Archive for the ‘Heating’ Category
12.22.2009
Helping Heroes – Holtkamp to Give Away Trane Heating System
Hard to believe we’re ready to usher in a brand new year. This past year has proven challenging, but the new year brings an air of new promise and blessings. We’re excited to announce the launch of a new program called “Helping Heroes”. Its purpose is to honor the true American Spirit found in dedicated, hard-working people here in our community. Amid this past year’s uncertainty, many around us may be feeling the burdens of economic stress, job loss, and overbearing expenses. They are in their own rite heroes to their families, communities, and churches as they work to fulfill their obligations. Many are too proud to ask for help and that’s where you come in! Holtkamp Heating & Air is giving away at no charge an installed high-efficiency Trane heating system to a family in our community. Do you know someone who fits the definition of “hero” and is in need of our services? Click here to complete the simple online nomination form. We will accept nominations through January 22, 2010. The winner will then be chosen and the new system installed in late January. We’ll post their hero story and picture on this blog so you can celebrate with us. Thank […]
12.21.2009
Broken Furnace in Buford or Gwinnett County and Beyond?
I’ve had a couple inquiries lately about our service area and realized it’s not posted anywhere on our site! So until we remedy that situation, here are the areas we serve: Buford, Sugar Hill, Suwanee, Cumming, Braselton, Hoschton, Oakwood, Dacula, Lawrenceville, Duluth, Norcross, Lilburn, Alpharetta, Roswell, Atlanta 30350, Atlanta 30345, Dunwoody 30338, Chamblee, Doraville, Tucker, Decatur. We are always expanding our service area so if you are not listed above, still give us a call to doublecheck. If not, we would be happy to refer you to another quality contractor!
11.19.2009
The Nitty Gritty About Carbon Monoxide
It’s almost turkey time. I’ll bet you’re thinking about Aunt Polly’s stuffing and cozy fires with bunny slippers. Or maybe this is the year to break out that Snuggie for the football game. (Noted for another blog entry.) Which ever way you’re inclined, it’s time to get the facts on carbon monoxide and keep your family safe this winter. We all know CO is bad. We know that every home should have a CO detector. But at what level does CO become dangerous? I did a little research and found that mild CO exposure is 70-100 ppm (parts per million) and causes flu like symptoms such as headache, sore eyes and runny nose. 150-300 ppm causes dizziness, drowsiness and vomiting. 400 ppm causes unconsciousness, brain damage and ultimately death. This is assuming you’re exposed for eight hours. So then I took a little drive to check out the carbon monoxide detectors being sold in the big box stores and local family shopping arenas. Here’s what I found: hold on to your stuffing. At 70 ppm (flu like stage), the big box store CO detector takes 60-240 minutes to alarm. At 150 ppm (the dizziness and vomiting point) it will alarm in 10-50 minutes. At 400 ppm, it […]
09.24.2009
Top 5 Home Heating Myths
Now’s the time to think about your heating system before that first cold snap. When you plan ahead just a little, it alleviates the anxiety of last minute decisions and saves you money! Here are the top five heating myths: 1) All carbon monoxide detectors are equal. Most big box store CO detectors only alarm at emergency levels. We recommend low level detectors that protect your family against even the lowest level of CO which can cause headaches, flu like symptoms and breathing problems. We can install one of these detectors on your next maintenance visit. It’s that easy to keep your family safe this winter. See one here. 2) Gas is cheaper than electricity. With the development of heat pump technology and the average temperatures of the metro Atlanta area, electricity is a more economical source of heating and cooling. So if it’s time to replace your hvac, consider an electric heat pump or a duel fuel system. Sorry Gas Guy! 3) Windows are usually the main cause of lost heat. Windows usually rank lowest on the list of home improvements with the quickest payback. Sealing ducts and sealing outside air infiltration often provides a much quicker return. We […]
09.23.2009
Be Chicken About Cold Weather
We’re rolling into fall with new family additions. They’re not the cooing, crying kind. They’re the clucking, roosting kind. We built a coop this summer which now houses four beautiful chickens. (Daisy, Dandelion, Beatrice and Lucy, just in case you’re curious.) We’ve spent countless hours letting the chicks “out for recess” and observing some pretty interesting behavior. The term “coming home to roost” is really true. The little feather puffs climb their ramp at dusk and patiently wait inside the coop until we lock them in for the night. They follow nature’s rythmns and go with the flow. We should all be a little more chicken. Excuse me? Yes, chickens do get a bad rap sometimes. After all, it’s we humans with our intellectual reasoning and emotions who avoid and put off, until it hits us in the face. Don’t wait for the cold weather to rattle your toes. Check out your heating system now. Our ComfortCare plans are an affordable solution to maintain your system’s safety and ensure you’re getting the best performance and comfort for your family. And it’s easy! We can extend your equipment’s life as long as possible and can give you options for replacement when […]
05.15.2009
Cheap Furnace Filters are Better Than Expensive Ones
Have I ever steered you wrong? Okay, there was that time I thought Starkist tuna was really chicken from the sea – oh no, that was Jessica Simpson. Sorry, I get myself mixed up with her all the time! Anyhow, I feel I have been pretty straight up with you. This entry is no exception. (Let’s just say, I haven’t made a whole lot of “inside-the-industry friends” from this blog.) Expensive pleated filters aren’t worth the money. Why? Because if your house is like most homes in Gwinnett, you have significant duct leakage; the average is about 30% lost to unconditioned areas. If that’s true, then when your hvac kicks on, it’s creating a negative pressure inside your home and your furnace is working overtime to keep up. Stuffing a nice, plump, pleated filter in it is like stuffing a blanket over your mouth when you’re trying to run uphill. Make sense? If you will not be sealing your ducts any time soon, be smart and buy the $1 filters and change them every 30 days. Now I didn’t say that these cheap filters would actually help filter your air, just that they won’t cut off your system’s circulation and […]
