Tuesday, February 28th, 2012
Anyone who lives even remotely close to Corona knows that it can get pretty hot. The entire county, and all of Southern California, is known for its hot summers – which makes us all want to crank up the AC and not let it stop. Nobody wants to pay for the increased utility bills, though, that come along with cranking up the AC or the heater and just letting it run. Where here today to let you know that in Corona, heating and air conditioning doesn’t have to increase your utility bills through the roof while you’re staying comfortable.
A little preventative maintenance can go a long way in regards keeping your equipment running at peak efficiency. Air conditioning and heating maintenance services is something that shouldn’t be neglected – doing so can and will cause utility bills and the running cost of the appliances in question. In both AC and heating systems, parts tend to wear out and need replacing; others require cleaning while others still require lubrication. Letting these components wear out to the point of breaking can wind up requiring an expensive repair, or even worse, a complete replacement.
Standard maintenance on air conditioning systems is typically performed during the spring when the need for the system hasn’t yet begun to rise. However, with the unseasonably warm winter we’ve had, it stand to reason that we will be in need of our beloved air conditioning systems sooner this year than in years past.
Replacing an entire air conditioning or heating system is expensive and an inconvenience. Instead of letting your air conditioning and heating systems to the point where they need replacing, keep up on the annual maintenance to help ensure your equipment last for years to come while running like they were new. The money saved on equipment replacements and repairs will more than pay for the minute cost of routine maintenance, making it worth every penny invested.
This winter has been more like fall or spring than an actual winter, which means that we will be seeing a need for our air conditioners again sooner this year than in years past. There’s been less of a need for heaters these past several months, which means that this upcoming summer will be more demanding on our central air conditioning systems, both for residents and businesses alike.
With this in mind, now is the perfect time to have one of our skilled and highly trained technicians come take a look at your air conditioning systems. From air conditioning in Corona to heating in San Diego, we’ve got you covered on all your maintenance and related needs.
Posted in Air Conditioning | Comments Off
Tuesday, February 14th, 2012
We all love our central air and heating services in our homes. They keep us warm during the cold winter nights and cool during the hot summer days. But how do we go about keeping our central heating and air conditioning systems up and running short of having a professional come out once or twice a year and do it for us? Well, today we’re going to go over a few ways.
When it comes to our heating systems, heating maintenance services are really the best way to go. These, however, are really only able to be performed by a licensed and experienced professional. For example, a Corona heating specialist can come out to your home in the early fall and diagnose your entire heating system to see if there are any components that need to be replaced or cleaned. These people know what they’re looking for and how to go about fixing and/or replacing them, so it’s best to leave that part to them. There are, however, ways you can help keep your central heating system running smoothly.
Air filters should be changed, or at the very least, cleaned about once a month while the heater is in use. Yes, your central heating system has air filters just like your car, and just like your car, they need to be cleaned every so often when they get clogged. A dirty or clogged air filter doesn’t really do its job, and in fact, can wind up bringing down the overall efficiency of the entire system.
Another great piece of advice is to close off the air vents to any rooms that you aren’t using during the colder parts of the year. Just by doing this little bit you can see a large reduction on monthly utility bills without having to give up the conveniences that come with running our heaters.
Central air and heating are two different systems that operate and run hand-in-hand. When we’re not using one, we often find ourselves using the other, so it goes to follow that keeping your central air conditioning system up and running can be quite similar to keeping your central heating system.
Central air conditioning systems are nearly always found with an outside unit, one that’s used to grab and channel the air from outside to the conditioning center so it can be cooled and then funneled into the home. To keep things running smoothly, it’s important to prevent the outside unit free from clutter or anything that may hinder air flow. In fact, it’s usually a good idea to keep about three feet of clearance around all sides of the outside unit, including the top. Doing so will help keep everything running smoothly while you’re waiting for the professional to come out and take care of their end.
There’re a few things we can do on our own to help keep our central heating and air conditioning up and running while we wait for the annual professional tune up. We all like to be comfortable in our own homes, especially during the hot and cold parts of the year. The one thing we don’t like is having to pay the increased utility bills.
Posted in Air Conditioning Services | Comments Off
Wednesday, February 8th, 2012
The Program
There’re many of us out there who want the benefits that come with an upgraded HVAC system. The reduced utility bills, increased energy efficiency, and the peace of mind that come with these upgrades are exactly why we want them – it’s just that the up-front cost associated with the installation or retrofit can prevent many of us from actually achieving that goal.
And here’s where this wonderful opportunity comes into play. The WRCOG (Western Riverside Council of Governments) has a new program for Riverside County residents and businesses that allows them to perform the necessary retrofits or upgrades to their homes or buildings without having to pay the up-front cost out of pocket. This is great for those who wish to benefit from increased energy efficiency and decreased monthly utility bills.
No up-front cost AND you still get the retrofit or upgrade of your HVAC system? The whole thing sounds too good to be true; so how does it work? It’s actually rather simple – property owners in Riverside Country can apply for program coverage describing the energy and water savings improvements desired. If approved, the WRCOG will pay the up-front cost for the improvement, allowing property owners to pay back the amount through annual property tax assessments over a certain amount of time.
Being able to update your home or businesses energy efficiency will save thousands in utility and maintenance costs, while at the same time promote a healthier and more efficient region of the state. When more of us are using our energy and water efficiently, we all benefit. That’s the driving force behind this program – finding a way that we can all benefit and move toward to brighter, greener future.
So, what exactly is covered by this program? It’s nice to know that there’s a way to retrofit or upgrade one’s home or business without having to pay the up-front costs oneself, but what exactly is covered? What kind of range are we talking about? The best part about the WRCOG’s program is that there are over 100,000 products covered, including doors, windows, HVAC systems, solar panels, pool filtration systems, and much more. Basically, nearly anything that can be considered a permanent fixture to the building or home can qualify, allowing home and business owners to upgrade their energy efficiency and lower their monthly utility bills at the same time. In fact, most of the products and installations covered by this program will pay for themselves over a certain amount of time due to their reduction in monthly utility bills.
With this great opportunity presenting itself, how do you know if you qualify for the program? Qualifying for the WRCOG’s program is actually rather simple, and only has a small condition that needs to be met prior to applying. Individuals, associations, businesses, and basically anyone who’s paying real property tax can qualify if they have a clear title on the property, are up to date on their property taxes and mortgages, and request improvements that are reasonable for the property in question. Sounds pretty simple, huh?
Properties built prior to 2000 will most likely receive a much larger return on these energy efficiency enhancing improvements. In Riverside County alone there are upwards of 196,000 properties, both residential and commercial, that were built prior to 2000 and can really benefit from this program. Our technology has increased dramatically in the last ten years, and the systems and appliances of today are far more efficient that their decade-old counterparts, so noticeable improvement will be seen immediately after installation.
The Benefits
We’ve mentioned above some of the obvious benefits this program has to offer, but those are only on an individual level. Looking at this program from a regional standpoint, there are many benefits to the overall community than just reduced monthly utility costs and not having to invest the sizeable up-front costs. Some of the benefits to the community and region include:
- A reduction or delay in the need for costly infrastructure investments that relate to energy generation and distribution
- Improved usage of currently generated power and distribution systems
- Improving overall home and property values throughout the region
- Western Riverside County will be a leader in improving air quality standards and reducing greenhouse gas emission through this large-scale effort
- Providing a no-money-down means of financing energy efficiency and conservation improvements
- Average residential loan of $17,500
- Average commercial loan of $30,000
With benefits like these, for both the resident/business and the region, it’s hard to think of a reason to not participate. But what happens if one were to sign up for this program and wind up selling the property before completing the annual property tax assessments? This is a good question, and one that should definitely be asked since real property has a tendency to change hands at highly varying intervals.
The obligation to repay the loan stays with the current owner of the property, so any new owner picking up a building or home that has new investments and retrofits through this program will also be assuming the remaining obligation to repay the loan. It all sounds pretty reasonable, when you stop to think about it.
There’re a good number of reasons why we would want to upgrade our energy-draining appliances, the main ones being increased savings at the end of the month and increased peace of mind knowing that your equipment is new and at the top of its game. And now, thanks to the WRCOG’s program, it’s easier than ever for home and business owners to get the renovations they want and need at a price they can easily afford.
Posted in Energy Saving Programs | Comments Off
