our opinions: ADVICE FROM AN EXPERT
In The
Comfort
Zone
By BRETT HOBSON,
CEO Comfort Experts
and MELISSA MOORMAN
Brett Hobson
The Many Things Comfort Experts Can Help
You With Your Home
E
veryone knows what an air conditioning and heating
service company can do for you as a homeowner.
When your air conditioner or heater isn’t working proper-
ly, we are the guys you call to fix it. But that’s not all we
can do. As the CEO of Comfort Experts, I would like to fill
you in on a few other things that companies like ours can
do to make your home a haven – the place you and your
family want to be.
The first thing a company like ours can do is to save
you money. That’s not usually what most people think
of when they call a service technician to their home.
Making sure your system is properly maintained by
contacting us and having your unit checked at the begin-
ning of the summer season for the air conditioner and
the winter for the heating system. Making sure that your
unit is working at its top efficiency cannot only save you
money every month, it can save you over the long haul
too by making your HVAC system last longer. According
to Homeadvisor.com the average cost of a new HVAC
system can range from between $1,779 and $10,499.
Even at the low end, that’s a big expense that can really
wreck your family’s budget.
The second way we can save you money is to make
sure that if you have to install a new system, you get the
right size and it’s installed correctly to run at its peak
efficiency. The website HVAC.com says, “The installation
of a new central air conditioning system should always
be performed by a licensed professional HVAC installer.
Attempting to install a new cooling unit without the prop-
er training and knowledge can be dangerous. Improper
installation can cause damage to the cooling system, as
well as reduced efficiency – increasing the costs to cool
your home.” The US Department of Energy estimates that
the typical U.S. family spends at least $2,200 per year
on energy bills – with nearly half of that paying for heat-
ing and cooling. With so much of your budget paying for
energy, you want to make sure that your unit is installed
correctly and running efficiently.
116
I mentioned making your home the place you and
your family most like to be. One of the things our compa-
ny can help with is making your home more comfortable.
By calling a licensed professional HVAC installer, we
can help you correct any too hot or too cold rooms and
make your home a great place to be – in every room. We
can also check to make sure that the unit that is in your
home is the right size. This is one time that bigger isn’t
necessarily better. A larger unit will run on shorter cycles.
Other hints that you may have the wrong size system
are that your home has the hot and cold areas discussed
above. The humidity in your home may be higher than
you think it should be, or your bill is higher that it should
be. These are other indicators that your unit is not the
correct size for your home. Your HVAC tech can do the
math for you to make sure that the unit you have is just
right.
The last thing that we can help improve in your home
is the very air that you breathe. While there is nothing
you can do about the bad particles you are breathing in
while you are outside, there are definitely things you can
do when you are inside your own home to improve your
indoor air quality. The first line of defense is the air filter.
The air filter is usually located in the return air duct or
blower compartment before the return air reaches the air
handler.
For those who are still suffering, there are three
different technologies that can be added to your current
system; enhanced filters, UV light technology or even an
oxidation system can be used to improve the indoor air
quality of your home. These different types of systems can
help anyone, even those who don’t suffer every spring
and fall from severe allergies.
Having a great HVAC service company is just as
important as having a great plumber and a great electri-
cian. These professionals working together with you the
homeowner can keep your place somewhere great that
you look forward to coming home to.