Who hasn’t heard something similar to this: “Eat all the doughnuts you want, and stop going to the gym? All you need to do is take two pills every five days and you'll lose weight”.

     But before we become too paranoid, we need to also remember the words of one of my favorite comic strip characters, Pogo, and his famous statement “that we have met the enemy…and he is us”. We also need to remember, that when we begin to think about the evils of scams and rip-offs, that “you can’t cheat an honest man”.

     There are some who believe for example, that the suggestion of having seasonal maintenance performed on HVAC equipment is a scam. That it fraudulently costs victims hundreds of $$$$...requires many unnecessary repairs, and results in the replacement of air conditioners much sooner than necessary.

     And Pogo was right! But the air conditioning scam of the century is not by rip-off artists and professional scammers; it’s a self-inflicted one because homeowners do it to themselves! They cheat themselves when they fail to get their cooling systems tuned up in the spring. “We have met the enemy…and he is us”.

     ConsumerReports®, as well as many other consumer publications along with the EPA, utilities, manufacturers, all recommend cooling system tune-ups. The reason, tuning up a cooling system for summer (especially after it has been sitting idle for 6 months) only makes sense.

     Air conditioners invariably get compared to automobiles. Isn’t it strange that when a car manufacturer says that it is mandatory for you to change the oil every 3000 miles in order to validate the warranty, most of us take it as gospel. Oh, you can skip it, and probably get away with it, but there is a price to pay.

     Unfortunately, cooling systems don’t have an array of “idiot lights” like automobiles to tell you when something is going wrong. Surprisingly, they are quite forgiving mechanical systems but the price for the lack of periodic maintenance still must be paid and the extended absence of maintenance can be quite expensive.

     How do you pay? By the gradual deterioration of your cooling system’s efficiency. It shows up in higher utility bills and reduced cooling capacity. It shows up in breakdowns. It shows up when your cooling system’s life is cut short.

     If “tune-ups” are smart; “Service Agreements” are even smarter. If your system qualifies, at the time of your tune-up, you can convert the tune up to a full service agreement for a surprisingly low cost. A service agreement includes a Fall safety check on your heating system as well. Ask our service technician for details and see if your system qualifies.

     Need proof that we offer the area's most comprehensive “tune-up” service available (40 points!)? Count them yourself! See in writing, not only the name of each of the 40 points BUT the effect each point has on the performance of your system (and why you should not settle for less) by going to our website. Click here. We believe we are safe in saying, that no other local contractor can match that list!

     For PURELY SELFISH REASONS, and for a strictly limited time (Mar-Apr), a substantial seasonal discount on this service is available. We hate to give away so much money, but to date, we haven't been able to devise any other way to persuade people not to wait for the 1st hot day of summer to call…and we need the time to properly prepare the cooling systems for our hundreds of customers before the summer sets in for earnest.

     This makes for both of us a "win-win" situation. We win by getting you to order early (and can do more jobs)...you win, if you order early, by getting a $135 value for a lot less money (and you can save even more if you order on line) as you join hundreds of others who every summer, make Climatemakers their “contractor of choice”.

     But there are only a few days left to take advantage of this special seasonal discount. Remember, you must order by 03/30/05 , to get the 40% discount PLUS another $5 if you order it on line!

     Order NOW! Save a whopping 40%! (plus an additional $5 for scheduling online).  On line reservations can be made by clicking here. Reservations can also be made by phone. Call: HOT- COLD (468-2653).

     The cost of the "check-up/tune-up" is a small price to pay for superior equipment performance that result in lower energy bills and extended life performance. Remember, THE MAJOR CAUSE OF EQUIPMENT FAILURE IS INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE.

Why not do it right now? Just click here.