Your Heating & Cooling

They even called my boss and demanded that I have my AC repaired in my van before any more work was completed

It was kind of ironic that I was driving around with a broken AC system in my vehicle while repairing AC systems for customers. My van was entirely overheated whenever I would hop inside to grab the right tools or heat and AC products that I needed for the customers. The thing is, we had been working so much overtime since we were getting calls left and right from customers, and it was hard to keep up. This is why the boss kept pressuring everybody to work much longer hours and it was becoming too difficult, especially since my AC system wasn’t working in my van. I told my boss a couple of times that I needed to take some time to get my AC system repaired, and he said we would handle it once the workload died down a little bit. It was on one particularly overheated day where the temps went into the triple digits and I ended up collapsing outside a customer’s house! Fortunately their AC system was working just fine, they just wanted to look into their options to have a new cooling system installed. When they learned my AC system was busted in my van, they told me I shouldn’t be working in conditions like that, especially in this line of work. They even called my boss and demanded that I have my AC repaired in my van before any more work was completed. I was surprised when he complied immediately and had it taken care of. I was able to recover entirely and get back to work, and I’m thankful for those helpful customers! I helped them to get a new ductless mini split AC installed with a discount!

commercial air conditioning

When my wife kept telling me that I needed to have an HVAC professional come look at the HVAC equipment, I thought it was a trivial concern.

I didn’t think the world was going to end or anything, and I told her that.

I really should’ve listened to her. We got all the way into the summer months and that’s when the cooling system broke down. I tried to apologize to my wife for never getting around to getting the cooling system maintenance done, she told me to just take care of it. We had to wait a few days before a cooling professional was able to come out, just to tell us that we had to upgrade to a new cooling system. He said that possibly if the proper maintenance would’ve been done, the cooling system would still be running. He said that with this costly repair though, it wasn’t even worth the money to only have the cooling system potentially break down again. So here we had to pay for this costly new cooling system. The good news is, it’s a ductless mini-split air conditioner with multiple zones and provides energy efficient heating and cooling for the whole house. It was expensive to have installed, but I’m kind of glad we were forced to install something new due to my mistake. My wife didn’t give me a hard time about my issue, but she did say that we better enroll into an HVAC service plan to take good care of our HVAC system moving forward. I agreed with her and didn’t hesitate to enroll with our local contractor.
Furnace filter for sale

My wife and I had a huge fight at the start of the winter season.

She’s an HVAC professional, so she typically takes care of all our heating and cooling system maintenance.

This year though, she kept saying she was so busy and she told me to just call an HVAC professional. I didn’t think that was necessary since this was something she specializes in. Of course, I wasn’t really being sensitive to all the work she does as a professional. She typically comes home after working long hours and it makes sense that she would be tired of working on HVAC equipment after doing the same thing day in and day out. I can’t even remember what triggered the fight, I must’ve pressured her to fix the heating system or something, I think because it seemed to be struggling. I did change the furnace filter, but I wasn’t sure what else needed to be done for a proper tune-up. Not to mention, I didn’t want to void the HVAC warranty since I wasn’t a professional. We exchanged some heated words until she said I could figure it out on my own. She took vacation time and went to her mother’s house. Well, I foolishly tried to work on the heating system on my own because I was so angry and not thinking clearly. I thought I could show her that I was useful with this sort of thing too. Well, I ended up forgetting to shut off the power to the heating system and I was electrocuted. My wife rushed back home when I didn’t answer the phone and found me lying on the basement floor. She took me to the hospital. We said our apologies after that and when I asked about the HVAC, she laughed and said she already tuned it up, she was just happy that I was alive.

HVAC for sale

I wasn’t exactly surprised when our son said he wanted to get into the HVAC industry.

He had always shown interest in working on different machines and he actually repaired the window AC unit we had in the garage.

It was one of those deals where I said he could use the window AC unit if he could figure out how to fix it. He ended up looking at repair videos online and he learned all the different parts and what must be done for proper maintenance and repairs. In this case, he said the unit just needed to be cleaned and the wiring needed to be replaced or reconnected with solder. He made the work look so easy, and then he was enjoying air conditioning in his room. Since then, he repaired a few portable heaters and even did some work on the HVAC equipment in our home carefully explaining each step of the process. I wasn’t worried about a non-professional voiding the warranty on the equipment because the system was already past 10 years old, and I had confidence that he could repair just about anything at that point. He actually was diagnosed with aspergers when he was younger. While he is a bit socially awkward, he remembers everything with perfect recollection. We’re happy to see that he has developed a passion. I always told him that if he could find a career in life that he enjoyed doing, he would never have to work a day in his life! He used to tell me that didn’t make sense, until he became an HVAC professional and now he says he understands and loves his career.

boiler

I was not expecting her to suddenly veer off course and fail to properly jump.

I am a gymnastic instructor and cheerleading coach. I own and operate a gym where kids from ages three to eighteen work on gymnastic skills and compete on a variety of teams. Along with teaching, I need to be hands-on with spotting the kids as they attempt more difficult maneuvers. I guide their bodies into the correct positions and prevent injury. My job is especially physically demanding. I am not a big person. I am just over five-feet-tall and weigh about 120 pounds. A lot of the kids are taller and heavier than I am. However, I have learned how to handle their bodies safely and securely. I also keep myself in very good physical shape. I am very conscientious about working out. I devote approximately an hour per day to thorough stretching, strength training and aerobics. I work on range of motion and balance. I make sure that I’m prepared to support the weight of a student if necessary. However, there is no way to prevent every injury. I recently spotted a girl on a round-off back handspring and ended up pulling my psoas muscle. The girl has consistently performed this maneuver successfully in the past. I was not expecting her to suddenly veer off course and fail to properly jump. Because of how I contorted myself to catch her, I tore the giant muscle that extends from the butocks and wraps around the thigh all the way down to the knee. The pain was excruciating. For several weeks, I struggled to stand up, walk or do anything. It took nearly a year for me to get back to normal.

Health plans

Not even ten percent of these new members last longer than two months

I’ve been a member of the local gym since the facility opened nearly fifteen years ago. I remember when there was a limited number of machines and problems with enough hot water in the showers. Over the years, the gym has gradually expanded and improved. They’ve added studios for group classes, renovated the locker rooms and installed tanning beds. They built a rock wall for climbing, put in an indoor track and added steam rooms. They’ve kept up with evolving fitness technology and steadily improved the inventory of machines. There are now multiple rows of different styles of treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines, stationary bikes and stair climbers. There are weight training machines to target every muscle group and an area set aside for lifting free weights, kettlebells, medicine balls and weighted poles. Most of the time, I don’t need to wait to utilize the equipment I’m interested in. The only time the gym is crowded is during the months of January and February. Every year, during the Christmas holidays, the gym runs a huge promotion to bring in new members. They advertise heavily and offer discounts on the membership fees. They get lots of people who are making New Year’s resolutions to sign up. These people start out very determined and eager. They have no idea how to properly workout or utilize the equipment. They make a mess of the gym and locker room. They fill up the group fitness classes. It’s very frustrating but the problem doesn’t last long. Not even ten percent of these new members last longer than two months. They stop showing up and the gym goes back to normal.

Yoga

If the goal is to improve strength, focus on adding to the weight in the pack

I’ve been hearing all sorts of good things about rucking as an alternative to conventional running. It is a low-impact cardiovascular activity that can burn more calories while also building muscular strength and endurance. This type of workout can be easily adjusted to increase or decrease the challenge. It’s actually a new version of an old form of exercise. Rucking is walking or hiking while wearing a weighted backpack. Carrying the added weight increases the demands of a normal walk and gets more out of the same amount of time spent. There is less impact on the needs than with running. The weight also works the muscles harder. The activity was originally developed during military training, and the name comes from the word rucksack. Soldiers carry a load of standard military issue gear over a set distance. A backpack can work well. For anyone who hasn’t done a lot of walking, hiking, running or physical activity, it’s best to start with a low weight for a short distance. You can decide the challenge of the terrain, how many miles and how much weight to match experience and exertion level. To elevate intensity, increase weight, speed or distance. Only increase one of these things at a time. If the goal is to improve strength, focus on adding to the weight in the pack. If the point is to improve endurance, add to the distance. The activity requires very little equipment or skills and is good for both men and women of all ages. Although I’ve just gotten started into rucking, I love it.

 

Gym

I first got into running, because I didn’t have the money for a gym membership.

• I couldn’t afford to invest into specialized equipment for a home gym.

I was struggling to pay off student loans, health insurance, auto insurance, a car payment and rent. With an entry level job in my field, I could barely cover the cost of my groceries. Because my work was very sedentary, I was looking for a way to keep in shape. I wanted an activity that would burn a lot of calories while also toning my muscles and building stamina. Running was the perfect option. I didn’t require a bunch of gear. I laced up my sneakers and started running. At first, I was slow and tired out quickly. However, I quickly built up my speed and endurance so that I was running every night for anywhere from six to ten miles. I installed a running app on my phone to track my routes and progress and started competing to beat my personal best. Unfortunately, I chose to run in a cheap pair of sneakers. The shoes were old and lacked essential support. I eventually developed plantar fasciitis in my feet. It felt like the bottom of my foot was tearing open with every step. The pain stretched from my heels to the balls of my feet. I tried icing them, elevating them and taking ibuprofen, but nothing helped. I finally scraped together the money to see a foot specialist. He gave me a pair of inserts for my shoes and told me to invest in a decent pair of running shoes. It took me a long time to sufficiently heal my feet so that I could run again. I now only wear top quality sneakers and I never run two days in a row.

 

Semi-Private Fitness Training

I used to jump rope a lot as a kid and was fairly good at it.

I got away from jumping rope until about five years ago.

I realized that this activity is an asset to my daily workouts. Jumping rope burns lots of calories in a short timespan. It requires balance, endurance and skill. It tones muscles and works the whole body. Initially, I bought a leather rope with weighted handles. This wasn’t ideal. The rope was far too long for me. It tended to kink, knot and tangle. After breaking two separate leather ropes, I looked for something better. I spent a lot more money on a jump rope system that uses a single set of handles that attach to ropes of different weights. The ropes link to the handles by way of a metal clasp that is easy to use and allows a smooth rotation. I can quickly switch from one rope to another. The lightest rope is a quarter-pound and swings very quickly. I also have a half-pound, one-pound and two-pound rope. The heaviest rope swings very slowly, is super tiring to use and really works the shoulder and arm muscles. I’ve invested into a rubber mat that won’t slide or curl while I jump. One of the best parts of my jump rose system is the free app for my phone. The app provides a variety of guided workouts. I can choose from beginner, intermediate or advanced level sessions that last anywhere from 8 minutes to 45 minutes. Some of the training sessions are strictly jumping-oriented and incorporate several different ropes. Some of the sessions include non-jumping exercises such as push-ups, squats, plank holds, burpees or mountain climbers. The app tracks my workouts. I know exactly how many sessions, how many minutes and how many calories I’ve burned in the last week, month, year or all-time. It’s very motivational.

 

Gym membership

Every week, I forced myself to utilize a new piece of equipment

When I decided to get in better physical condition, I started by researching the fitness centers in my local area. I found a location less than two miles from my house. I took an online virtual tour and was impressed by the size of the facilities and many amenities. It was easy to sign up for a membership. I was able to fill out the form and provide payment through their website. I was provided an app for my smartphone that works to let me into the facility any time of the day or night. This is super convenient because I work very odd and changing hours. With my gym membership taken care of, I went shopping. I invested into a top quality pair of athletic shoes, tanks and shorts. I treated myself to a new water bottle and sweat towel. I was excited to start working out. When I stepped inside the fitness center for the first time, I realized that I had no idea how to go about getting better shape. The virtual tour didn’t prepare me for the multitude of people using the machines. Everyone appeared very fit and confident. I was clueless as to how to operate the machines and worried about embarrassing or hurting myself. I finally forced myself to use one of the stationary bikes. The controls and operation was self-explanatory. I stayed on that bike for an hour. For the first month of my membership, I only used that one bike. I paid attention to what other people did and eventually gained enough confidence to try out a treadmill and an elliptical. Every week, I forced myself to utilize a new piece of equipment. After six months, I was comfortable enough to join one of the group classes.

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