Feel a little uncomfortable in the middle of winter or summer when you swear the temperature is fluctuating while just sitting there? Hot flash? Probably not. The gaps you can find around the windows and doors in your home on average add up to the equivalent of a hole 10" x 10". Thats right, 10" x 10"! You might as well just leave your bathroom window open all year long.
Windows and doors aren't the only culprit. The tiny space where walls meet floors, and even around electrical outlets are secret places air likes to escape faster than Andy Dufresne out of Shawshank. By stopping these infultrations you can reduce your homes heating and cooling bills by 40%. Yep, 40%!
So what can we do about this? Three words. Caulking. Weatherstripping. Gaskets.
Caulking is perfect for places like window frames, where those walls meet the floor, any place where gaps can be found and there are no moving parts. You don't need the fancy schmancy caulk with gun. Most types can be purchased in a tube you just drag and squeeze along the offending cracks.
Weatherstripping is great for the moving parts of windows in frames. It comes in felt, rubber, foam, plastic, etc. Most are self-sticking. Some, like the metal/rubber strips for where the door meets the threshold need a hammer and nails to install. Still pretty darn easy.
Gaskets are available to go in between the wall and the plastic electrical outlets. They are specially designed just for that. Don't believe that this is a place where air escapes and isn't worth the effort? Just put your hand over one on a cold day, and let me know what you find.
All of these items are readily available at your local hardware store. For a few dollars and a few minutes of your time, you can close that permanently open bathroom window...
-Jennifer
www.hotcold.com
The facts and figures courtesy of PG&E's 30 Simple Energy Things YOU Can Do To Save The Earth.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Get Cooking!
Did you know? Microwave ovens use about 66% less energy than a conventional oven. Perfect for cooking smaller portions.
Did you know? Slow cookers are also very efficient. Perfect for soups, stews, roasts, and more. Feel free to email me for some great recipes!
Did you know? Pressure cookers save you much more money than regular ovens. Cooking for one? Plug in an electric grill, like the Foreman, rather than heating up the large gas grill outside.
Did you know? Every time you open your oven door you are losing 25-75 degrees! Do what I do, turn the oven light on, and check through the oven window until I actually need to do a toothpick check. Also, using a digital thermometer sensor attached to a reader that sits on the counter is inexpensive and easy to use. Most even have alarms that go off when temp is met to the type of meat and wellness you have selected. Talk about set it and forget it!
More ways to save:
These tips courtesy of PG&E's 30 Simple Energy Things YOU Can Do To Save The Earth with some extra interjection by me!
-Jennifer
www.hotcold.com
Did you know? Slow cookers are also very efficient. Perfect for soups, stews, roasts, and more. Feel free to email me for some great recipes!
Did you know? Pressure cookers save you much more money than regular ovens. Cooking for one? Plug in an electric grill, like the Foreman, rather than heating up the large gas grill outside.
Did you know? Every time you open your oven door you are losing 25-75 degrees! Do what I do, turn the oven light on, and check through the oven window until I actually need to do a toothpick check. Also, using a digital thermometer sensor attached to a reader that sits on the counter is inexpensive and easy to use. Most even have alarms that go off when temp is met to the type of meat and wellness you have selected. Talk about set it and forget it!
More ways to save:
- Test the thermostat in your oven, you can buy one that sits inside the oven for about $5.
- Clean the reflectors under burners, they reflect heat back up to the pan. If they are dirty, they aren't reflecting.
- Check for cracks or tears in the oven door seal, the smallest of tears can make heat escape.
- Using glass baking dishes means you can lower the cooking temperature by ~25 degrees.
- Don't preheat too long, 10 minutes is usually adequate. No need to preheat when broiling.
- Replace electric stove top coils that aren't working properly, they drain power!
- Keep a lid on pots and pans, keeping the heat in makes things cook faster!
These tips courtesy of PG&E's 30 Simple Energy Things YOU Can Do To Save The Earth with some extra interjection by me!
-Jennifer
www.hotcold.com
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Who We Are
Although this blog is not all about us, we feel it is important for you to know who we are before you trust us and our advice.
Perfection Home Systems, Inc has been a residential heating and air conditioning contractor in the Sacramento area since 1981. Bob Kennedy, my father, started the company by taking over all of Trane's warranty work when they shut down their Comfort Centers. In the 28 years we have been in business, we have grown to have served over 11,000 customers.
When Bob got out of the Air Force, he went to tech school to learn the service side of heating and air conditioning. He worked for the Trane Company for 10 years as a service technician before they shut those Comfort Centers down. He had already obtained his C-20 California State Contractor's License before then, so he was ready to start working for himself. My mom, Rita Kennedy, quit her job as a bookkeeper to take on the accounting and payroll. I, Jennifer Kennedy, spent every day off from school, vacation, and holiday at the office and was officially on payroll at 13 years old. I even worked for my parents through high school and college.
In 2001, I came back to work in the business with the intention of taking over when my dad was ready to retire. As an only child, I felt that the only way the customers would truly still be taken care of the way my dad has for 28 years, would be to do it myself. I started off running the warehouse when they sent me back to Minnesota to be trained on selling fireplaces in case people came to our showroom and Bob wasn't there to help them. I came back and asked my dad if I could also do the in-home sales of fireplaces. He said only if I sell heating and air conditioning in-home as well. I was scared, but I couldn't let the opportunity pass me by. So with a few months of shadowing my dad on in-home consultations, I was on my own. And I LOVED it! My dad has been an awesome mentor and I know there is no way I could do my job as well as I do with out him.
On March 1, 2010, my dad officially semi-retired. He will be doing the bulk of the in-home consultations now, which is great for him for flexibility, and sad for me because being out in the field meeting customers to educate them about heating, air conditioning, fireplaces, air cleaners, etc is the best part of this job. He will also be writing the majority of the content for this blog. With over 38 years in the industry doing everything from service work, installations, and business management, who better to help you than the best teacher I ever had.
We have 11 employees. This includes a full service department and installation department separate from one another, so any need you may have, we have someone here to take care of you.
Again, we encourage your feedback. Bombard us with any questions you may have and we would be glad to post answers publicly as a blog post or privately by email. You can always visit our website as well at www.hotcold.com for additional information about us.
Until next time,
Jennifer
www.hotcold.com
Perfection Home Systems, Inc has been a residential heating and air conditioning contractor in the Sacramento area since 1981. Bob Kennedy, my father, started the company by taking over all of Trane's warranty work when they shut down their Comfort Centers. In the 28 years we have been in business, we have grown to have served over 11,000 customers.
When Bob got out of the Air Force, he went to tech school to learn the service side of heating and air conditioning. He worked for the Trane Company for 10 years as a service technician before they shut those Comfort Centers down. He had already obtained his C-20 California State Contractor's License before then, so he was ready to start working for himself. My mom, Rita Kennedy, quit her job as a bookkeeper to take on the accounting and payroll. I, Jennifer Kennedy, spent every day off from school, vacation, and holiday at the office and was officially on payroll at 13 years old. I even worked for my parents through high school and college.
In 2001, I came back to work in the business with the intention of taking over when my dad was ready to retire. As an only child, I felt that the only way the customers would truly still be taken care of the way my dad has for 28 years, would be to do it myself. I started off running the warehouse when they sent me back to Minnesota to be trained on selling fireplaces in case people came to our showroom and Bob wasn't there to help them. I came back and asked my dad if I could also do the in-home sales of fireplaces. He said only if I sell heating and air conditioning in-home as well. I was scared, but I couldn't let the opportunity pass me by. So with a few months of shadowing my dad on in-home consultations, I was on my own. And I LOVED it! My dad has been an awesome mentor and I know there is no way I could do my job as well as I do with out him.
On March 1, 2010, my dad officially semi-retired. He will be doing the bulk of the in-home consultations now, which is great for him for flexibility, and sad for me because being out in the field meeting customers to educate them about heating, air conditioning, fireplaces, air cleaners, etc is the best part of this job. He will also be writing the majority of the content for this blog. With over 38 years in the industry doing everything from service work, installations, and business management, who better to help you than the best teacher I ever had.
We have 11 employees. This includes a full service department and installation department separate from one another, so any need you may have, we have someone here to take care of you.
Again, we encourage your feedback. Bombard us with any questions you may have and we would be glad to post answers publicly as a blog post or privately by email. You can always visit our website as well at www.hotcold.com for additional information about us.
Until next time,
Jennifer
www.hotcold.com
Welome to the 21st Century!
Good Morning!
In an effort to reach out and help our customers (and anyone for that matter) we have decided to create a place for us to regularly share with people tips on how to use their central heating and air conditioning in a way to optimize efficiency.
There are many reasons to do this. The first, and most important to you, the reader, is saving money on your energy bills. By doing so, we then can help the environment. If your energy usage goes down, the power plants don't have to produce as much power, and everyone is happy.
Feel free at any time to contact us with topics you are interested in hearing more about or issues you may be having with your central heating and air conditioning system. Chances are others would like to be educated as well.
Other topics we will most likely cover would be:
*Indoor air quality
*Importance of duct sealing
*Other energy saving tips for around the home
One thing that is very important to us is education. We love helping people whether they live in the Sacramento Metro area or in Florida. Sometimes people find it nice to get a third-party unbiased opinion, and we do that all the time. So if you don't live in our area, don't be shy, we want to help!
Please stay tuned, and again, feel free to contact us with content that you would like to hear more about!
-Jennifer
www.hotcold.com
In an effort to reach out and help our customers (and anyone for that matter) we have decided to create a place for us to regularly share with people tips on how to use their central heating and air conditioning in a way to optimize efficiency.
There are many reasons to do this. The first, and most important to you, the reader, is saving money on your energy bills. By doing so, we then can help the environment. If your energy usage goes down, the power plants don't have to produce as much power, and everyone is happy.
Feel free at any time to contact us with topics you are interested in hearing more about or issues you may be having with your central heating and air conditioning system. Chances are others would like to be educated as well.
Other topics we will most likely cover would be:
*Indoor air quality
*Importance of duct sealing
*Other energy saving tips for around the home
One thing that is very important to us is education. We love helping people whether they live in the Sacramento Metro area or in Florida. Sometimes people find it nice to get a third-party unbiased opinion, and we do that all the time. So if you don't live in our area, don't be shy, we want to help!
Please stay tuned, and again, feel free to contact us with content that you would like to hear more about!
-Jennifer
www.hotcold.com
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