How to Keep Your AC Working for Years

Image via oceanstateac.com

It’s June in Minnesota, and with June usually comes some higher temps than we’re used to in previous months. We’ve already had some hot days, but we’ve been lucky not to have a big streak of heat yet, but surely that is on it’s way. Today we have some tips for how to keep your AC lasting through the impending warm months, and hopefully for many more  summers to come!

—

Tip #1: This is a tip we’ve mentioned before, but it’s important – if your AC unit is placed in the sun, try to give it some coverage. Place plants or lawn ornaments nearby which will cast shadows on the unit so it won’t have to work so hard to cool your home down. Just make sure that plants aren’t too near the unit, which can cause problems if leaves or stems get stuck in the coils.

Tip #2: Give your AC a chance to catch it’s breath. This might seem straight from the mouth of Captain Obvious, but if you want to preserve the lifespan of your unit, don’t run it all the time. When gorgeous Minnesota days with 72 degree weather roll around, use it to your advantage by turning off the AC, and opening windows and doors to get some fresh air. This tip is especially important if your unit is getting up there in age – older machines can use a break now and then if you want them to last.

Tip #3: Make sure to get your AC checked out before you have problems. Once the dog days of summer are upon us, AC problems sneak up all over the place. Spare yourself the trouble of waiting for a technician to to fix your AC while you suffer in the sweltering heat by proactively scheduling a maintenance appointment. Whether your unit is old or new, a check-up never hurts!  You can schedule your summer season tune-up from Gopher Heating at a new low price that won’t last long! Read all the details here!

—

Don’t hesitate to give Gopher Heating a call (952.890.3466 [metro area] or 507.665.3300 [Le Sueur area])  to make sure your AC is ready to go for the summer!

Air Conditioning Maintenance

image via air-conditioners.us

A great article out of Florida this week is giving HVAC users some helpful tips for maintaining their air conditioners. This is important because, as the article states, “Each year your air conditioner goes without maintenance, it will lose about 5 percent of its overall efficiency.”  As temps in Minnesota are higher than normal for May, many of us have already broke the air conditioning seal for the year, so here are some helpful tips to make sure your AC keeps you cool from some of Angie’s List‘s highest rated service specialists.

•  Call a professional to give your air conditioning unit a routine check-up. In order to ensure efficiency for the summer it is important to have it inspected, cleaned, and tuned by a professional.
• Make sure to replace air conditioning filters (check filter for how frequently you should change it, or ask a professional) which is especially pertinent in the summer season when allergens build up along the filter wall.
• Consider shading your air conditioner to increase efficiency. As the article states, “Air in a shaded space is cooler than the surrounding air, meaning · the A/C will have an easier time cooling the air.”
• Arguably, one of the most interesting points made in this article states, “Remember that each degree you dial below 78 increases your energy consumption by about 8 percent. If your monthly electric bill is about $100, you’ll save $8 a month with EACH degree you can stand above 78.”
• If you’re a forgetful person and don’t often remember to adjust your thermostat before heading out for work, or leaving for a weekend, consider a programmable thermostat to help you save money on your bills.
• If your unit is dated by more than 10 years, it’s time to think about getting a newer, more efficient model that will be far more environmentally friendly, and will also save you money.

To make sure your air conditioning unit is ready to go for the summer season, give Gopher Heating a call (952.890.3466 [metro area] or 507.665.3300 [Le Sueur area]) and one of our talented professionals would be happy to make sure you don’t spend a day braving the heat this summer!

Lennox HVAC – Home Comfort System Demo

Curious about the Lennox products we offer? Check out this video for an easy to understand demo of Lennox Home Comfort systems! If you have any questions, give us a call at 952-890-3466 and let us help you make an informed decision for all your HVAC needs today!

Spray-IT to Reduce Energy Costs!

(image courtesy of computerclipart)  

There’s a new product in development that could have an interesting impact on the HVAC world, and it’s called Spray-IT™. Developed by the ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute), this new product is “the first eco-friendly, thermal spray coating for use on glass and building material to lower energy costs,” according to their press release.

Bright, shining sunlight has a big impact on the heating and cooling costs of buildings. As the sun warms a building, more money is poured in to ensuring the building stays cool,  and the AC unit must do more work to keep the building at a comfortable temperature. As warm summer sun changes to the cold blustery winter, buildings often leak heat. So how does Spray-IT™ remedy these problems? Spray-IT™ works by blocking UV rays that cause buildings to heat up, and it also reduces heat leakage out of buildings. In the end, this will save you money on your heating and cooling costs!

“ITRI’s Spray-IT(TM) thermal insulation coating makes it easy for companies and individuals to afford thermal insulation so energy can be conserved while reducing the overall carbon footprint. Spray-IT(TM) is inexpensive to produce, easy to apply and environmentally friendly,” said  Dr. Tzer-Shen Lin, ITRI’s Electronic Materials & Devices Research Group division director, in the company’s press release.

New products like this assist HVAC professionals in making sure our customers receive the best service – service that is friendly to the environment, sustainable, and the best deal for your dollar.

(Spray-IT™ is not currently offered by Gopher Heating)

 
P.S. Don’t forget to enter our Winter Warmth contest for your chance to win a $100 Target gift card! Click HERE to enter today!

Stay Warm, Minneapolis!

There’s been an article  from The Daily Beast going viral here in Minnesota, and that’s because three Minnesotan cities are featured. The article, titled America’s 25 Coldest Cities, named Minneapolis the 16th coldest city in the United States. According to this article, we citizens of Minneapolis suffer through 35% of our days being snowy, and an average winter temperature (from 2009) of 22.8 degrees! Now that’s cold!

We at Gopher Heating don’t want you to have to suffer through this bitter cold. If you’ve stepped outside the last couple days, you know how brutal those icy cold winds are. Don’t take the chance of a furnace outage. Call us today to get your furnace checked, so you can rest assured that you will be toasty warm all winter long. You can reach us at our Savage location by calling  952-890-3466. And we wants you folks in the Le Sueur area to stay nice and toasty this winter, too! If you’re closer to the Le Sueur area, you can reach our newest location by calling 507-665-3300 today!

Exciting News for Gopher Heating!

Gopher Heating has some exciting news to report: We’re expanding! We are proud to announce our partnership with O’Brien Heating & Sheet Metal, who will be merging with Gopher Heating to help us provide the best HVAC service in the Twin Cities metro area!

What does this mean? For starters, the new alliance means that Gopher Heating can provide bigger and better savings to you, our customers. We will now operate in two facilities, our original Gopher Heating site located  in Savage, MN and also in the previous home of O’Brien Heating & Sheet Metal, located in Le Sueur, MN. Please note that each location has separate phone numbers. To reach the Savage, MN location, the phone number is 952-890-3466. To reach the Le Sueur, MN location, the phone number is 507-665-3300.

Another change you might have noticed is our new logo, featured in the header of our blog. As we welcome the new expansion and the changes that brings, we also wanted to usher in a change in our look. We wanted to update our logo to be more modern and contemporary, and we figured now was the perfect time!

We at Gopher Heating are so excited about the new changes happening at our company. We are so happy that with this new merger, we will be able to give our customers better, more comprehensive service, which also come with bigger and better savings to you!

For all your HVAC needs, you can reach us at either numbers (listed above). Give us a call today!