Posts Tagged ‘reliable heating & air’

Is your attic overheated? By Dan Jape

Thursday, May 10th, 2012

By Dan Jape, owner Reliable Heating, Air, Plumbing & Electrical

In the past two years, many homes in the Atlanta area have had new roofs installed due to the hail damage and storms that have been epidemic. With these new roofs came a very harmful side effect sold to the unsuspecting homeowner by the various roofing companies: a scorching hot attic. My name is Dan Jape and I am the owner of Reliable Heating & Air and I see hundreds of attics that are in the 150 degree range which puts a serious strain on their a/c systems.

Most homes in Atlanta have a power assisted fan installed that exhausts hot air in the summer and keeps the temperature down in the attic which allows the air conditioning to work properly. The duct work in many homes is actually in the attic and it is very important to keep the heat exhausted so the air conditioner can maintain the proper indoor temperature.
The problem has come from the fact the majority of roofing companies have convinced the homeowner they no longer need power fans, instead replacing them with a venting system called “ridge vents”. A ridge vent is simply a cap that goes over a hole cut along the peak of the roofing shingles. It is supposed to allow super heated air to naturally rise up and out the roof of your home through convection instead of using an electric fan to blow the air out of the attic. This system depends on the correct amount of air entering the attic through the vents in the overhang or soffit. The coolest air available on a hot day is under the eve of the home. While this system can work well on new homes where there is adequate intake vents in the soffit, in most existing home that have had a roof replaced, the roofers simply install the top ridge vent and do not modify or increase the intake vents, which causes an overheating problem causing the air conditioner to struggle to keep up in the summer.
Many times, we see a home that has cooled perfectly in the heat of the summer and then the roofer removes the attic exhaust fan during a re roof and the home no longer cools. The fan is then replaced and the a/c actually works properly shutting off and on at the preset temperature. The attic should be sealed at all can lights, plumbing openings and around attic staircases so the attic fan will not draw conditioned cool air into the attic and an attic fan will save enough in energy costs to quickly pay for itself.
An attic fan can be mounted on the gable of the home or cut into the roof. Both types of fans are controlled by an automatic thermostat that turns the unit on and off at a preset temperature. Solar powered fans are also available to exhaust attics without using any electricity and on certain applications can do a very good job keeping the temperature down in an attic.
One should check their attic fan to make sure the motor and the thermostat are in good working order before the heat of summer arrives and if the old attic fan was removed during a roof replacement, a new fan should be installed. Call Dan Jape today at 770 594-9969 for free advice on all your hvac needs or for information on attic ventilators.

The Last Water Heater You’ll Ever Buy

Monday, April 2nd, 2012

By Dan Jape, owner Reliable Heating, Air, Plumbing and Electrical

When you are in need for a new water heater, there are a number of different models on the market today. One can choose the regular tank water heaters that last for 10 to 12 years normally or a high efficient tankless type that can last 20 to 25 years and provide a large amount of hot water on demand.

But another choice that is quickly becoming popular is the Marathon water heater that will last a lifetime and is one of the most efficient ways to heat water. The tank of a Marathon is made out of a high impact, high temperature polysufone fiberglass that will never corrode or rust, and the tank is cocooned in a 2.5 inch thick foam insulation jacket that stops the heat from escaping from the heated water when it is in standby mode.

The Marathon comes with a lifetime warranty that allows for no pro-rating deductions if there is a leak. The water heater is simply replaced by Rheem no questions asked. If you are a Georgia Power customer, you can even qualify for a $525 cash rebate if you convert over to a Marathon.

 

One very nice feature of the Marathon is they can be installed in a basement or an upstairs closet/attic and you virtually never have to worry about your heater leaking and flooding your home and furnishing. Because of the special fiberglass construction, you are assured it will not fall apart and rust. Most Atlanta area homes have no overflow protection for their water heaters meaning hundreds of homes each year suffer flooding when the homeowner waits to long to replace an old unit. This will not be the case with Marathon.

All the internal parts carry a 6 year warranty and can easily be rebuilt after that if any failure occurs. If you have an electric water heater currently, the Marathon can cut your usage cost by half – and if you currently have a gas heater, you can normally save $60 to $70 per year.

All gas water heaters need regular maintenance and flushing to make sure sediment does not build in the tank and by not doing so, the lifetime will be shortened. The Marathons need no cleaning or flushing and other than an occasional check of the Temperature and Pressure relief valve, the Marathon is one of the few maintenance free water heater choices in the market place.

Another great choice for a water heater with an extremely long lifespan is the gas tankless water heater. They heat water on demand without holding any water in a tank on reserve. This means that they also are a very good choice to be installed in an area where a leak or failure could cause damage since they have no water in them to leak.

Either one is a very attractive option to consider when the old builder grade heater in your home starts nearing the 10 year old mark or it is rusty or leaking. They will truly be the “last water heater you buy.”

Georgia Power offers their customers a cash rebate of $525 for converting their old water heater to a new Marathon heater of any size. Reliable Heating & Air is a Georgia Power approved contractor who can process all the needed paperwork to get this rebate back to the customer quickly. Reliable serves all of metro Atlanta and surrounding cities quickly and efficiently. Call Reliable Heating & Air today for all your water heating or general plumbing needs.

Nexia Home Automation from Trane

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

Home Automation is quickly becoming affordable and easy to use and program.  In the past one could spend tens of thousands of dollars on a system and many times never really get all the functions they wanted. This is quickly changing with the advent of systems like the Nexia Home Automation system from Trane and Reliable Heating & Air. The system allows one to completely monitor and adjust many different appliances and systems in and outside their home from any computer, tablet or cellular phone. The Nexia system from Reliable Heating & Air allows complete remote control of all heating and cooling systems in your home by using a bridge that ties into the Internet and will allow a user to change temperatures, monitor costs, check for proper operation along with a myriad of other features pertaining to their comfort systems. The Nexia system from Reliable Heating & Air & Trane also come with a module that can control lights or appliance in one’s home. Lighting can be turned off and on or dimmed from anywhere in the world and one can program specific times to have lighting adjust as well as any appliance such as ceiling fans, coffee makers, stereos, sprinkler  systems or anything else they want remote access to. Window blinds can be opened or closed on a certain schedule everyday to help with energy costs and senors can alert one to a door or window being opened in their home. The Nexia system will send you a text message if any one of these events occurs. Remote access door locks can be installed that allows you unlock your door remotely of give someone a code to allow enter your home once or any specific time you want. One real nice feature of the Reliable Heating & Air Nexia system is wireless cameras can be added that give someone a real time look at the home from any remote location and they can be programmed to tape record after a specific event has occurred such as a window being opened, a door opened and so on. This a great security feature that burglar alarms do not even offer. The Nexia system can be purchased from Reliable Heating & Air for under $500 with a new HVAC system and for only slightly more as a stand alone system. So if you live in areas such as Atlanta,  Marietta , East Cobb,  Woodstock,  Roswell,  Milton,  Alpharetta, Canton,  Dunwoody, Kennesaw,  Mountain Park , Johns Creek , Doraville, Chamblee, Tucker,  Norcross, Acworth, Hiram,  Dallas,  Sandy Springs, Buckhead, Midtown, Virginia Highlands,  Duluth,  Sugar Hill,  Buford,  Waleska,  Smyrna,  Vinings,  Ball Ground,  Austell,  Mableton,  Powder Springs, Cumming, Cartersville, White, Decatur,  Lithonia,  Lilburn, Stone Mountain, Lawrenceville, Ben Hill,  East Point,  College Park,  Dawsonville,  Free Home,  Macedonia,  McDonough,  Cobb County,  Cherokee County,  Fulton County,  Gwinnett County,  Paulding County,  DeKalb County,  Forsyth County,  Bartow County,  Clayton County, Douglas County, or any other surrounding areas,  we would be glad to come to your home to give you a no cost no pressure proposal on how you could start using this wonderful system today.

It’s not just “routine” maintenance this time of year.

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

by Dan Jape of Reliable Heating, Air & Plumbing

Cold weather is right around the corner and you will soon be in need of heat in your home. Furnaces need a complete service and cleaning each year before they are turned on to make sure they are safe and efficient. Many times, a homeowner will make the assumption that just because a furnace ignites, it is safe to operate. This could not be farther from the truth. Modern day furnaces are a very safe appliance and when maintained, can give years of service. But it is important that the series of safety devices and components that make them safe are in good working order. All modern day furnaces are safe if they are maintained properly, but if neglected could cause a problem. Reliable Heating, Air & Plumbing employees 100 plus Nate certified techs to make sure all is in good shape for a long cold winter.

One of the most important items to check and clean is the heat exchanger.  A furnace burns gas and heats up a metal box that contains the gas burners and when the box is warm, a fan blows air across the outside of the box and transfer heat to the air stream, which is then distributed to all the rooms of a home. This heat exchanger heats and cools thousands of times a year and this causes expansion and contraction. This can cause metal fatigue and cracks in this burner box which allows carbon monoxide to leak into the air stream. We have long optical scopes that can be inserted into a heat exchanger to check for cracks and fatigue to make sure they are airtight. This is extremely important to be checked every year, as this piece is a very stressed component of the furnace and can fail at any time a furnace is over 10 to 12 years old. It is also very important that any rust and debris that accumulates in the heat exchanger is vacuumed out to allow all the heat generated by the combustion of the gas to be properly transferred to the air stream.

Another very important series of devices that need to be checked are high temperature limit switches which monitor a furnace for an overheated condition. These high limits are crucial in making a furnace safe and they need to be checked and tested each year to make sure they operate correctly. If a fan or blower stops operating on a furnace, the gas will continue to ignite until these limit devices sense the furnace is overheated and shut off the burners and turn the furnace off. These limit switches are directly in the air stream and take a lot of abuse and they fail after a number of years.

 

Furnaces have a device that moves air and fumes through the heat exchanger and it is often a component that needs service in a modern furnace. This “draft inducer” is in the combustion stream of the furnace and is exposed to the hot, acid laden fumes of the by-products of gas combustion. Some manufactures make the housing of these inducers out of plastic and they become so hot, the plastic housing cracks allowing flue gases to be emitted into the living space of a home. Some early models also used metal housings and fan blades that was not built out of corrosive resistant materials and they rusted out quickly. These units need to checked at the start of every season for proper operation and integrity of the housing. A complete and through inspection on all the controls on a furnace have to checked every year to assure one all is working properly on their gas furnace.

 

A gas furnace that a builder installs in your home can give you 14 to 18 years of service if they are taken care of properly and  serviced regularly. A furnace that a consumer purchases can last 20+ years and provide safe efficient heat if properly maintained. Have your local heating and air contractor check for correct operation and your family should be warm and safe this winter. If you are need of a new furnace, they start out as low as $1495 and can go up to $3500 for a top of the line model.

Reliable Heating & Air Summer 2011

Monday, May 16th, 2011

Dan Jape, Reliable Heating & Air

Now that warm weather has arrived, it is very important that your cooling system is checked to make sure it is operating at peak efficiency. If your system is low on refrigerant or coils are dirty, it can cost you hundreds of dollars more each year to cool your home. Make sure you do not waste your money operating a cooling system that is not operating at peak efficiency.

Most HVAC companies offer a service contract which provides two visits a year to clean and tune up your heating and cooling systems and the summer inspection should include cleaning the outdoor unit of mud and debris lodged in the outdoor coil. This cleaning helps a unit give the best efficiency possible. It is always best to sign a service agreement with your company, as it gives your priority treatment during peak times and a discount on parts. At Reliable, we offer a lifetime warranty on most parts if a service agreement is put into effect at time of repair. If that same problem or part ever fails again, we fix it for free, no questions asked.

There are some big changes in the HVAC business brought about by the passage of the new Georgia State Energy Code, which goes in effect this year. It calls for some new tough policies regarding the heating and cooling systems that are installed in new homes.

Blower door tests are now required on all new homes to check the infiltration rate of a new home. The result must be less than 7 air changes per hour at 50 Pascals .  Companies such as Reliable Heating & Air are required to have a DET certified specialist on staff to check the tightness of the duct systems and the thermal envelope of the structure. Duct leakage now has to be tested and certified to meet the new standard for tightness. Duct mastic has to be used to seal ducts to make sure they are tight and not leaking conditioned air.

Programmable thermostats are required with every system as are attic tents or covers over the attic staircases. Attic vent fans can no longer be installed in a new home unless they are solar powered.  Electric furnaces cannot be installed in any new homes after January 1, 2011. A heat pump must be installed as the primary heat source if natural gas or propane is not used.

There are many other facets of this new energy code, but these are some of the highlights that might affect your HVAC system in the future.

For over 33 years, Reliable Heating & Air has been known as the company to trust for all your heating and cooling needs, providing top quality service at affordable prices. Many times, our customers have looked to us for referrals to handle their plumbing needs also since they have always felt a high level of trust and satisfaction from conducting business with Reliable. We have searched for many years for the right plumber who gave the same great service experience we like to provide our customers and have never been able to give a recommendation without worrying about the outcome.  We are now proud to announce we have opened up a plumbing division offering the same great pricing and helpful cheerful service our customers have always had counted on for their heating and cooling needs and we guarantee 100% customer satisfaction. Call us today for any plumbing or heating and cooling needs.

Dan Jape, Owner – Reliable Heating & Air

 

12 Months of Giving

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

by Dan Jape – Reliable Heating & Air

Do you know a family in need of a replacement heating & air conditioning system? Perhaps a friend, family member or co-worker that has fallen on hard times and is going without heating or cooling?

Submit your story of a family in need & once a month, Reliable Heating & Air will select a winner who will receive a complete 13 SEER comfort system (heating & cooling).

Visit the 12 Months of Giving page to submit an entry.

Winners will be announced at the end of each month.

The following restrictions apply
Employees affiliates and family of Reliable Heating & Air and WSB are ineligible. Free system includes the following equipment: 80% afue single stage furnace, 13 SEER a/c, matching cooling coil and digital thermostat only, all labor and installation supplies. 1.5 ton to 5 ton system only. Nominee’s equipment must be verified by Reliable Heating & Air technician as inoperable and beyond repair. We reserve the right to verify and and all information submitted for accuracy. Nominees must be Georgia residents as we are only licensed in Georgia. Other restrictions may apply based on type of dwelling.


Heating & Air Cooling Tax Credits will Expire Soon

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

by Dan Jape of Reliable Heating & Air

Two years ago when the tax credit program started, December 31, 2010 seemed so far down the road it would never come. Well, here we are at the end of one of the best deals we have seen and there is only a few months left to take advantage of the $1500 credit that has allowed millions of homeowners to replace old inefficient heating and cooling systems. There have been many negative reports in the media about the stimulus plan and its success or failure has been debated to death by the press and talk radio, but the positive side of this bill is the impact it has had on every average homeowner who had old worn out heating and cooling systems that needed upgraded. These people have been able to purchase top of the line super high efficiency heating and cooling systems for the same price as an entry level system. A very nice added feature to these new systems is a special thermostat that not only controls temperature but also controls and removes more humidity than a regular system. The increased moisture removal makes one feel more comfortable at higher temperatures saving cooling dollars.

There are many new models and sizes available today that earn the tax credit and they give homeowners many more choices that were not open to them just a few months ago. Another positive side of this tax credit program is that all the different manufacturers of heating and cooling systems have advanced technology and efficiency to meet the government standards and these new models will be around for years after the credit program goes away in a few months. If you have not looked into the tax credit program, you should call your heating and cooling provider and at least explore this program as it ends December 31, 2010 and there is no extension or plans to extend this program, so do not miss this opportunity to cut your utility bills in half and increase your comfort by two fold.

The cold weather is here now and it is time to get your furnace checked for proper operation and safety. A properly adjusted furnace can save hundreds of dollars in cost of operation and make sure that your heating system is in top working order. Furnaces should be cleaned of rust and soot and have the heat exchanger inspected thoroughly each year. Gas pressure should be adjusted and the gas jets cleaned to assure proper operation and efficiency. Your air filter should be changed every 2 months and the blower wheel and assembly should be kept clean and free from dirt build up.

Another nice addition to your comfort system this season would be a central humidifier that adds moisture to your homes heating system. These units prevent damage to your homes hardwood floors, cabinets and furniture. They also prevent dry skin and static electricity and reduce the heating bills as it is more comfortable at a lower temperature when the moisture is increased. This is the opposite of the summer when comfort is increased with lower humidity. Call Dan Jape of Reliable Heating & Air at 770 594-9969 for all the details about the expiration of tax credits.

Free Freon? Is it really free? By Dan Jape

Friday, April 16th, 2010

Free service call. Free diagnostic with service call. Free repair with paid service call. Free furnace with air conditioner!! And now FREE FREON. I know you have seen them all before. That ad that screams an offer that is too good to be true. It makes you stop just a second and ask yourself, could this really be free- like that quarter laying on the ground of the parking lot- or is just a come on to get me to buy something else at an inflated price to cover the cost of the “free” offering?
I have always found there is no “free” in life, that free always comes with strings attached and sometimes those strings are not pleasant. The free service call, the free repair, the free furnace and free diagnostic are all priced into what you are charged for and in the end you pay more for usually inferior goods and services than if you had just used an honest contractor offering no free services.

Now comes the most harmful “free promotion” I have seen used as a marketing campaign to date: The offering of “free Freon” if your unit has a leak and needs a recharge of refrigerant. While this is a way to get in the home and pitch a new system to the homeowner with a leaky system which needs to be replaced, the danger of this advertising campaign is there will be people who have systems that leak thousands of pounds of Freon into the atmosphere every summer and they will take advantage of this program to simply put more Freon in their system only to have it leak out two or three times over the season. The problem with this is that Freon, which is just a brand name for R-22 refrigerant is actually difluoromonochloromethane which is a hydrochloroflurocarbon or HCFC, a poisonous toxic gas that when released into the atmosphere causes damage to the environment and the ozone layer. It is not something to be pumped into leaking systems to only leak out into the atmosphere. If you have a leaking air conditioning system, the proper course of action is the stop the leak and stop polluting the world for future generations.

If you call this company, they will gladly come out and pump your system full of difluoromonochloromethane at no charge and keeping coming back and filling it up at no charge as it leaches into the air we breathe. This is just not being socially conscious or “green”. They may think it is a good way to get into your home to try and sell you a new system, but in the real world, a lot of people will just opt to have their systems filled up over and over again, never really knowing what problem they are contributing to. A law was passed called the Clean Air Act and it called for the removal of Freon from our cars first then our homes and businesses. It is now illegal to keep pumping up a leaky air conditioner that has over 50 pounds of Freon in it and it is environmentally irresponsible to keep pumping up a home air conditioning system that will just contribute to a problem that will have long reaching ramifications for future generations.

I seriously doubt the company advertising this “free freon” promotion meant any harm. They are by all accounts an honest company that does good work. The heating & cooling industry is extremely competitive in the Atlanta area and we’re all looking for new and inventive ways to grow our businesses, but we have to make sure that we do it in an ethical and environmentally responsible manner. Pumping “free Freon” into the atmosphere is not something we should do in any way shape of form!

The bottom line is this: Do not be fooled into thinking you are getting something for nothing. Repair or Replace your leaky air conditioner instead of just pumping it up. I still believe what my parents taught me years ago: Nothing free is worth having.

Goodbye, my old friend..

Monday, February 15th, 2010

by Dan Jape of Reliable Heating & Air

After a ten year phase out, Freon is now dead and gone forever and this change will have an impact on most every home and business in the country. Back in the early 1990′s, law was enacted that called for the phase out of CFC’s, halons, and HCFC,s due to the fact they destroy the ozone layer and are responsible for creating an ozone hole over the South Pole. Freon is an HCFC and whether you believe in the ozone issue or not, everyone who currently has an old air conditioner that runs on Freon will be affected by the phase out since the law mandated that no new Freon based a/c units can be built after January 1, 2010 and after January 1, 2015, there is a ban on the sale and use of Freon in residential use. As the production of new Freon is limited, the price of this gas is going up to the point to where if you have an old leaky a/c system that uses Freon R-22, it will be a better idea to replace your a/c system instead of spending hundreds of dollars fixing leaks and recharging the system with Freon. Freon is going to be expensive this summer and to keep adding more to a leaky system is not a good use of your money. The state of the economy has the price of new systems lower than ever before and warranties have been escalated to 10 years parts and labor making this the best of times to cut ties with your Freon based a/c system.

New units now use R410a refrigerant which is far better than Freon in removing heat and moisture and is the only refrigerant available for home use. New units can cut your electric bill by 50 percent while giving you comfort you have never known. There are tax credits available of $1500 from the federal government which will pay the cost of upgrading to the very best furnace and a/c system. You will get a variable speed furnace with a built in dehumidifier and a 16 seer a/c system that will keep your home cool and dry in the summer and an even temperature in the winter. There are also factory rebates of $1000 or 36 months same as cash to help with the cost of upgrading your comfort system. Dan Jape of Reliable Heating & Air was one of the first contractors in the Atlanta area to specialize in the new R410a refrigerant having installed some of the first units on the market late in 1999.

Every year people who know they have to replace their cooling systems get estimates over the winter when business is slow and they get the best prices of the year. But instead of going ahead and getting the work done early before the warm weather arrives, they procrastinate until it get hot and contractors are already busy, then they call and try to get off season deals. The heating and cooling business is all about supply and demand. In the warm months, there is an abundance of jobs and customers waiting to have work performed and no contractor can give you a special deal because the time to do your work could be sold at full price to the next person waiting in line. Do not wait until spring to try and repair or replace your a/c if you already know you need service. Get it done early if you want the best price and experience no waiting in a hot house. Call Dan Jape of Reliable Heating & Air today for details about the new green refrigerant R410a.

Kudzu.com

Monday, February 15th, 2010

By Dan Jape, owner of Reliable Heating, Air, Plumbing & Electrical

One of the most important aspects of having a new comfort system installed in your home is who is going to install it and maintain it. For many years, potential customers would perform their due diligence by asking for a number of references from former customers and of course, contractors would give a
list of their customers who were the most pleased. Somehow unhappy former customers would never be included in this reference list. Due to the advent of certain Internet sites, these days are over. Customers never ask for references anymore, instead they turn to websites that list former customer
reviews that are posted on these sites and give all the details of their experiences with contracting firms, both positive and negative. The most popular site people turn to is Kudzu.com and it lists reviews all types of companies.

Kudzu.com has been online for 4 or 5 years and it is an amazing tool to be used in selecting a service business. Kudzu.com is anonymous, so many people open up and write reviews they might not if their identity was disclosed. They are brutal if a company does not perform up to snuff, and many times will write very negative reviews over small missteps. They are also quick to
sing the praise of a company that goes above and beyond the normal level of expectations that they had. What also is very useful and fascinating is the fact the business owner or manager has the ability to answer every review listed about their company. One of the most telling parts of this website is how they respond, if they respond and what their response is to negative comments. We at Reliable Heating & Air use every comment about our companyas a learning/training experience. We go over every detail with the employee or crew and see what caused a negative review and how we could avoid a similar reoccurrence. We then answer each and every review and if a customer is not 100% pleased, we try and rectify the problem. I strive for 100% customer satisfaction and will not stop until we achieve that goal. We will redo the service or refund a customers money if that is what it takes to make sure every one of our customers is pleased.
The best outcome of having a website like Kudzu.com is it has raised the bar of the industry by keeping companies on their toes and forcing them to perform their best work. Before the Internet, companies could sweep unhappy customers under the rug and go on. Now the whole world can read each and every detail about each unhappy experience. I personally know some HVAC
company owners who have changed the way they do business to keep their Kudzu clean and they have had employees change the way they treat their clients.
There are also some big heating and air/plumbing companies who just can’t get it when it comes to the level of service needed to have a good Kudzu rating. Several companies refuse to even answer their reviews because they get so many negatives ones. Some blamed their negative reviews on other companies writing fake reviews about their companies instead of taking a long hard look at their own level of customer service. It is an attitude that will catch up with them soon or later. One large HVAC company in metro Atlanta will not respond to their negative reviews instead refusing to even acknowledge they exist. They feel sites like this are not worthy of a response.

The next time you need a service business, a new restaurant, a doctor or a lawyer I suggest you turn to Kudzu.com to look at reviews from other people who have used these business’s to see how they stack up. Reliable Heating & Air is one of a few select  5 star rated companies on Kudzu and we work hard everyday to make sure all our customers are happy.  Call Dan Jape today for help in all your hvac, electrical and plumbing needs. 770 594-9969
.