Avoiding HVAC Sticker Shock! (conclusion)

Selecting the Best System AND Getting What You Pay For!

If for any reason, you are contemplating the installation of a new heating and cooling system, authorities say “be careful”. Many homeowners who have invested in new high efficiency heating and cooling equipment didn't get the comfort and energy efficiency they paid for, so the first thing to keep in mind is…that no matter how desperate the need to have your heating and/or cooling restored, this is not a decision to be made lightly…don’t be stampeded into making a hasty decision.*      Unfortunately, many homeowners do not get what they pay for. Government and utility companies’ research shows that new systems rarely deliver the heating or cooling that they are capable of. In a recent utility study, 9 out of every 10 new systems had energy wasting mistakes due to errors or oversights by the installing contractor.      As we have tried to emphasize in the 2 previous newsletters, information is the key to making a wise decision. If you have carefully read these newsletters and followed the references found on our website, you will have learned what you should know before talking to contractors, and you will even learn some things about heating and air conditioning that even many contractors aren't aware of.      Lest you think we are blowing our own horn, when commenting on this deficiency, no lesser authority than the EPA states: “…newly installed heating and cooling systems that are under or over-sized, improperly charged, or connected to a poorly designed and installed duct system will not deliver the rated efficiency”.      Does this mean that new equipment isn't as good as the manufacturers claim? Of course not! And as we’ve said many times before “that the worst system manufactured properly installed, is better than the best system made, improperly installed”.      In some ways, you could compare a new HVAC system with a new TV (or many other household appliances) as in many ways they are very comparable. Most of the major brands of TV’s and other major appliances make really excellent products that rarely break down. Like most appliances, today’s HVAC equipment is also usually well made and dependable.      Unfortunately, the comparison stops there. When you buy a new TV, a new refrigerator or most any other household appliance, you can take it home, unpack it and plug it in. While a TV (and most other appliances) works right out of the box, a central air conditioner, heat pump or furnace must be very carefully selected and installed in order to work as the manufacturer intended. It can't be just plugged in. Unfortunately for consumers, the installing contractor is the weak link in the chain.      After installing and servicing over 250,000 heating and cooling systems over the past 53 years, we’ve long ago realized, that there’s more to a HVAC system than just “Hot and Cold” and our goal for every installation is to combine equipment and components that will work together to deliver the comfort level, that the customer has paid for, and has a right to expect.      Because “comfort means different things to different people”, we are also very cognizant of the fact, that the designed system that we install to serve you and your family, is an important and vital factor in your lifestyle. We feel very strongly that it should not be left in the hands of just any contractor.       Most contractors are aware of the fact that home owners don’t buy HVAC systems every year. Some take advantage of this lack of knowledge and experience, and charm or bully people into purchasing a system by telling the customer what they want to hear in the initial stages like “we can do it cheaper” and similar “bait & switch” deceptions. Maybe ignorance on the part of home owners is too strong of a word for it, but it really comes from “not knowing what you don't know”.      Our website, and these newsletters specifically, are designed to help you become an informed consumer when it comes to your home's heating and cooling systems…so that you won’t be a victim of “Sticker Shock” when your systems needs service, repairs or replacement.      Click on the Site Index button of our homepage www.climatemakers.com and see at a single glance, how easy it is to explore these 250+ pages of HVAC information. Not only will you learn how these systems work, but also how to shop smart and protect your investment.      Then call us. With your cooperation and input, we will design for your home, a system based on what we call, the "six factors of indoor comfort". They are:   1. Temperature. 2. Humidification. 3. Air Quality. 4. Dehumidification. 5. Convenience. 6. Economy.      Each of these factors must be included in a properly designed system, to assure satisfactory conditions during all seasons. Adding the components to achieve these factors successfully, requires a unique blend of skill, experience and dedication that can best be performed by an experienced, dedicated HVAC specialist.       The result…a system that will provide…     1. Comfort. 2. Convenience. 3. Quiet operation. 4. Energy and cost savings. 5. A healthy environment. 6. Peace of Mind (no worry).                  PLUS No “HVAC Sticker Shock”.          *WARNING: If you make the wrong choice, you probably won’t be able to justify ripping it out and starting all over again…it’s a decision you will probably have to live with as long as you own your home. Climatically Merry Sherman 2nd Generation President Phone #: 757-468-5800 Fax #: 757-468-5805 email: comfort@climatemakers.com Web site: http://www.climatemakers.com "Your family's indoor comfort is our family's business"   Look Who’s Reading What!       About 250 visitors, look in on the Climatemakers website every day. Click here to see the “Top 50” pages viewed last month and if you see a title you like, click on it!

     P.S. This newsletter is not an orphan. In our newsletter archives, there are over 140 letters with similar tips and helpful hints to make your life in your house, more comfortable. You can see the list by clicking here.

     P.P.S. To keep our website as current as possible, we have just added 3 new pages to the ever growing total (now in excess of 250+ pages). We think you will find the new page depicting “Climatemakers Cartoon Family” especially interesting. You can see it by clicking here.

     This constantly updating of our website is not only to add content but to make it easier for you to navigate…so that you can find answers to your questions about HVAC, quicker than ever before. If you haven’t visited the website recently, and especially if you have any qualms about the performance or the cost of heating this winter, you will find many items of interest.

     For example, on one of our newest web pages entitled 101 ways to save energy, you can see a detailed list of the many ways you can use to reduce energy costs (just click here). Or you might want to see one of our newer pages, "The Amazing Scroll Compressor" where you can see an animated explanation of what many people claim to be the greatest technological improvement in heating and air conditioning history by clicking here.

     P.P.P.S. You can also see for yourself, the professional response your call for services generates (and the response you can expect), by clicking here to see our recently updated overview of operations.

     To see all the page titles of our 250+ page web site at a glance, click here.

     Or you can select from some of the most popular accessories like a programmable thermostat that automatically regulates the heating/cooling in your house to suit your lifestyle (click here) or an electronic air cleaner that removes dirt, dust and pollen to improve your health (click here) or an automatic humidifier to add moisture to the air in the winter (click here) or how to add a zoning system that will save you money as it increases or decreases the heating/cooling in those rooms where and when it is not needed (click here).