Archives for April 2011

Can’t Afford Heating & Cooling Costs?

Are You Having Trouble Paying Your Utility Bills or Can’t Afford HVAC Repairs?

There are government programs available to provide assistance. The federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or L.I.H.E.A.P., provides some assistance with utility bills, repairs, fans, and air conditioners.

If you are 65 or older, disabled, low income or have a special need contact your state LIHEAP office. You can link to their web site below or call N.E.A.R .the National Energy Assistance Referral project office at 1-866-674-6327 for more information.

WWW.LIHEAP.org

Individuals with a yearly income of $21,660 or less qualify for assistance or couples making $29,140 or less qualify.

If you or a person in your household has a medical condition or are dependent on life support equipment, notify your electric company and they will place you on a do not disconnect list even if you fall behind on payment. Your utility company also may have assistance programs for those who need help paying their bill.

Pictures courtesy of Google Images.

Pool Pumps, New Technology That Can Save You Money

Variable Speed Swimming Pool Pump

Next to your central air conditioning system the next biggest user of electricity in your home is the pool pump. Until just recently there wasn’t much that could be done to lower energy consumption on pool pumps and still have clean clear water. The old single speed motors and pumps use nearly as much electricity as an air conditioning unit. Chances are you have a single speed pump maybe a two speed if you have a newer pool.

How Much Can I Save?

The new variable speed pumps use 40 to 80% less electricity than the older style pumps. How much you will save will depend on your utility rate, pool size and equipment. This is one upgrade that will pay for itself. One of the manufacturers has a web site to help you calculate payback.

WWW.pentairpool.com/calculators

Pentair makes a unit that you can integrate to your iphone or ipad to control your lighting, spa, or water features. Jandy also makes a variable speed unit. There may be other manufactures but I am only aware of those two at this time. Depending on what pump you get and what all you want it to be able to do, the pumps range in price from $800 to $1,500 plus labor. So I have been told, call around and price for yourself in your region. Check with your state and utility company for possible rebates.

Where Do I Get One?

In your state you may be able to buy and install the pumps yourself, there are on line how to videos. Depending on the licensing requirements some states allow HVAC contractors to install these, as well as plumbers, other states require a pool company. In my state you have to have a Residential Appliance Installation Contractor License to wire up these types of motors at a customer’s home. Without this license pool companies will not sell to you.

Below is a promotional video put out by one of the pump manufacturer’s explaining the technology and how the pump works and the way it saves you money. I think you will find it worth watching. I know this is a HVAC web site, but people come to me asking for help saving on high utility bills so I felt compelled to pass this on. The air conditioner is only one piece of the puzzle.

Pictures courtesy of Google Images.

Home Warranties, Are They Worth It?

You just bought a home, pockets a little light, something breaks. Thank goodness the house came with a home warranty, right? I would say yes and no. I want you to have all the facts and insider details about how these contracts work. This is information to consider before you purchase or renew a home warranty contract.

A Few Facts:

Some companies exclude appliance or equipment by age. So if you purchase a 25 year old house and the water heater, HVAC equipment or other appliances are original, make sure the warranty company doesn’t have an age limit on that equipment. Also, some warranty companies have an ala carte menu approach to what they cover. So be sure you are aware of what is and isn’t covered. Many times people buy these contracts only to realize later it only covered a few things, not the total house. Know what you are buying, read the agreement.

The Reality Is:

Realize that you are not a priority customer. The Home Warranty Company does NOT pay the retail rate for a service company to come out to your home. They have a limit of what they will pay. They look for low cost contractors who are usually new to the business or very small with low overhead. Home Warranty Companies generally only require that the contractor contact the homeowner within 48 hours of receiving your claim. Don’t expect Johnny on the spot service.

Some Home Warranty Companies do not pay parts mark-up on parts over a certain amount. They are so large they buy parts factory direct only and ship them to the installing contractor with no middleman, distributor, parts supply house or parts mark up thus saving them money. So why should you care? Well, if it’s your dishwasher or oven you may not care if it’s down a few days waiting for parts to be mailed to the contractor’s office so the Home Warranty Company can save a few bucks. But if it is your air conditioner on a 100 degree day and you are being told you have to wait three days to get the parts so they can save fifty bucks, it’s a big deal, right! Or, three more days of cold showers. I‘ve heard heartless stories of leaving families with no heat in sub zero weather for a week and a perfectly good part being available less than three miles away.

A Few Good Men

Not all companies are like that. Some will allow the technician to use parts off their truck and pay the mark up for it. Or if the technician does not have the part on their truck they will pay an acquisition fee for the tech to go and get the part. Remember you are dealing with a small contractor, who most likely doesn’t have a lot of employees or parts runners and is being asked to work on your home for a discount in exchange for a promise of volume of calls. Some Home Warranty Companies have a reputation of being slow to pay the contractors for work done on your home.

Time Zones

Reminder: The Home Warranty Claims Approval Office that your repairman must call before he begins any actual work is open Monday through Friday 9am to 4pm depending on what time zone they are in. That office is closed evenings, weekends, and holidays for approval of any type of repairs. Some are open to take claims but none are open to approve work. Which means no contractor will come out after hours, because they are unable to get approval to do the actual repair work.

They Don’t Make $ By Paying Claims

The first thing the Home Warranty Claims Approval Office is going to ask the technician when they get him on the phone is a series of questions designed for them not to have to pay your claim. Such as; Does this appliance or unit show any signs of neglect, damage or lack of maintenance? What caused the part to fail? Is the system installed up to code? Every cell phone is a camera. So if your 12 year old hit the thermostat with the football, (that happened at our house), they may ask to see a picture or for the old part back. Or if your wife hits the condenser with the riding lawn mower. I was in a hurry. Dog chews through the wires. I could go on. The Home Warranty will not pay for those types of claims. They may also ask for the maintenance records to be faxed to them proving you have properly maintained your HVAC equipment. Do your tune-ups every six months, once for the a/c and once for the heat. I have been asked many a time to document maintenance on home warranty claims.

A Way Out

Another thing you need to be aware of is if you do have a major repair such as compressor failure or heat exchanger cracks the Home Warranty Company may offer to buy you out of your contract. You may wish to consider this if you want to replace the component rather that do a major repair on an older unit.

I have had home warranties on houses I have bought and sold, I have serviced them, I have fought with them on customer’s behalf and I have friends and relatives who have home warranty contracts and swear by them. I have seen the good the bad and the ugly. Just be sure to go into them with eyes wide open.

Pictures courtsey of Google Images.

White House Getting New Air Conditioning

The White House complex comprises the Executive Residences, the East and West Wings, and the Old Executive Office Building. The White House was designed in 1792 and was first occupied in 1800. It serves many functions; it is a home for the President and his family, an office complex, and a setting for special functions such as dinners and ceremonies.

President Clinton began what he called the Greening of the White House Project. In the Residence he had a new 400, 000 kWh HVAC system installed that used HF134 rather than CFC ‘s saving us tax payers $32,000 per year in utility costs to operate. He also upgraded several of the older window units, the chiller system, pipe insulation, and the steam radiators.

The white house is old folks. That is why so much of what is having to be done now is an upgrade to the utilities.

White House Upgrade Project being called the ‘big dig’

1600 Avenue where you would expect to see the familiar: North Portico … manicured lawn … big white fountain … television camera positions …

In recent weeks you see and hear heavy construction equipment.

The General Services Administration is still in the early stages of a $376 million project to replace utility lines within the White House complex, requiring what The Associated Press calls a “big dig” that is restricting access — and sight lines — to the famed West Wing.

The project began in 2010, but is expected to last until 2014 — and steches from the West Wing around to the Eisenhower Exective Office Building.

A Mysterious Tunnel

Of course, there are also rumors of new secret tunnels and bunkers beneath the White House. Crews have poured high pylons, erected retaining walls and brought in truckloads of steel I beams. The work has fueled speculation of a secretunderground lair. But GSA officials insist it is a project devoted just to utilities, including new lines for water, sewer, electricity and heating and air conditioning.

The White House

CAPTION By Charles Dharapak, AP In the meantime, as AP’s Mark Smith reports, “West Wing officials, especially those with offices nearest the construction, have endured painful spells of drilling and banging. Holding meetings and doing routine business amid the din has become a major challenge.”

The AP also reports:

Visitors to the West Wing now must navigate a temporary walkway that curves behind Pebble Beach — as the zone where TV reporters do stand-ups is called — and arches over the digging before swinging out of view behind the construction fence.

Foreign leaders arriving by motorcade often have to use another entrance. Beyond the main West Wing driveway, the construction has shut down one entrance leading to the White House residence quarters that’s used for deliveries of flowers, produce and other supplies.

This may be only the beginning. We’re told that, eventually, workers will have to replace utility lines within the White House itself.

That means some president and his family will have to move across the street to Blair House, just as Harry Truman did from 1948-52, the last major overhaul of the presidential residence.

Photo courtsy of Google Images.

Bill Gates House

“Life Is Not Fair, Get Used To It.” Bill Gates

Bill Gates and his family live in a 66,000 sq. ft. (equal to 1.5 acres) modern open concept mansion on a five-acre hillside compound overlooking Lake Washington in Medina, Washington. It is just across the bay from Seattle. The address is 1835 73^rd Ave NE, Median, WA 98039. Part of the home is built underground into the hill to full advantage of the natural insulation effect; windows on the lakefront side provide majestic views of the sun setting into the west over the lake.

Xanadu

The house took seven years to build. It is best described as a “Pacific Northwest Lodge” style. The house is mainly wood of various rare species from around the world. All the timbers used both inside and out have been finished the same and sanded smooth. The wood columns from the main floor to stainless steel roof in the entry are over 70 feet long. All the bolts throughout the house are stainless steel and oriented in the same direction. Bill and his wife Melinda have nick named their $ 147.5 million home Xanadu. If it makes you feel any better the Gates’ did pay over $1 million in property taxes last year.

The home has a total of seven bedroom, 24 bathrooms (10 full baths), six fireplaces, and six kitchens. There is the obligatory grand stair case or elevator if you prefer. Exercise facility complete with his and her locker rooms, each with sauna, and steam rooms, there is also a trampoline room with 20’ ceiling, the most state of the art theater in world according to installing contractor, 1000 sq. ft. formal dining room, game room, library, pool, tennis/sports courts, 150 person reception hall, private offices, conference facility, stocked estuary and a 30 car garage. Of yes, high definition TV’s and electric gadgetry everywhere! The home is split into two wings. The private family side is a modest 11,500 sq. ft. of living space. The rest is for guests and entertaining.

A Quite Place To Read

The ornate 2,100 sq. ft. paneled library has a domed reading room with oculus, two secrete pivoting bookcases, one is a hidden bar, and a fireplace. What a perfect place to house Leonardo da Vinci’s 16^th century notebook “Codex Leicester’, which Gates paid $30.8 million for. Gates and his wife Melinda are fond of F. Scott Fitzgerald’ the Great Gatsby, and have inscribed in the library a sentence from the last page of the novel: “He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”

Take A Dip

The 17’X60’ pool has a painted fossil motif and an underwater music system. Swimmers can dive under a glass wall and emerge outdoors by the terrace.
Of course there are complete locker room facilities and showers.

Have It Your Way!

Visitor upon arrival to the home are surveyed about preferences and given a pin to wear which has a microchip in it. As they move about the home the pin/microchip sends a signal to change the revolving art work, music, TV’s, and adjust up or down the heating and air conditioning system temperature. Lights automatically come on when you enter a room and go off when you leave and also even brighten or dim to match the amount of outdoor light depending on time of day.

The floors are pressure sensitive for security purposes this allows them to know by the weight of their footstep who in the residences at any given time. Inside the home the floors are heated. Outside the walkways and driveway are also heated to melt any snow.

Of course the entry gate automatically opens for family members as they approach. If Bill or Melinda has had a hard day they can have the bath tub filled to the perfect level and temperature timed just right for their arrival home. There are not visible electrical outlets in the house. Speakers are hidden behind the wallpaper.

Running though this home are miles of fiber optic communication cable, linking computer servers to operating systems. Each room has a touch pad that controls lighting, music, entertainment, climate, and security systems. Believe it or not some of this is not that far off in the future for us average folks. Maybe not the size of the house but some of the other features are here and you won’t need all the wiring it will be wireless. We have wireless thermostats, remote control thermostats ones you can control from your phone. We have door locks and lights you can control from your computer at work. The next ten years there are going to be amazing advances in electronics.

Bill Gates House: James Cutler was the chief Architect along with Peter Bohlin. Their primary contractor was Sellen Construction. The Interior Design project went to Thierry W. Despont.

“If you can’t make something good, at least make it look good.” Bill Gates

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” Bill Gates

“Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” Bill Gates

Photos courtsey of Google Images.

Dry R-22 Air Conditioners

PLEASE READ VERY IMPORTANT AC Info:

To Homeowners, Building Owners and Landlords:

As many of you know R-22 Air Conditioners and heat pumps were no longer manufactured as of January 1, 2010. Under terms of the Montreal protocol the U.S. agreed to meet certain obligations by certain dates that will affect the Air Conditioning industry. January 1, 2010 was one such date. As a result HVAC system manufacturers may not produce air conditioners or heat pumps containing R-22.

A New Day…R-410A

New installations are now limited to the new refrigerant R-410A. R-22 containing equipment installations were limited to existing inventory built prior to January 1, 2010. This new law put a lot of home and building owners alike in a very difficult (and sometimes expensive) situation. Unable to buy just an outdoor unit (condenser) if theirs failed they were forced into replacing an out of warranty compressor or purchasing an entire new R-410A system. Although a large number of these systems justifiably needed to be replaced, you lost the option of doing it in stages or “a piece” at a time and were forced into an all or nothing situation. In the down economy many folks could not afford the added expense. The industry saw a dramatic increase in the purchase of window units.

Government Loopholes

In late 2010 with the leftover inventory of R-22 condensers exhausted one HVAC manufacturer poured over the ruling on the R-22 ban and found a loophole. Simply put they could build and sell condensing units for R-22 applications, they just couldn’t charge them with R-22 at the factory as was standard practice. These new “dry units” would be shipped with a holding charge , generally dry nitrogen. The installer would then field charge the unit with R-22, and all within the letter of the new law.

They’re here…

After retooling their machines and firing up old production lines most, if not all major AC manufacturers began legally producing these “dry R-22 units”. Shipments started to hit suppliers docks in early 2011. Several manufacturers are doing a limited production run of these units for a number of reasons but most notable is the fear the loophole will be closed sooner than later.

Opportunities

If you’ve been told your old condenser or heat pump is bad, but your inside coil (evaporator) is still good or recently been replaced but not compatible with the new R-410a refrigerant this news could be of great benefit to you.

If you own rental properties or commercial buildings and complete system replacement is not a viable option this could be a fantastic time to upgrade some old condensers that are on borrowed time.

There are many, many scenarios where this could be beneficial. If this sounds good to you, don’t delay call your local HVAC contractor and see what your options are. This may indeed be the last chance to purchase R-22 equipment. But, on the other hand…

Images courtesey of Google images.