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It’s Vacation Time: Plumbing and HVAC Tips

vacation ahead sign

Leaving for vacation is one of the highlights of our year. The anticipation of getting away is half the excitement and walking out the door and leaving your day to day stressors behind is a wonderful feeling. Returning home to a problem that could have been avoided almost negates the fun you had on vacation. You can’t avoid everything, but some upfront preparation can help.

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Staying Cool and Comfortable this Summer

As we persevere through our difficult economic times it is easy to overlook things that appear to be insignificant and focus our attention and dollars on the urgent and important. Servicing your air conditioning or heat pump system on an annual basis appears at first to be insignificant but consider the following:

  1. If your system’s refrigerant level is not right on, your system may be working at 80-90% efficiency raising your utility bills significantly.
  2. 80% of compressor replacements (big dollars) are caused by clogged filters in the system.
  3. We have found that our after hours emergency service calls have gone down significantly for customers with service agreements. If a unit is serviced annually it will have fewer problems and last longer.
  4. Our Air Conditioning Service Agreements cost $150.00. Others may offer cheaper rates but we actually clean, service, test, and check 15 or more items to make sure your system is operating at its best. In addition, you get priority service which helps on those hot days, and 10% savings on any service that is required.

A couple of other items to consider:

  1. Make sure you have a digital thermostat for greater accuracy and comfort.
  2. Your air conditioner also helps lower the humidity in your house which adds to your comfort level.
  3. If your family has allergy problems, we have products that can make your home a healthier place to live.
  4. If your electric rates seem high, we can check your duct-work to make sure it isn’t leaking your cooled air to unwanted areas like the attic.

Carbon Monoxide Testers

Don’t Compromise Your Family’s Health

iStock_000009417261SmallStandard Carbon Monoxide detectors, that you can purchase at your local hardware store are designed to sound off when lethal levels of CO are detected(above 70 ppm*). If the alarm goes off you should open all doors and windows then get out of your house ASAP. Do Not re-enter your home until the problem is resolved.

Low Level Carbon Monoxide detectors sound an alarm when low levels of CO are detected(over 25 ppm). Low levels of CO won’t kill you but often cause flu like symptoms. Flu like symptoms will continue until the CO leakage problem is corrected. If you have younger children, older adults or family members who have heart or respiratory problems, a low level CO detector is something you should seriously consider. These family members are more susceptible to CO than a healthy adult. If a family member has ongoing flu like symptoms that you haven’t been able to overcome consider testing the CO level in your home.

If you feel you may have a CO leak in your home we have the testing equipment to measure the CO level and find the source of the problem. We offer Low Level Carbon Monoxide detectors that we can bring with us when we do the test. Click here to set up an appointment.

Don’t take the chance. If you think you may have a CO level issue contact us today 717.397.2577. We will be glad to give you options for correcting the problem.

*ppm(parts per million)- used as a measurement of small levels of pollutants in air, water, etc.

Air Quality Issues

Air Quality Issues

allergiesHave you ever considered the quality of the air inside your home?  Living in and around Lancaster County, we know that the air does not always have a pleasing odor, and often those odors can seep into our homes.  Even more than the farm smells, things like dust, pollen, and dirt combine with things already inside your home like bacteria, viruses, molds, pet dander, and a host of other gases and indoor odors, leaving you with toxic air quality.  Often this toxic inside air can cause allergy and sinus problems, plus eye, nose, throat and skin irritations and much more.

Now there is a product that will improve the inside air quality reducing surface microorganisms, eliminating odors, leaving your home with a clean, fresh smell allowing everyone to breathe easier.  At Robert H. Ranck Inc., we have found that the most effective product to clean the air in your home is a product called the “Air Scrubber”.  It helps to purify and disinfect the air you breathe by reducing approximately 90% of airborne micro-organisms.  It is technology based on NASA research that was developed for the International Space Station to reduce exposure of harmful contaminants to the astronauts living for long periods of time on the Space Station.

It will also eliminate cooking odors, tobacco smoke and those musty smells in the basement.

Several of our customers, who have installed the “Air Scrubber” in their homes, have all but eliminated the effects of allergies and other common breathing-related ailments allowing them to breathe more easily and enjoy a good night’s sleep.   The “Air Scrubber” does this by destroying up to 99% of all surface bacteria, viruses, and germs, whether in your ductwork or on your household surfaces by releasing molecules when it is activated that will attract air particulates and airborne organisms like a magnet.  It will kill them and clump them together to be trapped in your unit’s air filter.  Depending on your living environment, you may need to change your air filter more frequently.

The manufacturer recommends that the Air Scrubber be installed by a professional company since it will be installed in the ductwork of the forced air heating and cooling system inside your home.

If you would like to find out more about this amazing product feel free to give us a call at 717-397-2577 or fill out the contact form .

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