Let Expert HVAC and Refrigeration help you give the most practical and caring gift of all: a healthy, safe and comfortable home! We are a Pro Contractor for smart home products like Nest learning thermostats, security cameras, CO/smoke detectors and more! Call us today for a smart home product and installation estimate for that special someone on your list. 915-598-1732 or visit us at www.ai9.co
While there are optimal indoor temperature recommendations from institutions in our industry that set the standards like Energy.gov, EPA and Consumer Reports, there’s really no one who can tell you what is going to be the most comfortable for you. But, to make our best recommendation for a thermostat setting in winter, Expert HVAC and Refrigeration will use the data and science collected by these agencies to advice our customers in El Paso.
Energy.gov suggests setting the thermostat at home while you’re awake and lowering it while you’re asleep or away from home for the most comfort and savings. On average, homes kept at 68-70° F during occupied hours create optimal comfort. However, if there is an elderly person or infant in the home, it may be most comfortable for them to add a degree or two in the winter time so that they can more easily stay warm.
Consumer Reports recommends lowering the thermostat while away from home or sleeping to be most comfortable and they say it will also keep your heating bills in check. Lowering your thermostat by 5-10 degrees from its highest setting for the hours while you sleep or are at work (or both) can significantly reduce your heating bills…from 10-15%.
But, did you know there are also health benefits to lowering winter’s thermostat settings? It’s true. Setting the thermostat a little lower in the colder months can actually help you maintain your body weight. “Temperatures in the 60 to 62 degrees F range burn an extra 100 to 150 calories per day,” says C. Ronald Kahn, M.D., professor of medicine at Harvard medical school, who studies the effect of temperature on energy-burning brown fats. “Even if you’re only burning 50 calories a day at the higher end of that, that’s still half a pound of fat every month.”
Heating our homes in the winter time accounts for nearly half of our utility bill each month. That’s something to consider when choosing the thermostat setting. Choosing your setting is, of course, your choice. But, at what $$cost$$? Try these expert recommendations and if you are still cold, we do recommend you add degree by degree until you feel warm and comfortable.
We also can recommend other ways to stay warm in your home this winter, including:
Winter is here, El Paso. And, staying warm is going to be a little harder than usual. Expert HVAC and Refrigeration offers these recommendations to help you be most comfortable. If your furnace cannot maintain these recommendations, you may have a problem that needs to be checked. If that is the case, call us at 915-598-1732. We can help!
Usually we blog about the dangers related to your heating and cooling system, but with the holidays upon us, we want to provide you with advice to keep your family safe from the hazards of Christmas time. For the best advice, Expert HVAC and Refrigeration’s blog turns to This Old House. They write:
Keep the “happy” in “happy holidays” by making sure your don’t fall victim to these common (but preventable) Christmas dangers.
We don’t mean to be kill-joys during the most joyous time of the year, but the stats don’t lie: According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, over 12,500 of you have to leave the company of your loved ones to rush to the emergency room due to holiday-related accidental injuries. Here are some common holiday dangers that are overlooked by distracted holiday revelers more often than you might think. Take a look, know the warning signs, and you’ll be the first to know if you, your loved ones, or your pets are victims of a toxic Christmas.
If your sniffling and sneezing coincide with the arrival of your freshly cut Christmas tree, you could be reacting to skyrocketing mold spore counts. If you must have a real tree in your home, prevent allergic reactions for guests and loved ones by hosing your tree down, spraying it with a mold-resistant sealant like M-1 Sure Cote, and allowing it to dry before bringing it indoors.
Mold spore counts might be lower with living trees, and lower still with artificial trees. But, keep in mind that some mold can grow on living trees in nature and that dust accumulates while artificial trees are in storage. Also, ask growers about the pollination behavior of your tree: Mountain cedar trees pollinate in late November to early December, so allergy sufferers should steer clear of that variety. Allergy sufferers should consider wearing an allergy relief mask while decorating and keeping an air purifier in the room of the display.
If you’re baking this holiday, keep your ingredients stored in a high cabinet and not anyplace where your pup could get to them. Theobromine, a compound present in chocolate that is toxic to dogs but not humans, could cause a range of symptoms, including vomiting and diarrhea, seizures, coma, or even death. Potential toxic doses vary by breed size and weight, but unsweetened cocoa and baking chocolate pose the highest risk, while milk chocolate is least threatening. If you suspect your pet has ingested a toxic amount of chocolate, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435.
Pups begging at the table for scraps isn’t anything new. But, make sure guests know what they can and can’t offer your pet. It’s best practice not to train animals into a taste for human foods at all; your dog can chew common treats like chicken and turkey bones into shards that can pose a choking hazard if swallowed.
Be sure to take your trash out regularly to avoid pets rummaging through it and discovering scraps that could put them in danger: coffee grinds (methylxanthines can cause vomiting and diarrhea, seizures, and even death), grapes and raisins (an unknown compound causes kidney failure), and more. For a full list of People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pet visit aspca.org
Grandpa, Grandma, and other overnight guests may be traveling with medication. You can monitor and properly store your own prescriptions but when guests come, they may leave theirs on guest room nightstands and bathroom vanities, right in reach of the little ones.
Designate a secure area or tray on a high dresser for guests to lay out their pill boxes and bottles. Give guests a special place to put their pocketbooks and bags (which may also contain pills and other medications) that is inaccessible to children, too.
It’s important to keep walkways clear of snow and ice to prevent injury from slips and falls. But, it’s just as important to make sure you’re shoveling correctly so as not to hurt yourself. Avoid pulling your back by bending at the knees, keeping your back straight, tightening your stomach muscles, and lifting with your legs. See more Digging Do’s and Dont’s from TOHlandscape contractor Roger Cook to make sure you make it through the holidays with your back intact.
A large percentage of holiday-related emergency room visits are a result of attempts to open difficult product packaging, such as clamshells and shrink-wrapped goods. When opening packages you want to make sure that your hands—and whatever is inside the impenetrable container—make it through the process unscathed. If you’re using scissors, cut with blades facing away from your body and hands, but you could also try a specialty tool to get things opened in a snap. Our favorite is the Plastic Surgeon which features a long ergonomic handle and a stay-sharp surgical steel blade with auto-close safety cover. Another option is to shop vendors who provide easy-open packaging (shown here); there are more and more of them as wrap rage frustration and injuries increase year over year.
Every year, more than 500,000 people are injured as a result of falling off of ladders. If you’re hanging holiday lights this year, don’t do it alone; a pair of helping hands goes a long way to ensuring your safety. Make sure your ladder is level, don’t overreach, and don’t ascend the ladder with your hands full. Also, as marked on many models, do not step on the two uppermost treads. Close ladders when they’re not in use to avoid having kids venture upward without supervision. You might also consider accessories like ladder jacks and levelers for added safety.
As we’ve discussed in How to Kid-Proof Your Holiday Decor, trees should be placed in a sturdy stand rated for the tree’s size and positioned in a low-traffic area, where pets and kids won’t pose a tip-over risk. Meanwhile, when decorating avoid real or artificial candy and popcorn: They’ll lure kids to tug at the tree and pose choking hazards if children take a bite. Trees are involved in hundreds of fires every holiday season; keep reading for ways you can lower the risk in your home.
Tossing wrapping paper into the fireplace may seem harmless enough, but doing so poses a flash fire risk. Split hardwood is the best thing to burn, and make sure your chimney is swept and fireplace is maintained before you light it up. Never light candles—responsible for tens of thousands of fires every year—near your holiday tree or where pets and kids may be playing; an open flame near a dry tree (indicated by the shedding of excessive needles) is a major holiday fire hazard.
To that end, keep your tree away from any heat sources, like radiators and fireplaces, which will expedite the drying process. In fact, consider adding glass fireplace doors for a measure of safety. Cutting away a sliver from the bottom of your new tree’s trunk will allow it to absorb more moisture and slow drying time. If holiday distractions mean tree-watering will slip your mind, consider investing in a reusable artificial tree or try an automatic watering system like the Quench-A-Tree, which looks like a wrapped gift.
Always inspect lights before you hang and plug them in. Check for frayed wires, broken bulbs and sockets, and loose connections—those problems indicate fire and electrocution hazards. Keep in mind that the larger a bulb is, the more heat it’ll drive, so inspect surfaces after your first light up to monitor for possible damage to gutters. Lead is present in many Christmas light strings; do your homework and read packages carefully to determine the right set of lights for your home.
Regardless of your preferences (colored, uncolored, large bulbs, or small) make sure the box you pick up has a UL seal on it. UL-certified products have undergone testing for durability and safety. Finally, use as few power cords as possible to prevent overloading and only use lights marked for outdoor use in your exterior lighting displays. When you’re not enjoying your beautiful sparklers, be sure to unplug.
‘Tis the season of long lines, last minute shopping and gifts that just go to waste. This year, give the homeowner on your list something he or she will really like: the Gift of Comfort, Safety and Convenience!
Here our list of 5 Perfect Gifts we can help you give to show you really care:
The holidays in El Paso means we are finally turning on our furnaces for the first time. Give a warm and loving gift of a safety check for someone on your list. We’ll help you make sure your loved one’s furnace is safe from carbon monoxide or gas leaks and ready for our cold weather season. Knowing the furnace is likely to perform without problems during our cold weather months is the greatest gift…one of peace of mind!
There are so many great new smart products for the home available to make life easier, like the Nest Learning Thermostat or Nest Protect CO/smoke detector. These gadgets are raising the bar on home safety, efficiency and convenience.
The Nest Learning Thermostat replaces most older model thermostats and provides smart technology via a phone/tablet app so you can monitor and control the temperatures while you are in your home or away from it. The Nest thermostat helps homeowners save money on energy usage by self-programming for usage when you’re there, and not wasting it when you’re gone.
The Nest Protect CO/Smoke Detector is the best and safest carbon monoxide and smoke alarm on the market today for reliability and “sensibility”. The Nest Protect can sense a potential hazard and report it early, before it becomes a danger, “Something in the kitchen is burning!” It also checks its own batteries — more than 400 times per day — and reports to your phone when a battery change is needed. NO CHIRPING! Battery-life is about 2 years. Get more than one Nest Protect and if there is a hazard in one area, all monitors be will alerted to the danger…just not the one in the immediate area! Nest Protects alerts with alarm and message to your smart device.
Nest Secure protects your home from intruders, but keeps it easy for you to get it! A key fob unlocks the door for you, but sounds an alarm and sends an alert to your smart phone when someone else tries to enter without it! Doors and windows can be armed with Nest Detect sensors, too, to work simultaneously with the Nest Secure alarm system for full security coverage.
Nest Indoor Cam and Outdoor Cam are two of the clearest and most competent cameras on the market now. Night vision for both is fabulous. Check on your sleeping child from another room or check in on your dog while you are away with Nest cams to always be aware of their activity and safety. And, coming soon…Nest Hello will show you who’s knocking at the door.
Expert HVAC and Refrigeration is your Nest Pro Contractor/Installer in El Paso. Call us and we’ll help you provide the perfect gift from this list for that special someone on your list!
Happy Holidays from all of us at Expert HVAC and Refrigeration.
915-598-1732
Mary was one of our chosen wall heater winners for the Heaters for Holidays charitable giveaway. Eric Alvarez, President of Expert HVAC and Refrigeration and organizer of the event, said “It warms our hearts that Miss Mary M. will have warmth in her home now.”
Four winners were awarded the gift of heat in this year’s Heaters for the Holidays giveaway: 2 furnaces and 2 wall heaters. Expert HVAC and Refrigeration wishes to thank our partners Goodman, Passage Supply and KISS 93.1 FM Mornings with Mike and Tricia for their contributions. Read our chosen winners deserving stories here: https://experthvacandrefrigeration.com/heaters-for-the-holidays-winners-are-announced/
Dirty filters reduce airflow, affect indoor air quality, and make your equipment work harder costing you more on your utility bills. Clogged filters can also shorten the life of your system. Replace your furnace filters regularly for most HVAC efficiency and best performance!
Do you want to remain stocked with furnace filters and receive regular filter change reminders to make your timely filter changes? Expert HVAC and Refrigeration will do that for you! Learn more about our FilterFetch program for El Paso homeowners and businesses here: https://experthvacandrefrigeration.com/filter-fetch/
Call us for more information on FilterFetch at 915-598-1732.
For the past four years, Expert HVAC and Refrigeration has been giving away furnaces as part of Heaters for the Holidays with our partners, KISS FM 93.1 with Mike and Tricia in the Morning, Goodman, and Passage Supply. The generous contributions of all involved help us to continue this effort…and it’s getting bigger and better every year. This year, Heaters for the Holidays is giving away 4 heating systems!
Today, the winners were announced live on the air on KISS FM 93.1 at 8:45 am by Eric Alvarez, president of Expert HVAC and Refrigeration, with Mike & Tricia in the Morning.
“Why do you do this?” asked Mike.
“Because I have been blessed,” said Alvarez. “My parents instilled in me to help those less fortunate. I want to pass on blessings to those who really need it. Heaters for the Holidays is one way I can. But, not just me…the good people of Goodman and Passage Supply are also helping. And, even my technicians want to help. Many of them donate their time to install these systems. I have the best technicians!”
Heaters for the Holidays considers hundreds of submissions and stories of those in need of a furnace. All submissions are all considered. “Some of the stories are hard to read,” says Alvarez. “I often ask myself, ‘how do I choose?’”
Our First Winner: Linda’s Story
Linda sent a submission nominating mother. Here is her story:
“My family has been going through a lot. Two family members passed this year of diabetes. Mom was their caretaker in the past year. She struggled to give them what they needed but she managed to help. She even paid to reconstruct their house for wheelchair access. Since, both have passed. Now, I want to help mom. Mom works Monday through Friday with overtime to continue to provide for our family. She doesn’t have a working furnace of her own. She stays warm using blankets and leaving stove on with pot full of water boiling.” (Expert HVAC and Refrigeration NEVER recommends using the stove to heat the home. This is a fire and carbon monoxide danger.)
Of the news, her mother was chosen, Linda said, “My mom really deserves it. She has always done whatever she can for others. Today, we woke up and the house was pretty chilly. She needs working heat. Thank you, Eric and everyone, you all are a blessing!”
Said Alvarez, “Within a week, we will have your mom and all winners installed with heat.”
Winner 2: Cynthia’s Story
“I am single mom with three kids at home. My house needs a lot of work, and every year something seems to happen to the heater and it is expensive to repair. But, it’s cheaper than replacing it. This year, I was crossing my fingers hoping that it works. I’ve delayed using it and instead have been using a portable floor heater. Fortunately, it hasn’t been too cold yet. My house isn’t big but still gets cold so with the portable heater and all of us sleeping in my room, we’ve managed to stay warm.” (Expert HVAC and Refrigeration NEVER recommends using portable heaters to heat the home during sleep. This is a fire danger.)
Tricia stated, “Floor heaters are dangerous, not designed to be unattended.” KISS FM 93.1 continued: “Well, congratulations, after today you don’t have to worry about that.” Mike said. “You are such a good guy, Eric!” he continued.
“We couldn’t do it without your radio crew. Thank you for your help with this. Hopefully, we can continue to do more in the coming years. The more people we can help in El Paso, the better we’ll all be for it,” said Alvarez. “And, thanks to Virgil and the crew at Goodman for their continued support by donating the equipment,” he concluded.
But, Wait…There’s More
This year’s Heater for the Holidays had a new twist: Last year, Expert HVAC and Refrigeration and its partners in the giveaway gave away two heaters. “This year, we’re giving away four, including two wall heaters!” said Alvarez. “So many submissions last year needed wall heaters. Their homes were not set up for furnaces…no proper ductwork and no furnace closet. Wall heaters are ductless…and usually are on the wall and sit in the hallway,” he explained.
“Thanks to Ron Passage and his contribution of two wall heaters, we are happy to announce two more winners: Aramita and Mary M., both nominated for Heaters for the Holidays and both very deserving winners!” said Alvarez.
When you buy from Expert HVAC and Refrigeration, you can feel good that their charity of Heater for the Holidays is supported. You, too, give back to the community.
Congratulations to all of our winners and thank you to our partners in Heater for the Holidays!
Happy Holidays, everyone! Expert HVAC and Refrigeration, serving El Paso for over 36 years.
915-598-1732
Expert HVAC and Refrigeration is a Nest Pro Installer. Call today for an estimate on installing the Nest Learning Thermostat…and learn how you’ll save money on your energy costs with this awesome control! Must purchase before Nov. 24. Scheduled installation can follow.
915-598-1732
www.ai9.co
Home Automation enables homeowners to access thermostats, cameras, alarm systems or other connected devices and adjust them, or be notified of issues and problems in the home while they are home or away from home. Homeowners can adjust temperatures or shut off the heating or cooling system, be informed of water leaks around the water heater or anywhere water may compromise a home system, and be alerted of too much CO or smoke…all from their smartphone. Being able to provide customers with this type of control over their home systems promotes Expert HVAC and Refrigeration’s mission of making homes safer, less vulnerable to expensive repairs and keeps energy costs lower.
“We’ve been working in some capacity with home automation for a while now,” says company president Eric Alvarez. “Our choice to integrate some of our HVAC services with home automation was a conscious decision to help our home and business owners develop more control, safety and energy saving solutions over their homes and businesses,” says Alvarez. “We aim to provide every project with solutions to lower the energy costs of the home or business. With that, WiFi connected devices make the most sense,” he concluded.
Some of our home automation includes WiFi connected products like:
For an estimate to be better connected to the home systems you have, call Expert HVAC and Refrigeration at 915-598-1732 or visit us at https://experthvacandrefrigeration.com/.
Electric company rebates may be available for some of the Nest products. Inquire with Expert HVAC and Refrigeration at the time of your free estimate.
Do you know someone whose heating is going to be inadequate this year? Someone who has maybe fallen on hard times or just can’t quite make the repairs they need?
Expert HVAC and Refrigeration and KISS FM 93.1 are once again bringing two lucky winners “Heaters for the Holidays!”
You can nominate yourself or someone in need to win one of two Goodman furnaces plus installation. Winners will be announced live Friday, November 17th on the air with Mike and Tricia Morning at KISS FM 93.1.
To nominate, simply click the link and fill out the form: http://kisselpaso.com/nominate-someone-to-win-a-new-furnace-for-heaters-for-the-holidays-2017/
Tell us why your nominee deserves to win. Registration begins on Tuesday, November 3, and winners will be announced live on the air on Mike and Tricia Mornings on November 17.
Heaters for the Holidays is a charity giveaway sponsored by Expert HVAC and Refrigeration and KISS FM 93.1. Winners are selected by committee and agree to the dates and terms of installation by the HVAC contractor.
Since nearly 30% of the nation’s annual energy bill (approximately $2,200) goes towards heating, it’s a good idea to spend the time now to decide on a new furnace or not. It is also a good idea to start investigating the answer now, in the fall, instead of the middle of winter when you are rushed into a decision.
Here are 5 telltale signs that your heating system has reached the end of its useful life and should be replaced:
Remember to schedule your fall furnace maintenance to conduct an operational and safety check and to prevent any carbon monoxide leaks from your heating system.
If you have any further questions on how to tell if your furnace needs replacing, talk to the licensed, trained technicians at Expert HVAC and Refrigeration. Schedule a free new heating system estimate at (915) 598-1732 or visit us at https://experthvacandrefrigeration.com/
