC equipment. They are a great company with quality equipment that we love working with and we think you'll love too! Who doesn't know the Maytag man? Guess what? We ARE the Maytag man and we have time for you.
In 2010 there was a 30% tax credit on heating and cooling equipment that everyone got really excited about, and it was exciting. If you didn't use it, there is still a limited tax credit on HVAC equipment for 2011. We feel that with our $1000.00 in rebates and the tax credit, February 2011 is actually a BETTER deal for you! If your equipment is over 10 years old, it's time to call us and see what we can do for you.
So often HVAC companies advertise $1000.00 in rebates but when they give you a quote you discover that the $1000.00 worth of rebates is only on their most expensive equipment, or requires you to buy an expensive and often unnecessary indoor air quality product.
But in February 2011 we at David White Services are bringing you a genuine $1000.00 off of a Heat Pump system!
AEP has come up with an amazing program where one of our HVAC energy specialists come out & do an assessment of your house. AEP provides 12 energy saving lightbulbs, a low flow shower head, a setback thermostat, an LED nightlight, and more! Plus the assessment tells you where your house is losing the most energy and how you can save lots of money! It truly is the best program I've seen in a long, long time. For all the details, just click here. On the left you'll see you can click on energy assessment or rebates to find out everything you need to know. Then call us to set up an appointment.
In addition to this we have arranged a $300.00 rebate on qualifying Maytag HVAC equipment. They are a great company with quality equipment that we love working with and we think you'll love too! Who doesn't know the Maytag man? Guess what? We ARE the Maytag man and we have time for you.
In 2010 there was a 30% tax credit on heating and cooling equipment that everyone got really excited about, and it was exciting. If you didn't use it, there is still a limited tax credit on HVAC equipment for 2011. We feel that with our $1000.00 in rebates and the tax credit, February 2011 is actually a BETTER deal for you! If your equipment is over 10 years old, it's time to call us and see what we can do for you.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
BTU: an education.
Earlier this month I posted an Ask Dave that mentioned BTU. When you talk to heating contractors this little acronym always comes up but in your regular, day to day life, it simply doesn't. So I wanted to explain what it means to help you know which system you should purchase.
BTU is short for British Thermal Unit. Each BTU equals the amount of heat required to raise one pound of water one degree. One pound of water is about one pint.
So you create 450 BTUs per hour in your regular, every day life. You, every hour, create enough heat to bring more than three pints of water from room temperature to a boil. You may not know you created BTUs but really you are a furnace. I love to put my freezing cold feet as close to my hubbie as possible without them actually touching him (he complains big time if they get too close!) That's because I'm taking advantage of his BTUs.
Furnaces are rated on how many BTUs they create per hour. So a 75,000 BTUs furnace will create 75,000 BTU's in an hour. And unlike your 450 BTUs, a furnace has a blower to ship that wonderful warmth all around your home through insulated ducts.
So how can knowing this help you buy a new heating system?
In two main ways. First, your new furnace will be sized according to the size of your house and the insulation in your walls. And bigger is not better, in this case. The more BTUs your furnace pumps out at once, the sooner it will shut off. And a furnace that cycles more often costs more money than one that pumps out heat slow & steady. But too small and it won't keep your house warm enough. So understanding BTUs can help you choose the furnace and contractor who understand sizing best.
Second, as in the previous Ask Dave, comparing BTU's in one type of heat, like propane vs. wood, can help you choose the most cost effective type of heat available to you.
So there ya go. BTUs for the rest of us.
Maybe later I'll explain heat pumps and air conditioners being measured in tons and in how many BTUs they suck out of your house per hour. Intrigued? Coming soon to a blog in the summer!
BTU is short for British Thermal Unit. Each BTU equals the amount of heat required to raise one pound of water one degree. One pound of water is about one pint.
So you create 450 BTUs per hour in your regular, every day life. You, every hour, create enough heat to bring more than three pints of water from room temperature to a boil. You may not know you created BTUs but really you are a furnace. I love to put my freezing cold feet as close to my hubbie as possible without them actually touching him (he complains big time if they get too close!) That's because I'm taking advantage of his BTUs.
Furnaces are rated on how many BTUs they create per hour. So a 75,000 BTUs furnace will create 75,000 BTU's in an hour. And unlike your 450 BTUs, a furnace has a blower to ship that wonderful warmth all around your home through insulated ducts.
So how can knowing this help you buy a new heating system?
In two main ways. First, your new furnace will be sized according to the size of your house and the insulation in your walls. And bigger is not better, in this case. The more BTUs your furnace pumps out at once, the sooner it will shut off. And a furnace that cycles more often costs more money than one that pumps out heat slow & steady. But too small and it won't keep your house warm enough. So understanding BTUs can help you choose the furnace and contractor who understand sizing best.
Second, as in the previous Ask Dave, comparing BTU's in one type of heat, like propane vs. wood, can help you choose the most cost effective type of heat available to you.
So there ya go. BTUs for the rest of us.
Maybe later I'll explain heat pumps and air conditioners being measured in tons and in how many BTUs they suck out of your house per hour. Intrigued? Coming soon to a blog in the summer!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Running a family heating and cooling business
Running a family business is a tricky business. Especially an HVAC business with a bunch of very strong personalities involved. My dad, my mom, and their business partner started David White Services in 1977. Now almost 35 years later it is a thriving business with two offices, in Athens and Lancaster, serving the majority of southeastern Ohio and parts of West Virginia. So many counties, so many towns like Logan, Jackson, Gallipolis, and Canal Winchester to name just a few of the seemingly hundreds of great communities that we love.
I was only 3 years old when the business began and some of my earliest memories are sitting at a little desk with my own adding machine, crayons, and paper above C&E hardware on Richland Avenue in Athens. And now my husband works here, my sister and her husband both work here and our eldest children, 13 & 10, both think they'd love to stay in the family business. And my three year old is currently sitting at a computer watching cartoons on Netflix coloring with her own crayons & paper at the desk next to me.
The best part of working with my family is I have a real feeling of belonging and community. I used to hate, when I was younger and searching for my own identity, being "David White's daughter." But now I love it. My parents are cool and well respected and I am Ohio all the way through. A Buckeye, a Bobcat, a small town, midwest girl.
The decisions they made when I was too young to know what was happening, I'm proud to be now carrying on to the next generation. Long ago they decided to work mainly with residential service, not with new construction and commercial. This suits my personality perfectly. Instead of working with big companies and bureaucracies, we work with our neighbors, our community, our friends. We take care of their furnaces and air conditioners and heat pumps. Their stoves and their fireplaces. We truly are hearth and home. And having done so for so many years, we are now taking care of second generation and third generations, both their homes and their small businesses.
When I'm at my house, with my own kids, I really do ponder all the other people in the surrounding counties, that are also snowed & snuggled in, in front of their fireplaces and with their heat pumps and furnaces chugging away, and I'm happy to have played a part, even a tiny part, in their comfort.
And I won't dwell on the bad parts of a family business. I'll just say my parents raised my sister and I to be honest in our opinions, and as long as we said it respectfully we were allowed to say whatever we wanted. So you can imagine that we grew up with very strong opinions that we aren't afraid to share. Good thing they raised us with great senses of humor and the knowledge of the power of an apology.
I was only 3 years old when the business began and some of my earliest memories are sitting at a little desk with my own adding machine, crayons, and paper above C&E hardware on Richland Avenue in Athens. And now my husband works here, my sister and her husband both work here and our eldest children, 13 & 10, both think they'd love to stay in the family business. And my three year old is currently sitting at a computer watching cartoons on Netflix coloring with her own crayons & paper at the desk next to me.
The best part of working with my family is I have a real feeling of belonging and community. I used to hate, when I was younger and searching for my own identity, being "David White's daughter." But now I love it. My parents are cool and well respected and I am Ohio all the way through. A Buckeye, a Bobcat, a small town, midwest girl.
The decisions they made when I was too young to know what was happening, I'm proud to be now carrying on to the next generation. Long ago they decided to work mainly with residential service, not with new construction and commercial. This suits my personality perfectly. Instead of working with big companies and bureaucracies, we work with our neighbors, our community, our friends. We take care of their furnaces and air conditioners and heat pumps. Their stoves and their fireplaces. We truly are hearth and home. And having done so for so many years, we are now taking care of second generation and third generations, both their homes and their small businesses.
When I'm at my house, with my own kids, I really do ponder all the other people in the surrounding counties, that are also snowed & snuggled in, in front of their fireplaces and with their heat pumps and furnaces chugging away, and I'm happy to have played a part, even a tiny part, in their comfort.
And I won't dwell on the bad parts of a family business. I'll just say my parents raised my sister and I to be honest in our opinions, and as long as we said it respectfully we were allowed to say whatever we wanted. So you can imagine that we grew up with very strong opinions that we aren't afraid to share. Good thing they raised us with great senses of humor and the knowledge of the power of an apology.
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| The whole brood: courtesy of Morristowne Photography |
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Ask Dave: Heating Oil is so expensive, what can I do?
Dear Dave:
We are in the country and have always heated with oil. We like the heat but now the price per gallon has gone up dramatically. What can we do?
Dear Customer:
Nationally, heating oil has gone up about 40 cents a gallon in the last few weeks. Propane (made from oil) will also skyrocket. With the world economic recovery, they probably will not go down. It might be time to look at other options. If you add to your oil or propane furnace an Energy Star Heat Pump, you can have the best of both worlds. Most of the time, the heat pump will be heating you for HALF the cost of oil products but in very cold weather the furnace will automatically come on and comfortably heat your home. There are still some tax credits available for an add on heat pump. Remember, upgrading equipment is done once but your oil or LP bill is every month. We have low interest financing and our estimates are free.
Sincerely,
David White
Friday, January 7, 2011
Ask Dave: What is the cheapest fuel to heat my home?
There is a wide range of products and prices for fuel to heat your home. And it can be confusing to compare such a wide variety of products. It often feels like comparing apples to oranges. Different, but both fruity.
To take the guess work out we break it down into how much it costs for a Million BTU's. BTU is a measure of heat. So in 2010, and into the winter of 2011, in our area of Ohio the prices broke down like this:
Fuel Oil $20.17
LP gas (Propane) $26.00
Electric Furnace $20.51
Electric Heat Pump $10.26
Natural Gas furnace $10.76
Corn $ 9.00
Hardwood $ 3.30
Obviously, these prices are conditional and always changing. But it gives you at least an idea and a beginning point on which to capare.
It's pretty obvious that oil, propane, and electric furnaces are the most expensive ways to heat your home by far.
To take the guess work out we break it down into how much it costs for a Million BTU's. BTU is a measure of heat. So in 2010, and into the winter of 2011, in our area of Ohio the prices broke down like this:
Fuel Oil $20.17
LP gas (Propane) $26.00
Electric Furnace $20.51
Electric Heat Pump $10.26
Natural Gas furnace $10.76
Corn $ 9.00
Hardwood $ 3.30
Obviously, these prices are conditional and always changing. But it gives you at least an idea and a beginning point on which to capare.
It's pretty obvious that oil, propane, and electric furnaces are the most expensive ways to heat your home by far.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Welcome 2011!
It's the beginning of a new year, with all the challenges winter and a new year bring. Here in the offices of David White Services, both in Lancaster & Athens, we've been working hard taking inventory, balancing our books, and making plans for the coming year.
In addition to this we've been excited to start working even more closely with the electric company and their wonderful gridSMART program. We are hoping this truly benefits our customers both with information and rebates are meeting with them next week to get the big scoop.
Our connection with our amazing vendors, like Lennox, Maytag, and Waterfurnace, will continue this year and we are, of course, making sure we are up to date with all of their new products and information.
We also renewed our contract as official sponsors of Ohio University Bobcats. We have loved supporting such a wonderful college and their inspiring athletic departments and know that this year will not disappoint. Look for us at the games! We're hoping to get a halftime game going at the men's basketball games and hope you will all join us in cheering them on as divisional games begin.
It may still be dark and bleak outside on this January evening but inside our homes and our customer's homes it is nice and toasty warm. And in our offices there is much excitement as we look forward to another year serving our wonderful communities.
In addition to this we've been excited to start working even more closely with the electric company and their wonderful gridSMART program. We are hoping this truly benefits our customers both with information and rebates are meeting with them next week to get the big scoop.
Our connection with our amazing vendors, like Lennox, Maytag, and Waterfurnace, will continue this year and we are, of course, making sure we are up to date with all of their new products and information.
We also renewed our contract as official sponsors of Ohio University Bobcats. We have loved supporting such a wonderful college and their inspiring athletic departments and know that this year will not disappoint. Look for us at the games! We're hoping to get a halftime game going at the men's basketball games and hope you will all join us in cheering them on as divisional games begin.
It may still be dark and bleak outside on this January evening but inside our homes and our customer's homes it is nice and toasty warm. And in our offices there is much excitement as we look forward to another year serving our wonderful communities.
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