Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Fri, Aug 27, 2010
August may be coming to a close but summer’s heat will be with us for a while longer, warn Lorain County weather forecasters. If you haven’t converted your energy-guzzling air conditioner to a new, energy-efficient Carrier air conditioning system, there’s still time to make the change and cash in on Uncle Sam’s Tax Credit for Energy-Efficient Home Improvements. Investing in an Energy Star-rated home comfort appliance is an excellent way to put a little of that federal stimulus money into your own pocket for a change. Click here to get Raymond’s free tax credit facts sheet.
Investing in an energy-efficient Carrier Infinity, Performance or Comfort air conditioner will do more than save money on next April’s federal income taxes. An energy-efficient A/C costs less to operate than older, less efficient models. When your Lorain County air conditioning professional installs an energy-sipping air conditioner in your home or business, you’ll begin to realize significant savings on your monthly utility bill immediately. And those savings will continue for the life of the unit. In just a few years, your new air conditioner will pay for itself.
The savings generated by energy-efficient air conditioners are not just monetary. When you use energy-efficient appliances, you reduce your carbon footprint and help save the environment. All Carrier energy-efficient air conditioners use eco-friendly Puron refrigerant, not the ozone-damaging Freon used by older A/C units. With global warming increasing, record-breaking heat waves are predicted to become the summertime norm in Lorain County. Reducing your personal carbon footprint is one of the most productive personal actions you can take to protect the environment.
Energy-efficient appliances save money and save the environment. Sounds like a win-win for Lorain County residents!
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Wed, Aug 18, 2010
Pollen counts have been abnormally high since spring which doesn’t bode well for hay fever sufferers. Lorain County allergy sufferers are already stocking up on Kleenex and Benadryl in preparation for the sneezing fits, watery eyes and itchy noses that bedevil them in August and September until frost brings relief.
Prolific Greenhouse Gas Emissions Have Increased the Amount of Carbon Dioxide in the Air
Allergists say the warmer than usual winter and heavy spring rains encouraged explosive plant growth in Lorain County, allowing the pollen-bearing weeds and flowers that bother allergy sufferers to cover the landscape. As these plants go to seed in the fall, they are releasing copious quantities of pollen into the air. The problem is exacerbated by global warming, say environmentalists. Prolific greenhouse gas emissions have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, spurring plant growth and pollen production and fungal spores. The bad news for allergy sufferers is that if left unchecked, rising carbon dioxide levels could increase air-borne allergens threefold within the next 30 years.
Install an Air Cleaner on Your Heating and Cooling System to Improve Indoor Air Quality
Home comfort appliances that trap or kill pollen, mold spores and other allergens from indoor air can make a significant difference in the lives of allergy sufferers. Today’s energy-efficient air conditioners are equipped with highly efficient filters that trap and remove allergens from indoor air. Allergy sufferers will profit from constantly running the air conditioner fan. This keeps air circulating through A/C filters, continuously removing newly introduced allergens from the air.
A particularly successful way to improve indoor air quality is to have your Lorain County heating and air conditioning professional install an electronic air cleaner on your heating and cooling system. Standard fiberglass mesh furnace filters trap only 15% of problematic air particles. Energy-efficient electric air cleaners can trap up to 95% of airborne allergens and other particles, including smoke, grease, bacteria and many viruses. Contact your Lorain County heating and cooling professional today about installing an air cleaner and start breathing easy!
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Fri, Aug 13, 2010
Northern Ohio is Becoming a Mecca for Green Energy Initiatives
Less than 10% of America’s energy needs are supplied by renewable resources, but a growing number of Lorain County heating, cooling and plumbing professionals, home builders, individual residents and newly-minted alternative energy companies are working to increase that figure. Northern Ohio is becoming a Mecca for the state’s green energy initiatives. A solar cell power grid is replacing corn in farm fields near Upper Sandusky. Wind turbines are rising along Lake Erie’s shores to catch the winds crossing the lake. The state’s energy-efficient appliance rebate program has encouraged countless Lorain County residents to invest in Energy Star air conditioners and furnaces, heat pumps and solar-powered water heaters.
A Green House has Sprouted at the Ohio State Fair
Showcasing many of the new energy-efficient technologies and products now available to Lorain County residents, a “green” house has sprouted at this year’s Ohio State Fair in Columbus. Constructed from 21-inch thick earthen blocks that provide natural insulation, the home was designed to minimize heating and cooling requirements. Solar panels adorn the building’s roof to provide electricity. A radiant heat system was built into the floor to keep the home warm in winter while reducing furnace use. And those are just a few of the fascinating technologies on display at the green house.
After the fair, the green house is slated to become a permanent site fixture on the fairgrounds that will be used to promote renewable energy sources and eco-friendly products. In its current demonstration mode (some wall and floor areas have been exposed to reveal the energy-saving technology behind them) the home may not be move-in ready, but add few energy-efficient appliances like an Energy Star air conditioner and a solar-powered hot water heater and it could create a cozy home for a Lorain County family.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Wed, Aug 11, 2010
Dog are Having Trouble with the Heat too this Summer!
It’s not just people who are suffering in what has become Lorain County’s hottest summer on record. Dogs are having trouble with the heat too. The brutal heat has been tough on our furry friends. Our friends at the Lorain County Humane Society recommend pet owners take the following steps to keep their animal companions cool during the dog days of August:
- Outdoors, make sure your dog has a shady place to cool off.
- Keep pet water dishes filled with fresh, cold water. You can even add a few ice cubes to keep water cold longer.
- Fill a shallow kiddie pool with water so your dog has a place to cool off.
- Hot asphalt and concrete can burn a dog’s foot pads. If it’s too hot for you to walk barefoot on concrete or asphalt, it’s too hot for your dog. Take Rover to the dog park and let him run on the grass.
- Light colored pets can get sunburn just like people do. Rub a little sunscreen on your pet’s ears and nose.
- Exercise your dog during the coolest parts of the day, early morning or evening. Don’t let your pet get overheated during the hot parts of the day.
- Watch for signs of heat exhaustion: excessive panting, listlessness or vomiting. If your dog exhibits any of these symptoms, apply cool wet towels to his head and body, give your pet cool water and call your vet immediately.
- Never leave your pet in a parked car on hot days. Even if you park in the shade or leave the windows cracked, on a 90-degree day the heat inside a car can quickly rise past 100, killing your pet.
- Give Fido a break and bring your dog inside to cool off in air conditioned comfort.
You can keep your dog cool and save money by installing an energy-efficient air conditioner. Schedule a Free estimate on all installations.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Mon, Jun 28, 2010
Climate Change Shows Evidence That Warmer Summers Will Become The Norm
Climate researchers say May 2010 was the hottest May on record. With more high 80 and 90-degree temperatures bearing down on Lorain County this week, June is already following in May’s sizzling footsteps. If climatologists are correct – and so far they’ve been right on the money – Lorain County residents can expect hotter than normal temperatures to become the norm in northern Ohio. Since 1985, scientists say the planet has been experiencing exceptionally warm weather worldwide. Temperatures around the world have been exhibiting a distinct upward trend for decades. May marked the 303rd consecutive month that was warmer than its 20th-century average, according to information released by the U.S. National Climatic Data Center.
Don't Expect Warmer Winters In Lorain County
Interestingly, hotter summers don’t necessarily mean warmer winters as might be expected. Over the past few years, erratic wind currents in the upper atmosphere have wrought havoc with winter weather patterns around the planet. At last week’s meeting of International Polar Year researchers, scientists warned that the current pattern of brutal winters is expected continue in parts of North America, Europe and eastern Asia next year and into the foreseeable future. James Overland, a leading U.S. climatologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, predicted, “Cold and snowy winters will be the rule rather than the exception.”
Save Money Now With Energy Efficient Products
If, as climatologists predict, greater temperature extremes and more severe storms are to be the norm here in Lorain County, smart homeowners will invest now in energy-efficient air conditioners and Energy-Star furnaces. With Ohio offering money-saving rebates on many Energy Star appliances and the federal government offering lucrative income tax credits on the installation of energy-efficient home comfort appliances, this is the perfect time to contact your Lorain County plumbing, heating and air conditioning professional about upgrading to an energy-efficient furnace and air conditioner.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Thu, Jun 17, 2010
Use These Top 5 Energy-saving Summer Tips
Summer in Lorain County has already reached “sizzle” and it’s only June! Record hot and humid weather is predicted this summer which has energy-conscious Lorain County home and business owners thinking SMART.
SMART is the energy industry’s helpful way to remember its top five energy-saving summer tips. Using these tips to save energy in your Lorain County home is guaranteed to take the sizzle out of summer and cool off your wallet too!
- S – Set your A/C thermostat to the highest comfortable setting.
- M – Move air in occupied rooms with ceiling fans.
- A – Adjust your water heater to a lower temperature.
- R – Repair “hot spots.”
- T – Turn on the outdoor grill and take the heat out of the kitchen.
Air conditioners typically use more energy than any other appliance in Lorain County homes. Setting your A/C thermostat to 78 degrees maximizes energy savings. For every degree above 78 you set your thermostat, you’ll reduce air conditioning costs by 3% to 5%. Switching from a manual to a programmable thermostat saves you money too, as much as $180 a year.
The gentle breeze created by a ceiling fan can make your body feel several degrees cooler for a fraction of the cost it takes to power your air conditioner. If you don’t have ceiling fans, use floor fans to help circulate the air. To save energy, turn fans off when you leave the room.
Set the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees. Decreasing hot water temperature from 140 to 120 degrees saves up to $85 in energy costs annually.
Do what you can to reduce any “hot spots” in your home by installing high-performance, energy-efficient windows and repairing window and door caulk.
Give the kitchen a break this summer. Outdoor cooking is a welcome change in the summer, and grilling outdoors doesn’t heat up the kitchen.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Tue, May 25, 2010
We’ve been talking about the pros and cons of upgrading an older air conditioner to an energy-efficient air conditioner. In our last post we talked about the rising cost and environmental damage associated with keeping older Freon-cooled air conditioners. Today, we’re going to discuss the pros of upgrading an inefficient air conditioning system to a new Energy Star air conditioner.
Upgrading to an Energy-efficient Air Conditioner May Qualify for a Tax Credit
With the federal government offering Lorain County homeowners tax credits of up to 30% of the installed cost of a new energy-efficient air conditioner (to a maximum tax credit of $1500), this is definitely the year to upgrade your system. Especially if your air conditioner is an older unit or is leaking coolant, the cost of repair and maintenance will continue to increase each year. If your air conditioner uses Freon, this year alone you can expect coolant replacement costs to double over what you paid last year. Because it is known to increase ozone damage, the federal government is phasing out the use of Freon which will make it increasingly expensive to obtain as supplies dwindle. New Energy Star air conditioners like the Carrier Infinity Series, Carrier Performance Series and Carrier Comfort Series air conditioners use the eco-friendly refrigerant Puron.
Install an Energy-efficient Air Conditioner to Save 30% on Cooling Bills
Upgrading your Lorain County home to an energy-efficient Carrier air conditioner is not only good for the environment, but in addition to earning you a credit on your 2010 federal income taxes, you’ll save money on your monthly utility bills. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that Lorain County homeowners who switch to an Energy Star air conditioner can save 30% or more on their summer cooling bills.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Mon, May 10, 2010
The Pacific Ocean to Air Condition the City of Honolulu
Thousands of miles from Lorain County the State of Hawaii is attempting to harness sea water from the Pacific Ocean to air condition the city of Honolulu. Hawaii hopes to cut grid power consumption by 77 million kilowatt hours per year in a city that requires 14 megawatts of power to meet power needs when air conditioners are running at peak capacity and the temperature is climbing past 90 degrees.
Ever-Green Energy is providing the state-of-the-art technology that will drive Hawaii’s new, green air conditioning system. In addition to providing cooling power, the eco-friendly system will reduce sewage from air conditioner cooling towers by 84 million gallons annually and eliminate demand for up to 69,000 pounds of chemicals used in conventional A/C units. The technology being installed in Hawaii will work much like the heat pumps used to heat and cool Lorain County homes. Pipes will bring cold sea water from the ocean depths to onshore cooling stations where heat exchangers will transfer the cold from the 45-degree sea water to fresh water. A closed-loop system will circulate the now cold fresh water through office buildings and hotels in the city. The warmed ocean water will be returned not to its original depth but to a depth that normally shares its warmer temperature to prevent upset to sea life and the ocean environment.
Will Lake Erie Air Condition Lorain County Someday?
Lorain County may not require the same kind of air conditioning power as Honolulu, but northern Ohio residents can certainly identify with the desire to stay cool when temperatures and humidity make life unbearably uncomfortable. If Hawaii’s new air conditioning experiment works, it could lead to similar installations in U.S. coastal cities and even in Lorain County. The technology is popular in Europe and is already in operation on a small lake in Cornell, NY. Until then, Energy Star air conditioners and annual A/C performance checks will keep Lorain County folks cool.
FREE A/C Performance Check
Have you signed-up for a chance to win a FREE A/C Performance Check? If not, Sign-up now! We know how important it is to have your annual air conditioner preformance check so that is why we are giving away 2 for FREE each month!
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Fri, Apr 16, 2010
You snooze; you lose. Ohio’s Cash for Clunkers appliance rebate program is already running out of cash. Lorain County residents who want to cash in on their purchase of qualifying Energy Star home appliances had better hurry. Ohioans have already reserved 66,291 rebates and redeemed half of them. Of the $11 million set aside for the rebate program, only $2.3 million are left. Energy Star dishwasher, refrigerator and clothes washer rebates are nearly gone. About half of the $100 rebates available for high-efficiency gas storage water heaters half of the $250 electric heat-pump water heater rebates remain unclaimed. To cash in on the Ohio appliance rebate program, residents must reserve their rebate by calling 1-888-686-8896 or logging onto www.OhioApplianceRebate.com.
The Ohio rebate is just one of several programs offered in 2009 and 2010 to encourage people to retire their energy-guzzling appliances and buy energy-smart models. Last year the federal government rolled out the Federal Stimulus Tax Credit program that provides tax credit for energy-efficient home improvements. There are a few things Lorain County residents should about tax credits before filling out your income tax forms.
There are two types of tax credits:
- Refundable credits can result in a tax refund even if you pay little or no tax.
- Non-refundable credits lower your tax bill but never below zero.
The federal tax credits that apply to the purchase and installation of energy-efficient appliances are non-refundable tax credits. If you had a qualifying Energy Star central air conditioner, gas furnace or heat pump installed in 2009 or 2010 (2012 for heat pumps), you can claim a 30% tax credit up to $1500. You may also be eligible for additional energy credits related to other home improvements. This tax credit can reduce your tax liability, perhaps even down to 0, but cannot result in a tax refund. Consult your accountant for details.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Tue, Apr 13, 2010
We'd like to thank our readers for sending over so many questions lately about air conditioning, air conditioning performance checks, and general AC maintenance. We've compiled the list in to the top 5 questions and listed the answers below.
Why is my new air conditioner so much bigger? Your new air conditioner is larger because of the minimum efficiency standards that raised the seer from 10.0 to 13.0. to increase efficiency they had to increase coil area and this increased size.- Why do I have to use a new refrigerant? You can still use R-22 on old air conditioners. All new residential air conditioners built after June 1, 2009 have to use an environmentally friendly refrigerant. The refrigerant of choice among major manufacturers is R-410a.
- Why do they have to change the inside coil and refrigerant lines? There are three reasons. 1. The change into 410a will not work in most older indoor coils. 2. The newer refrigerants operate with a different lubricant and higher pressures. 3. System Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rations (SEER) are tested with matched system components. You cannot match old coils with new condensers and get the specified SEER.
- Why don't they use concrete condenser pads? Concrete condenser pads are still available, but there is no advantage to them. They are bulky, difficult to handle, deteriorate with time and transmit vibration. The new polypropylene molded plastic pads are UV and oil resistant.
- Why won't a higher efficiency unit cool my house better? The efficiency rating relates to the amount of power being used, the higher the SEER the less electric it will consume. For certain manufacturers the higher seer will produce more cooling, but this is generally negligible.
Have more questions? Write your question in the comments below and we'll be sure to get back to you!