Funny

Ok, I got this from my Brother. I thought it was hilarious, so I wanted to share.
It goes like this.

A man gets up one morning and looks out the window. To his surprise he sees a gorilla in the tree in his front yard. Knowing something had to be done, he grabs a phonebook and starts looking for a solution to his unique problem. After not much searching he finds an ad for gorilla removal. A quick call and a couple of hours later the gorilla pro arrives. After a brief introduction he begins assembling the tools for the job. He pulls out a pair of handcuffs, a dog(Lamar) and a shotgun. The curious homeowner asks what the plan is and the professional "gorilla wrangler" begins to detail his plan as well as the customers responsibilities.

"Ok, here's how it works. I'm gonna climb up in the tree and shake the tree. Now when the gorilla falls out of the tree my dog, Lamar, will try to bite him in the balls. Now of course he will try to defend himself by putting his hands down in protection of his groin. At that time you slap the handcuffs on him and we take him away."
After a second of thinking the homeowner asks "Well then, What's the shotgun for?"

In a most serious tone the Gorilla Pro says "Well, in the unlikely event that the gorilla shakes me out of the tree. Shoot Lamar!"


Could have been my state of mind at the time, but I thought it was hilarious. Thank you.

Electricity!

I cannot say how very important disconnecting power before you work on anything electrical is. Not saying I do it every time. Many exciting times. Not that it's ever really hurt me. Just maybe poop a little, but that's a secret kept between a man and his electricity.. Ok, I've said too much. Catch the light on your way out...

uh Honey? That thing outside is frozen again.

So you look out your window one morning and notice your A/C unit is frozen. What do you do? This can be a bad thing, but doesn't have to be. How to tell? 1st off, Heat pump or Straight air? A Heat pump will freeze in the winter often. It will also sense this and defrost itself. Either Heat pump or Straight air freezing in the summer is probably bad. The 1st thing you need to check is your filter. A dirty or clogged filter can cause freezing. On the other hand low pressures due to low freon or a blockage in the line set can also cause freezing. Not to mention a clogged coil. If it's not the filter, call a Professional.

 You might save yourself some money and the service guy some time if you turn the unit off (no heat/no cool) and set the Fan to "on". This will help defrost the inside coil over time. You don't want to pay someone to do it. A rough estimate to defrost a coil is $75-150 depending on the work involved.

In closing, the Filter is probably the most forgotten piece in your HVAC system. It can cause a good bit a frustration as well as dent your pocket. Show your filter some Love.

Your Thermostat and You.

Your Thermostat is a very important and misunderstood piece of your HVAC system. Digital or not. Programmable or not. They all have the same basic function. Main differences will be is it a Heat pump or Straight air. Heat pumps work all year round. Pumping heat out in the hotter season and in during the colder seasons. Straight air on the other hand only runs in the hot months, Heat is provided by either electric heatstrips or a gas furnace. The exception to this rule is the dual fuel system that uses a Heat pump in conjunction with a Gas furnace.

The Thermostat with a Heat pump or Dual fuel will have an extra position for Emergency heat. This is NOT dangerous. This is simply to get you out of a tight spot if your Heat pump goes out and you still need heat. Emergency Heat uses Electric heatstrips (or Gas if you have dual fuel) for heat without the use of the Heat pump. This can be more expensive than the Heat pump, but if it's all you have, use it.

A straight air Thermostat will have only 3 positions. Heat, Cool and off. Very simple. A note about the fan switch. In most cases you will leave the Fan in the "Auto" position. "On" does nothing except make the Blower run continuously. "Auto" allows the Thermostat to turn the Blower on when it is needed.

Now onto programmable Thermostats. Set the program and leave it. No sense spending the money on a programmable Thermostat if you are going to change it everytime you walk down the hall. lol

As far as temperature goes, I am asked a lot about what the best temperature is for each season. I see it this way. If you want to save money then 68* in the winter and 78* in the summer. This is not comfortable for most people. If this is your case, try setting the Thermostat as close to these goal Temps as you can. HVAC is for your comfort. Try to find a middle point where you can be happy with your bill and comfort.

. This is a basic understanding about Thermostats. As always if this is beyond you, call a professional. Thank you.

You mean it has a filter?

Since I'm in the HVAC business let's talk things you can do as a homeowner to help your system last longer. There are a lot of things you should not do and only a few you may want to do. The air filter is the only thing you must do. I subscribe to the "Air Conditioning" not "Air Filtration" way of thinking on this. Meaning cheaper may be better. More airflow is the deciding factor here. Expensive pleated filters that pick up every tiny particle may be choking your A/C system. Causing strain on your compressor. The more airflow the better. A cheap Dollar filter can be better for your system than anything else. Change your filter every month or so depending on your house and family. Less need to change it if you are an elderly couple that keeps a clean house, as opposed to Mom, Dad, 3 kids, 2 Dogs and a Cat. Sorry Mom. More traffic, more dust, more dander equals more need to change. If you desire more filtration consider asking a HVAC professional about a filtration system specifically designed to filter the air. They can be installed on most any existing system. The very basic one will consist of a large pleated filter. about 5" thick. this gives more area, thus providing great filtration and good airflow. Another benefit is the need to change around once a year.

Next on the agenda should be your outside condensing coil. I believe it is a good idea to wash the coil itself with a garden hose. NEVER a brush or other tools. The coil is very easily bent. You bend the fins and the coil can't breath as well. I use a nice strong spray starting at the top and moving down. You just want to get the dirt, grass or whatever else has been sucked into the coil. And No, never a pressure washer. lol. That was a fun day... Running or not doesn't matter. I hit it when I'm in the area. No direct spray in the fan tho. For obvious reasons.

 Lastly, let's talk plants. They are good for hiding the unit and possibly providing some shade for it on very hot days. They can also be a huge bother for anyone with a need to work on the unit, as well as invading the cabinet of the unit. Ivy and Honeysuckle. Nice, but very invasive. Keep them cut back. You don't want your HVAC service tech doing it. Not very kind to the plant and way expensive. Heh

These things are easy for a homeowner to do and can keep you away from heavy repair bills if you are lucky. And if you are ever hesitant about any of these. Call a professional. Thank you.