History of Halloween?

http://link.history.com/services/link/bcpid1811456971/bclid1842765416/bctid1842866701 This is a video put on by the history channel, it's only like 3 minutes long but well worth it. Check it out!

Indoor Air Quality

The picture shows 10 EASY ways that ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.) suggests to improve the air quality in your home. We are spending up to 65% in our homes and less frequently opening windows. It is important to keep our air quality indoors as clean as possible. How hard is it to move a couple of cleaning supplies? This picture is a bit difficult to read due to size constraints. View it on it's orignial location: http://www.ashrae.org/publications/page/961

Doors and Windows

Some tips and suggestions for life without air conditioning - or this quasi-fall temperatures we're experiencing in southern California.

Sad but True...

Unfortunately there has been an increase in copper-tubing and steel parts stolen from air conditioning units. What can you do to protect yourself?

While copper prices aren't as high this year (compared to the relative spike last year) some of our customers who have had to replace their units due to theft.

For about $25 worth of copper, it can cost you around $3,000 to repair.

In cases where the copper has been stolen, we usually just recommend replacing the unit rather than paying for costly repairs of the old unit. Read more about this problem... The Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration News put out this article where an entire rooftop was stolen from a business. Thankfully, most homeowners don't need to worry about this much damage. This story takes place in Oklahoma and shows how little success police are having in tracking down copper thieves. http://www.achrnews.com/Articles/Cover_Story/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000106822 One of the 'problem' locations experiencing high numbers of thefts is Oklahoma. http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=070504_1_A14_spanc47218 One online newspaper offers some simple solutions you can do at your own home to at least make it more difficult to steal your unit. These are pretty easy to do/find at a hardware store and cheaper than alternatives (of cages etc. that I will discuss below). Worth a try, especially in California if you're interested. Another option for protection is through cages - specially made for your air conditioning unit. There are a couple of companies offering cages (for one in your area contact your hvac contractor). The two mentioned below are just examples. http://www.accage.net/ operates out of Florida and creates a cage with a lock around the unit. If you are looking for a more - barred look try

http://www.mr-locks.com/products/147/Air_Conditioners_Cage_Gates/ Other companies just make a 'cage' out of wire fencing in the hopes that while it is not impossible to steal the copper that thieves will find an easier target.

Wonder How Much You Can Save?

Source: http://www.acdoctor.com/cooling_calculator.php last access 10/27/08. Information regarding resources and how much you can save if you upgrade to a newer model conditioner.

So you are thinking about upgrading to a newer air conditioning or heating system because you keep hearing things about green this and save energy that?

How about seeing actual savings in the form of: 1. Money 2. Trees/Carbon emissions saved and 3. Energy preserved. Their calculator will also tell you how many years it will take for you to recover the initial cost of installation/upgrade. With all of your options (even you kw/h rate) weighed out for you, the decision becomes much easier. Below is an example quote (using rough, estimates instead of actual numbers) for the air conditioning system that was installed in my home this last March. This bottom chart shows what I could recover over the lifetime of the unit. A pretty good way to make a decision if you ask me. Check it out.