Your Heating & Cooling

I was tired of asking my husband how to change air filters.

• I was also tired of constantly trying to figure out how to tell the HVAC company what was wrong with the furnace or air conditioning unit.

I tried emulating the sounds I heard, but it never sounded the same as what I was hearing. I was trying to find the card for the HVAC company so I could call them and try to get them to understand what was wrong with the furnace. Instead, the card was gone, and I couldn’t find the number on my phone. I had to go online and find the HVAC company’s website. I knew they would have their phone number listed on the website. What surprised me was that I found more than a phone number. I found a FAQs page which had so much information I didn’t know where to start. I loved I could find so much information and it was easy to understand. I thought there would be a lot of HVAC jargon that was hard to understand, but I was wrong. The information was easy to understand, and I could find answers to questions I had now. I simply put my question into the search box, and it pulled up at least one answer that pertained to my HVAC question. I not only got answers to question about diagnosing the HVAC system, but I found a lot of other information. I was never so glad to be reading something on the internet as I was at the moment. It made wonder if I should be an HVAC technician some day.

cooling tech

Last month, I was looking for some information about our HVAC company.

I heard they had added some new HVAC services, and I was curious what other services there were.

After spending an hour perusing the HVAC website, I found some other information that caught my attention. They offered an online homeowner’s calls for anyone who wanted to sign up. They also had an in person class for those who wanted some hands-on learning. I signed up for the class as soon as I saw it offered. I knew my husband could change air filters and do minor jobs on the HVAC system, but I couldn’t. If there came a time when my husband wasn’t around, I wanted to know how to take care of the furnace and the air conditioning unit. When my husband got home, I told him about the HVAC class for homeowners. He wanted to see what kind of information they gave. It surprised him to find out he could learn how to do minor repairs and/or diagnose any problems. He wanted me to sign him up for the online and the hands-on class. He laughed and told me that if it was interesting, he may switch job and become an HVAC technician. He put his hands up and laughed when I gave him a fast glance. He said he was kidding, but I wasn’t so sure. I remember how he once talked about being an HVAC technician. We were only in our early thirties and it wasn’t too late to start a new career; especially a career that had job security.

 

 

cooling technician

I was already paying too much for rent in my small apartment.

It was within walking distance of the college and my work, which is the only reason I got the apartment. The worst part of it all was that I couldn’t even afford to drive my car because of my apartment. I was stuck with walking everywhere I wanted to go. When the air conditioning broke down, the landlord decided he would not repair it. If we wanted to have air conditioning, we were welcome to buy one, since we paid our own electric bills. All I could afford was a portable air conditioning unit. I thought it would be great. I could put it in whatever room I was in, but it didn’t work that well. After a couple of hours, I had cool air in the room, but it was humid air. I wanted air conditioning that kept me comfortable, and not feeling worse. I took the air conditioner back to the home center, but they wouldn’t take it back. They said I had opened it and used it. If I wanted my money back, it had to be in an unopened box, or I had to show proof that it was broken. Just being unhappy with the air conditioner wasn’t a good reason for returning it. I had to call the manufacturer, but all they told me was they would send me a coupon, but it was for the same air conditioner I already had. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do about air conditioning, but I was sure I wouldn’t sign another lease for that apartment.

air conditioning workman

Within six months, I was ready to hire HVAC technicians again

When I first opened the HVAC company, I was happy with what I was doing. I had a lot of customers in the first couple of years, and I had to double the amount of technicians and the equipment we had. Everyone was happy working for me, until they weren’t. Our customer list was dwindling, and I was losing HVAC technicians to other HVAC companies. I didn’t know what I could do to get more customers and get my HVAC company back on track. I was talking to one of my customers, and he told me I had to work harder. I needed to give customers something more than just HVAC service. He told me I needed to advertise with a good HVAC website. Let people know what I represented and what my HVAC company did better and differently than other HVAC companies. I sat down and thought about what the man was telling me. There were only the original HVAC technicians, and myself left in the company. I didn’t have enough business to keep us busy. I talked to my lead technician and asked what he thought about a website. He told me he was hoping I would see the opportunity. He showed me how to build a website and what I needed to put on it. Within a couple of months, we doubled our customer database, and we were gaining more customers on a weekly basis. Within six months, I was ready to hire HVAC technicians again. Two of our other HVAC technician applied for a job, and I was glad to see the old team coming back together again.

zoned hvac

My brother always told me that if I ever needed anything, I could count on him.

I counted on him to give me some place to live when my dad kicked me out for not getting a job.

I thought he was joking when he said I had a month to get a job after high school graduation. If I didn’t have a good job, or a qualified college to go to, he would kick me out. He knew I didn’t want to go to college, but I knew I wasn’t ready for a job. I came home from playing video games with my best friend one afternoon, and dad had my clothes packed. I asked him where I was supposed to live, and he said anywhere but in his house. I talked to my brother, and he offered me a space on his couch for a couple of months until I found a job I liked. I was happy staying on the couch, and I thought my brother would just forget about the couple of months thing. I soon found out how serious he was. I was out pounding the bricks, looking for a job. The only thing I find was a sign on the college for classes. The top advertisement was for HVAC technical school. It’s not what I thought I would do in my future, but after a couple of months, I was enjoying myself. I didn’t need a couch anymore because mom and dad left me back in. I also had a job offer in the instructor’s HVAC company. It surprised me to find I was not just an HVAC technician, but I was could support myself and I was happy being an HVAC technician.

hvac technology

I wanted to be an HVAC technician from the time I was a little boy.

What I didn’t want was to own an HVAC company.

I deliberately took a position in a different HVAC company than the one my dad owned. I knew if I were to work with my dad he would some day retire and he would want me to take over. I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to be the owner of an HVAC company. I wanted to be a technician. I enjoyed working every day and meeting new people. I liked knowing people have excellent heating and cooling because of me and the job I do. I know that makes me sound like a selfish person, but just the idea of no longer working as an HVAC technician and owning the company makes me sad. After twenty years of being an HVAC technician, my ultimate fear came true. Dad was trying to sell the HVAC company. He let me know that if no one bought it; he was going to close it down and the customers could come to the HVAC company where I worked. I knew he said it to make me feel guilty, or that is how I felt. The problem is that it worked. I felt guilty for not working in my father’s HVAC company because I didn’t want to own it. Now, I was talking to my wife and asking her what she felt about me buying the company from my dad. She smiled and told me it was time I woke up and realized what was important in life.

cooling equipment

It’s not easy dealing with the elderly after they reach a certain age.

My mother can be difficult because she prefers things done a certain way.

Her perfectionist nature does not help matters too. It was a big challenge to get her to change to a new HVAC contractor after Mr. Simon retired to tour the world with his wife. My mother took a while to accept that he and his team would not be coming around for the routine HVAC maintenance. She enjoyed chatting with the HVAC professionals and it was a big blow that they had moved away after their boss closed shop. Since my mother’s home could not be left without proper air conditioning and heating services due to her medical issues, it was imperative to move fast and find the right HVAC business replacement to serve her. She had declined moving in with us, or going to an elderly facility where she could be taken care of. The most we could do is ensure that she had everything to guarantee a comfortable life. It took a while for her to agree to work with Mr. White’s HVAC Company. Mr. White had to go through a series of interviews for my mother to accept or even let his HVAC techs into her home. She wanted to establish a relationship and build trust before letting anyone handle her HVAC equipment. Fortunately, Mr. White understood and was patient enough to answer all of my mother’s concerns. In the end, she was happy with her new heating contractor and even scheduled a heating maintenance the next week. She wanted to work on an a/c care plan next before they could discuss a general and regular HVAC service plan. That was mother for you and everything had to work as she wanted.
zone control

The argument started when Paul suggested that filter changes should only happen after every 3 months.

It was interesting to hear the opinions of everyone around.

As the only trained HVAC professional in the group, I was not quick to refuse or accept any of the claims. Every one of my clients was right to some extent. They were all speaking from personal experience which inspired their opinions. However, as a seasoned professional who understood the challenges in the HVAC business, I knew that they needed a bit of guidance which is where I would come in. Well, filter changes should happen as regularly as possible. The frequency may be determined by a number of factors including the environment and whether or not one has pets in the house. Areas with a lot of dust and pollen will need more frequent filter changes. Homeowners with pets will also need to replace or clean their HVAC system filters more often because of the pet fur. What was more important is acknowledging that heating and cooling systems require filter changes. This is a major part of HVAC maintenance. The size of the filter may also determine the change frequency. Thinner filters should be replaced more often than thicker ones. Homes with great air quality can also have their filters serve them longer than those that have issues with air quality. Allergies could also affect the frequency of filter changes. Failing to replace dirty and clogged filters is more dangerous. It can lead to HVAC system damage. This is because heating and cooling equipment such as air handlers and furnaces have delicate parts that need to be handled carefully. Also the struggle of air flow causes the HVAC unit to strain, causing the AC or heater to overuse energy. The clogged filters also lead to short-cycling due to airflow challenges. This could lead to HVAC system damage or excessive energy consumption. You will also need to deal with constant air conditioning repair or heater repair within a short time.

 

a/c worker

Summer weekends were fun and exciting for the Collins family as everyone gathered together.

This time round, we were meeting at aunt Suzy’s place.

She was the matriarch of the family and we all loved her. She was getting older and everyone wanted to spend as much time as possible with her. We walked in one after the other bringing all the party goods and the mood to match. It was going to be a lovely weekend together, or so we thought. It started out well until the heat became unbearable. This was not like aunt Suzy’s cozy house so we asked her what was going on. She had been ill for a few months and was slowing down on many things. It turns out that her HVAC unit was one of these. Cousin Brenan checked her monthly bills and noted a consistent pattern of high electric bills the past three months. Besides that, the central HVAC unit seemed to be noisier than usual. You could hear a bit of nagging sounds repeatedly. He went on to check the unit since he is a HVAC professional. He started with the filters which were a bit dirty so this could not be the cause of the AC failing. Further scrutiny revealed that the compressor unit was filled with ice. He quickly took it apart and cleaned the coil and air filter. Fortunately for us, the refrigerant levels were okay. If not, this would mean calling the HVAC business which was closed since it was a holiday. It turns out there was an issue with faulty wires which Brenan quickly fixed. In no time, the AC kicked in and the cooling resumed. Everyone was glad that Brenan decided to come for the get-together as this would have meant spending extra money on hiring an HVAC serviceman who would charge too much to fix the emergency.

 

a/c tune up

I have learned over time that not waiting for small HVAC problems to compound into big ones saves a lot of money

Summers haven’t always been great for me because the heat takes a toll on my health. Whenever I stay out too long, the headaches and dehydration can send me to a hospital’s ER. Fortunately, over the years I have managed to keep myself in check no matter how hot it gets. Besides keeping myself hydrated with lots of water and refreshing fluids, and wearing protective clothing, I also prioritize air conditioning. My house has a great AC and a few portable ones just in case something goes wrong. At first, I grappled with increased energy costs every month before I figured out that my HVAC equipment was responsible. I had a quality air conditioner that was draining 70% of the energy in my home so this meant paying more for comfort. I loved the air conditioned space but the cost was getting to me. After talking to my HVAC tech, and a few other HVAC providers I knew, they suggested proper maintenance to avoid overworking the unit and seal any losses. From then on, I have HVAC service experts come in every time before summer officially starts. This helps with my air conditioner tune-up. When done early, we verify that the AC is at its peak condition and that it will work optimally. There are no surprises in the middle of summer when I need the unit most. It is also during such checks that we get to examine and fix any air conditioning issues. I have learned over time that not waiting for small HVAC problems to compound into big ones saves a lot of money. The cooling tech ensures that everything is resolved ahead of time to prevent emergency calls. I also ensure that I have a few windows ACs and some portable air conditioners just in case I need to use them.

cooling corporation