Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Wed, Apr 10, 2013
The good old days may seem like that in your memory but let’s not slight the good new days. Fondly remembering what you saw and did when you were young might have its place but there were plenty of things that weren’t so good that we seem to ignore when current problems crop up.
You might say we are in wonderland today with all the digital products and information at our fingertips making life easier and safer. Some of them even can save you money, without the danger associated with toxic substances - I’m talking about the good old thermostat that uses mercury switches to get the job done.This was the focus of a funny blog at the Green Building Advisor by Allison A. Bailes III that included jabs at things both new and old. She even has a theory that since mercury is toxic and was used in making hats that may have been the Mad Hatter’s undoing in Alice in Wonderland.
On the positive side this type of thermostat is very easy to adjust as conditions change but the mercury factor is a drawback. Mercury is involved in other energy source as well: the coal used to make electricity. As Dr. Bailes points out when coal is burned it releases mercury into the air, just like it did in the good old days.
Reducing your electrical usage by replacing appliances with more efficient ones continues to be a sound strategy for saving money and reducing your carbon footprint. That old thermostat can also be replaced with a more efficient and money saving digital thermostat that can be adjusted by your computer or Smartphone while you aren’t even on the premises.
Visit our website and schedule an appointment with one of our experienced Lorain County HVAC contractors today to talk about a thermostat upgrade today. We can safely remove and dispose of the mercury based thermostat for you and install the money saving digital replacement in minutes.
Photo credit: C Jill Reed via photopin cc
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Thu, Oct 25, 2012
Having a programmable thermostat in your home can deliver some big advantages over the rotary style thermostat that many of us are accustomed to. Energy Star says that a programmable thermostat can save about $180 a year in energy costs and they only cost about $100.00. This means that these handy little devices can literally pay for themselves in just over six months.
A number of new programmable thermostats can easily be controlled by a Smartphone and/or a computer which can lead to even greater savings. Say you are off on a business trip somewhere for a few days and you hear that the weather in your area has changed. You can adjust the thermostat to continue to reduce energy expense and then return it to the regular setting when you get back. Now there may be an even more effective option for saving with a home thermostat – the Nest Learning Thermostat.
The Nest Thermostat was created by the same technical wizard who built the iPod. It uses the latest technology to achieve its purpose – saving you money on heating and air conditioning bills. According to an Alliance to Save Energy article, the Nest costs $249.00 and it “learns” how you want your thermostat to be set. It senses your presence with motion sensors and acts accordingly. There is a preset minimum that it goes to when no one is detected in the home. This unique device isn’t completely without flaw but this technology certainly could be the wave of the future for saving money on utility bills in the future.
Our experienced Lorain County HVAC techs have experience installing or repairing just about any type of thermostat available. Our technicians can easily teach you all the ins and outs of a programmable thermostat and we can even upgrade you to a thermostat that can be controlled directly from your PC or Smartphone.
Photo by Nest.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Fri, Oct 05, 2012
Adding rooms to the home for more space can be a necessity for the comfort of your family, but it will likely lead to an increase in your utility bills. A new room added to the rear of the house on a concrete slab will have vents, but the area may be farther from the comfort systems. Attempting to make this new room comfortable by adjusting your thermostat may make the rest of the house uncomfortably warm or cool. This problem stems from having only one thermostat, but can easily be overcome with zoned heating.
A zoned heating system is one that has a number of thermostats in different zones of the house. This type of system can be a real money saver in larger homes or in homes that have had rooms added.
With a zoned heating system, a newly added room and its adjoining room can be one zone with its own thermostat. Heated or air conditioned air can be concentrated in this zone, while the other rooms receive less thanks to a damping system in the ducts. You can further enhance your savings in a zoned system by having programmable thermostats that are timed for when different rooms are usually in use.
Later in the evening, all thermostats can be set to make sleep more comfortable. If some bedrooms are in areas that receive warmer or cooler air, the thermostats can be set to take this into consideration. Zoned heating systems are a great way to save energy and the money you spend on keeping your home comfortable.
Visit our website today to schedule an appointment with one of our Lorain County HVAC experts to discuss the advantages of zoned heating in your home. You can also take advantage of our $15.00 discount for a heater performance check to get you system fully prepared for the cold winter ahead.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Fri, May 04, 2012
Your Air Conditioning System Needs Some Help to Operate at Optimal Efficiency
The air conditioning system in the average Lorain County home will be used frequently this summer. These workhorses are one of the most relied on conveniences in the modern world but they do need some help in order to operate at optimal efficiency.
Have a Comfortable Summer with an Air Conditioning Performance Check
An air conditioning performance check can be the first and one of the easiest steps to take toward a more comfortable summer. At Raymond Plumbing we currently have an offer for a $15.00 discount for this incredibly valuable service. If you refer a friend or relative to schedule a performance check you will both receive a $25.00 discount. All you need to do is schedule online and our Lorain County HVAC pros will clean your unit, change the filters and inspect every part to insure its ability to handle the upcoming load.
Save Upwards of 10% on Summer Utility Bills with a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat can also give your unit some help as it can guarantee to slow things down when there is no one home. Many programmable thermostats now can even be changed remotely with a computer or smartphone. When used correctly these helpers are a way to save upwards of 10% on summer utility bills.
Install an Energy Star Recovery Ventilator
You can also consider having an Energy Star rated energy recovery ventilator from Carrier installed in your home. This product not only cleans the air with a filter, removing pollen and other particulates, it cools and dehumidifies the incoming air. It also takes rejected heat and sends it out through the exhaust stream and ultimately allows you’re A/C unit to keep your home comfortable without quite as high of a workload.
The Lorain County HVAC contractor can install either one of these handy tools well before the summer heat takes hold. Once you’re A/C performance check is complete one of our experienced HVAC technicians can go over all of your options for keeping comfortable and saving money this summer. Schedule service now!
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Tue, Jan 24, 2012
The Carrier Corporation and Raymond Plumbing and Heating have a special offer for those who want to upgrade their furnace. If you have been thinking about making your home more energy efficient and adding a system that is better for the environment, while saving you money, this is a deal you won’t want to pass up.
Get a Free Carrier Puron Air Conditioner When you Purchase
Carrier Infinity Gas Furnace
A purchase of the Carrier Infinity Gas Furnace with a matching Infinity Control or Edge thermostat will qualify you for a free Carrier Puron air conditioning system. You may also qualify if you combine the furnace purchase with a Carrier Air Handler and heat pump. The new systems have to be installed by our HVAC professionals by February 29 to get the free air conditioning system.
Carrier is making this upgrade an affordable option for the Lorain County area and has combined this offer with the latest in programmable thermostats. Both the Edge and Infinity thermostats can be programmed for an entire week and accessed by computer or Smartphone when you are away. These thermostats are a tremendous ally in the effort to reduce your utility bills.
The heat pump is another incredible green option that helps heat the home in the winter and partner with the air conditioner in the summer to keep energy prices low all year round. This heat pump will be combined with a more efficient system and thermostat keeping prices lower than you might have thought possible.
For information about this special offer available through Raymond Plumbing, click here! Call us to schedule an appointment - it’s time to go green and save some green with Carrier and Raymond Plumbing and Heating.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Wed, Aug 24, 2011
Programmable Thermostats Can Save You Money All Year
When looking to save money on energy costs most people begin by looking at price of more efficient heaters and air conditioners. One device that can be overlooked is the thermostat. A poorly functioning thermostat can be a real culprit in sabotaging your attempts to save money in both the summer and winter.
Reduce Your Energy Expense from 15 to 30 Percent with a Programmable Theromostat
When looking at your HVAC system and what you can do to reduce your cost, consider a programmable thermostat. These devices can be used to reduce your energy expense by anywhere from 15 to 30 percent or more. There are many options available in programmable thermostats and a Lorain county HVAC contractor would be glad to go over what features would be best for your home.
Programmable thermostats can be set for weekday use and then be set to change for your weekend use. Some of these thermostats actually can “learn” how your energy levels are different from what has been programmed in and adjust the settings. Most have an easy override button if you are faced with extreme changes in weather and want more heat or air conditioning for a day or so.
Now some of these devices can be adjusted when you are not even home. Computer programs or even a smart phone application can allow you to adjust the temperature in your home from virtually any location. The differences and extra features that are available will be information your experienced HVAC contractor can readily provide.
It may be that your current system isn’t really in need of an upgrade or repair to make a difference in your energy consumption. The programmable thermostats that are getting smarter all the time may be your best and least expensive way to control your home’s energy cost.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Thu, May 19, 2011
So far we’ve touched on the importance of keeping an eye on your thermostat and addressing any possible issues with your windows. Now we’ll talk about something most people might not associate with keeping cool – insulation.
Insulation Helps Keep Air Cool During the Summer
The right amount and type of insulation in your home does more than keep you from losing precious heat in the winter, it also helps the air that you are paying to cool where you want it during summer. By installing insulation in your attic, in crawl spaces and between floor joists in full basements you could conceivably lower your monthly utility bills by as much as twenty percent. Rolls of insulation are affordable and readily available at your local improvement center and even those who aren’t exceedingly handy can perform this task that could result in big savings.
Want to maximize your energy savings with insulation? You can make an even bigger dent in your utility bill by taking your insulation project to the next level and covering heating and cooling ducts and pipes to prevent wasted energy.
If you are tackling the task of adding insulation on your own, make sure that you are protected while performing the job. Wear a dust mask and safety glasses while performing the work and try to cover as much of your body has possible to minimize the exposure to fiberglass particles while insulating.
While ensuring that your home is properly insulated could save you a substantial amount on your monthly utilities bills, all the insulation in the world won’t help if your unit isn’t operating efficiently. Make sure you have your AC unit cleaned and serviced at least once a year by a Lorain County HVAC professional and contact a licensed HVAC mechanic at the first sign of problems for repair.
Make sure your air conditioning system is running efficiently and schedule your air conditioning performance check. Schedule online now and save $20.
Photo credit: Chimothy27
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Thu, May 12, 2011
The heat of the summer will be here before you know it and for many Lorain County residents that means much higher utility bills. While that cool air inside your home feels wonderful after coming in from the heat of the great outdoors you know that the warmer the weather becomes the higher your utility bill will climb.
Fortunately there are a few steps that are easy to implement that can help to save you a substantial amount of money on your utility bill as the temperature outside begins to climb.
Make Smart Cooling Decisions
Sure it feels great to walk into a home that is completely cool following a long day, but if no one is home during the daytime hours you are wasting plenty of energy cooling an empty home. It’s not necessary to turn your AC unit off before you leave in the morning, but turning the thermostat up a few degrees while no one is home is a great way to save some green. Even turning your thermostat up 5 degrees during the day while no one is home can make a substantial difference in your monthly expenses.
If you’re the type of person who will never remember to manually make the necessary adjustments to the thermostat in the morning and evening, consider purchasing a programmable thermostat Having a programmable thermostat lets you set your desired time for temperature adjustments so that your family is always comfortable but that you still benefit from lower monthly bills. A Lorain County HVAC professional can install an affordable programmable thermostat for you that will pay for itself in no time with the money you’ll save on utility expenses.
Summer is almost here! Make sure you sign-up for an A/C Peformance Check today!
Next Time – Using Window Treatments and Covering to Bring Down Cooling Costs
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Thu, Dec 30, 2010
NO! Absolutely not! If you’re planning to vacation on sunny southern beaches this winter, Lorain County homeowners need to make sure they leave their furnace turned on and running while they are away from home. During the frigid winter months, turning off your furnace when you go on vacation or take a trip to visit relatives is a sure road to disaster. A few days of frigid temperatures with the mercury hovering around zero during the night -- like the weather we’re currently enjoying in Lorain County – is enough to freeze water pipes, causing them to burst. If it stays cold enough long enough, even porcelain toilets can freeze, the expanding ice in the bowl and tank splitting the porcelain.
As soon as temperatures nudge above freezing, water will cascade out of those broken pipes, saturating walls, furniture, carpeting, books, family photo albums, and everything in your house that you hold near and dear – and no one will be home to rush to the basement, turn off the water main and call a Lorain County plumber to repair the damage. When you return from your relaxing vacation, you’ll walk into an oozing mess that will send your blood pressure spurting and drain your bank account. And all because you thought turning off your furnace would save you a couple of bucks while you were gone.
Lorain County plumbing experts recommend that Lorain County homeowners leave their furnace thermostat set to 55 degrees when traveling during the winter. Setting your thermostat to 55 degrees will still save you money on your energy bills while preventing damaging condensation from forming on windows or walls, and keeping your water pipes warm enough to keep working.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Mon, Jul 12, 2010
Heat Wave In Lorain County
Whew! Temperatures have been flirting with triple digits in Lorain County this week as Ohio swelters under a record-setting heat wave that has blanketed the entire eastern third of the U.S. Daytime temperatures in Lorain County are expected to languish in the mid to high 90s all week. With nighttime temperatures dropping barely into the 70s, there’s no relief from the oppressive heat and Lorain County residents are suffering. Temperatures haven’t been this high since 2001 when a similar heat wave killed more than a dozen people in metropolitan areas.
Heat Versus Humidity
The moist Gulf Coast air that’s expected to send humidity levels soaring toward the end of the week will make it feel even hotter. Sweat is the human body’s cooling mechanism. High humidity robs sweat of its effectiveness. When air is too moisture-laden to evaporate our sweat, our bodies can’t cool themselves and feel even hotter than the actual air temperature. Weathercasters refer to this as the Heat Index, or the apparent temperature. The heat index is a measure of how hot it feels when relative humidity is added to the actual air temperature. The heat index equation is complex, but basically 90 degrees feels like 100 degrees at 50% humidity; becomes a sauna-like 109 at 75% humidity and soars to a very crispy 132 degrees at 100% humidity! It’s the reason that you feel cooler even when your air conditioner thermostat is set to a relatively high temperature. Just removing the humidity from the air has a cooling effect on our bodies.
Consider Air Conditioner Installation Now
Electrical companies that serve Lorain County have braced for record energy demands as air conditioners are cranked up on high to combat the heat. Lorain County consumers may be dreading next month’s utility bill, but it’s just too hot to click off the A/C, even at night. If there was ever a time to consider installation of an energy-efficient air conditioner, this is it.
