Its going to get HOT!

This summer is going to be HOT!

With all of the anomaly-like weather we have had this year, doesn't it make sense that the summer is going to be 30-40 degrees hotter than normal?

According to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, visit for yourself at http://www.cpc.noaa.gov summer 2009, is going to be quite the hot one in Southern California.



What does that mean if you don't have air conditioning in your home? That you are going to be really hot...

What does that mean if your air conditioning system hasn't been serviced this year yet? That it is probably going to "putter" out during the hottest day of the year and you will have family visiting...and no air.

What does that mean if your air conditioner doesn't break down? That it is going to be working over time...and not running efficiently.

How to fix these things?

1. Make sure your air system is serviced before the heat of summer. A qualified technician will ensure that everything is clean, the refrigerant is fully charged, nothing is leaking and/or overflowing, there is no corrosion or build-up and that the electrical and wiring is operating correctly.
2. Run your air conditioner according to the energy star recommendations - set your thermostat to around 75 if you can stand it. Your air system will not cool faster if you crank the numbers down to 60 degrees, so your house will still be the same temperature and your bills will be super high - plus, if your system is correctly sized, if you set your thermostat super low, it will turn off too quickly - before the house is completely (equally) cooled.
3. Make sure your system is up-to-date. If your system was installed in the 1980s or 1990s, it is running at a way lower SEER (efficiency ratio) than units installed today. You want to think about it: If your unit is on all the time (as warranted by 30-40 degrees above normal heat) do you want it to be as efficient as possible? The answer is YES - because that saves you in energy costs. If you run an energy efficient unit, you could save around $40 for every $100 a normal energy bill would come to (meaning you are paying $60 not $100...).

So make sure that you have completely examined your options this summer, before that first energy bill lands on your porch.