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Don’t be fooled by “Piece Rate”

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

By Dan Jape of Reliable Heating & Air

There are many different ways to find and screen good contractors to perform work at your home. Some people prefer word of mouth and personal referrals. A number of people turn to Internet services such as Kudzu.com or Angie’s List. Others use the yellow pages or other advertising services when compiling a short list of companies to interview.

Whatever method you use, when selecting a heating and air conditioning contractor, one of the most important questions one should ask is whether sub contractors or employees perform the actual work. One would never want to use a company that uses subcontractors, as they are paid a set amount to perform a certain task and they have no vested interest in the outcome or quality of the job. They simply do the work as fast as possible so they can move on to the next job. They gain nothing by taking their time and making sure all the little extras are done properly. In the past, most heating and air companies that specialize in new construction residential installation work would use subcontractors so they could control the labor costs when building new homes. On the other hand, most heating and air companies that service and replace systems in existing homes all employed technicians that work by the hour and work only for that particular company.

Now, there is a new method of paying employees who replace and install heating and cooling systems that is designed to fool the homeowner into thinking they are not getting a subcontractor, but in reality they are. The method of payment is called “piece rate” and it is the most dangerous method of payment arrangement a homeowner could contract for. Under this method, a technician or installer is paid a certain amount of money to install each component or “piece” of equipment regardless of complexity or difficulty. The technician’s goal would to be installing a new system as quickly as possible so as to expend the least amount of time possible allowing them to move on to the next job. This method was developed by the managers of a certain large heating and cooling company as a method to control their costs and insulate the company of the ups and downs of the individual jobs. When a customer asks this company if they use subcontractors, they are told no without any mention of this other payment method. It is a dishonest way of tricking a customer into thinking they are contracting with a company that pays a technician for all the time spent at their home when in reality they are just getting a subcontractor who will not care about the finished product, only the time spent installing it.

One needs to ask their heating and cooling company they are considering hiring if the people installing or servicing their heating and cooling equipment are hourly workers paid prevailing hourly wages to work at their home and are not paid any type of “piece rate” or performance incentitive to perform this type of work. This same type of query would be appropriate for other types of companies one might be contemplating hiring. You will much happier with a contractor who does not employ this type of payment method. If you are unsure of how a company pays it employees, give me a call and I will be glad to give you what information I have from interviewing people who have worked for these “Piece Rate” companies.

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Flooding and your Comfort Systems

Monday, October 12th, 2009

by Dan Jape of Reliable Heating & Air

The floods that struck Atlanta brought many tragic results included the destruction of life and home for many and my heart goes out to all those affected. Sometimes one is at a loss to understand why such occurrences happen and how they become so terrible out of something so necessary such as rain. The floodwater also can have long reaching affects on our lives and safety unless properly cleaned up and treated.

Many basements and crawl spaces were flooded with water that was laden with bacteria and byproducts of sewer due to the overflowing of the drain water systems and septic tanks. This water made its way into walls, carpets, floors, and most importantly, furnaces and water heaters. The modern day furnace is lined with insulation panels that absorbed all this very dangerous and polluted water and it cannot be removed the fibrous material. These panels have to be replaced as do all the controls devices, limits, fan motors and gas valves. The furnaces have to be removed and completely taken apart and scrubbed and disinfected and by the time all the damaged parts are replaced, one would come out much better by replacing the entire furnace. The cooling coils are also insulated with fiberglass panels that soaked up this dirty infected water and should also be replaced to ensure safe indoor air quality.

Water heaters that have been under water are extremely dangerous, as they often will relight after drying out, and people assume sine they fire up and heat water, they are safe. This could not be farther from the truth, as the water and sediment that seeped in gas valves, burners and safeties can cause trouble in the days that follow the flood. One should never attempt to light a flooded water heater without a complete replacement of the controls and burners or replacement of the entire heater. These appliances are far too cheap and the consequences of a malfunction are too severe to chance using a damaged and flooded heater.

Outdoor air conditioner condensers are designed to sit outside in the rain and they faired much better in the floods than furnaces. If an outdoor unit flooded and the controls did not get immersed under water, there is a good chance the unit can be cleaned out and put back in service. If the control box and the electronics got wet, they will need to be replaced. The coils should be acid washed and thoroughly cleaned before the unit is operated.

The two mail concerns with flooded systems are safety from gas valves and controls that were damaged and dangerous indoor air quality from fecal matter and sewer water that was mixed in with the rain water. The last area of concern was ductwork and insulation that got soaked in the flood. All duct work that got saturated needs to be replaced regardless whether it’s metal or flexible. The insulation on ductwork will never dry out to properly insulate the ductwork after it has been under water, and the ducting itself can’t be properly cleaned to make sure it is clean and disinfected to not spread airborne pollutants.

The floods hurt many people and cost untold millions in damage to homes and property. Make sure you properly repair and replace your homes heating and cooling systems along with your water heating appliances to make sure you are safe and secure and all systems work as designed.

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AHRI news release 09/23/2009

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

For Immediate Release Contact: Colleen Hughes, AHRI Public Affairs
Direct: 703.600-0331
(excerpts)
Homeowners Urged to Replace Storm Damaged Heating and Cooling Equipment
Arlington, VA (June 12, 2008) — After a flood or hurricane, homeowners are advised to take important safety precautions with regard to their home’s heating and cooling systems, according to the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), the trade association representing manufacturers of this equipment.
“A house or basement exposed to standing water can damage a home’s heating and cooling equipment — putting families at risk,” said AHRI President Stephen Yurek. “We advise homeowners to play it safe and replace, rather than repair flood-damaged heating and cooling equipment and systems.”
AHRI recommends that all inspection and replacement work on flooded equipment be performed by qualified heating and cooling contractors, not by homeowners.

“Homeowners can turn misfortune into opportunity by considering new, energy-efficient models that will lower their future energy bills,” said Yurek. “They also should ask their local utility about available rebates for installing new, energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment.”
Gas Furnaces and Boilers If there is any question whether flood water has reached a gas furnace or boiler, it should be checked by a qualified contractor. This equipment gas valves and controls that are especially vulnerable to water damage from floods — damage that might not be visible. Corrosion begins inside the valves and controls, and damage may not be apparent, even if the outside of the device is clean and dry. At a minimum, this damage can result in reliability problems.
Electric Furnaces An electric furnace consists of electrically heated coils, a fan to provide air circulation across the coils, and controls that include safety relays. As with a gas furnace, an electric furnace is susceptible to corrosion and damage from flood water, creating potential reliability problems or safety hazards. If there is any question whether flood water has reached an electric furnace, homeowners should have it checked by a contractor.
Propane Heating
Use extreme caution where there is the potential for propane leaks and have propane equipment checked, repaired and/or replaced by a contractor as quickly as possible after a flood. In every case, contractors must replace all valves and controls that have been in contact with flood water. The gas pressure regulator on a propane system should also be checked. This regulator contains a small vent hole to sense outside pressure. For effective gas pressure regulation, this hole must always remain unobstructed. During a flood, debris can easily plug the hole, causing dangerous malfunction or corrosion.

AHRI News Release Page 2

Radiant Ceiling Heat With this type of heating system, electrically-heated cables are embedded in the plaster or drywall ceiling. The cables warm the ceiling, which in turn warms the room by radiant heat. If the ceiling becomes wet from a flood, it can weaken and perhaps crack and the ceiling will need replacement. Although the electrical cables themselves may appear to be undamaged due to their tough, waterproof coating, there may have been large mechanical stresses on the cable, and a qualified electrician should be consulted to determine whether the cable can continue to be used.
Heat Pumps and Air Conditioning Systems Split air conditioning and heat pump systems have power and control wiring between the indoor and outdoor parts of the system, and piping through which refrigerant flows through the system. If flood water has repositioned either the indoor or outdoor units of a split system even by a small amount, there is a potential for refrigerant leaks. The system will then require major repair or full replacement.
If the refrigerant system remains intact after the flood, the entire system should be cleaned, dried and disinfected. Homeowners should have a contractor check the indoor and outdoor units’ electrical and refrigeration connections, including all control circuits. The decision to repair or replace should be made after consultation with a qualified professional on a case-by-case basis.
Ductwork If a house under storm repair contains a central forced-air system, attention should also be paid to the ductwork. A contractor will not try to salvage duct insulation that has been in contact with flood water, but will replace it because it is impossible to decontaminate. The contractor also will clean, dry and disinfect the ductwork itself. A thorough job will require disassembling the ductwork, but the silver lining is that such repairs will allow the contractor to seal joints in the ductwork and improve insulation to reduce heat and cooling loss.
Water Heating Systems Whether a water heater uses gas, oil or electricity, and it was exposed to flood water, the unit should be replaced. A new water heater is a relatively small investment, and replacing it is fairly easy to do. If the water heater was more than five years old, chances are a new unit will be more efficient, saving the homeowner money in the long run.
In a gas unit, valves and controls can corrode. In an electric unit, the thermostat and controls can corrode. In both types, the insulation surrounding the unit will likely be contaminated and will be nearly impossible to disinfect. In addition, the insulation takes a great deal of time to dry and can lead to corrosion of the tank from the outside.
Even if water heater components have been cleaned and the unit seems to operate properly, parts may corrode in the future. Both gas and electric water heaters have a pressure relief valve that can corrode and stick after being exposed to flood water. Homeowners should be sure, therefore, to replace this valve as well.
Government Aid For victims of some natural disasters, government aid may be available to help consumers finance the replacement of flood-damaged HVAC equipment. Homeowners should contact any of the offices set up by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help flood victims in their area.
The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute is the trade association representing manufacturers of air conditioning, heating and commercial refrigeration equipment. An internationally recognized advocate for the industry, AHRI develops standards for and certifies the performance of many of these products. AHRI’s more than 350 member companies account for more than 90 percent of the residential and commercial air conditioning, space heating, water heating and commercial refrigeration equipment manufactured and sold in North America.

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New Important Tax Credit Information

Friday, August 7th, 2009

by Dan Jape of Reliable Heating & Air

There has been some exciting news in the world of tax credits and heating and air. When the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was passed into law, it included a provision allowing a tax credit for a furnace that has a high efficiency blower motor regardless of the thermal efficiency of the gas burner section. Up until recently, the IRS was not recognizing this section of the law and was giving credit only for furnaces that were 95% efficient or greater and this limited many people’s choices, as this model was not always the best choice for everyone. They had not included this important “main air circulating fan” portion of the law failing to realize that in some parts of the country, the largest energy savings can be derived from electric savings from these special fans in 80% efficient furnaces. Now due to a recent ruling by the IRS, two more types of furnaces are now eligible to earn tax credits for the years 2009 & 2010. These are 80% efficient variable speed furnaces with two stage gas valves and 80% efficient single stage furnaces with super high efficient blowers. Both of this types of furnaces can now earn a credit by themselves and not just as a piece of a qualify system. This a great ruling coming just before the winter season when many people will be looking to replace their furnace and cannot afford to install a 95% model or can’t install one due to the type of home they own. Both of these furnaces will save hundreds of dollars a year for people and will provide much lower gas bills over an old 50% to 60% furnace.

On another note:
As we move closer to the beginning of the cooler weather, I want to alert homeowners to a safety problem that has become of epidemic proportions in the last year. Many thousands of homes have had to have their roofs replaced due to hailstorms that hit the metro area in the last couple of years and as we have been going in peoples attics to work on their heating and cooling systems we have noticed some alarming and dangerous problems that need to be brought to peoples attention before heating season arrives and they start using their furnaces. Roofing companies are inadvertently causing problems when replacing roofs by dislodging furnace flues completely and by pushing flues up against the wood decking of homes they are roofing. Most roofers do not come into the inside of the attic to check the furnace flues or chimneys when replacing roofs. We have found numerous flues knocked completely off and many more touching wood decking, which is very dangerous and a code violation. Double wall furnace flues must have 1” clearance from wood and the roofers are accidentally sliding the pipe into the wood and attaching the roof flashing in the wrong place. You can check for this problem by going into the attic with a flashlight and look for the round silver pipe coming from the either the attic furnace or up through the roof of the second floor and make sure it is not touching the decking or has been knocked completely off the furnace. If you have had your roof replaced recently and you are unsure if there is a problem, call your heating and air company to perform an inspection of your furnace flue, as there could be a situation that needs attention before heating season arrives.

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Is your furnace safe to operate?

Thursday, January 22nd, 2009

Is your furnace safe to operate? A few tips…

I visit customers in their homes everyday of the week, and I constantly see furnaces that have been neglected to the point of being unsafe and unfit to heat their homes. I find everything from just poor performance and efficiency to furnaces that are extremely unsafe and life threatening. There are some very simple and easy steps you can take to make sure you family is save and warm this winter.

The first thing you should do is visually inspect the flue system of your furnace and water heater. The flue is the round galvanized pipe that takes the unburned gas products and the carbon monoxide to the outside of the home. It is located on the top of your furnace and the water heater usually ties into the furnace flue. Carefully examine the pipe for holes or rust. Squeeze the round pipe and make sure you do not have rust outs working from the inside out. Make sure the flue is solid and strong. You should not be able to easily crush the pipe with you hand. The flue should be sloping upward at all times and should be attached to both the furnace and water heater.

The next thing you should do is remove the top door to your furnace and with a flashlight, carefully look for rust build-up inside the burners and the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is the compartment that contains the burning of gas and the burners protrude into the heat exchanger cells. Look for any rusty metal and flakes of rusted particles. Carefully examine the condition of the burners looking for damage. If there is any rust in the heat exchanger or on the burners, it has to be cleaned out. Check the front panel of the furnace for burned paint or hot spots. The front panel should never get hot enough to burn the paint or the finish off the front or the side of the furnace. The cause of this burned paint is a heat exchanger that is not containing the heat of combustion and can be a sign of a furnace that needs service or replacement.

Another simple test you can perform is to have someone turn the furnace on while you observe the burners lighting. They should all light smoothly and evenly without any whooshing sound or booming. Once the burners light, they should all burn blue with a slight yellow tip of the flame. Wait until the fan and the blower start up and watch for movement of the flame and watch for movement of the flame and watch for yellow in the flame. This can be a sign of a leaky heat exchanger or a rusted out exchanger. Turn the power switch off and the blower will stop and watch the flame. If it stops moving and dancing around, this is a problem you should have checked out. Also observe your pilot light for movement and yellow flame when the blower is running. Turn off your furnace power switch and see if the movement and the yellow flame changes.

And last, change your furnace filter! This is a good time of the year to remember to change your air filter as summer is over and the furnace has run many hours.

These are a few simple things you can do to make sure your family is warm, safe and comfortable this winter!

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An investment that never goes down.

Thursday, January 22nd, 2009

The one thing you can be assured of with your investments in the stock market is that will continue to go up and down in value like a rollercoaster. You can count on your 401k to go down in value over the next unforeseen future and hopefully it will start to go back up in value. Real estate investments are on the way down, as is almost every investment vehicle out there. The one investment I know of that continues to generate a guaranteed return year after year regardless of the financial markets, is a new high efficiency heating and cooling system. It consiently saves you money and is the best investment you can make these days with your hard earned money.

A new high efficiency heating cooling system can be acquired for as little as $3500 to $4000 and can trim up to 40% off your annual gas bill and 30% off the part of your electric bill. This savings can be $300 or $400 per year in gas and $200 or $300 in electric. This is a substantial return on investment and when the new heating and cooling system pays for itself after six to eight years, the savings will be thousands of dollars over the projected life of the equipment of twenty to twenty five years. I know of no other guaranteed return that comes with no risk.

A lot of homeowners think that as long as their furnace continues to put out heat, it is safe to run on until it quits. This could not be farther from the truth. I visited a home last week with a twenty year old furnace in a crawl space that had been left to rust so bad that the flames rolled out the front of the unit and melted the gas pipe sealer out of the gas pipe and caused a open flame outside the furnace jacket that singed the floor joists above it and almost burned the house down. Had this happened at night, this malfunction could have burned this home to the ground and along with the entire family in it. The piece of mind that your family and home is safe along with the above mentioned savings, is another guaranteed return on your investment in new high efficiency heating and cooling system.

A whole house humidifier is also another product with a guaranteed return on investment. You can install a furnace mounted bypass humidifier or a steam generator humidifier in your home and start to save energy dollars immediately. Your gas furnace can dry the air out in your home to 10% to 15% relative humidity levels in the cold winter months and this dryness will cause you to turn up the thermostat to higher level to try and feel warm. Bring the moisture level up to 30% to 35% and you can turn down the thermostat and feel warmer, along with not having dry, scratchy skin, static electricity, bloody noses and higher gas bills than needed. For a small investment of $450 to $875, you can guarantee yourself of a return of all the above year after year.

The heating and cooling investment market is full of guaranteed returns. Ask your broker if he has any guarantees lately and I think you will soon find that investing in this arena is a sure fire thing.

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Around Town: Woodstock

Thursday, December 11th, 2008

It’s almost summer and the temperatures will soon reach the place where air conditioning is not only comforting, but necessary.  It’s also the time when a lot of systems need to be replaced or serviced.  There are many companies from which to choose when you have need of such services; so why call Reliable Heating & Air?  Because they care!

Dan Jape, owner of Reliable Heating & Air, started his company in 1978 and for 29 years has provided a quality service experience for thousands of metro Atlanta homes and businesses.  His commitment to customer satisfaction has been an integral part of his business philosophy from the beginning.  Dan says, “Our desire is to provide the best products and service at a fair and reasonable price.  Our goal is to leave each and every customer with a smile on their faces.  I always treat my customers like I would want to be treated . . . with fairness and respect.”

To achieve this level of service, Dan has found the correct combination after many years of trying different approaches; he hires and keeps top quality people and utilizes the best equipment available in the marketplace.  Reliable Heating & Air employees are some of the very best technicians and installers in the industry, with a minimum of 15 years of experience, and employed with Reliable Heating & Air for more than seven years.  “We take care of our employees and give them the best and newest tools and equipment to do the best job possible.  We provide them with a new, clean truck stocked with the best reclaimers, vacuum pumps, torches, and hand tools.  This makes a difference to a tech.  Nobody wants to drive a broken-down truck with worn out tools.”

The rest of Reliable Heating & Air’s success formula comes from only using top quality products from the American Standard Company.  “I first noticed American Standard heating and cooling products in 2001 when a leading consumer’s reporting publication rated them number one in the industry for reliability.  Again in 2002 and 2005 the American Standard heating and cooling products were rated on the top by this same impartial panel.”  Dan says, “For years I sold Carrier, Payne, and various other lesser rated products because customers asked for them due to their cheaper price.  After years of repairing these low-priced machines, I now know that the up-front cost is not the way to pick a product that one expects to have a life of  20 plus years.  Those few hundreds saved up front, turn into many expensive repairs down the line with inferior grade equipment.”  At Reliable Heating & Air they are committed to using only the best supplies and equipment available so you can enjoy years of trouble-free service.  When a customer buys a new American Standard heating and cooling system from Reliable Heating & Air, they are given a free one-year preventative maintenance contract, and if kept in effect after that first year, a full coverage warranty will be provided for lifetime — no questions asked.  “I guarantee you will never spend another penny on any problems.  Just let us keep your system running at peak efficiency and capacity,” Dan said.

Most people are unprepared for a problem with their heating and air conditioning systems.  Reliable Heating & Air makes it a little easier to deal with the unexpected.  Dan says, “We work on existing homes and retrofit or change out existing equipment.  We first visit the home to do a complete system and duct evaluation.  When we go to a potential customer for their free evaluation, we take exact measurements, evaluate the equipment and supply needs, and offer those clients a complete computer-generated estimate on the spot.  After the customer accepts the proposal, we can start work immediately, usually within a few days.  We can also do same-day replacements of condensers and coils.”

But you don’t have to wait until it breaks to call Reliable Heating & Air.  Dan will come to your home, free of charge, to advise you on how to make you and your family more comfortable and save money on your cooling bill this summer.  You can always count on unbiased, no-nonsense, straightforward advice from Dan.  That is one of the many reasons he has earned thousands of loyal customers over the years.  “We have earned many customers just from giving honest second opinions.  When the other guy just wants to sell you the biggest, most expensive unit on the market, and he doesn’t tell you the downside to it, it shows a disregard for the customer’s needs and their budget.  Often people will be talked into upgrades that they don’t need and that don’t offer them any real value,” Dan continued.

As an authorized dealer for American Standard heating and cooling equipment, Reliable Heating & Air specializes in the new environmentally friendly refrigerant, R410a.  “All of our techs are trained and equipped to work with the new refrigerant.  You have to have special tools and equipment to install this new “green” machine and a number of dealers have no experience in it,” Dan says.  Reliable Heating & Air is clearly a leader in this product, having installed thousands of the new “Puron” products since it came out in the late 90′s.  Reliable Heating & Air was voted the Best of the Best by the readers of Around Woodstock and Around Roswell magazines and won the Consumer Choice Awards multiple years.  Dan Jape was elected president of the North Metro Chapter of Conditioned Air Contractors of Georgia.  He served on the Lennox Southeast Region Dealer Advisory Council and the Carrier Partners in Development Factory Advisory Team.  With more than 35 years of experience, Dan makes Reliable Heating & Air the right place to get real trusted answers to your heating and cooling questions.  Call Dan at (770) 594-9096 for help and answers for all your air conditioning and heating needs.

Besides a full line of furnaces, coils, and air conditioners from simple to complex, Reliable Heating & Air sells and installs humidifiers; de-humidification systems; UV lights that kill and prevent airborne bacteria, mold and mold spores; and even a whole-house air cleaner system that removes 99.8% of airborne allergens and dust particles from the air you and your family breathe.  This is especially important for people with breathing problems, allergies, asthma, and other environmental sensitivities.  They also sell a wide range of furnace and air cleaner filters from their offices at 13987 Highway 92.  “If we don’t carry it in-house, we can order it and deliver it to your home, free of charge.”

If you are looking for quality, commitment to customer service, and competitive pricing, Reliable Heating & Air will go above and beyond your expectations.  Now located at 13987 Hwy. 92, they are ready to service your home so that winter or summer, you are comfortable and secure.  For more information or to receive a free in-home, on the spot estimate, please call Dan at (770) 594-9096.  You’ll see why they live up to their name!

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