I like Rock and Roll music and was inspired to use the title of a song by Meat Loaf (Marvin Lee Aday) as the title of this months’ article. I’ve also been an L.A. Dodgers fan since the early 1960’s. Trust me, this will all make sense in a minute. If a Dodger, or any…
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So your old furnace or air conditioner has decided to: A. Throw in the towel; B. Kick the bucket; C. Give up the ghost; D. Bite the dust, etc.? How will you determine whether you should have your old system repaired, or if it’s time to have a new system installed? Tough decision? You bet!…
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In July 2004, I received an e-mail from a valley homeowner whom I had met earlier in the year. The subject line read: “Foolish Decision”. The short story is that I had provided this homeowner with a proposal for a new heating and air conditioning system, earlier in the year. The crux of the e-mail…
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Whenever we purchase a major appliance for our home, it requires that it be plugged into a wall receptacle in order to operate. With few exceptions all refrigerators, big screen televisions, computers, microwave ovens, and George Foreman grilles, only require a steady supply of 120 volts to begin working. Every similar refrigerator for example, will…
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It is usually many years before homeowners have to deal with replacing their heating or cooling equipment. So here are some tips on what homeowners should look for to avoid costly mistakes: Choose a reliable contractor with a valid State Contractors License. Check with the Contractors State License Board at 1-800/321-CSLB(2752) or http://www.cslb.ca.gov/. Also check…
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We have all been made painfully aware that our utility costs are on the rise. Our bills have increased considerably since last year, or even last month. I think we can all agree that they will increase even more, and more, and more. But there are ways to decrease your energy usage. One of them…
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It is usually many years before homeowners have to deal with replacing their heating or cooling equipment, so here are some tips on what homeowners should look for to avoid costly mistakes. Choose a reliable contractor with a valid State Contractors License. Check with the Contractors State License Board at 1-800/321-CSLB(2752). Make sure that permits…
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A popular type of Air Conditioning system uses an outdoor condensing unit coupled with an indoor evaporator coil. The coil is mounted down stream of a furnace located in a closet or attic. Split-System Heat Pumps are similar but they incorporate a blower to move the air instead of a furnace. In a properly operating…
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I hope that 2004 was a good year for all of you, and I wish you good luck, and good health, throughout the upcoming year. During this past year, I have analyzed several hundred heating and cooling systems. I truly don’t enjoy telling a homeowner that their old heating or cooling system needs to be…
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Although our winters here are very mild, you may have had to use your furnace already. If you have not had your furnace checked recently, it would be a good time to do so. At the very least, the filter should be cleaned or replaced, but other parts should be checked to make sure that…
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