Air Conditioners cooling, Furnaces heating, and Tommy Banging Tin

My crew has done it again!

2011-12-19T19:31:00.000-08:00

Congratulation to the members of my Confident Aire team for earning the highest honor offered by a very prestigious organization. It is true, if you get up every day and focus on the customer, meet their needs with honesty and integrity success will surely follow!

Energy Transformation Take Five!

2011-11-21T20:05:00.000-08:00

CONTACT:
Tom Wangler, Owner
Confident Aire, Inc.
Office: 630-761-9007
Cell: 630-335-6471
Email: tom@confidentaire.com
Website: www.confidentaire.com

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Batavia Firm Seeks Nominations for “Ultimate Energy Transformation”

Confident Aire, Inc. Announces Fifth Annual “Ultimate Energy Transformation”
to Benefit a Local Deserving Family

Batavia, IL – November 18, 2011 – For the fifth year, Tom Wangler and his staff at Confident Aire, Inc. in Batavia, IL plan to radiate some positive energy to a local deserving family in the form of a new energy-efficient furnace, along with the necessary home improvements to accompany it. Wangler calls this the “Ultimate Energy Transformation” and is currently seeking nominations for the 2012 energy makeover.

Once again, area residents and current clients are invited to submit a nomination package to Confident Aire, and ultimately one deserving family will be selected on December 30, 2011. Batavia Mayor Jeffrey Schielke will have the honor of drawing the deserving family’s name from all those submitted. Three runners-up will receive a free safety inspection of their furnace. Wangler expects to commence work in January, according to the recipient’s schedule.

Although the economy appears to be fairly stable, the need this year is still very strong as hundreds of foreclosures continue on a monthly basis in the Tri-Cities.

Services included in the energy makeover include:
• Indoor Air Quality Analysis
• Blower Door Infiltration Test
• Professional Load Calculation
• Thorough Duct Cleaning
• Seal Ductwork
• Install new high-efficient furnace (donated by Trane and Munch Supply)
• Install air filtration system
• Anything else the recipients needs for health and efficiency

If you know of a deserving family you’d like to nominate, contact Sue at Confident Aire for more information and to obtain a nomination packet. She can be reached by calling 630-761-9007. You may also nominate a family on the web by visiting www.confidentaire.com

The past recipients include the Weiss family of Batavia in 2008, the Witek family of Geneva in 2009, and the Shipp family of Batavia in 2010, and the Piotrowski family of Batavia in 2011 . Their courageous stories moved Confident Aire employees to unanimously support the effort for a fifth year. What story will this year’s Ultimate Energy Transformation tell? Stay tuned, it remains to be seen…

About Confident Aire, Inc. – Confident Aire, Inc. is a family-owned and operated business located in Batavia, Illinois and has been in business since 1992. They specialize in the installation, repair, maintenance, and replacement of residential home comfort systems. Tom Wangler of Confident Aire, Inc. takes pride in his commitment to his clients and believes strongly in community involvement. More information about Confident Aire, Inc. is available online at www.confidentaire.com.

If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Tom Wangler, please call Tom at 630/761-9007 or email Tom at tom@confidentaire.com.

###

Where do I lose the most energy in my home?

2011-11-09T10:25:00.000-08:00

This summer I attended training and was certified by the
Building Performance Institute (BPI) for Insulation and Air
Sealing for residential structures. Having heard the concerns of
hundreds of homeowners and witnessed the results of several
blower door tests it is obvious that the largest cuprit of air and
energy loss in a home is the fireplace. You see, while it is in
operation up to 600 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air gets
sucked up the chimney. While the radiant energy feels good
to our skin surfaces, the air being sucked out is coming back
in through leaks in the envelope. Basically, you are paying to
heat the town you live in!
A fireplace insert fits nicely into your existing fireplace and
burns air from outside instead of inside. We pull two tubes
down the existing chimney and suddenly you can enjoy a fire
without driving your energy bills higher. You enjoy, from the
comfort of your remote control, a very nice, cozy heat into the
home while the cold air is sealed safely outside.
Some models burn natural gas or LP while others burn real
wood, so even the traditionalist can enjoy a real fire. Those
who like no clean up with either a contemporary or traditional
look can opt for the gas burning models. Either way, the
energy savings and comfort are something that we all long for
from our fireplaces.

www.confidentaire.com

It takes ten seconds.........

2011-10-18T07:11:00.000-07:00

Seeing the steam rolling out of the roofs this morning I am reminded of how quickly, or in some cases slowly, a chimney can become dangerously blocked.

While attempting to test the leakage at one client's home we quickly discovered that they had installed a pull- down stair for the attic and had not finished applying the drywall and trim moldings to the rather large hole in the ceiling. Sound familiar? Perhaps like many projects at your own home?

I did my duties and properly harassed the husband about the importance of finishing this project in order to stop what was surely a few hundred dollars per year from leaking right out the roof then went about my business.

Hang with me, this gets really good. Two years later the same customer was ready to upgrade to a higher efficient furnace, which we promptly installed. As always, we tested the draft on all of the appliances when we were done, and discovered that the chimney did not draft....at all. The flue gases were dumping right into the home. After ruling out the appliances out attention turned back to the chimney. We pushed a rod down from above and leaves began falling out a few at a time, then in clumps. Long story less long, by the time we were done there was a garbage bag full of sticks, rotted leaves, burnt leaves, a squirrel carcass and several misc bird components.

The best part is coming...This chimney had been rebuilt at the roof line and capped a few years prior, and nobody turned on a flashlight and looked down it. My guess is that 7 to 10 years prior a stick fell into the chimney and through some strange law of physics (or perhaps Murphy's Law) got wedged across the interior tiles. Then came the leaves every fall. The birds and squirrel sit up there because it is warm, then when the gases knock them out they fall in, etc.

After the color returned to the owner's faces we walked to the top of the stairs, stood outside of the bedrooms where all 6 of them slept each night, and admired the gaping hole still in their ceiling. Two years after I harassed them to fix it. 6 lives saved due to chance and procrastination.

No, my point is not to put off the honey- do list and expect miracle to happen. The point is it takes 30 seconds for a rodent to crawl in and block your chimney, or sometimes several years while we are busy with day to day details, and it only takes a few minutes to install CO and Smoke detectors. Less time to change the batteries. It only takes a trained professional an hour twice a year to ensure that all of these kinds of things are safely addressed.

Have you found a Heating contractor you trust that much yet? Have they been to your home this fall?

Indain Summer

2011-10-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

Great week to be a human, bad week to be in the furnace business; however, this is most likely the week when we will be out tidying up the yard to get ready for winter. Take a good look at the flue pipes for your furnace and water heater while you are out there. Your fireplace chimney too. Critters may find these to be very nice places to nest while they have not been in use. If you decide to cover you air conditioner levae it some room to breathe near the bottom. Turn your breaker off too, that way next Spring when you decide to turn it on you do not burn out the compressor. Turn the breaker back on when you remove the cover and let it sit idle 24 hours before using it.

Download your Comfort App Today

2011-09-09T05:25:00.000-07:00

In many parts of the USA the high heat has subsided and folks are enjoying the deep sleep that comes from open windows and fresh air. The other nine months of the year, or more for some families, we are sealed up tight to keep our energy bills down.

While windows are closed VOCs and dust tend to rule the air, building to unhealthy levels and accumulating in the duct system. While we struggle to find that deep sleep we enjoy with the windows open the dust mites are busy feasting in the dark.

Many of us do not realize that the simple and affordable tools to keep our homes feeling like September year round are just a phone call away. Consider the following solutions:

1. Replace the noisy 900 watt circulator (blower motor) in your furnace with a 100 watt dc motor that slows down between cycles to act as a whole house air cleaner. Slow moving dust particles do not zip right through the air filter, they stick.

2. Install a small duct from the exterior to the return air duct. Manage this air stream with an outdoor temperature sensor and a motorized damper to ensure you enjoy as much fresh air as possible when conditions outside are favorable.

3. Implement an Ion generation UV light system that will continuously work in the air as well as on surfaces to seek and destroy germs, viruses, and bacteria...even in the duct system!

Healthy air for the entire family or office staff is as easy as 1, 2 , 3! Bet you didn't know we had an "app for that".

Sweaty Windows in the Summer?

2011-07-19T06:55:00.000-07:00

Katie wrote and asked if it was normal to have condensation on the outside of her windows this time of year. She also reported having to drink more water. Sometimes things happen for a reason, so I recommended a full indoor air Quality test to check for CO 2 and for Carbon Monoxide. Here is my reply:

New machines have TXV valves which are designed to do more latent work, which removes moisture as opposed to making it cold. The hotter it gets, and the longer it runs, the dryer it will be in the house. A typical setting with a modern machine is 78 degrees. This leaves all occupants dry without being cold. Try to follow the sun with your thermosat program, maintaining no more than a 15 degree temp differnce during the hottest part of the day. Example:

9 AM 78

11 AM 89

4 PM 77

9 PM 76

How are you managing your temperature now?

Please consider stopping in this afternoon at the new showroom on the East Side at 416 E. Wilson to take home an air quality monitor. This will tell us all about your humidity and temperature. It could alos be a backdrafting water heater flue, so let's get this test going! Then schedule a clean and check so our technician can test the TXV for sub cooling as well as superheat. Mike can help, or Sue, or ever Elvira at 630-761-9007.

The areas we identified last fall could also be causing the machine to run excessively to fight incoming air leaks, have those envelope leaks and insulation issues been addressed?

Keep me in the loop!

air conditioing tips

2011-06-20T20:51:00.000-07:00

This turned out to be a reasonably good source of information.

http://www.asktheexperts.tv/chicago/article.cfm?topic=530&propId=408§ion=2

I am hapy to answer questions!

Get tickets fast!

2011-04-13T08:42:00.000-07:00

ALERT!- We are sponsoring an award winning speaker for a special community presentation on April 21, 2011!
Mike McKinley will be at our new Green Education Center /showroom (416 E Wilson St, Batavia) that afternoon from 1:30 until 4PM signing books and greeting residents, then he will present at Rotolo Middle School from 7- 8:30PM. His presentation is "Laughing Your Way to Success and Happiness... in Life, Labor, and Love!" and promises to challenge and uplift those who attend! More information is on the community calendar at www.bataviachamber.org. Please help spread the word, your support is critical to the success of this community celebration!

Modern Spring Cleaning Tips

2011-04-12T05:22:00.000-07:00

I remember stories of Spring Cleaning at my Grandmothers' house; keep in mind, told by Mom, Aunts, and Uncles responsible for most of the labor. All the closets were emptied, every piece of clothing taken outside and beaten free of dust. Next went the furniture out into the yard, rugs and curtains too. The walls, trim, and floors cleaned spotless, then everything wiped down or beaten again before it came back inside to be laundered or carefully placed back in it's place. On a bad year, Grandpa decided this was the most opportune time to paint! Today I wonder how many of us actually have the time to move a bed or the stove once, at an time of the year, and clean under it thoroughly. How about he coils on the refrigerator? I confess... mine is two years old and I do not know where they are hidden back there. The young unemployed "techie" across the street recently helped me put more memory in my computer tower. In the process he suggested we take it outside and blow the dust out of. I vacuum the screen on that thing every month, yet I have never seen a cloud of dust as big as the one that came out of that machine. So how do we keep up? What do we need to do help loved ones with allergies breathe easier... or prevent them form developing allergies? I say divide and conquer! Here are some tips that may keep the task from being so overwhelming: -Never dust with a dry cloth unless it is designed to attract dust with moisture. Same goes for floors, dry brooms are for when the cereal gets knocked over, not for routine use on large surfaces. Suction from a vacuum and dampness are the answers. -Many folks decorate for at least four major holidays. These are good times to wipe pictures, window sills, shelves, and nick-knacks. Open the windows and vacuum the outside part of the dills too. Beware of lead dust in houses built before 1978! -Do one or two rooms a month! Pick the first Saturday or what works for you and move all of the furniture around. Look at the bottom of it, use a flashlight if necessary. Get all the dust you can, and always look in the corners of the rooms and around the windows for early signs of mold. -LOOK in your vents or radiators. Air flows through both types of heating devices. My new favorite trick is to use the camera on my cell phone and stick it where my head will not fit, taking a picture of the dust or radiator bottom to see what is in there. -Change you air filter. Base the frequency on run time hours if possible, but for most of us it is just easier to do this the first of every month. Ignore the propaganda on the filter packaging, if it is 1" thick it does not last 3 months under continued use! -Involve the whole family, teach them how to keep their indoor environment clean and healthy, share the work and talk. These strategies will develop good habits and will become more customized to your own house as you go. It will also help to keep a consistently low dust level as opposed to having a spotless house for one week each spring, then slowly building back up to intolerable levels.

Best of the Fox Voting Time Again!

2011-04-04T19:43:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year again!

We need your help to win the Best of the Fox for the 4th year in a row.

You can vote once per day during the month of April. It sounds like a lot of work but it only takes a few minutes; please consider adding it as a reminder each day just through the end of April. Simply go to the Chronicle by clicking here.

You must fill in ten fields each time and click to vote, then click to confirm. Just in case you cannot think of ten businesses to vote for here is list (in order, you can cut and paste!) of some of our favorites:

Auto Body Repair: Boyce Body Werks
Auto Repair Facility: Wagner’s Auto Repair
Bowling Alley: Funway Entertainment Center
Chiropractor: Hart Chiropractic Center
Coffee House: Four Beans
Dentist: Geneva Family Dental
Farmer’s Market: Batavia Farmer’s Market
Heating & A/C Company: Confident Aire
Home Remodeler: Charm and Hammer
Jeweler: K. Hollis
Mexican Food: Bien Trucha
Plumber: Confident Aire
Thai Food: Tusk
Wine Shop: Gibby’s Wine Den

Go to the Chronicle and vote today! Thank you for helping us continue to give back to the Fox Valley!

Longer Showers

2011-03-23T19:31:00.000-07:00

Katie asked if the temperature of her tank could be the culprit behind running out of hot water after only ten minutes. She just had a repair done and noticed the temp was set lower. She was concerned about turning it back up because she has small children. Here was what I shared:

What you want to do is, at least thirty minutes after a high demand, let the water run straight hot in the kitchen until you are sure it has peaked (only 30 seconds or so), then fill a travel mug with the hottest water. Drop your poultry thermometer in there and see what the temp is. It should be between 120 and 140 degrees. 120 is real safe, but 140 makes it last that much longer. Basically, the safest thing for everybody is to get back to where it was so you are setting the handle in the same spot as before.

A shower head delivers water at a rate of 2.5 to 5 gallons per minute. I like to take a bucket (2.5 or 5 gallons) and a watch with a second hand to the shower. I get it running, and then when the second hand hits 12, 3, 6, or 9 I stick the bucket under the shower head. The bucket will get heavy, so I usually collect water for 30 seconds then pull the bucket away and shut the shower off. If the bucket is not already marked for gallons, then pour it into an empty 1 gallon milk jug as many times as it takes to determine the amount of water used in 30 second, then double it. This is the GPM of your shower head!

Now lets do some math: You have a 40 gallon tank, your shower head uses 4 GPM (assumed), if your tank temp is low and the handle is almost all the way hot then it will only take ten minutes for you to have a tank of 50 degree ground water to shower in. Raise the tank temp so that the handle remains in the middle and now you are using 2 gallons of hot and 2 gallons of cold each minute and you get 20 minutes. Get a good quality 2.5 GPM shower head and now you have, well, more minutes(and a headache from the math!).

Make sense how this all ties in? Tanked water heaters do have a recovery rate and actually provide slightly more water than my simplified explanation... but not much. The tragedy is that in order to get any length of hot water you must overheat the water and store it that way 24 hours a day so you can use it for 2 hours a day while lowering the temp back down with cold water! Who the heck thought of this idea?

FYI- The USA is pretty much the only country in the world where we have tanked water heaters, because we used to subscribe to low up front costs and enjoyed cheap energy! Tanked heaters are around $900 - $1,000 and last 6 to 8 years. Tankless models require a little more maintenance, but last twenty to twenty-five years and deliver endless hot water at the exact temp you ask for, only when you need it! When will we stop embarrassing ourselves with these tanked models?

True Efficiency.....

2011-01-25T10:55:00.000-08:00

In a moment we will get into furnace efficiency, but I am really excited because owning a true family business means we all pitch in. My daughter brought the book "Living Green" to my attention and suggested I post this passage. Now that is efficient!

Change by Degrees
Two degrees can make a tremendous difference. Turning down your thermostat in winter and turning it up in the summer just two degrees can go a long way toward lowering your power consumption.

For every two degrees you lower your thermostat this winter (between 60 and 72 degrees) you save about 6 percent of your heating consumption. Those avings can add up.

You and your family probably will not notice a samll change form 70 to 68 degrees in winter, but your pocket book- and the environment- will.

Thank You Lily!

Showroom Progressing Nicely

2011-01-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

This week we moved computers and desks to the new showroom at 416 E Wilson. This is across from 7-11 and R&S at Wilson and Prarie Streets. The modulating furnace exhibit will be ready this week!

Tax Credit Extension Confirmed!!!...News not all good...

2010-12-21T14:41:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, the “Middle Class Tax Relief Act of 2010” HR4835 was signed into law. Included in the bill was a 1-year extension of 25c Tax Credits.

Unfortunately, the tax credit amounts for qualifying homeowners were reduced to pre-ARRA amounts, and the lifetime maximum rebate amount is now $500.

In 2011 qualifying product efficiencies and rebates will be as follows:

Gas Furnace - 95% AFUE $150

Split System Air Conditioners - 16 SEER / 13 EER $300

Heat Pumps - 15 SEER / 12.5 EER / 8.5 HSPF $300

Package Air Conditioners - 14 SEER / 12 EER $300

Heat Pumps - 14 SEER / 12 EER / 8 HSPF $300

Gas / Electrics - 14 SEER / 12 EER $300

Advanced main air circulating fan $ 50

This is still a lifetime cap, so no additonal funds for those that took the $500 credit in 2007 or 2008. Far less than for those that take action in 2009/ 2010.

Showroom Excitement is Building...

2010-12-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

We are now building working exhibits at 416 E. Wilson in Batavia. Green solutions for the home will be on display to see, hear, touch, and discover in early January. Plumbing, Zoning, Ductless cooling, and even oak rain barrels! Many suprises too. We hope to hold our first Educational event in February. Stay tuned, and if there is anything you want us to display let us know.

Gobble, Gobble.....

2010-11-23T16:37:00.000-08:00

Do you feel like we do?

2010-11-22T11:06:00.001-08:00

It is that time of year again. We can out one in for you or detox the one you have and get it running again. Either way, the bird will stay much moister if it is not what is humidifying your home....

Time to get things in order!

2010-11-18T06:47:00.000-08:00

Winter is Coming.......

2010-11-13T09:12:00.000-08:00

I talked to my Uncle Mike in Wisconsin yesterday. Yes, I call just to rub in the fact that is was 68 here, while I knew he was enduring a 1000 mile ong stream on precipitation stretching almost to Texas. 8 inches of snow expectd last night, and it missed us by about an inch, on a planetarty scale.

Are you ready yet? Have you had us over to look at the flue piping, the dryer vent, tha smoke detectors, the sump pump? We also clean and tune the furnace while we are there.......

How often should I clean my ducts?

2010-10-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

This time, I will let the experts talk......

You cannot say I didn't tell you so.............

2010-09-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

It is almost October now. The manufacturer pre-season reabtes are ending in a few days, the NICOR money will soon evaporate, and the Federal tax credit ends in three months. Friend, what else could possibly motivate you to take action NOW?

Energy Audits

2010-08-09T09:57:00.001-07:00

Want a really cool picture of yourself like this one? This is what I look like during an Energy Audit in Geneva, IL. While looking for poor insulation, air passages, thermal short circuits, etc. I pointed the $12,000 infrared camera at a mirror and was suprised to see a reflection!

We were more amazed at the number of opportunities we found for improvement in the envelope of an upscale townhouse only ten years old. These leaks are responsible for much of the dust in a home...most of which is fiberglass form the attic and walls. Yuck!

Not Nearly as Funny When it is Your Sump Pump

2010-05-28T05:13:00.000-07:00

We all know the goofy grin that appears on our faces when watching a dog chase it's tail. When your sump pump chases it's tail it can cause full on tears as the water rises in the basement. Didn't know the sump pump had a tail?

The operations of your water removal system take place in the basement...... in part. 50% of what it takes to keep your basement dry takes place after the water makes it outside. It is very important to know where you sump pump pipe discharges. Often times the water comes right back in a window well or just follows the slope back to the foundation.

Do not assume that a pipe buried in the ground is still working either. Many times,, over the years, these pipes become clogged with debris, some of which is dragged in there by rodents nesting.

When the water does not effectively move far away from the foundation it simply runs right back down to the drain tiles and back into the sump pit. The water goes in a circle instead of going away, thus the analogy about the tail chasing. The sump pump may be able to keep up with the rain and melting snow, but it cannot also keep up with itself at the same time.

Think Before You Act

2010-04-09T07:44:00.000-07:00

Those of you that have had me to your home know what a fan I am of poking fun at Married folks, because I am in that club myself. When doing a cooling load calculation I am sure to account for the heat generated by humans; putting one person in each bedroom, two in the master bedroom, and one on the couch.... just in case!

Well here is another opportunity to "work together" that has at least as good a chance of saving you big money as it does of getting some good old fashioned bickering going. If you have heard this tip from me before please forgive me, but it does save one basement each Spring:

Prior to using your garden hoses for the first time each season it is a good idea to check them for leaks. These leaks do not generally show up until the hose is turned on, so when there is a leak folks do not know it until after they have washed the entire car and the basement has taken on water for forty-five minutes.

Here is how you avoid this disaster: Have one person in the basement with the cordless phone while the other goes to each silcock on the cell phone. Test each unit with the hose attached and the sprayer off. This will pressurize the works and a leak will show up immediately.

Good Luck, and Happy Spring!

Rebate- Party is Over

2010-03-22T13:54:00.000-07:00

Many folks are on the fence trying to decide if this is the right time to invest in a high efficient HVAC system for their home. The State of Illinois just announced that their rebate program will be coming to and end April 5, 2010.

This means $850 in instant rebates is disappearing. Just wanted to be sure that everyone was aware, no hard feelings later on!

Also, take a good look at your sump pump... better yet, listen to it. Humming, growling, klunking?

Be proactive, not a victim!

These Sump Pumps Rock!

2010-03-08T21:29:00.000-08:00

We have been installing the Pro Series conbination sump pump with battery back up unit. It is actually two pumps on one base with a battery and charger. The beauty is that there is only one discharge pipe and check valve. The labor is 40% less to install!

We can even upgrade these things to call you if there is a water level problem. Fantastic!

http://www.proseriespumps.com/proseries/combination_sump_pump_PS_C33.php

Rebates, Tax Credits, and Even More Rebates

2010-03-01T14:53:00.000-08:00

In the nearly twenty years I have been a Contractor I have not seen anything like this before. I never will again either. A builder's model furnace and air conditioner for a 2400 square foot home is roughly $7,000 installed. This system would do nothing more for comfort, noise, and air quality than the builder's model crap one has currently, but may lower utility bills around ten percent.

The top of the line Trane comfort System for the same home sells for $10,000 installed.
Check out this math:

$10,000 base cost
-$ 850 instant rebate from State of Illinois
-$ 1,000 mail in rebate from manufacturer
-$ 1,500 federal tax credit
-------------------------------------

$ 6,650 Final Cost! This is for the system that lowers utility bills 40%, provides event temperatures to every room in the home, makes less noise than your refrigerator, and catches fine dust particles.

This at a time when all the buzz is about raising the cost on natural gas and electricity to force folks to buy nicer equipment. Very exciting time to be at the helm of the fastest growing HVAC company in the Fox Valley!

Heat Exchangers do not crack

2010-01-29T08:33:00.000-08:00

The most dreaded words a furnace repair man can utter are "it looks like you have a crack in your heat exchanger". These cracks can allow carbon monoxide to enter the air you breathe. Many times the furnace is so old that it does not make sense to tear it all apart and rebuild it. The cost is high in addition to the string of repairs that will generally follow after disturbing all of the parts that have been sitting idle for so many years. Before long, you may have invested 50% of the money needed to get a new furnace, but be stuck with the old unit and the higher utility bills.

Younger furnaces may have heat exchangers that are still under (parts only) warranty. If they are under warranty, expect to pay $800 for the labor to rebuild the unit if you have a steel flue pipe, and $900-$1000 if your flue pipe is PVC, or plastic pipe. Shipping to and from the manufacturer will also be the responsibility of the owner.

That being said, at least 90% of the heat exchangers that crack are due to a poor installation by an unqualified contractor. It is critical that you address the reason for the failure for more that the obvious reason... so it does not happen again. The real issue is your utility bills. Units that overheat due to inadequacies in the ductwork or poor installation also run approximately 30% less efficient than those performing within specifications.

Think carefully before you let a technician enter your home. There are caring, educated, honest professionals out here, and then there are the guys that just couldn't make it anywhere else. Start with reputation, finish with 100% satisfaction.

To learn more, read what Greg has to say:

http://www.omaha-home-inspection.com/hometips-crackedheatexchanger-12-3-05.pdf

Doing your own taxes? Remeber your 2009 energy credit!

2010-01-29T08:22:00.000-08:00

I always try to remind folks as the W-2 forms arrive that you may be eligible for a significant tax credit if you made energy related improvements this (past)year. We helped many of you with furnaces, air conditioners, and tank less water heaters.
Those of you doing your own taxes this year may be confused if the software you purchased does not prompt you to submit information regarding tax credits for high efficiency appliances. My guess is that much of the software was written prior to some additions to the tax codes that took place in and after Feb 2009 when President Obama signed the stimulus package into law. I suggest looking for an update or "patch" before proceeding.

I always turn to Energy Star for answers on what improvements qualify- do not be confused, not all Energy Star products meet the high criteria for the tax credits, so compare carefully before purchasing and filing your return.

Here is the URL for the Energy Star web site with links to the proper form to complete from the IRS website.

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index

Air Filters and M.E.R.V. Ratings

2010-01-18T09:14:00.000-08:00

What do we do when mother nature gives a reprieve from arctic temps? Take the kids sledding ought to be first. Take along some firewood, an old pot, and the fixin's for hot cocoa and see how many new friends you can make at the forest preserves shelter.

When you get home, and you realize how good it really is to have a warm dry shelter to call home, go and change your air filter. Make sure the humidifier is still working properly (and not leaking). While you have the filter out take a good look at it. If it one inch thick you really need to get educated on the purpose of a good quality air filter.
MERV rating is important, but have you ever considered that the amount of restriction offered by an air filter directly affects the size of the utility bills? Do you know that furnaces that breathe better run cooler and last several additional years. Consider the rate at which pure air actually leaves the air cleaner and is delivered to the house.
This measurement is called CADR, or Clean Air Delivery Rate. Rather than me reinventing the wheel on this, check out what the guru's have to say at Trane:

http://trane.com/Residential/Clean-Air/CADR

Energy Loss means Poor Insulation

2010-01-07T08:12:00.000-08:00

Hi all. Below is an email we sent back in 2008. After driving around town today, I thought it might be applicable to send again as many of you are new to our email list.

Happy New Year!

Have you noticed all the icicles hanging from the roof eaves around town? They’re beautiful. But if the icicles were hanging on the eaves of your house, you might want to take a look at your attic.

Icicles form when the snow on the roof starts to melt before the ambient temperature is above freezing. Heat from the house escapes into the attic and melts the snow. It drips over the eaves and then refreezes. It’s one sign that you may have inadequate insulation in your attic. An article from Home Energy Magazine gives a good set of guidelines about reading the snow on your roof to see how well your attic insulation is working.

Just go up to your attic with a ruler. Batavia’s 2006 International Energy Conservation Code requires R-38 attic insulation on new construction. That’s about 12 inches thick of batting. It should run right up to the corners where the roof meets the outside wall. This is the tricky spot. Marko Spiegel of Conservation Technology International shares his thoughts:

Even good attic insulation is most often only good in the center of the house and then it tapers to a few inches of thickness where attic and outside wall meet. Most new wood frame buildings have this issue and it leads to some condensation and wet insulation around the perimeter of the attic. Well designed attics have a vapor barrier above the drywall preventing moist air from escaping; they also have a raised heal truss, so insulation thickness is homogeneous across entire surface. I recommend Icenyne open cell foam insulation for spraying around the perimeter, where thickness of insulation is limited by design, and then cellulose or glass fiber on top.

Closed windows means poor air quality

2009-12-21T17:59:00.000-08:00

Closing the Windows for 6 Months?

Fresh air is one of the most important things we can provide for our family to stay healthy. As we close down, and spruce up for the holidays, it is important to remember that paints, cleaners, and synthetic products are loaded with VOC’s that emit gases into the air we breathe for up to three years. Here are a few tips for better winter air quality:
- Remove a floor register, then use a mirror (make-up mirrors work well) and a flashlight to view the inside of your air ducts. Have then professionally cleaned every three years.
- Fill floor drains and unused sinks/ showers with fresh water every six months to prevent sewer gas from infiltrating your home.
- Ask your trusted Heating and Cooling contractor how to exchange fresh air with stale air while recovering 80% of your energy dollar.

Sump Pump Capacity

2009-12-09T22:15:00.000-08:00

I recently qutoed a furnace replacement for a gentleman that had recently suffered four feet of water in his basement. I asked if i should quote a sump pump as well and he paused... "sump pump is fine, it couldn't keep up....."

It turned out that a pipe had burst due to low temperatures when the heat failed while he was on vacation. The capacity of the sump pump was less than the amount of water that flowed out of the broken pipe. The water slowly rose as the sump pump ran continuously...underperforming to the tune of about 200 gallons per hour.

This particular home was on a well, but the pressure from the city water supply produces the same results. This is why we have a professional look at the sump pump every year. What goos is the pump if it is undersized?

Kevin- your pump is fine!

Check out our offerings at http://www.proseriespumps.com/proseries/combination_sump_pumps.php

Reduce energy bills and improve air quality...breathe easier!

2009-12-06T09:30:00.000-08:00

Home Sick Home?

Is the place where your family spends the majority of their time providing the environment you need to be healthy? If the owner of an average home in Chicago could reduce their fossil fuel consumption 40% what dreams would they be able to afford? What would it mean for the planet?

The Air Quality and Energy usage of your home actually have less to do with the efficiency of the equipment than they do with the tightness of the envelope and whether or not your home allows insulation fibers to be drawn into the air you are breathing.

Check out this link for more info:

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.es_at_home_tips

Drywall or drop ceiling?

2009-10-16T06:48:00.000-07:00

The downturn ed housing market has many folks staying right where they are for at least another two years. Many are turning to the basement as a source of new living space, adding game rooms, home offices, even bedrooms. The big dilemma is always whether or not to drywall the ceiling. Murphy's Law says once you drywall the dishwasher will soring a leak above or you will need to repair something now hidden above the drywall.

Proper planning can give you the best of both worlds. For example, locating a "dummy" register or access panel below any plumbing will give water a place to escape and save your ceilings- just be careful what you put right underneath it! A good Set of mechanical drawings and many photographs with reference points will also come in extremely handy when trying to pull a new wire or fix a pipe.

As far as HVAC goes, we like to locate, adjust and secure the handles for all balancing dampers so they cannot blow shut later. We also install ports for cleaning the trunk ducts later on and provide access holes. Inspecting and sealing all of the ducts is the most important thing we can do, stopping 30% of your energy from leaking out above the ceiling.

And all the fooey about whether the supplys should be high or low... skip it! The giant holes in the duct itself have to go away to keep the system pressurized. Put the supplys at the perimeter in the ceiling where you will get the most airflow, but add a low return to get the cold air off of the floor. The heat near the ceiling will then come down to replace the cold air and you will be able to watch a movie without your feet being cold.

I can't give up all of my secrets here, but you know where to find us!

That New Furnace Smell

2009-09-28T10:39:00.001-07:00

Every Fall we turn our furnace on for the first time and are rewarded with that smell. It actually isn't that new furnace smell as much as it is that old furnace smell. Most of us wait until it is actually necessary to test fire the unit, and then a percentage of those folks end up calling for emergency service because it doesn't start at all.

I encourage people try their furnaces early in the fall, say today for example, to avoid being caught off guard. I also do not see the harm it turning it on for five minutes once a month to excercise the components... but I don't even do that. Do as you choose or find the time for on that one.

What is that smell though? Does every furnace make that odor the first time it runs each year? This whole thing came up in my mind after starting a clients furnace this weekend... then starting my own. The clients unit smelled foul, so when I got home I opened the windows and started my own, but no smell. Now, to be honest, it is not the result of meticulous routine maintenance. An old expression about the shoe-makers kids going barefoot comes to mind.

But the one difference I think contributed dramatically is the air filter. After all, the same air is flowing through the system when the A/C is on, so the only variable is the new hotter temperature. My client had a 1" cheesey air filter and my home has an air cleaner from Aprilaire that we installed once allergies and asthma became part of our lives. So then, I deduced that a significant portion of the odor was accumulated dust.

What else could contribute though? Well, I also installed a UV system to kill mold and mildew that grows in the dark recesses of my system, on the A/C coil and humidifier pad. My client did not have a UV light either. Did you know that an improperly pitched air conditioner coil can hold 1" of nasty stagnant water?

Go ahead, turn that furnace on now. Pay attention with all of your senses. Knowing what it smells, sounds, and even feels like when it is running right will help you avoid costly breakdowns by catching small changes in operation early. Let us know if you need any advice, we are here to help!

Furnace Tune- Up Time

2009-09-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

They say the early bird gets the worm... it does not apply directly to furnace tune- ups. However, once the furnace burners are cleaned and the machine is tuned to specs the energy consumption of the furnace goes down. So the earlier in the season the tune-up occurs the more "worms" you will be able to afford at the bait and tackle store. It is very likely that a professional technician can avoid break downs as well just by comparing the readings on major switches, safety controls, and relays to those from previous years. If the readings change there is going to be a reason.

We are also careful to inspect the dryer vent piping and test the CO detector to see if it actually still works for more than a pretty green nightlight (LED). The early bird price on a tune up is only $69 too, which is nearly half off!

Call 630-761-9007 folks and let's get ready for chili cook -off season!

Does duct leakage cause high Radon levels?

2009-08-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

Warning- DO try this at home! One of the tests I perform when designing a new system is to use a piece of paper off of the printer, with the furnace fan in the on position, to measure how tight the return air side of the system is. Of course, all of the inlet/ return vents should hold the paper when fully covered, but slide the paper horizontally in small incriments until the paper falls off. A tight system should hold the paper until the register grilles are about half exposed. Many factors govern this, such as the ratio of returns to burners in the furnace and distance from the fan, just to name a few. Other considerations are whether there are some returns down low for the heating season (if applicable) and others high (especially in rooms exposed to attics/ roofs) for the cooling season.
It never fails, the houses that do not cool well on the second floor or in certain rooms have no return air suction in those areas. It just makes sense that true efficiency comes from removing the air you don't want while you are introducing the air you are paying for. Try riding a bike with one pedal!

So what about the radon? When I investigate a house with poor returns the large leaks are usually in the basement. I prove this by opening the basement door a few inches (fan still on, windows/ doors closed) and letting it close itself. The further away it closes itself the more leakage. No, it isn't the hinges my skeptical readers, just try again with the fan off!

What we have demonstrated is a negative pressure in the basement, making the rest of the house positively pressured. So while your furnace fan is power venting your energy dollars out bath fans, can lights,etc. the basement is starving for air. It usually finds this air through the sump pump and through the crack around the perimeter of the floor. The sump pump has a four inch tube entering it that is perforated and runs the entire perimeter of the home...buried in dirt that emits gases such as radon. Another favorite place is the attached garage wall, where our cars make carbon monoxide and we store everything we do not wish our families to breathe!

I cannot ignore the fact that these homes all have radon systems on them because they tested high. The first thing the radon mitigator seals is the sump pump lid and then attaches a vent pipe to remove the gases. If the duct leakage is not corrected the furnace blower will start sucking air from other places, like down the water heater flue pipe.

Post a comment if you have a question, it gets pretty deep! I am off to enjoy the last few days before school starts with the family!

Fix Leaking Air Ducts

2009-08-12T13:07:00.000-07:00

Duct Sealing
Ever wonder why in the summer time the second floor is several degrees warmer than the first floor? Or why the basement is so cold when the A/C is on? The US Dept. of Energy, Energy Star, and he EPA will be happy to answer those questions for you. Check their websites and read how the average residential duct system leaks 20 – 40% of it’s air/energy into the ceilings, walls, and basement of your home.
You would expect the Dept of Energy and Energy Star to cover this topic, but why the EPA? Because these same leaks are responsible for construction dust and insulation fibers being pulled into our homes- into the air we breathe. Larger return air duct leaks in the basement can also create a negative pressure.
When the basement is negative air flows backward down flue pipes and radon is pulled in through the sump pump drain system. The bottom line: SEAL YOUR DUCTWORK! Your energy bills go down 20-40% that day- and your air quality goes up. The average payback in a 2400 square foot home is two years, unless the cost of energy goes up!

Cash in Your Attic

2009-07-14T12:57:00.000-07:00

When was the last time a professional energy consultant took a look up in your attic. For that matter, when was the last time you did? Have you ever gone in the attic and left the light off- just to see how much daylight is visible at the eaves or gables? I cannot tell you how many times I have found inadequete ventilation AFTER an owners second roof failed prematurely.

Oops, I forgot to mention the 1800 CFM power attic fan that the roofer installed to solve the problem...which didn't work either. When a power attic fan cannot suck enough air from the blocked or insufficient eave vents it begins to draw from somewhere else- your air conditioned house! This is why we only isnatll the Solar powered Attic Fans that self regulate the amount of ventilation cretaed to match what the eaves can support.

Does a humidistat on an attic fan make any sense? If the fan is in the attic, or outside of your home, then how can it lower the humidity by sucking the same air in a circle?

The layer of drywall or plaster between your house and attic is called the "attic plane" and should be air tight. Humidity collects in your attic when it escapes from your home through the attic plane, causing it to be dry in the house because the escaping air is replaced through leaks lower in the home by dry cold air from outside. Solution must be a bigger humidifier, right? It becomes a comedy of errors!

So why does an attic plane leak? because we poke lots of holes in it with the attic hatch, can lights, bath fans, poorly built soffets, and the lsit goes on. Even while you sleep this air leaks out and your bills go up, not to mention the insulation dust that finds it's way in.

Now, when was the last time a professional stuck his or head into you attic?

Air Conditioner and Furnace installation tips

2009-06-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

Many homeowners are faced with the need to replace their home's comfort system rather unexpectedly. The amount of information to decipher and the confusion associated with differentiating the appliance form the installation methods/ materials can give a homeowner a headache. If there are two people I would pay good money to travel back in time and slap silly they are as follows:
1) The person that coined the phrase "free estimates"
2) The person that decided you needed at least three of them.

(If these were the same person it would save me some travel expenses! If I had to pick a third it would be myself every ten minutes between 17 and 24 years of age....what was I thinking?)

There is nothing "free" to either party in a "free estimate". Both parties have to invest their valuable time and sometimes resources like cookies (my favorite) and bottles of water. If you are the contractor your gas, paper, pens, admin time, etc. Then you have all of the information.

How can three contractors really come up with three different sizes of units for the same home? How can the homeowner verify anything that they say is true? Does a homeowner have any way of knowing that every manufacturer makes three or four different quality platforms of the same product boasting the same features and warranty? This is truly the dumbest concept ever created by man. Smart consumers have a contractor they trust when the time comes to replace because the same intelligent humans have usually been using that contractor EVERY YEAR to perform preventive maintenance and a good tune-up.

That being said, let's talk about a concept I call "leveraging your labor dollar". When you purchase any item that requires installation you pay for several things that are fixed costs. For example: Labor to install includes the workers hourly wage, benefit package, and all of the companies overhead divided by the number of hours they have for sale. Another example is profit percentage- not a dirty word, without profit who will still be around to honor your warranty?

Then there are the variable expenses:
1) The number of associated items the contractors have decided are important enough to include with the installation of the appliance for safety and reliability. This only varies by contractor, every one of their installations will be generally the same. Guess what, the cheapest bid is also the "cheapest" contractor. It only includes whatever is absolutely necessary to get in and out as fast as possible. Then, whenever there is a warranty call it is always going to be one of those unnecessary parts that failed and you get billed. Shame on that contractor? Or shame on you, consumer with the ability to make good choices on the front end?

2) The second variable is the quality of the "box" installed. The better the quality of the appliance, or "box", the longer it will last. It will also make less noise, consume less energy, provide better comfort, have the smallest carbon footprint, and deliver better indoor air quality. Generally, the highest quality box is only a small number of dollars more than the baseline investment. The time it takes to recover the difference is two to five years. Plus it gives you something to brag about when you take your home to market.

This is where it all ties together. You are going to buy a box from the contractor that actually performs a computerized load calculation and does a good quality, safe installation that makes him or her responsible 100% for your satisfaction. Feed the rest of them to your dog.

So the installation does not change, the profit margin does not change, the labor and overhead recovery does not change. Just the box changes.
That is exactly the point. Your dollar, paid to have the unit installed, is the same if you buy the crappy box as if buy the best box, so you need to leverage your labor dollar to achieve the largest return on investment.

If you were going to pay a professional chef prepare a meal for you and your loved ones would you go out and buy hot dogs?

Those who make good decisions always get ahead, those who continue to make good decision always stay ahead.

R-22 ozone depleting refrigerant is out, R-410A environmentally friendly is in!

2009-05-27T19:45:00.001-07:00

Jan 1, 2010 is the date when air conditioning units utilizing R-22 refrigerant will no longer be manufactured and sold in the United States. This phase out has been in the works for over a decade now in an effort to eliminate R-22, which depletes our planet’s Ozone layer. The new environmentally friendly refrigerant, R-410A, has been in use since 1996 and is the replacement for R-22. What does this mean to business owners?

When a system is retrofitted from R-22 to R-410A it is necessary to replace the entire system, including the indoor coil and the refrigeration lines. This is often times costly in commercial spaces where mechanicals run through multiple units and through many floors. Not to mention, older leaky systems that need refrigerant will really start to cost a lot to fix when R-22 is no longer in production. Many of us remember when it suddenly cost several hundred dollars to repair the Ac in our automobiles because R-12 was phased out.

Also, we are at the low point in the market for HVAC work in general. As the thermometer goes up so will the value of each labor hour for sale, not to mention the impending inflation has not yet begun. This is the time for owners of multiple air conditioning units to take a careful inventory and evaluate the longevity of their existing systems. The average life expectancy of an air conditioner is ten years when located on a roof in the sun, and 13 years when located on the ground.

The efficiency gains even at the entry level investment are 30% over ten year old units. That is good news if you are paying the electric bills, and may be a useful tool to entice tenants in a sluggish and competitive market!

Sump pumps require foreward thinking!

2009-05-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

I have to credit a competitor of mine with first using the following line in an ad: "How many sump pumps fail? All of them". This is so simple and true that it should really provoke every home owner to march downstairs and take a pro-active look at the pump stopping the basement from flooding. Ask your self the following questions:

-How old is this pump? Is it still original? Does it LOOK reliable?
Sump pumps last 6 to 8 years. Do not tell yourself "but it hardly ever runs", because it may be worse for the pump to sit idle than to exercise itself often.

-How much water is being held in the pit? Is it pumped all of the way down to the bottom of the pump, or is it holding too much water?
Floats of old came as a fixed part on the pump, unlike the new style DUAL floats that can be calibrated to the characteristics of the pit itself. Remember, the height of the water in your pit is equal to the height of the water all around you foundation. The lower this level, the bigger head start you have on big rains! Dual floats actually use two separate floats, so if the first one fails the second one takes over. They also sound an alarm to let you know you are operating on your second float. Get this- most of the pumps we have to swim to to replace are working fine, it was the float or check valve that failed!

-Is the float obstructed?
Sometimes older floats actually rise on a tether cord with the water. If they are too close to the side of the pit, or debris has found it's way into the pit, they can get stuck. This is why many basements flood every year. I once removed a cigarette pack from a sump pump pit for an original owner that had never smoked. Add nails, a chunk of 2 x 4, a rag, a paint can lid, and many other undesirable items from the original construction. I wish to add that every time my hand goes into that murky water and encounter something I am certain it is a scary living creature, much to the owner's amusement...

Then listen to the check valve. Does it clunk when it shuts off? This is usually a sign of a worn spring or flap in the check valve. It is on borrowed time when it is making that clunk. It gets louder slowly over time and sneaks up on you, then it just quits one day while you are on vacation. Murphy's Law.

Lastly, pay attention to where the discharged water actually goes outside your home. Sometimes it bubbles right back into a window well and goes back into the sump pump pit. Other times the pipe buried underground has become obstructed and there are signs of the water flowing over the top onto the ground.

Your sump pump should be treated like the battery in your car. If you wait until you are stranded in the middle of a parking lot in 4 degree weather to change your six year old battery you do not feel very smart when the tow truck driver gets there. It always cost more money and heartbreak when these types of items are handled after the disaster.

Air Purifier takes on flu, VOC gases, and mold.

2009-05-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

Tom-

Q: Curious....Does this do anything for mold? Is it a powered unit? Does it have a replaceable filter and if so, what is the cost?

Hello D,

Thank you for your inquiry. Our duct mounted air purifiers have been quite the hot topic with the recent flu concerns.

This unit/ manufacturer makes no claims specifically related to killing mold. Especially the kind growing in corners, attics, and behind boxes in storage rooms. There are machines used that make extremely high levels of Ozone to kill mold, but this one makes almost no Ozone, just natural oxidizers!

Because it neutralizes all carbon composed airborne life-forms (quote me loosely there) it stands to reason that mold spores that travel in the air and can be inhaled or land in places and grow would be eliminated. These have also been used to keep mold from growing inside of the ducts themselves. We use UV lights to actually kill mold on humidifier panels and in evaporator coils, but they only kill what they come in direct contact with.

Spores and viruses also have no wings, they ride around on ultra fine dust particles. This device causes these fine particles to clump together where they can be either filtered or just fall to the floor. My favorite feature of these machines is when we install them while one of Air Quality monitors is running within 24 hours all of the Volatile Organic Compounds nearly disappear.

In case you are not aware, VOC’s are emitted by nearly every manufactured product we buy these days, from furniture and flooring to hygiene products and clothing. High concentrations make people really ill and frustrated because all of the prescriptions they get don’t help. Try to find a doctor that recommends testing the home first. No profit in fixing the problem, lots of money in treating the symptoms though!

These units flood the air with natural oxidizers that come in contact with everything. Much of the effectiveness is seen in structures that do not leak profusely, as the new air needs to be cleaned constantly. A tight structure where the same air is quickly saturated is cleaner. There is absolutely no question that this device eliminates all odors, including those associated with mildew/ mold. If I were a realtor I would own a bunch of these because they get rid of pet smells, smoke smells, etc.

We typically add an 110V outlet within 10 feet of the device to power the small UV light bulb. This draws very little juice. The bulb assembly, which includes the honeycomb of natural elements, gets replaced every 18 to 24 months for around $200.

The first one we installed was to eliminate cooking odors for a family that loved Dixie Chili but did not like smelling it for four days afterwards. Kathy called me the morning after chili and was delighted to have no odors. No surprise. I was surprised when she called a few months later to tell me that twice one of her children had come home from school with a cold/ flu and nobody else caught it. She wondered if it was related to the purifier. Of course it was, but she was so excited about the odors that she forgot about the other benefits.

The current “pandemic” may be being downgraded, but the next one is right behind it. Bird Flu, Swine Flu, plastic and duct tape emergency preparedness kits for bio terrorism? I am not pushing snake oil here, but the everyday benefits of an air purifier are why everybody needs one, not because of some irrational fear.

We are just here to help!

Tom

Summer Cooling Tips

2009-04-10T13:51:00.000-07:00

When summer's heat bears down on your home, give your air conditioner a helping hand this summer and it will cut your electricity bill while it helps you beat the summer heat. Try these ideas:

Reschedule laundry and cooking. Your clothes dryer, oven and stove generate a lot of heat. Give your air conditioner a break by scheduling laundry and cooking so that you do not create extra heat in the hottest part of the day.
Like a flower, your thermostat should follow the sun through the sky. Enjoy cooler temperatures at night while the sun is down to reduce humidity for sleeping. Set the temperature higher during the heat of the late morning and afternoon so your unit does not have to work so hard. The comfort will remain the same because the temperature difference between outside and inside will stay the same.
Plant a tree. Plant a deciduous tree on the south side of your house. It will be a natural source of solar energy control. Its leaves will block the sun’s heat during the summer then drop off in the fall to let the sun’s warmth shine through when you need it all winter.
Call for a check–up. If you have not already had your air conditioner checked by a qualified air conditioning contractor, schedule an appointment today. The contractor can clean your air conditioner, check for leaks and optimize your refrigerant charge. These steps will help your air conditioner work better and last longer. Fact: Only 10% of all air conditioners are charged accurately!
Lock your windows, even where security is not an issue. The lock presses the weather stripping tightly together to give you a better seal and keep that cool air inside your home. Storm windows are equally important in the summer as well.
Shut your garage. If your garage opens to the south side of the house, hot sunshine can heat up your garage. As that heat creeps into your house, it just makes your air conditioner work that much harder. Even if your garage does not face south, a closed garage door will help you minimize the loss of cooled air from inside the house.