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Heating & Air Conditioning (continued)
c. If they replace parts, ask for the old part to help ensure the work was actually done. You can even look up the old part number on the Internet and get an idea of the cost of the part. If you feel the cost you were charged was excessive for the part (or even the labor) call up the repair technician’s office, and tell the manager you believe you were over charged and deserve a refund.
7. Many people believe an annual service contract with an air conditioning/heating repair company is a good idea, as is having an annual inspection of your system. Most heating/air conditioning companies like to sell these contracts because they are very lucrative. Consider the following:
a. If your system is all electric (i.e., air conditioner and/or heat pump) these systems are designed to operate without annual maintenance. Clean the air filter and that is about it. At some time in the future, if you have a problem, just call a heating/air conditioner contractor for service.
b. Most newer gas and oil fired heaters are also designed to operate without annual maintenance. However, since fuels are being burned to produce the heat, and that produces carbon monoxide gases, a periodic inspection for safety reasons is advised by most professionals. Other periodic maintenance, like changing filters on oil lines, may also be required.
c. Otherwise, an annual service agreement is essentially an insurance policy. The only real benefit is if something goes wrong you will usually receive a discount from the normal repair cost. So, like other insurance, if you have a lot of problems with your system it can work out to be a good deal. But, since the air conditioning and heating contractors make a lot of money on these contracts, in general they are not a good deal. You end up paying for an annual system inspection you probably do not need, and for the privilege of getting a repair discount on repairs you probably will not need.
8. If you have a gas or oil fired heater, you do need a carbon monoxide detector.
Even in a new and well-
Electrical systems are not something the average homeowner can or should tinker with. Electricity is dangerous and should not be taken lightly. If there is a problem, most often an electrician should be called. However, there are a few things homeowners can do to solve minor problems, without incurring the expense of an electrician.
1. If something electrical stops working, due to the fact that the electrical supply is cut off for some unknown reason, there are four things a homeowner can check before calling an electrician.
a. Sometimes electrical outlets are switched from a wall switch and the wall switch accidentally gets turned off. If the outlet is switched, check this first.
b. If one or more outlets does not have electricity, and a wall switch is not the problem, determine if the outlet without electricity is a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) socket, or perhaps is on the same line as a GFCI. GFCI sockets are generally located in bathrooms and other areas where water is present, although the GFCI socket that may control the socket without electricity could be in an adjacent room. Look around. GFCI sockets have little reset buttons that you push to reset the circuit if for some reason it trips, which can be a fairly common occurrence. Push the reset button and see if it solves the problem.
c. Check the circuit breaker box or fuse box to see if a circuit breaker has flipped off, or the fuse is bad. If the circuit breaker is off, reset it by flipping it totally off and then flipping it back on. Of course, if the fuse is bad replace the fuse with the proper size fuse. Be careful.
d. If the electricity to your entire home goes off, it is probably a general outage. But if all of your neighbors have electricity and you do not, it is possible the main switch to your electrical supply was turned off, or the main circuit breaker was tripped or fuse blew. Check the circuit breaker or fuse box. Also, it is possible that there is a main switch or circuit breaker outside the house that you can check to see if it was somehow turned off or tripped. Just be careful and if you are unsure, call an electrician.
2. In order to protect your electronic devices from a possible surge in electric current, consider surge protection.
a. Surge protectors for individual electrical devices can be purchased at home improvement stores and stores like Walmart. For more expensive electronics, make sure they are plugged into surge protectors.
b. Many electric utility companies will also install a surge protector on the main electric line that supplies your home. This will prevent any surge that comes from the main electric supply from damaging your electronics, appliances, etc. However, this does not offer protection from any surges caused by lightning strikes to your home.
c. If you live in an area with numerous and severe lightning storms, you may want to consider if installing lightning rods to protect your home from electrical surges (as well as lightning damage) is advisable. However, they are expensive and your homeowner’s insurance should cover the cost of any lightning damage.
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