Uncategorized Archives - Page 15 of 19

April 7, 2014

AC System Maintenance in Rockwall & Crandall, TX

A lot of folks here in Rockwall, Crandall, and other East Dallas communities thought this past winter would never end.

Some of us here at Absolute Air are among them. And while they say all good things must pass? Same goes for winter, allowing a good thing to take its place. You remember, it’s called “spring”!

Well now that it’s finally here, people are running around to greet it in typical fashion, doing everything from major spring cleaning projects, setting up the backyard furniture, fertilizing the lawn, and all the rest. While you’re at it, you most certainly don’t want to forget the importance of having your air conditioning system professionally cleaned and inspected. Especially the way we do things here at Absolute Air.

You see, your air conditioning system has a very important job to do in keeping your family cool and comfortable all summer long. Some families need AC for medical reasons. And in every case, your system can also help provide you with cleaner indoor air, and that’s health plus for everyone concerned.

When you come right down to it, an annual AC cleaning, tune-up, and inspection provides the following major benefits:

Fewer repairs
Lower cost of repairs
Extended system lifespan
Cleaner indoor air
More consistent temperatures from one room to the other
Lower energy costs
Added safety

Why have this service performed in the spring? Because should one of our if HVAC technicians identity a repair need, taking care of it now will help ensure uninterrupted service later on.

Call us now or anytime soon to schedule service for your air conditioning system, and with it you’ll enjoy added comfort and convenience all cooling season long.

March 24, 2014

How to Compare SEER Ratings When Looking for …

You hear and see the term all the time: SEER.

And you know at least this much: that it has something to do with the efficiency ratings of air conditioning systems. But you may not know is that also has to do with how cleanly a system operates, and thus the environmental impact you can expect it to make.

So, a little back-to-basics for starters: SEER stands for Season Energy Efficiency Ratio. And that’s the amount of cooling that an AC system delivers per watt of electricity to operate. Therefore, the higher the SEER rating, the less electricity that’s consumed. At the same time, the higher the SEER rating, the more you’re likely to pay for the system, all other things being equal.

If you’re looking to buy a new system this year and wondering what the payback period is for a system with a higher SEER rating, there are a number of online calculators you can use for that purpose.

If, for example, you were to replace your old 10-SEER system with a new 13 SEER model, you can expect to save about $750 in electricity over the next ten years, or about $1,220 if you were to purchase a 16 SEER model. So, if the price differential between the two systems is around $500 or less, it’s a good investment to purchase the more efficient system.

But there’s another very compelling reason to purchase a higher rated system and why today’s minimum SEER rating is 13, and that has to do with the amount of carbon dioxide emissions. As you would expect, the higher the SEER rating, the fewer the emissions.

At Absolute Air, we understand that an air conditioning system is not only a big purchase, but can be a confusing one, as well. We’re here to guide you through every step of the process and make it as simple and rewarding as possible. Contact us today to schedule a FREE in-home consultation and proposal.

February 20, 2014

How to Reduce Your Heating Costs in Kaufman & Crandall, TX

Spring is tantalizingly close.

So close, it’s tempting to declare that winter is over. Done. Kaput. The problem is, it’s not. In fact, right at this moment, your ever-diligent blogger is looking at the 10-day forecast for the Dallas suburb of Kaufman and, sorry to say, low temperatures next week will be in the mid-thirties.

Sorry for the bad news, but now for the “glass is half full” side of our story. Right now, there are a bunch of things you can to keep nice and warm for what’s left of winter but still manage to bring your heating costs down.

There, don’t you feel a little better already? Well, you will once you see your NEXT heating bill, but provided you practice one or more of the following home comfort tips from Absolute Air.

Take one for the team. Lower your thermostat just one itty bitty degree and, over a 12-hour period, that adds up to a 3% reduction in your heating costs. So if, for example, you’re used to leaving it 70 even when no one’s home, lower the thermostat to 66 and then raise it again when you get home. You can stand at least a little discomfort until your house warms up, right? Same thing goes during the overnight hours. If you’re accustomed to turning it down to 68, push it another degree or two and save some money. In fact, this is where a programmable thermostat would really come in handy: more about that a little later on.
Check your filter. The filter inside your furnace needs to be cleaned or replaced once a month, and for several good reasons. One of them is to help control your heating costs. Another is to help your system last longer. You see, a clogged filter makes your furnace have to work harder to maintain the desired temperature. The harder it works, the more wear and tear, and the shorter its shelf life.
How’s your insulation holding up? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to climb up into your attic with a flashlight and check it out. Over time, gaps will appear and the insulation starts to compress, thus losing some of its ability to keep heat from rising into the attic and then out through your roof. Insulation, like your furnace, doesn’t last forever. So if you can’t remember the last time you checked it or had someone do it for you, there’s no doubt you’re paying too much to heat your home.
Easy on the ventilating fans. Kitchen and bath fans are quite effective in removing moisture from your home, and just as effective in sucking out the heat. So vent while you must, but be diligent about turning those fans off after they’ve done their job.
Remove anything block vents, registers, and baseboard units. What you don’t need, in particular, are heated drapes, jeans, slippers, or chairs. What you want is a nicely heated home at the lowest cost possible. So one big way to help yourself is to let the warm air flow freely, and without anything blocking its way.

As we mentioned earlier, programmable thermostats are on your side when it comes to keeping home heating costs at a minimum. Let’s say you’re bound and determined to come home to a nice warm house. Well, without a programmable thermostat, the only way to accomplish that is to keep your house warm all day, even while you and everyone else is out and about. Or, you can save bunches of money by replacing your old thermostat with a programmable model and pre-set the thermostat to change from 64 to 70, for example, about 30 minutes before you’re planned arrival. Mission accomplished.

To learn more or to schedule installation, contact Absolute Air today. We have lots of good ideas to help you heat – and cool! – your home for less.

February 11, 2014

How to Select an Electric Space Heater in Rockwall, TX

Whether you’re looking warm up an unheated room in your Terrell or Rockwall home, or want a little added heat wherever your family spends the most time without turning up the thermostat, an electric space heater can be an effective and efficient solution.

But with so many models and features to choose from, the process can be more than a little confusing. So we’ve compiled a few tips to help you select a portable heater that is just right for your home.

Choose a space heater that has been tested and approved by a national safety testing laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories.

Consider the size of the space you want to heat. A heater that is too small will not provide adequate heat and could potentially overheat itself, while an oversized portable space heater will gobble up a lot of extra energy.

For consistent heating, select a space heater with a programmable thermostat.

Select a space heater that stays cool to the touch, especially if you have small children or pets in your home.

Choose a unit that has a tip-over switch that will automatically shut the heater off should it get knocked over accidentally. Another feature worth having is an over-heat switch to prevent overheating.

If your electric heater must share an outlet with another appliance or device, you might want a dual-wattage model. Dual-wattage heaters have a low (750 watt) and a high (1500 watt) setting. If you need to have a TV or lamps plugged into the same circuit, you can do so with the low setting without blowing a fuse or tripping a breaker.

Consider the heater’s noise level. While electric space heaters aren’t as noisy as they used to be, fan powered heaters can still be pretty distracting.

And finally, think about the design. Will the space heater be in a common area of the house? If so, maybe it’s worth a little extra money to purchase one with added aesthetic appeal.

Of course, if you’re using space heaters to make up for an under-performing central heating system, the extra money you spend on your electric bill will eventually exceed the cost of whatever repair work might be needed. In that event, contact Absolute today and let us have a look at your heating system. The problem could be a lot simpler than you think.

January 27, 2014

Tips on How to Fight Dry Winter Skin in Forney & Crandall, TX

Dry, itchy winter skin can be more than just uncomfortable here in Forney, Crandall, and throughout the Greater Dallas/Fort Worth area. Decreased humidity, increased exposure to forced air heating, plus the drying effects of wind and cold can strip away your skin’s natural oils and leave it feeling (and looking) like sandpaper.

Luckily, you don’t have to sit idly by, counting the days until spring, waiting for your skin to improve. A few preventative measures can replenish your skin’s moisture and counteract the damaging effects of the winter chill.

Choose your moisturizer wisely. Many popular commercial lotions contain harsh ingredients that actually work against your skin. Opt for natural coconut or almond oil to replenish moisture and protect your skin.

Exfoliate once a week to remove dead skin, but wash gently the rest of the time using a non-drying body wash.

It’s common to prolong showers and baths this time of year. You might even be tempted to turn up the temperature of the water. But that piping hot shower just further dries out your skin.

Apply moisturizer to your entire body right after you shower or bathe, while your skin is still damp. And don’t forget the sunscreen when you head outside.

For especially dry hands or feet, apply a thin layer of moisturizing oil before bed. To avoid getting oil on your bed linens, wear thin, breathable gloves or socks overnight.

Use a humidifier to keep humidity levels at a healthy level of about 40%. You can also place a bowl of water in the corner of every room of your home to help achieve the same effect.

For a more permanent solution to dry, indoor temperatures during the heating season, contact Absolute Air today for all the details and a free quote on a whole-house humidity control system. They’re designed to add moisture throughout your home during the winter, and remove excess moisture during the dog days of summer. Best of all, they work!

we invite you to contact us today to schedule service for air conditioning services in Forney TX . Same goes if the noises are already there. Give us a call for air conditioning services in crandall TX, we’ll figure out exactly what’s going on, and then give you a guaranteed upfront quote to fix it, and fix it right.

January 9, 2014

House Plants Help Clean up the Air in Rockwall & Terrell

In between coughs and sneezes, do you ever find yourself wondering why you almost always feel worse this time of year than during the warm weather months? If so, you are in extremely good company.

It all starts right here: on average, and throughout the U.S., indoor air 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air. And with your windows and doors all shut just as tightly as can be, guess what you’re breathing in over and over again: more indoor pollutants than you care to think about. Trust us on that one.

Well, you don’t have to take that kind of lung abuse sitting down. In fact, there are several things you can on your own to freshen up the air inside your home, and one of them is to purchase some (more is better) bacteria-eating house plants. Yes, there is such a thing, and quite a large number of them, including the following:

Arrowhead Vine
Boston Fern
Chinese Evergreen
Croton
Dumb Cane (turns out it’s not so “dumb” after all)
Peace Lily (aptly named, don’t you think?)
Philodendron
Pothos
Spider Plant

There’s your basic “who’s who” of clean-air-promoting house plants. They actually have two ways of doing their all-important job. First, they absorb bacteria and other pollutants into their leaves. From there, the bad stuff travels to the root structure where it’s turned into plant nutrients. Talk about “waste not, want not!”

In addition, house plants give off a water vapor that attracts polluted air directly to their roots for the same end result. And a healthy one, at that, for all concerned. Including the plants.

For professional help in cleaning up the air inside your home, we invite you to contact Absolute Air today or any time at all. We offer a number of year-round solutions that you can live with most comfortably, and affordably.

Call Us: (972) 932-5373

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Category: Uncategorized