4 Reasons Your Home May be Uncomfortable

There are many reasons you may have hot and cold rooms in your home. It is amazing that so many homes have the same problems, so don't feel like you are the only one. Everyday people tell me there upstairs is too hot or bedroom is too cold. Many times the repair is not major. An NCI Company can do some simple and quick tests to your home in about 60-90 minutes and see what is going on. Majority of the time the fix does not mean you have to buy a new furnace or A/C. Below is information provided by NATIONAL COMFORT INSTITUTE.



Four Reasons Why Your Home May be Uncomfortable
If you asked a number of people to define a comfortable home they might say; a place with nice furniture, a place that is warm and dry, a place that has a lot of space. When we get a call from a customer who says their home is uncomfortable it usually means they are having problems controlling temperatures and humidity within the home.




1. Undersized or Oversized Furnace or Air Conditioner
When someone designed your home, part of the design included the heating and cooling system. As with most homes, yours may have been modified since that original design. Or, if your home is new, the comfort system design may not be adequate for the home you are living in. We can evaluate the comfort and performance of your system based on the way your home is now. This includes any design changes, new insulation, windows, the addition of furniture, draperies, carpets and the hundreds of other items that can affect the way your comfort system performs.

For example, if your heating system isn't able to "keep up" on colder days, there's a good chance it's undersized. If it turns on and off constantly, chances are it's oversized. If your cooling system just won't cool your house down on the warmest days, there's a good chance it's undersized, or wasn't installed correctly. If it cycles on and off constantly and doesn't seem to pull the humidity out, it's likely oversized. This condition also wastes a great deal of energy and causes unnecessary wear and tear on your equipment.




2. Incorrect Duct System
Most homes have a heating and cooling system that was designed for ideal scenarios. Unfortunately most homes are never ideal and often the air delivery systems do not work the way they were designed. In some cases, a duct system may be installed improperly or was damaged at some point so that it's not delivering the correct air into each room. This usually results in an uncomfortable home. Our technicians can check the airflow into each room and evaluate if your system is delivering the correct amount for the size of each room in your home.



3. Poor Air Quality
The funny thing about air quality is that you can't always smell it, but you can often feel it, and it can be a major contributor to discomfort in the home. Poor air quality can be anything from excess humidity in the air to bacteria and mold spores or even gasses emitting from your furnace or air conditioner. We have a variety of methods to check your home's air quality and report back to you. Some problems may be a minor nuisance and others could be life threatening.




4. Home Ventilation and Pressure
Even when you're not home, there are a variety of physical activities taking place that you can't see. Your home is a living and breathing entity with constant air movement - even when the heating or cooling system is turned off. The degree to which your home is sealed up or unsealed affects pressures that determine the way air travels throughout the home. This pressure can be controlled through proper venting and ducting depending on what is required. Air balancing can help correct these pressure imbalances. This process should only be performed by technicians who are trained and certified, and have the right instruments to measure and adjust the air in your home.

4 Additional Considerations When Replacing Furnace and Air Conditioners

Here are some additional things you should consider when purchasing heating or air conditioning systems. The information provided below by Service Roundtable will help you make the best investment.

© 2006 Service Roundtable

Because of the investment, replacing a heating and air conditioning system necessitates more due diligence. The best company to select for a replacement is a contractor who has performed satisfactorily for you in the past. An established, successful relationship is always the best gauge of what you can expect in the future. Relationship or not, the following are four items you should insist upon.


1. Will the company offer an AHRI Certified combination?
The Air-Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute certifies product efficiency. If you are replacing your air conditioner or heat pump, a reputable contractor will present you with a certification of performance from ARI. Without replacing the condensing unit (outdoor unit) and the evaporator (air handler or indoor unit), a contractor cannot promise you will receive the efficiency you pay for, or even that the system will operate correctly over time.

2. Will the contractor permit equipment replacements?
If you replace your heating or cooling system, you should insist that the job is permitted. When jobs are permitted, a municipal inspector will review the installation to ensure the job can at least meet current building codes. Like licensing, building codes are the minimum standard.

3. Is the company willing to provide references?
If you do not know anyone who has done work for a company, ask for references. The contractor should be willing to provide you with three to five recent customers you can call.

4. Will the company provide you with a copy of a “load calculation?”
A load calculation is a method of sizing equipment. It’s often called a “Manual J®” for the Air Conditioning Contractors of America’s Manual J®, the standard for sizing residential equipment. Once measurements are taken, load calculations can be conducted quickly using computers. Contractors should be able to show and review the load calculations and provide you with a copy if you authorize the company to proceed with the replacement.



3 Things to Beware
Be especially careful about the following four pitfalls.


1. Beware the lowest price
You want to spend the least amount possible, which often eliminates the lowest price. Cheap contractors typically cut corners, which costs more in the long run. Cheap contractors cannot afford to fix mistakes, resulting in the need to pay twice. Often the lowest price is not the lowest at all.

2. Beware the yellow pages
Selecting a contractor from the yellow pages is tantamount to throwing a dart. Maybe you will get lucky. Maybe not. The yellow pages should be used as tool of last resort.


3. Beware anything that sounds too good to be true
Usually, something too good to be true really is too good to be true.

Heating & Air Conditioning Contractor Selection Checklist

Selecting a company to install heating or air conditioning in your home can sometimes be difficult because there are so many to choose from. Below is a list provided by Service Roundtable of things you can look for to help make your decision.

Heating & Air Conditioning Contractor Selection Checklist

12 Things to Look For, Before Calling

With just a little observation, you can determine much about a company. You can find the following by direct observation, talking with friends and neighbors, and a quick review of the company’s website or advertising. If you do not know an answer, ask when you call.

1. Is the contractor referred by a friend or neighbor?

The best source of information about the quality of work, friendliness, and customer service is the experiences of friends or neighbors.

2. Does the company fleet reassure you?

Contractors driving unmarked, beat up, dirty vehicles and likely to treat your home similarly. In addition, these contractors may be skating on the edge of bankruptcy and unwilling or unable to fulfill their warranty requirements.

3. Does the company have a physical address?

While many contractors may operate out of a home office when starting, they do have a physical address. Fly-by-nights and moonlighters, who will not remain around to stand behind their work, do not. They operate companies from cell phones.

4. Are company employees neat, clean, and professional?

Companies that provide employees with uniforms and insist on moderate levels of grooming tend to take a more professional approach across the board. Fly-by-nights are more likely to wear dirty jeans and tee shirts.

5. Does the company employ NATE certified technicians?

Similar to the ASE program for the automotive industry, NATE is the heating and air conditioning industry’s technician certification program.

6. Does the company have a website?

Similar to a physical address, a website is a sign of legitimacy. Most heating and air conditioning companies have a web presence today.

7. Will the company guarantee a price before work begins?

Most contractors utilize a national flat rate pricing service today. The service uses national standard times for repairs, allowing the contractor to offer a fixed price quote before work begins, rather than an open-ended parts and labor estimate.

8. What warranties are offered?

Better contractors, who are more confident in their work, offer better warranties.

9. Is the contractor licensed?

Licensing is a minimum requirement. Under no circumstances should you allow an unlicensed contractor to work on your equipment.

10. Is the contractor fully insured?

If an employee of an uninsured contractor is hurt on your property, you can be held liable for medical expenses. Reputable contractors will provide copies of their general liability and workers compensation insurance. If the contractor uses subcontractors (e.g., an electrician or an insulation company), ask for copies of their insurance.

11. Is the company part of your community?

A company that’s involved in your community has a greater stake in their local reputation than one not involved. Problems will arise from time to time and companies with a stake in the community tend to put forth an extra effort to resolve problems.

12. Is the company part of a professional community?

Companies that belong to a trade association or business alliance are companies committed to their craft. They care more. Quality is better. The level of professionalism is higher.

© 2006 Service Roundtable

Keeping Minnesota State Fair Cold...

Oh no... Summer's almost over? Not yet, the Minnesota State Fair is typically a hot and busy week. Comfort Matters Heating and Cooling, Inc was able to help keep one of the food stands cold.

Midway Food Company from Winchester, Texas area has a food stand called the Midway Grill and it gets pretty hot working over a grill at the fair. Well only a couple weeks away their air conditioning stopped working on their custom built portable 18,000 pound kitchen. The trailer was out in Montana at a fair when Comfort Matters got the call that they were heading to Minnesota for the fair and needed to get the cooling fixed. Comfort Matters found a Trane rooftop air conditioner in Laramie Wyoming that would work. So within days before the fair the trailer was delivered to Comfort Matters office in Hanover, MN.

"This became a very interesting and custom installation" said Corey Hickmann (owner of Comfort Matters Heating and Cooling, Inc.) We brought in Crystal Welding to help custom build the aluminum frame and ducting so we could mount the new Trane unit on the Roof. Even though it decided to rain most of the day slowing down the work, the new cooling system was up and running the next day and ready for delivery to the fair. The Minnesota State Fair is the largest fair in the country for daily attendance and it is very important to the Midway Grill to have a successful event.

So if you are out at the fair try a burger and fries at the Midway Grill, and if you miss it there it will be heading to Utah, Texas, and a few other stops before the year is over.

How to select a contractor.

There are many things to consider when selecting a contractor. This blog is around heating and cooling contractors, but the same principle applies if you are buying a furnace, deck, roof, kitchen, or a basement remodel.

• Check references: I can not stress this enough. If you are spending $2500 or $10,000 you must check the contractor references. A new furnace or a/c should last 20 years. But even more important is in Minnesota for example you will spend $26,000 over those 20 years on average to heat and cool your home. So ask for testimonials. If the contractor surveys there customers ask to see the surveys. If you want to make the best choice ask to talk to customer they have done work for. Make sure they will call you back on Saturday when it is -20 or 95 degrees outside if your heating or cooling doesn't work.
• Ask for copy of liability insurance certificate: Check to see what there coverage is. You want at minimum $1 million dollars coverage. Then if you really want to be safe call there insurance company to confirm there premiums are paid in full. To many companies can show a certificate but may not be late on payments. If something happens you the homeowner are responsible. If the contractor is not willing to give you this info "walk away".
• Confirm they have a current State Bond: In Minnesota for example contractors are required to have a state bond to help protect the homeowner in case the contractor goes out of business.
• Get Permits: Ask for copy of the local permit at time of installation. Note: some cities do not require permits so you can't in those cases. But call your city hall to confirm that is true.
• Back ground screened employees: Does the company criminally screen there employees. The people installing your new furnace or A/C have access to your home, make sure they are safe.
• Does the company work from home: Confirm they actually work from a office. Some contractors may office from home and do great work. But the majority of bad contractors also work from home. Don't base decision on this but it will help.

Don't worry about the brand of furnace or A/C you buy. If it is a Carrier, Goodman, Amana, Trane, Bryant, Chevy, Ford, or BMW it does not matter as much as who installs it. What matters is how well trained the installers are, will they be there for you if it fails, and will it save you money on your energy bills for the next 2 or 20 years. (BTW: no Chevy, Ford, or BMW don't make furnace and A/C)

The upfront cost of the installation will be determined by factors I listed above. Just because someone offers a lower installation you are not saving money. I have learned that lesson over the years. When the cost is lower the odds say something is missing.