April 2004 Articles

These are condensed versions of the Radio Program

 04/07/04

This question comes up every year at about this time.

Why do a lot of air conditioners break down the first time or two they’re started up? Just like the vehicles we drive everyday, after a long period of rest, there can be issues with lubrication. Also, refrigerant could have seeped into the oil. Naturally, if your unit is older or had undetected problems and the end of the season last year-trouble will many times surface on start up. How best to keep that from happening? With what we’ve been talking about for a while now-Regular maintenance! It is the key to avoiding almost all problems that can arise in your home comfort system. Like our car comparison, you simply MUST change the oil and do regular maintenance on the vehicle for it to run properly and as efficiently as it can. I can change my own car oil if I want-why can’t I do this maintenance on my air conditioner? This is where the similarities end. Anyone can take a hose and rinse away grass and dust from the outdoor coil. Unfortunately, there a lot of individuals and companies that do just that and charge for a real maintenance call. In the meantime, they may have sprayed with too much pressure and bent the coils, or got some of the electronics inside too wet. What is done in a proper maintenance call? Too much is done to fit in this space; but, we check the entire sequence of events to make sure that everything is happening when it should. We measure airflow to and from the unit, and we measure the pressure in the lines. We check the amount of refrigerant. It can be harmful to the compressor if there’s too much or if there’s too little. We oil and lubricate moving parts and check the operation of electronic parts. The list goes on and on. The cost is only $125 for two visits per year. It’s even more of a value when you renew. For more information on this, or anything else about Quality Service, call us at 635-3452. We’ll talk to you next week.

04/14/04

This week we are fielding questions about our awesome “Oldest air conditioner in Lauderdale County” contest. Let’s start: What are we looking for? We want to find the oldest working central air conditioner in Lauderdale County. Our winner will get a brand new replacement for FREE! Who is eligible? Basically, any homeowner inside Lauderdale County can enter. We will also allow non-profit organizations, such as churches, to enter as long as they are entering residential equipment. No commercial equipment is eligible. Does it have to be a brand you carry? Nope. We want to replace the oldest central unit in our county. It doesn’t matter what brand it is or who installed it.. If I win, how much will this deal cost me? If you have an outdoor condensing unit, your cost is ZERO! If you own a package unit (heat AND a/c outside), there will be some cost for the heating portion. Is my air conditioner going to be old enough to win? If you think your unit is pretty darn old, you should enter. Due to the eligibility requirements, there is no way to predict what age unit will win. Every entry will have to be screened. What does the winner get? Simple, our winner gets a new replacement air conditioner and the installation. We call that a change out. The prize cannot include work on existing ducts or any extra labor requested by the winner. How do I enter my air conditioner? Just come by our office at 366 N. Main, Ripley. Pick up an entry form and a complete set of rules. You can also get these at the Chamber of commerce. If you have contest questions not covered here, please call us at 635-3452 or visit our website at www.qualityserviceinc.com.

04/21/04

Even though there was some snow in our area a short while ago, we are answering questions today about getting ready for the hot weather we all know is coming. How can I get my home ready? Improve your attic insulation. Solar energy transmitted through the roof and ceiling is one of the largest causes of summer overheating. If your attic has 6 inches or less of insulation, give some serious thought to adding another 6-10 inches. Also, insulation doesn’t stop air, so be sure that in the attic all your gaps around chimneys, plumbing vents and light fixtures are sealed. What about windows? It’s great if you can afford to get the multi-paned and super efficient windows throughout your home. But even if you can’t there are still some things you can do to prevent that solar energy from getting in. Awnings and solar screens provide excellent window shade by stopping that heat before it gets in the home. Interior window treatments aren’t quite as effective since they dissipate some of the solar energy INTO the house. However, Venetian blinds and opaque roller blinds can reflect up to half the solar heat back out through the window. Does moisture have an effect? Dampness around the home reduces summer comfort and increases air conditioning costs. Air conditioning is an expensive way to dry out a wet house. Install plastic sheeting in your crawl space to act as a moisture barrier. Install gutters and downspouts where needed, and if your crawlspace or basement stays real wet, you might want to think about getting a sump pump. Don’t forget about our “Oldest air conditioner in Lauderdale County” contest. We’ll take entries until the end of April, and you could win a new air conditioner. For more information call us at 635-3452.

04/28/04

By Paul Hankins

I’m filling in this week as writer of the Quality Service column, because Mike suffers from too much humility to write about himself and his business. I’ll do it for him. At Quality Service, we recently had the honor of being named “Small Business of the Year” by the Lauderdale County Chamber of Commerce. This is a great honor for us, especially since we were nominated by one of our peers in the Chamber membership and the board voted to present us with this award. We want to thank our customers, because you are the reason we have been a success. Our customers depend on us for quality products and service, and their coming back to us each time is what keeps our business strong. Here’s a bit of history concerning Mike Currie and our company. This is the only job Mike has ever had. He started working in this industry as a child in his stepfather’s business. After several years, he was trained at the Vo-Tech school in Newbern. (Learning to do what he’d been doing for some time) After a stint working for the hospital, and in start-up and service of large commercial air conditioning for Cardinal Builders, Mike went to work in service for Griggs Heating and Air. A short time passed, and Mike started Quality Service. The new company shared space and ran service for many of the systems installed by Griggs. This became successful and when Griggs decided to sell out, Mike and his wife Lynette, along with her parents Bill and Josephine Brooks, pooled together, bought the business and formed what we now know as Quality Service. It has since become the most successful HVAC contractor in our area. Now, here are some highlights. We alone have a computerized plasma sheet metal cutter used for fabricating our ductwork. (Our sheet metal master makes a vast number of things for factories, businesses, and individuals, too) We have installed more TVA program systems than anyone around. We have the most complete and reasonably priced regular maintenance program available. We may be the only HVAC contractor that has a weekly Q&A radio show and newspaper column anywhere. But more than anything else, we do great work at a fair price and we are proud of what we do everyday! Thanks again Chamber and Board for this honor!

 

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