Archive for the ‘Consumer Protection’ category

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Is Your Air Conditioner the Right Size?

July 11th, 2011

When it comes time to replace your air conditioner, make sure that you are purchasing the new system from a reputable company. Selling an air conditioner to a customer means big money for the business and as a result, some less scrupulous contractors like to take advantage of the customer’s ignorance of the HVAC industry. How do they do this? Well, one way they increase their profit is by selling customers a unit that is too big for their home. This may not seem like that big of a deal, but when you consider the problems that can be caused by oversized air conditioners, you may think twice about who you trust with your next air conditioner installation.

Years of Problems to Come!

Some illegitimate contractors will tell you anything to get you to purchase a more expensive unit. They will promise more cold air and lower energy bills, and before you know it, you have purchased a unit that is twice the size of the unit you need for your home. Once that unit is installed, the real problems begin. Not only did that contractor scam you out of hundreds of dollars, he also left you with years of problems to come! » Read more: Is Your Air Conditioner the Right Size?

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Consumer Protection, Contractors, Money Saving

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Home Inspections and Second Opinions

June 29th, 2011

This summer, a good friend of mine and his wife thought that they had found their dream home. They bought a home that had been repossessed by the bank, then purchased, and remodeled by a rehab contractor. The house was beautiful. The kitchen had granite counter tops with complementing back splashes. All of the floors were hardwood with matching woodwork. On the surface this was the perfect dream house that they had been looking for, for months!

The Original Inspection

When buying a home, the mortgage company is going to want the home inspected before they hand over a penny. The lender that my friends used had their own home inspector go through the house and give the “thumbs up” before they would approve the loan. The loan was approved, and my friends became the proud owners of their first home. » Read more: Home Inspections and Second Opinions

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Consumer Protection, Contractors, HVAC Repair

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Summer Time Home Repair Scams

June 15th, 2011

The majority of scams that you hear about concern shoddy repair jobs or “fly by night” contractors, but there is another scam that dresses itself up as an offer to do home repairs but ends in a robbery. Any area that is affected by weather damage is vulnerable to these types of scams especially. The bad weather often cause roofs to crumble, gutters to fall, and a plethora of other home damage that needs to be repaired quickly. The scammers take advantage of this fact and will go door to door until they get a taker. Then the real scam begins…

Getting Their Foot in the Door

This scam is often carried out by a couple of thieves. They will say anything they can in order to get their foot inside your door. They will offer affordable low pricing and even a free on the spot inspection. An unsuspecting homeowner may think that this is their lucky day, but in reality you are anything but lucky. The “servicemen” will either try to split up or they will return later to finish the job. » Read more: Summer Time Home Repair Scams

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Posted in Consumer Protection, Contractors, Home Repairs

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Best Air Conditioner Placement

June 9th, 2011

Many people move into a home that already has an air conditioning unit in place. Odds are that the system is somewhere in the backyard at ground level. As the years tick by the air conditioner eventually needs to be replaced. Most homeowners will swap out the system and place it in the exact same spot as the original unit. For many this may be the only option and odds are the installation is much simpler when the hookups for the system are already in place.

Relocating Your Air Conditioner

However, you may want to consider relocating the system. I am not talking about just moving the unit to a different spot in the yard, but how about relocating your unit to the roof? This suggestion probably sounds odd to most, but the benefits may be enough to convince you that the roof is a much better home for your air conditioner’s condenser. » Read more: Best Air Conditioner Placement

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Consumer Protection, Information

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Common Causes of A/C Damage

June 7th, 2011

What do children, lawn mowers, and rodents have in common? At first guess you may think nothing, but they are actually some of the most common causes of physical air conditioner damage. This summer, a local teenager wielding a lawn mower, a family or mice, or you mischievous children could cost you hundreds of dollars in repairs to the air conditioning unit it you are not careful about protecting your system.

Be On the Lookout For:

  • Children: The air conditioner is not a toy, but though it may not look like one to you, your children will find the system very intriguing. Before you allow your condenser to become your child’s jungle gym, consider this. Children like to place toys, sticks, and pretty much anything they can get their hands on inside the air conditioner’s fan blades. Although they find it funny, a bent fan blade will cost hundreds to replace. » Read more: Common Causes of A/C Damage

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Consumer Protection, Maintenace, Safty

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Put Your Air Conditioner Under Lock and Key!

June 1st, 2011

Your air conditioning unit is vulnerable. You spend thousands of dollars replacing, repairing, and maintaining a system that sits unprotected on the outside of your home. All you need is a powerful storm or a talented thief to come by and suddenly that great investment will be useless. However, if you were able to protect your unit, you could prevent weather related damage and make thieves think twice before breaking into your air conditioning unit this summer.

Weather and Your Air Conditioner

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Consumer Protection, Money Saving

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What’s Blocking Your Exhaust?

May 26th, 2011

Wiffle balls, tennis balls, baseballs and rocks are some of the things I’ve removed from the vent pipes of high efficiency furnaces. Oh yea, I have also removed a few dead birds as well. A blocked exhaust vent will trigger safety devises within the furnace to shut the unit down. The unit will not work until the obstruction is removed, and it is for your protection that the system has this mechanism. Without it, you and your family would be surrounded by carbon monoxide every time the neighborhood kids stuck something in your exhaust pipe! You need to keep that pipe protected! On some older furnaces there is no protection from kids or animals blocking the exhaust pipe of your high efficiency furnace.  However, this can be remedied with the installation of a simple screen at the termination of these pipes.

I found two easy remedies for this problem. The first is a plastic 3/4 inch mesh screen, which is designed for this purpose. The second is a piece of hardware cloth cut to size and it is friction fit onto the pipe. But, both methods have their pros and cons. » Read more: What’s Blocking Your Exhaust?

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Posted in Consumer Protection, Heating, Safty

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Air Conditioners that Dim the Lights

April 27th, 2011

What should you do if your lights dim when your AC kicks on? PANIC? No, it’s not that bad. Dimming lights, however, do mean there is a problem that must be fixed as soon as possible. If the only time the lights dim is when the air conditioner turns on, you may want to shut the unit down until you have the problem taken care of. Dimming lights usually indicates that there is a bad connection in the system or a component that is starting to burn out.

HVAC Pros

There is a long list of possible causes for this problem, and most of them, unfortunately, the home owner can’t check. The ones you can check include: checking fuses and replacing any that seem weathered, and clearing any debris from both the inside and outside of the air conditioner. If both of these areas are clear, call an HVAC company to have a look at your unit. » Read more: Air Conditioners that Dim the Lights

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Consumer Protection, Home Repairs, Safty

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Bad Dog!

April 14th, 2011

Every year for the past four years I would do a spring time clean and check on my friend’s air conditioning unit. The clean and check usually took about an hour to do. We would clean his unit and then cook a few burgers on the grill and drink a few beers. Well for the past couple of years I told him the corrosion on his coil was getting worse and that it looked like a dog was urinating on the coil of his air-conditioner. I warned him he needed do something to keep it from ruining his A/C. For some reason he didn’t believe me until his unit sprung a leak early last summer. He waited too long to react. It was way too late.

The Effects of Urine on You’re A/C

The chemicals in the urine start to eat away at the aluminum and cooper coil very quickly. The aluminum will start to turn white or gray and then it will just crumble away. The fins start to crumble and fall off in big patches. All of the tubing will start turning green where ever it’s exposed to these chemicals. Under the right conditions in just one cooling season an air-conditioning condensing unit can be destroyed. » Read more: Bad Dog!

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Consumer Protection, Information, Money Saving

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Central Air Theft On the Rise!

March 17th, 2011

Air conditioning season is right around the corner, and with the new season comes new worries. Air conditioners need to be cared for just like the rest of your HVAC system, but there is one problem that you need to be on the lookout for: a/c theft.  During the summer months, as well as during the off season, air conditioners are targeted by those desperate to make a quick buck. The internal components and piping attached to your air conditioner are valuable to thieves, and unless you are on your toes, you could find yourself with a gutted air conditioning unit this summer. » Read more: Central Air Theft On the Rise!

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Consumer Protection, Safty

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