Well the entire website (www.gulfcoastaircare.com )disappeared a couple weeks ago
I still have the blog but the site is back under construction
Check there from time to time & see our progress
we will need to regain our page rankings & internet relevance
Hopefully the E mail will get straightened out & we'll be off & running again
Snuggle up
it's heater season
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
New Gadgets ( HVAC controls)
Here is a peek at the future of HVAC control.
Imagine controlling the home thermostat from your smart phone. The technology is out there and the price is dropping like computer prices were just a few years ago. Not only the temperature & humidity, but security systems, lighting, and a wide variety of other things too !
Just think about it, you have a router in the home, you can get a weather report on your wireless thermostat right before you leave, then, set the temp according to the weather details; how much money would that save over time??... and if you aren't coming home at the same time as the rest of your family, you can adjust the temperature, check the security system, turn on the lights, open or close the garage, there are lots of options with a wireless t-stat, a control module and a phone app.
Hey, I've seen apps to control the DVR and TV from a smart phone, seems to me those are kinda extreme, but I can remember a few times when I was away from home & was wondering if I set things up to record my favorite shows & "is the house is too hot or too cold ?" or "what are the kids up to ?".
The possibilities are virtually endless so just think in terms of piece of mind , convenience and energy savings!
Maybe you have a dinosaur of a system and you were thinking about an energy upgrade this year ~ all I can say is don't limit your thinking and remember...this "upgrade" is an important choice that should be given the appropriate amount of consideration; just buying a furnace or an air conditioner is not the whole picture.
Regardless of the choice you make, you will have the equipment for 15-18 years, so if there are existing comfort issues, it would be best to address them now.
Be sure you can add-on control or comfort features in the future and for goodness sakes don't forget the ducts.
Our specialty is Comfort & Indoor Air Quality, however, we work with an award winning security company in the local area, so if you have questions, feel free to give us a call anytime to pick our collective brain or have us help you make a wise decision about a home comfort investment. Call today for a free consumer report on choosing the right comfort system or security system for your home.
Comfort & security go hand in hand.
For more info go to http://www.gulfcoastaircare.com/ or call (850) 934-2768
Imagine controlling the home thermostat from your smart phone. The technology is out there and the price is dropping like computer prices were just a few years ago. Not only the temperature & humidity, but security systems, lighting, and a wide variety of other things too !
| Wireless Home Control |
Just think about it, you have a router in the home, you can get a weather report on your wireless thermostat right before you leave, then, set the temp according to the weather details; how much money would that save over time??... and if you aren't coming home at the same time as the rest of your family, you can adjust the temperature, check the security system, turn on the lights, open or close the garage, there are lots of options with a wireless t-stat, a control module and a phone app.
Hey, I've seen apps to control the DVR and TV from a smart phone, seems to me those are kinda extreme, but I can remember a few times when I was away from home & was wondering if I set things up to record my favorite shows & "is the house is too hot or too cold ?" or "what are the kids up to ?".
Consider the advances in home security systems, you can now get closed circuit TV cameras that you can view from a smart phone so you never have to wonder whats going on at the house while you aren't there. All these things can be incoprorated into the automated home comfort controls.
 |
| Closed Circuit Security Cameras (CCTV) |
The possibilities are virtually endless so just think in terms of piece of mind , convenience and energy savings!
Maybe you have a dinosaur of a system and you were thinking about an energy upgrade this year ~ all I can say is don't limit your thinking and remember...this "upgrade" is an important choice that should be given the appropriate amount of consideration; just buying a furnace or an air conditioner is not the whole picture.
Regardless of the choice you make, you will have the equipment for 15-18 years, so if there are existing comfort issues, it would be best to address them now.
Be sure you can add-on control or comfort features in the future and for goodness sakes don't forget the ducts.
Our specialty is Comfort & Indoor Air Quality, however, we work with an award winning security company in the local area, so if you have questions, feel free to give us a call anytime to pick our collective brain or have us help you make a wise decision about a home comfort investment. Call today for a free consumer report on choosing the right comfort system or security system for your home.
Comfort & security go hand in hand.
| Whole House Comfort & Security |
Monday, August 29, 2011
Duct Leakage and Duct Performance, What's the Difference?
Well this is a question that we are getting a little more frequently but we should hear this question way more often. You remember the old adage of statistics or analysis or the business accountant. 'If you focus on something, it improves.'
This is the topic.
ENERGY and COMFORT.
As Gulf Power prepares to add to all of our power bills' we should focus on offsetting that increase with a little knowledge and ask a couple questions.
1) Does my HVAC & duct system perform like it should ?
2) Do I have duct leakage? What is that costing me every month or every year?
Lets start with a couple basic ideas
Duct Performance: If you have a 3 ton A/C system are your getting 3 tons of cooling (tons, in this case is not weight, just a silly science definition of cooling capacity) the tonnage in a duct system relates to airflow and air flow to performance.
Lets simplify: 1 ton of cooling equals 400 cfm of air flow thru the duct system, 1 cfm (cubic foot per minute) is equal to about as much air in a basketball.
So when a 3 ton system runs we are looking for 400 basketballs of air per ton or 1200 cfm total coming out of the duct.
We measure the airflow at every vent, add it all up and...presto...Duct performance!
Did we get 1200? If not we have a problem... maybe multiple problems! Like... leaks, restrictions, blockage or undersized duct maybe even oversized A/C equip (this is common because "bigger is not better" when we're talkin' Air Conditioning )
Duct Leakage: We put the duct system under negative pressure with NO air flow and measure what's leaking out. This is the most common issue we see when we measure find out why duct performance is not up to snuff. Duct leakage is the missing basketballs' of air that you should have in the room but they are not, instead, they are leaking into the attic or crawl space. We often find that there are plenty of basketballs of air in one room (a small office or bedroom, lets say, and not enough in a large room like the Kitchen, Dining room or Living room)
So lets conclude this lesson by saying this again "if you focus on it... it usually improves"
know your duct performance & Duct leakage numbers and you will easily find a place to offset the upcoming Gulf Power Rate Increase.
For a short video about the tests ( Duct Performance & Duct Leakage) go to our website for a quick look at the consumer Education Videos http://www.gulfcoastaircare.com/
This is the topic.
ENERGY and COMFORT.
As Gulf Power prepares to add to all of our power bills' we should focus on offsetting that increase with a little knowledge and ask a couple questions.
1) Does my HVAC & duct system perform like it should ?
2) Do I have duct leakage? What is that costing me every month or every year?
Lets start with a couple basic ideas
Duct Performance: If you have a 3 ton A/C system are your getting 3 tons of cooling (tons, in this case is not weight, just a silly science definition of cooling capacity) the tonnage in a duct system relates to airflow and air flow to performance.
Lets simplify: 1 ton of cooling equals 400 cfm of air flow thru the duct system, 1 cfm (cubic foot per minute) is equal to about as much air in a basketball.
So when a 3 ton system runs we are looking for 400 basketballs of air per ton or 1200 cfm total coming out of the duct.
We measure the airflow at every vent, add it all up and...presto...Duct performance!
Did we get 1200? If not we have a problem... maybe multiple problems! Like... leaks, restrictions, blockage or undersized duct maybe even oversized A/C equip (this is common because "bigger is not better" when we're talkin' Air Conditioning )
Duct Leakage: We put the duct system under negative pressure with NO air flow and measure what's leaking out. This is the most common issue we see when we measure find out why duct performance is not up to snuff. Duct leakage is the missing basketballs' of air that you should have in the room but they are not, instead, they are leaking into the attic or crawl space. We often find that there are plenty of basketballs of air in one room (a small office or bedroom, lets say, and not enough in a large room like the Kitchen, Dining room or Living room)
So lets conclude this lesson by saying this again "if you focus on it... it usually improves"
know your duct performance & Duct leakage numbers and you will easily find a place to offset the upcoming Gulf Power Rate Increase.
For a short video about the tests ( Duct Performance & Duct Leakage) go to our website for a quick look at the consumer Education Videos http://www.gulfcoastaircare.com/
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
For Indoor Air Quality & School Building Health... What's on our report card?
Do you trust our local school district with your child's Health ?
We see an influx of complaints every year when school starts.
Watch the video & ask yourself... What have the schools done to prepare for this year?
This video is from Indiana, where they haven only seasonal issues with Hot Weather & Humidity.
Here on the Gulf Coast of Florida, we battle these conditions all year long.
I have confidence in our local school district and their maintenance crews.
But like Ronald Reagan always said... "Trust but verify"
For local help with IAQ issues & concerns go to www.gulfcoastaircare.com
Your Indoor Air Quality Specialists in the Florida Panhandle since 1994
We see an influx of complaints every year when school starts.
Watch the video & ask yourself... What have the schools done to prepare for this year?
This video is from Indiana, where they haven only seasonal issues with Hot Weather & Humidity.
Here on the Gulf Coast of Florida, we battle these conditions all year long.
I have confidence in our local school district and their maintenance crews.
But like Ronald Reagan always said... "Trust but verify"
For local help with IAQ issues & concerns go to www.gulfcoastaircare.com
Your Indoor Air Quality Specialists in the Florida Panhandle since 1994
Monday, August 15, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
NW FL in Late Summer...time for the Home & Products Expo
Well for Pensacola that can only mean one thing, time for the Home & Product Expo!
What is all the hype?
Well only that you get a chance to talk to a bunch of vendors at one time.
The companies that expend the extra money & effort to participate in these kind of events are the companies that will do a great job when you hire them for a project. Plus, they must meet the high standards & ethics of the local HBA to participate in the show.
Here's the scenario, you have been thinking about an upgrade... Kitchen, Bath, Energy Efficiency or Comfort project...Whatever it is.
For a couple of days (19-21 August 2011, actually) you have the opportunity to talk to some very qualified contractors & merchants who are on display, they have put their best foot forward for their trade or niche and you can look at all they offer in just a couple hours. This is a great opportunity to work out the details of what you want & how to get it done. Not to mention, you can usually get a discount, or added value extra in conjunction to the show special, that most of these companies offer. In this economy there are two ways to look at it; 1) money is tight and you may need to really watch your budget or 2) hey these guys are willing to do all kind of extras and include add-ons just to have the work. So if you have the resources, now is a great time to schedule a project.
Listen, Summer is coming to a close in a few weeks and now is the time; there is no better opportunity to work out the details than when all the good contractors are all together under one roof.
Just call the company you're thinking of, I'll bet they even have some free tickets to give away to get into the show. For tickets from us, go to www.gulfcoastaircare.com & send us an Email or use the contact tab to call the office... we've got tickets too.
 |
Well only that you get a chance to talk to a bunch of vendors at one time.
The companies that expend the extra money & effort to participate in these kind of events are the companies that will do a great job when you hire them for a project. Plus, they must meet the high standards & ethics of the local HBA to participate in the show.
Here's the scenario, you have been thinking about an upgrade... Kitchen, Bath, Energy Efficiency or Comfort project...Whatever it is.
For a couple of days (19-21 August 2011, actually) you have the opportunity to talk to some very qualified contractors & merchants who are on display, they have put their best foot forward for their trade or niche and you can look at all they offer in just a couple hours. This is a great opportunity to work out the details of what you want & how to get it done. Not to mention, you can usually get a discount, or added value extra in conjunction to the show special, that most of these companies offer. In this economy there are two ways to look at it; 1) money is tight and you may need to really watch your budget or 2) hey these guys are willing to do all kind of extras and include add-ons just to have the work. So if you have the resources, now is a great time to schedule a project.
Listen, Summer is coming to a close in a few weeks and now is the time; there is no better opportunity to work out the details than when all the good contractors are all together under one roof.
Just call the company you're thinking of, I'll bet they even have some free tickets to give away to get into the show. For tickets from us, go to www.gulfcoastaircare.com & send us an Email or use the contact tab to call the office... we've got tickets too.
Friday, August 12, 2011
August, Back to School Soon
August
Wow, its almost ‘back to school’ time, I know the kids don’t want to hear it but the summer has flown by~ July is gone & August leaves us only a few weeks till we change back into the groove that is “school “ or “learning” if you wish. Does anyone else get that last minute pressure to get one more thing accomplished before the summer is over & the kids go back to school ? You know, that last trip to the water park or the long weekend visit with relatives that you have been meaning to see before everybody gets “one year older”. How about those projects that have been on the list for several months and you still can’t get them done? You know, cleaning out the garage, fixing that old fence or painting. Lord knows we could do ourselves a big favor by spending a few hours of clean-up around the house & yard to reduce that stress when The Weather Channel declares the we should prepare for heavy rain & high winds and the ‘cone of probability’ swings back & forth on the Gulf Coast. Soon we’ll all be guessing when it will cool down for good and the threat from Gulf waters subsides for another season. Isn’t that when “the Fair” comes to town? So with the Summer Camps all completed, the “X Games” medals handed out, and the beginning of Football season just around the corner I will settle into August with the hope for big attendance at the ‘Home & Products Expo’ at the Civic Center later this month. It seems pretty sad that my Colorado Rockies aren’t playing well enough to even cause a slight distraction from the heat and humidity that continues to drag on through the end of the summer.AS ALWAYS, we are here for you if you have a situation at home or work where you can’t figure out why it’s not comfortable and you wish someone would get the problem resolved “once and for all”
For info or tips, try the consumer videos link at the top of our website ~ go to www.gulfcoastaircare.com
Till next Post,
Todd
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