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Hidden Holiday Season Dangers

The holidays are a time to gather with family and friends; a time for food, friendship, merriment, and joy. But all that celebrating can lead to some unexpected seasonal dangers, and yet most can be avoided with proper planning, constant awareness, and by sharing the following holiday season safety tips with family members and guests.

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Avoid Dangerous Decorating – There’s nothing more festive than a home decked out for the holidays, inside and out. But standing on an outdoor ladder to hang decorations can be dangerous. For every four feet in ladder height, place it at a distance of one foot away from a supporting wall. And have someone hold the bottom as an added safety precaution.

Avoid a Christmas Tree Fire – If you opt for a live tree, choose one that is fresh and water it daily. Use high-quality, flame-retardant decorations and string lights, and always check the lights for any damage. Place your tree away from heat sources like a fire place or radiator, and make sure your smoke detectors are all in working order.

Mind Food and Beverages – Forgotten food and beverages can be dangerous to children and pets. A curious child might pick up an unattended alcoholic beverage, while your four-legged companion might be tempted to feast on half-eaten plates of food which could contain ingredients that are hazardous to their health. Clear unattended plates and dump unfinished beverages.

Put Away Medications – When expecting guests for the holidays, store all medications out of reach of children and pets. And since many of us travel with needed prescriptions, offer your guests a safe place to put their jackets and purses to prevent little hands from wandering.

Tread Carefully – Be diligent about keeping sidewalks, walkways, and stairs well-lit and accessible. Shovel away snow and put down plenty of salt on icy areas. Consider adding a slip-resistant tread on each stair to provide more traction.

You know what keeps everyone feeling merry and bright around our home for the holidays? Helping each other stay safe and sound. We hope these home safety tips come in handy for you, as well. And Happy Holidays from all of us at Absolute Air.

 

How to Remove Stress from Holiday Shopping

“Stress” and “holiday season shopping” go hand in hand. For some people, they’re synonymous, as in, there’s no doing one without feeling the other.

blogBut does it really need to be that way? Ah, a question for the ages, if ever there was one. So, to get to the core of all this, let’s first re-visit Einstein’s definition of insanity, i.e., repeating the same mistakes over and over again while hoping for a different outcome. How does that apply to shopping? Easy. If you’re still buying for the same number or people (perhaps even more?), and still shopping in the same stores over roughly the same period of time, etc. how can you reasonably expect that this year will be any less stressful than the year before. The sad truth is, you can’t.

Even saving money these days can be a stressful process all in itself, chasing down one Cyber Monday sale here, trying to make the best use of this coupon there, and on and on it goes.

Bottom line, you have to WANT a less stressful holiday shopping experience or you have no chance of succeeding. Attitude and commitment are everything, just as they are in breaking any bad habit, including and perhaps especially smoking.

So from our house to yours, and once your “I want less stress” commitment is squarely in place, follow these helpful hints and you WILL experience less stress:

  1. Put a lid on it. We’re talking your budget here, of course. Saving money isn’t just about buying something on sale. Because sometimes all the encourages you to do is buy that person a little something extra to assuage the guilt you feel for spending less on them than usual, which is the whole object of trying to save money! How to climb outside that vicious circle? That leads to point #2 below.
  1. Spreadsheet it. Set up a holiday shopping spreadsheet, even if you don’t know the first thing about XCEL or any other computerized organizers. Paper and pen still work just fine. The point is, make a list of everyone you buy for, then additional columns for gift ideas, gifts purchased, and money spent. And constantly add that last column and compare it to your budget ceiling. That gives you the opportunity to adjust on the fly. More importantly, it will allow you to feel like you’ve gained control over the budget vs. allowing it to control you.
  1. Shopping online doesn’t make it less personal. If you’re a devout mall goer, you’re not going to suddenly purchase all your gifts online. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do some of your shopping that way. Once you open your mind to it, you’ll find it’s a great way to buy things you don’t need to shop for, like the book your friend has been asking for and the lunch gift certificate you routinely buy for your hairdresser. Sit down, pour a cup of green tea, and do some shopping. And guess what? There will never be a line at the register.
  1. Pump yourself up. If you begin a shopping excursion expecting to be aggravated, you no doubt will be. So play little tricks on yourself to stop the aggravation before it stops, like focusing on the smiling faces of loved ones as they open your gifts. It probably wouldn’t hurt to pop on a set of head phones, too, so you can listen to some soothing music while making the rounds, and thus cancelling out the sounds of shopping.

At Absolute Air, we wish you all the calm, good feelings, and quality family time the holidays have to offer.

 

Home Heating Repairs: 6 Common Causes

So what’s your pet peeve about winter?

For most people, it’s either not enough daylight, can’t (or won’t) spend as much time outdoors, icy road conditions, and so on.

Adjusting the heating thermostatAll pretty good pet peeves, if you ask us! But how about having something go wrong with your furnace? Then what happens?! Do you ignore it (short of a complete loss of heat) and hope the problem “goes away”? Or are you more inclined to aggressively troubleshoot the issue, or find a home heating professional who can do so for you?

Well, regardless of who you might call for assistance, the last thing in the world you want to do is a wish a heating problem away – because that’s one wish that 99% of the time won’t come true.

And if you do have a home heating problem on your hands, there’s a very good chance the cause is one of the following:

  1. Lack of ongoing maintenance. Your heating system – or anyone else’s, for that matter – can only run at its best with an annual system cleaning and inspection. Otherwise, dirt collects, electrical wiring connections can come loose, and general wear and tear can cause problems prematurely.
  1. Dirty filter. Even with annual maintenance, you should clean or replace your furnace filter every 30 days or so. A clogged filter forces your furnace to have to work harder than necessary to provide the right amount of heat.
  1. Older than dirt. If your furnace is at least 15 years old, it’s already exceeded the low end of its average life expectancy: 15-20 years. The older the system, the more prone it becomes to partial or complete failure.
  1. Problem with your thermostat. It’s quite possible that nothings’ wrong with your furnace, but that your thermostat isn’t working correctly, thus causing your present discomfort.
  1. Frequent “on and off” operation. Is your furnace constantly turning itself on and off? If so, chances are the filter is clogged, you have an airflow imbalance or, once again, something’s wrong with your thermostat.
  1. Way too loud! Furnaces were not made to rumble, squeak, bang, rattle, or make any other unpleasant noises. If, on the other hand, yours didn’t get that memo, it’s probably telling you it has a clogged burner or a glitch in air distribution.

Bottom line, if you have no heat at all, not enough of it, or some other perceived problem with your furnace, contact Absolute Air for an absolutely fantastic customer experience. We’ll give you a guaranteed upfront price along with our 100% customer satisfaction guarantee. At the same time, we’ll treat you and your home like gold, just as we always do. After all, that’s the Absolute Air way of doing things.

 

5 Things You Never Knew About Pumpkins

It’s downright impossible to even contemplate the likes of Halloween or Thanksgiving without the notion or reality of pumpkins coming to mind.

In fact, for a fruit/vegetable (do you know which one it is) that is so much a part of the fabric of mid- to late fall, there’s actually quite a bit about pumpkins that you probably didn’t know.

Well, if it makes you feel any better, neither did we – until, that is, we undertook a little skullduggery on the internet. Here’s what we uncovered to both “amaze and delight” you (pumpkins are fruits, by the way, not vegetables):

  • blogPumpkins were not always pumpkins. According to our research, the original name for pumpkin was “pepon”, the Greek word for “large melon”. Later on, it morphed into “pompon” by the French only to have the English rename it the “pumpion”. (Is that sort of like a pumpkin and onion rolled into one?) The large orange fruit we know today as “pumpkin” was so dubbed by early American colonists and, all these hundreds of years later, the name has stuck.
  • Whose idea was the jack-o’-lantern? For that answer, we travel back in time to Ireland where turnips, potatoes, beets, and such were carved and lit up to ward off evil spirits. Once Irish settlers started landing on the shores of America, they soon realized that it’s just plain easier to carve up a pumpkin. Plus, they reasoned, the bigger size was bound to be more effective in shooing evil spirits away from their premises.

  • “Take this pumpkin and, if you don’t feel better, call me in the morning.” Back in the 1700’s, physicians prescribed pumpkin to cure a whole host of ailments and conditions – everything from a snake bite antidote to ridding one’s skin of freckles.

  • Where would you start a pumpkin farm? Someplace where the growing conditions are just right, of course! And apparently they’re just right in Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California – the four largest pumpkin producing states in the country. Each year, more than 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkin are harvested in the US.
  • Step aside, pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie wasn’t always the favorite result of cooking up some of that delicious fruit. And neither were pumpkin breads, muffins, or even pumpkin flavored beer. Instead, and while it was still called pumpkin pie by European born American settlers, they would carve the middle, fill it with milk, honey, and spices, and then bake it. You know what? That’s one largely forgotten tradition that might be worth reviving.

And now you know, courtesy of your friends at Absolute Air where we wish you a happy and healthy fall season filled with tasty pumpkin treats.

Is it Time for a New Home Heating System?

blogThis is the time of year when lots of us are thinking about getting all sorts of new “stuff”. You know, things like a new fall wardrobe, maybe a new TV or computer now that you’re spending more time indoors – and, of course, it’s never too early to start creating your personal holiday shopping gift list.

Still, every now and then circumstances require that you consider buying new stuff that isn’t quite as fun as all that – let’s say, for example, a home heating system. Is that something you should even be thinking about? Well, the answer is a resounding yes IF certain conditions exist, especially the following:

  • Getting long in the tooth. If you heating system is at least 15 years old, it’s definitely worth considering replacing it now before it completely breaks down and you have no choice. Wouldn’t you rather replace it on your terms when you have more time consider your options?
  • A flock of repair bills. The older the system, the greater the likelihood of repair problems. That’s to be expected. But at some point you have to ask yourself if you’re starting to throw good money after bad.
  • It can’t meet your needs. You know a furnace isn’t what it used to be once you need keep turning the thermostat up in the winter to stay comfortable.
  • The shock of opening your utility bills. Minor increases in annual home heating costs are to be expected. But when the bills start up going up by leaps and bounds, your heating system is currently unable to efficiently distribute warm air throughout your house, and there’s got to be a reason for that.
  • You think it’s haunted. A well-maintained, highly efficient heating system is so quiet, you barely know it’s on. But a furnace that’s seen better days can make a racket with all the pinging, popping, and banging.
  • Hot and cold spots. One more sign of bad times for your furnace is an uneven distribution of heat, where you’re nice and cozy in one room, and wrapping blankets around yourself in another.

Have we shed any light on problems you may be having with your home furnace? If so, and you’re looking for a dependable solution, contact Absolute Air to schedule service. We’ll troubleshoot the problem, tell you exactly what’s going on, and then present you with your best options to resolve the matter. If it can be repaired and that’s what you opt for, we’ll give you a guaranteed upfront price before starting the job. Or, if you decide to replace your furnace, we’ll design and install the ideal system for your home and budget, just like always. Contact Absolute Air today for the service and results you expect.

6 Things You Should do Before Using Your Fireplace

A fireplace can add charm, elegance, ambiance and of course, warmth to any home. But before you light that first log and relax by its warm glow with family and friends, make sure that both your fireplace and chimney are in safe working order.

Here are some important things you should do before using your fireplace for the first time this or any season:

A brindle Great Dane is laying on a floor next to a fire place. The dog is highlighted by the warm light of the flame.

Hire a chimney sweep. The National Fire Protection Association recommends that you have your chimney swept by a qualified professional at least once a year to remove soot and debris that could pose a fire hazard for you and your loved ones.

Make sure the cap on your chimney is secure. Capping the chimney helps prevent rain, snow, birds, squirrels, and debris from entering. If the cap is missing or damaged, have it replaced or repaired.

Thoroughly examine the firebox. Check for cracks, gaps, or signs of wear in the lining of the firebox. If you notice that the lining has deteriorated and the steel body beneath is visible, call a professional to repair it. Otherwise, excessive heat can build up inside your fireplace, causing permanent damage.

Make sure the grate is sized for your fireplace. It should be no more than two-thirds the size of the fireplace opening. A larger grate might tempt you to pile on more wood and build a larger fire, which can overheat your fireplace and cause serious damage.

Inspect the fireplace guard. A mesh metal screen or glass fireplace doors help prevent errant embers from shooting out of the firebox. Check for cracks or other signs of damage and repair or replace it if necessary.

Remember, safety first. Keep a fully charged and ready to use fire extinguisher nearby. Always open the flue before you start a fire and close it when not in use to save energy. And never leave a fire burning when you leave the house or turn in for the night.

As thoughts turn to fall and winter, here’s another timely tip from Absolute Air: contact us today for annual preventative maintenance for your home heating system. It’s the right move for ensuring a season’s worth of improved performance, a reduced likelihood of repairs, lower utility costs and, once again, added safety.

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Absolute Air has been a leading provider of Air Conditioning & Heating Services in Kaufman County since 2009.

Absolute Air Air Conditioning and Heating, Air Conditioning Contractor, Kaufman, TX
3443 E. HWY 175, KAUFMAN, TX 75142
(972) 932-5373
INFO@ABSOLUTEAIR.NET

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