March Articles

March 2005 Articles

These are condensed versions of the Radio Program

03/02/05

Today, we discuss prices! Here are the questions.

Prices are rising on virtually everything. Does that mean we can expect higher prices on home comfort systems and service work? Unfortunately, it probably does. The price we pay for sheet metal is more than twice what it was about a year ago. Any kind of sheet material is high. Prices are outrageous for sheetrock, paneling, plywood, and anything that comes in a sheet. While we keep our prices as low as possible, no business can pay twice as much for their materials without having to make up for that additional cost somehow. It’s a fact of business.

Do we know what’s making these prices so high?

We read and hear about major construction in China, hurricane relief efforts here and abroad, and even the needed for materials to rebuild after the recent tsunami.

All these materials are commodities and that means that the price is based upon the basic economic principals of supply and demand. So, what does all that do to the cost of home comfort systems? It’s difficult to avoid raising prices, but we try to keep the value of the installation worth every penny. Many contractors don’t do that. How can you determine what’s worth what?

The old adage always remains true. You get what you pay for. If one contractor is a lot cheaper than another, there is a logical reason. He may be using inferior brands and equipment, he may be quoting “flex duct”, he may just cut corners here and there. He could do jobs cheaper because he doesn’t get required inspections and permits, he may not have the licenses or insurance he’s supposed to carry. There’s always a reason he’s less. Change your filters. We’ll be back next week.

03/09/05

Questions today from readers/listeners, here’s our first:

When is the best time to have regular maintenance performed on my system? The most important thing is that you have it done twice per year. In the Quality Service Maintenance Program, we visit twice per year. We show up once to check the entire heating process and once for the cooling. The ideal time would be before you start either heating or cooling, but anytime during is fine. What are some other benefits of the Quality Service Maintenance Program? Ultimately, it’s the peace of mind in knowing that your system is operating at it’s own peak efficiency and capacity. You don’t have to be so concerned about breakdowns and equipment failure. Aren’t there actual money benefits to being in the program? Sure. You pay one low price for the two visits, and once you’ve signed up for the program, you are entitled to some serious discounts on parts and labor. You’ll get 10% off for being in the program. Plus, if we find and fix a problem during our regular visit, you’ve saved the cost of a service call altogether. Are there other benefits? You bet there are. You’ll get priority scheduling on any service calls. We keep complete records on all of our maintenance visits, and can easily provide those to the manufacturers if they ask in a warranty situation. You’ll get our newsletter twice a year that keeps you up on the latest news in home comfort and tips on making your comfort and indoor air quality better. The program sounds terrific. Is it expensive?

No, it very reasonably priced at $125 per year. It’s only $110 when you renew. We’ll even through in standard filters on each visit. Call us for more information on the Maintenance Program at 635-3452.

03/16/05

Be sure to get your questions to us at 635-3452, or check our website at www.qualityserviceinc.com.

You can ask your questions there and learn more about us. Let’s get to today’s questions. How come so many homes have hot and cold spots? There are a lot of reasons that can happen. Often, it’s a result of improper installation of the system. If the proper amount of air is not put into an area, it will be too hot or too cold. Duct leaks or a faulty duct run could cause it. You may be able to fix it by balancing the airflow with dampers and such. If it’s much of a concern, you should call us and have us check it out. How do you determine exactly what size equipment goes in a particular house?

Years ago sizing was usually just based on the square footage and a guess. That just doesn’t cut it anymore. Homes are built better and tighter and just don’t always need as much air conditioning and heating as before.

There’s a very accurate method we use called “Manual J” that takes a large number of factors into consideration when determining heating loads. Factors like insulation, windows, weather stripping, occupants, walls, and doors are just a few considerations. There are many more. It’s very scientific and complicated, but Manual J has made homes more comfortable than ever. What’s the big deal about changing filters every month, anyway? The standard blue fiberglass filters are designed to be used for only 30 days. After that time, they’ve stopped all the particles they can. You are just causing the equipment to work harder to pull the air through. The air in your house will get dirtier and dirtier, and you might breathe some things you’d rather not. We’ll be back next week!

03/23/05

Why do air conditioners fail most often when you first fire them up after winter? The air system has set up idle for several months. Like most any mechanical device, the inactivity can cause it to just seize up. Plus, any parts or components that were on the verge of going out at the end of last cooling season can fail completely when it’s suddenly demanded they start up again. What’s the best way to avoid that type of failure?

The Quality Service Maintenance Program is the best way. We visit twice per year and do all the checks we can to ensure that your equipment is operating properly and at its’ most efficient. We clean and lubricate everything we can and check all the electronics and controls, as well as coolant level and airflow. If something bad is about to happen, we can usually find it and repair or prevent it before it goes out.

Will the program prevent all failures? That would be nice, but impossible. The most frequent reasons for failure (clogged filters, dirty motors and blower wheels, loose electrical connections, and more) are easily prevented by our program. There are other causes that can make your system fail no matter how well your system is maintained. Improper installation, the wrong application, factory defects, and lightning strikes are a few of those.

If you have a question you’d like answered in this article or on the “Ask Mike” radio show, please call us at 635-3452. You can also visit our website at www.qualityserviceinc.com and go to the “Ask Mike” page. We hope to hear from you soon.

03/30/05

We have questions! Why is there a time delay between when I turn the heat on and when the unit comes to life? When heating with gas, the delay is there so that the heater can warm up before the blower kicks in. Otherwise, you’d blow cold air for a few moments before it warmed up. Why do I occasionally see steam or smoke coming from my outdoor unit?

If you see that during the heating season, it’s just the warm air coming from the fan and steaming up like your breath does when it’s cold out. During the summer, you’d see that when the system goes into its defrost cycle. It has to defrost occasionally in much the same way as we have to defrost a refrigerator. We keep hearing about “balancing” a duct system. What is that? To be truly comfortable, the airflow in a home has to be “balanced”. There are some rooms that may require much more air than others to be comfortable, and some rooms that need less. This is achieved usually through dampers in the duct systems that restrict air flow as needed. A heat pump moves heat from outside to inside in the winter when we’re heating. What does it do when we’re cooling? The package heat pump is simply an air conditioner during the cooling season. You save and make money on a heat pump when you’re heating. There is no difference in the air conditioning.

If you have a question for “Ask Mike”, there are several ways to get them to us. Call us at 635-3452 or stop by our website at www.qualityserviceinc.com. We’ll talk to you next week and listen to our weekly radio show on WTRB.