Morrow Mechanical is now 
Prepare for 2019: 5 Reasons You Need an HVAC Maintenance Plan
Tired of making New Year’s resolutions you just can’t keep? We can help! At Morrow Mechanical, we’re all about helping customers achieve their goals for 2019 and beyond. If you’re looking for a simple way to save money, better your home’s energy efficiency, and/or improve your health, we’ve got the perfect solution: sign up for our HVAC maintenance plan. The best part is once you join our program, we do all the work from there. So, get ready to say hello to a new year and a better you! Not convinced you need an HVAC maintenance plan? Here’s why regular heating and air conditioning maintenance is an absolute must:
1. You will extend the life of your system.
For high-cost items, it’s understood that routine care is essential. Take your car, for example. You wouldn’t drive more than 5,000 miles without changing its oil because you know that forgoing such a task could lead to problems down the road. If you want your HVAC system to live a long, happy life, it’s important to keep it in tip-top shape. With proper care, you can expect your system to last anywhere from 15 to 20 years. Neglecting to care for your heating and A/C equipment will cut that lifespan by nearly half!
2. You will improve energy efficiency.
Homeowners are always looking for ways to cut their energy costs, and we don’t blame them! Signing up for an HVAC maintenance plan is a highly effective way to do just that – and more. For example, by just changing out the filters regularly, you can lower energy costs by five to 15 percent! And that’s just one task we complete during your visit. When you take into consideration our comprehensive checklist, the savings are even greater. If you’re looking for additional ways to save on your energy bill, check out this guide from Energy.gov.
3. You will improve your indoor air quality.
Your home’s indoor air quality has a huge impact on your overall health. Poor indoor air quality can lead to numerous health problems, such as eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, sinus congestion, allergies, fatigue, and more. Our expert HVAC technicians will ensure the air you’re breathing in is clean.
4. You will reduce the need for costly repairs.
Turns out, what you don’t know CAN hurt you and your bank account. Without routine care, it’s impossible to know what’s going on with your system. Our maintenance program means you’re in the know at all times. We can catch small problems before they become costly.
5. You will establish a relationship with an HVAC professional.
Finding a company that you wholly trust can be a trying process. Nobody wants to feel like they’re being taken advantage of. At Morrow Mechanical, we treat our customers with respect and dignity. Your safety, satisfaction, and peace of mind are our highest priorities. By signing up for our routine service plan, we can begin to build a meaningful relationship with you and better understand your exact needs.
If you have any questions about our HVAC maintenance plan, give us a call at 925-307-6588! Consider us your one-stop shop for all things heating and cooling.
https://www.morrowmechanical.com/blog/finding-the-ideal-heater-temperature-this-winter.html
Finding The Ideal Heater Temperature This Winter
December 20, 2018
Whether you love winter or you hate the cold temperatures, there is no doubt that it is a beautiful season. Aside from the holiday decorations that can be seen from every street corner, images of snowy landscapes, icicles hanging from everywhere, and of course, building snowmen and memories! Although we might not see snow too often in this area of Texas, envisioning these thoughts may bring a smile to your face. Regardless of the amount of snow we receive, the temperatures still get quite cold and can cause your energy bill to increase substantially. We’re going to take a look at how to combat these costs with the right temperature and tools–keep reading for more information!
The Ideal Temperature
Certain electric companies might put out advertisements about how to save money by setting the temperature in your home to a crazy-low and uncomfortable temperature. It has even been recommended that people set their thermostats to 55 or 60 degrees–that’s insane!
Instead, try setting your heater to 68-72 degrees during the day if someone is home. At night, consider setting it just a couple of degrees lower; if you can stand a colder house at night, by all means, freeze yourself out. Although we’re kidding, there is something to be said for setting your thermostat too low or turning it completely off. Should you turn your thermostat completely off during the day when you’re not there or set it extremely low and then decide to turn it up, the heater is going to have to work harder to provide the needed warmth. Basically, a heater provides the same volume of warmed air no matter the temperature. The colder your home is, the longer the heater will have to work to bring your house to temperature.
Update Your Thermostat
If you can’t stand the idea of setting the temperature in your home to a chilly 72 degrees or below, this next tip is for you! All thermostats are not created equal, and older models are far from efficient! The older mechanical models that we’re talking about are not programmable and must be turned on, off, or constantly set to a certain temperature to keep your home comfortable. There are also non-programmable digital thermostats that allow you to switch and set a temperature designated to turn on the heater or AC.
Next, we have programmable thermostats that allow you to set the minimum and maximum temperatures while also allowing control over the times that the system functions. Finally, there are ‘smart’ thermostats. These powerhouse devices ‘learn’ your behavior as far as when the home is occupied, when it’s not, and when people are sleeping. They also give you the ability to control your home’s heating and cooling system from your smartphone anywhere in the world. They are quite a bit more expensive but offer features like energy reports so you know what to expect on your monthly bill and how you can make your home more efficient.
Defeating The Electric Company (or at Least Their Bills)
It seems as though fall and spring are the only two relatively comfortable times of year–and ‘comfortable’ is a debatable adjective. There are numerous ways to keep your electric bill low during the wintertime, but the easiest one is to find the temperature that works for your home. If you find 74 degrees to feel perfect in colder months, consider dropping that to 72 or 70 degrees. You can even gradually decrease the temperature so the change isn’t as noticeable. At night, take advantage of the fact that you will be wrapped up in blankets and set the thermostat a bit lower–68 is a great place to start (there are multiple benefits to sleeping in cooler temperatures!)
The entire point in finding an acceptable lower temperature is to keep your heater from running constantly. When your heater isn’t always on, you save money!
Call Morrow Mechanical Today, Not ToMorrow!
In order to get your home ready for cooler temperatures, consider giving Morrow Mechanical a call to schedule a heater tune-up. In addition to following the tips listed above, a tune-up will lessen the chances of a heating emergency or paying more for an inefficient system. We can also take a look at your air ducts and air filters and ensure your home is safe and ready for the wintertime!
Do you have a cold weather tip that you swear by? Tell us about it in the comments!
One of the most common things people go to the doctor for is upper respiratory infections. These are typically marked by chronic and painful coughs, that won’t go away within a couple weeks or lighten up with over-the-counter medicine.
You’re probably not actually allergic to your home, but it may feel like it if you are constantly sick and itchy from dirty air.
Many kids seem to have asthma problems but it is typically controlled with medication. If it’s not, or if you have suddenly developed asthma symptoms, talk to a doctor.
Because carbon monoxide (CO) is odorless, there is really no foolproof way tell if you have a leak. Breathing in CO gas can cause illness that may not manifest until days later.
The compressor in your HVAC system will let you know when it needs repairs. The compressor is located to the side or at the back of your home.
One of the more typical reasons why people have their HVAC system replaced is age. If your system is old but you cannot get a new one at this time, keep your eye it, especially during the high-use seasons. Have you noticed it cycling more often?
First and foremost, if there’s mold in your HVAC system, you should be able to smell it across your home. Don’t know what mold smells like? Think rotting food or dirty gym clothes.
Do you have trouble breathing in your own home? Has anybody in your family suffered an increase in the rate of asthma or allergy attacks? Contracted any sinus or respiratory infections?
If you want to try stopping the spread of mold before it reaches too far into your HVAC system, it’s a good idea to conduct routine inspections of your air ducts.
There are actually a few different considerations that can factor into what your preferred temperature is for your home’s air conditioning system.
You’d think that with central air conditioning installed, this would mean you no longer need to use any of the other fans you might have in the house. However, they can still be of use, and even make your AC work more efficiently. Ceiling fans, for instance, are fantastic at complementing your AC.
Humidity can be a major factor in preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep, since it can be so uncomfortable. Humidity itself is when there is so much moisture in the air itself you can feel it as a muggy, clingy, thickness in the air.
Many households keep gallons of cleaning products, such as soaps, detergents, bleach, disinfectants, and polishes, around the home or under the kitchen sink.
Want to beautify your home while cleaning up the air at the same time? Houseplants have the amazing ability to spruce up an abode while acting as a natural air purifier. The more plants you have around the house, the higher the impact they have on air quality.
Probably the easiest and most effective way of reducing the amount of air pollution indoors is by opening a few windows and ventilating the air.
Every central heating and air conditioning system comes with a filter, and these typically do a good job of preventing any dust and debris from spreading throughout a home.
Older homes and buildings may have “ancient” thermostats from the 20th century that are still working just fine.
Windows don’t just let in light; they let in heat as well. While that can actually help your furnace during winter months, in the summer, hot air gets hotter still in rooms with windows. That forces your AC to work even harder fighting the rising the temperatures.
Most of the time when people worry about moisture control for floors, it’s in obvious rooms like kitchens or bathrooms where a lot of water gets used.
When all of the major work is done, you’ve only got one, final air quality task to finish off the job. Go to your furnace, or another HVAC system, and take out the filter that’s in there. Ordinarily, we’d say you should do this every three months. After a remodel, however, things are different.
Making sure that your home is properly insulated can result in a lot of savings over time. It’s no secret that it gets hot in Texas.
Even though it may seem trivial, trying out all of the switches around the house is a good idea before you put pen to paper.
You may be able to recognize several types of issues on the property before you move in, but nothing can take the place of a home inspection from the pros.