Spring 2011

Get Ready for Spring Cleaning - Tips to Navigate through Last Year’s Mess

Every year, spring rolls around and we get the itch to head outside and start cleaning for the coming warmth of summer. Cleaning rugs, airing out the attic, opening the basement, and removing junk from the garage are only a few of the many tasks that make up many spring cleaning checklists. To ensure you get through your list and are ready to enjoy the summer when it arrives, here are some easy tips for this spring.

Create Room by Room Checklists

Before starting, create a clear list of everything that needs to be done around the house. Separate your list by room with individual checklists. This should include all indoor rooms, your garage, basement, attic, yard, and even the family car. This way, you can easily see how much progress has been made and separate out tasks by the people who should complete them.

Remove Clutter Systematically

If you plan on throwing things away or giving them to the Goodwill or Salvation Army, do it in an organized, systematic way. Start by going through each room and creating a pile of items that you no longer need or want. Then, separate them into where they will be sent. If you put this on your list first, it will remove clutter from your home before heavy cleaning starts and make the process much simpler.

Target Upholstery and Carpet Early

Once you’ve finished separating the clutter, start in on the carpets and upholstery. It’s best to start here so you can start moving things around and opening windows to air out your home. Upholstery in particular is probably musty and filled with allergens from a long, closed up winter. And often, heavy tasks like this get delayed until it is too late and those allergens are allowed to linger.

Get the Spots You Often Ignore

We all have those spots that simply never get cleaned. The toolshed. The garage. The attic. The crawlspace. These places are on your list every year but never actually get cleaned out. Put them earlier on your list this year and make sure they get done. Not only will it probably free space for some of that clutter, it will make you feel better about your accomplishments going into the summer.

Check Your Cooling System

Finally, take a close look at the cooling system in your house. Have the indoor and outdoor coils cleaned, the vents checked, and everything looked over carefully before you start using the device. An in person inspection by your HVAC repair person will ensure it is ready for another summer.

When done properly, spring cleaning not only makes your home comfortable and inviting for another year, it ensures valuable systems are well cared for going into the sometimes extreme weather of the summer. This saves you money and ensures peace of mind for at least one more year.

The Hidden Myths About Your Cooling System

Your cooling system is an important part of your home comfort system and you depend on it to keep you cool all summer long. But if you want to really get the most out of this system, you need to know the facts. There are a surprising number of myths and misconceptions concerning the various types of home cooling systems and how they should be managed. Understanding what’s true and what’s not can save you a lot of money and trouble in the long run.

Setting the Thermostat

For one thing, it’s a common misconception that if you want your house to cool off more quickly, you should turn your thermostat down lower than the temperature you actually want to maintain. The truth is that your cooling system will cool your home at exactly the same rate no matter how much the difference between the current temperature and the one you set on the thermostat. The best thing to do is to simply set your thermostat for the temperature you want to maintain and leave it there.

Another widely accepted myth is that turning your thermostat up at night or when you’re not home doesn’t actually save you any money. The idea behind this myth is that switching back on to cool your house when you get home makes your cooling unit work that much harder and use more energy than it would have to simply maintain a cooler temperature while you were gone.

While on the surface this may seem to make sense, it’s simply not true. Any time your cooling system is not running, you save money. And your cooling system doesn’t use any more energy to cool your house back down once you switch it on. So by all means, invest in a programmable thermostat or turn off the air conditioning when you leave the house and you’ll save a ton on your next energy bill.

Maintenance Myths to Consider

Many people also think that just because their cooling system is running, everything must be working fine. And most of the time, that’s the case. But there are plenty of problems that show no symptoms.

If you don’t have someone out to check on your cooling system regularly, you’ll never know when something is about to go wrong. Regular professional maintenance checkups for your cooling system are usually done once a year. They’re relatively inexpensive and they can both improve the energy efficiency of your system and prevent the need for emergency repairs.

Along these same lines, cooling system maintenance doesn’t just mean changing and cleaning out air filters. While this is certainly an important part of taking care of your air conditioning system, it is far from the only thing that needs doing.

You can change your air filters on your own, but you’ll still need a professional to come out once a year and look over your entire system to make sure there is no sediment or debris buildup anywhere inside and that all of the parts are in good working order.

• About Us
  • Core Values
  • Environmental Responsibility
  • Meet Our Certified Technicians
  • Maintenance
  • Financing
  • Our Newsletter
  • Testimonials
  • Video Testimonials
  • Promotions
  • Contact Us
  • Schedule a Service Call
  • Take Our Satisfaction Survey
  • Careers
• Blog
• Affiliations
• Site Map
• FAQs
  • Heating FAQs
  • Air Conditioning FAQs
  • Geothermal FAQs
  • Solar FAQs
  • Indoor Air Quality FAQs
• Accessibility Statement