Gold Medal Service, an award-winning heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical, drain cleaning, and waterproofing company, encourages area homeowners to make sure their air conditioning units are in good working order and not at risk of overloading the electrical system and causing a surge or outage.

About 80 percent of power surges that occur in homes are due to devices, such as air conditioning units, that require a great deal of energy to turn on and off, and to run. As the weather gets hotter through the summer, New Jersey families are running their air conditioning more often, increasing the likelihood of overloading their home's electrical wiring and causing a surge or outage. One of the best ways to prevent this is to have a expert perform routine maintenance on an air conditioner.

In addition to the possibility of a home's air conditioning unit overloading the electrical system, summer storms can bring lightning, and local utility companies may turn power grids on and off to monitor usage. These events can also trigger surges.

It's also important to protect other electronic devices and appliances inside the home in the event that a power surge does happen. A power surge is likely to cause damage to computers, televisions and their accessories. The air conditioning unit, while less susceptible to damage, is at risk, especially if it is the cause of a power surge. It can impact electronic devices even if they are not currently in use.

Homeowners can buy surge protector power strips to use throughout their homes. A Gold Medal Service expert can install an arrester at the electrical meter or panel that can help divert extra energy during a surge. And homeowners can also get a generator from Gold Medal Service, to provide backup power in the case of an outage.

In the event of a power outage during the summer, whether caused by the air conditioner, storms, or by an overloaded civic electrical system, it's important to take steps to protect the air conditioning unit, other items in the home, and family members.

Turn off an air conditioning unit during a power outage, and do not turn it back on for several minutes after the power is restored. To stay cool, dress in breathable clothing and use natural ventilation with windows to cool the home. Wrap blankets around refrigerators and freezers, and keep them closed, to keep food as cold as possible. If frozen food still has ice crystals on it, it should be safe to eat.

For additional information about Gold Medal Service, call 800-576-GOLD or go online to http://www.goldmedalservice.com.

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Keep air conditioner from working too hard

Casco, ME (PRWEB) June 30, 2014

Boos Heating is always up on the latest technology, and once again they are bringing their customers an innovative, new heating system. This system features technology straight from Europe that gives superior economy and efficiency for new construction, remodeling or retrofits.

Customers can install these systems as new or replace old, worn out hot water baseboards and radiators. This is not a noisy, ugly, old-fashioned blower unit. It is attractive enough for even the finest dining room. It can be used as a standalone system or combined to enhance other systems like radiant floors or radiant panels without all the extra expensive and complicated mechanical equipment.

The new heating system is fast and easy to install and quickly and comfortably heats the area. There is no hot then cold temperature swings like a hot air furnace. When properly installed, each unit can operate individually thus only heating the rooms or space occupied.

These systems feature a low supply temperature, which equals incredible fuel savings. With high efficiency boilers and controls, customers are getting the best in the heating industry at a reasonable cost and a fast return on investment.

Their nearly silent operation makes these heating systems ideal for residential use, businesses, restaurants, hospitals, doctors offices, libraries, schools, apartments, health care facilities, dentist offices, law offices, retirement homes, elderly care facilities and more.

Using a central control such as MODBUS, over 2,000 units can easily be controlled from a central location. Also, utilizing chilled water will also get the room to room benefit of quiet, fast and efficient cooling.

Email Boos Heating Company at boosheatingco(at)gmail(dot)com or visit their website at http://www.boosheating.com/ for more information on this incredible product.

About the company: Boos Heating is a full-service heating company, serving the Greater Portland and Lakes Region areas. They are a fully-licensed, fully-insured Maine-owned and -operated business. Since 1993, they have been keeping Maine families warm. Boos Heating prides itself on providing the highest quality service in the industry. They stay a cut above the competition by being on the leading edge of technology! They are also the only company in the area who offers oil tank cleanings. Over time, oil tanks accumulate a sludge buildup that can negatively affect a heating system. Boos Heating has the tools to clean oil tanks, whether they are full or empty. For more information, visit their website at http://www.boosheating.com/.

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Fan Coils: The New Standard in Hydronic Heating

San Bernardino, CA (PRWEB) June 25, 2014

JBS Heating and Air has just been awarded the 2014 Bryant Medal of Excellence (MOE) by Indianapolis-based Bryant Heating and Cooling Systems. Bryant, a manufacturer of home heating and cooling systems since 1904, presents the award annually to Bryant Factory Authorized Dealers who meet the company's strict standards for unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction while providing consumers with high quality products and services. JBS met all of Bryant's high service standards for their customers' heating and cooling systems as well as good business practices. Because of hard work and diligence, JBS was one of only 15 regional MOE winners across the United States and Canada, and the only winner among all of the California Bryant dealers.

Bryant has a long history of providing customers with reliable, worry-free comfort, said Alissa Barnard, marketing manager, Bryant. We couldnt achieve success without our dealers, who have embraced the Whatever It Takes(sm) philosophy to market, sell, install and ensure our heating and cooling products are running at an optimal level. Were proud to honor JBS Heating & Air with our 2014 Medal of Excellence award.

In addition to being a Bryant factory authorized dealer, JBS is also dedicated to operating with the highest ethical standards and they work constantly to uphold sales, business and customer service quality. The company holds certifications from: North American Technician Excellence (NATE), Air Conditioning Contractor's Association of America (ACCA), National Comfort Institute (NCI), and holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

NATE is an organization that trains technicians for certification through rigorous testing, with the goal of improving and maintaining the quality of technicians in the HVAC industry. ACCA sets ethical standards to which its members adhere to ensure quality customer service. The National Comfort Institute trains contractors in innovative methods for installing system so they provide the safest and most comfort possible for customers. The Better Business Bureau is a system for its members to help solve problems with customers and to provide consumer education.

Joaquin Contreras established JBS Heating and Air over 10 years ago, but began as a HVAC service technician almost 30 years ago. He supplemented his on-the-job experience with education at College of the Desert. Contreras later served as a member of its Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technical Advisory Committee. He currently serves as a member of the WHPA (Western HVAC Performance Alliance) Residential subcommittee staying on the front line of energy savings strategies that impact the overall effectiveness of Code compliance and IOU rebates thru the California Energy Commission. His business activities have included new construction, custom homes and commercial buildings. He has also advised HVAC companies on all aspects of the business including management of service departments, proper system design and commissioning of residential and light commercial systems.

JBS Heating and Air Inc is one of only a handful of HVAC service companies in So Cal working with So Cal Edison on both its Residential Quality Installation Program, Commercial Renovation program, and the commercial Early Retirement program affording customers rebates from $600.00 to $4000.00 on select commercial and residential equipment.

Contreras heads the company's executive management team, which includes Tom Babnick, chief financial officer, Seth Ferguson General Manager RNC, Casey Contreras Service Manager, and Kimberly Sico, operations manager.

Tom Babnick has been JBS chief financial officer since 2006 and manages the company's accounting and finances. His varied financial experience includes directing Disneyland's financial planning. His formal education includes a BA and MBA from CSU, Fullerton.

Seth Ferguson has over 16 years experience from ground up in the Plumbing & Mechanical field and has taken on the role of General Manager of Residential New Construction RNC for JBS.

Excerpt from:
JBS Heating & Air Named a Medal of Excellence Award Winner by Bryant Heating & Cooling Systems

The Nest thermostat will soon be able to communicate with other smart devices in your home.

Jacqui Cheng

Google officially closed a deal to buy Nest Labs for $3.2 billion back in February of 2014. Since then, both companies have been mostly quiet about their plans other than to respond to questions about privacy mattersand butt into the related business of home security bybuying Dropcam for $555 million. Today, in advance of Google I/O, Nest has officially announced a new developer program and API that will allow other companies' smart devices to communicate with Nest's Protect smoke alarm and Learning Thermostat.

Among the companies that Nest is partnering with for this initial publicity push are IFTTT, Jawbone, LIFX, Logitech, Mercedes-Benz, Whirlpool, Chamberlain, and Google itselfthe latter two companies will release Nest-compatible features this fall, while the others are all available today.

All of the companies' "Works with Nest experiences" focus on making Nest devices more useful when used together with other smart home gadgetsif the Nest Protect smoke alarm goes off, than LIFX's lights can flash red to make it more obvious to the hearing impaired. AChamberlain garage door opener can tell the Nest thermostat to enter and leave Away mode depending on whether the owner isentering or leaving thegarage. And Google Now will let users control their thermostats with their voices and set proximity-based rules that will adjust theirthermostats before theyget home.

"It's not just integration for integration's sake, or connectivity just to connect," Matt Rogers, Nest co-founder and engineering head, told Ars. "It's 'what are great user benefits we could do?' Those are the kinds of things we're going to highlight. That said, it's a developer program that's opened up very widely. So whoever wants to build stuff can build stuff."

Early Nest investors Google Ventures and Kleiner Perkins Caulfield and Byers are both partnering with Nest to fund startupsthat want to get their own Nest-related projects off the ground. For now, though,Nestisfocused on partnerships withestablished companies.

Nest's tools are entirely Web-based, and there is no cost to developers who want to begin developing for Nest.

While the developer program's goal of connecting Nest gadgets to other devices sounds pretty Google-y, Rogers told us that Nest had been working on the developer program "behind the scenes for about a year," well before the Google acquisition happened. Nest is taking advantage of Google I/O and of Google's sheer size to amplify the announcement and attract more interest, but at least, as of this writing, the program is being driven by Nest's team and not by its parent company.

"Before Google, we would have to build our own event, and having an event like I/O is a really big deal," Rogers said. "Tens of thousands of people come to these kinds of things, so this is a really good platform for us to work on."

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OK Google, crank the A/C: Nest announces new smart home API

(PRWEB) June 19, 2014

Most people dont associate industrial plants with a clean working environment that is temperature controlled for worker comfort. But that is exactly what Siegel-Roberts wanted for their new plastic injection parts and plating plant in Farmington, Missouri.

The 180,000 sq. ft. plant had been a bicycle manufacturing facility with poor lighting, inadequate heating, no cooling, and a dusty and dirty environment for the workers. The new owners completely gutted the plant, removing all the old lighting, heating, and exhaust systems. The entire structure was cleaned, sealed, and painted, and new high intensity lighting was installed; the work made the plant look bright, clean, and brand new.

The Air Masters team was called in to design and install a modern heating, cooling, and ventilating system for the plant. After a review of the needs, they proposed a two-step approach to the problem. Heating was provided by installing modern gas-fired unit heaters at the perimeter of the building, while cooling and ventilation was provided by installing a series of six air handling units and two 250-ton air-cooled chillers.

Working closely with the plant manager and his staff, the air handling units were located so they would provide cooling right where the people worked. Outside, air ducts at each air handler provide outside air to meet ventilation requirements and to pressurize the plant, thus reducing costly air infiltration. In addition, the plant can go to 100% outside air to provide free cooling when outside temperature conditions permit.

Cold water from the chillers was piped to the air handlers in a primary/secondary piping scheme, allowing the plant manager to precisely control the cooling capacity. All told, over 1/3 mile of pipe was installed to monitor and regulate the temperature conditions in the plant. Now, with the touch of a computer key, the plant manager can turn his heating and cooling systems on and off, monitor temperatures, and adjust settings to keep his workers happy and productive.

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Another Recent Air Master HVAC Success Story: Siegel-Robert

June 20, 2014

Those utilities include fiber-optic lines, electrical lines and heating and cooling lines that are proposed to be buried there in the coming months.

The university has existing utility lines beneath the Edgar right of way, but the intersection of Edgar and Garden must be widened to accommodate new development on the campus. That road widening may require the university to relocate its lines.

The university and Ameren Missouri are installing a new electrical substation to provide additional electrical power to the university and other parts of the city adjacent to the campus. That will also require relocation of certain utility lines.

As far as the agreement with the city, Greg Gunderson, the university's vice president and chief financial officer, said he protested an annual right of way management fee that would total $1.90 per linear foot of buried conduit annually, with the university likely to install 1,000 to 2,000 linear feet.

He said the fee "caught us off guard."

"Ameren asked us to build an electrical substation due to limited capacity, and its construction will help the Webster Groves community to alleviate pressures on the electrical grid," he said.

"We don't object to paying the city as we bury the cable, to compensate residents for the inconvenience of installation. But this will be an annual charge, assessed long after construction is over, after the disruption has disappeared."

He unsuccessfully asked that the city instead assess a one-time permit fee of $116 per 300 linear feet of cable, as St. Louis County does.

City Attorney Helmut Starr insisted that the university was told by Ameren that it couldn't go ahead with construction of its planned new academic building without installing that new substation, because a current substation is at capacity.

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W.U. Gains OK For Underground Utilities

The Nest got people to look at formerly mundane appliances like a thermostat in a new way, as something that should be smarter and could stand to get better-looking too. We loved the last Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat that we tested, but dinged its design compared to the circular elegance of the Nest.

Now the company that invented the Round thermostat back in 1953 is back with a new line of smart home devices called Lyric. And first up is, you guessed it, a smart thermostat. It looks familiarwhich is to say, beautifulbut it takes a different approach to saving you money than the Nest. Instead of trying to learn your patterns over time, the Lyric thermostat doesnt worry about patterns. Instead, it uses your phones geolocation features to start conserving energy as soon as you leave your house.

The Lyric thermostat assumes that if your smartphone is at your house, so are you. You can register your familys phones with the app, and itll use the geofencing features in iOS and Android to tell when everybodys left for the day. Once you get within a few miles of your house, the thermostat springs back to life, heating or cooling your house so its at your preferred temperature (or at least getting there) as you stroll through the door.

Looks familiar, works a little differently.

The Fine Tune feature is pretty smart too. You know how sometimes the weather forecast has two temperatures: the real air temperature, and whatever it actually feels like, adjusted for the wind chill or the heat index? The Lyric is programmed to make those same adjustments inside your house. Fine Tune factors not just the indoor temperature, but also what its like outside, and the humidity (the Lyric houses its own humidity sensor), so it can make adjustments like running your systems fans more or bumping the temperature up or down a degree.

A proximity sensor lights up the Lyric when you walk up to it, showing you the temperature and status. LEDs around the outside of the Lyric cast a glowing ring on your wall: blue when its cooling, orange when its heating, and green if its in energy saving away status.

Glanceable weather on your way out the door? Nice touch.

You can twist the ring to make adjustments to the temperature, or press one of the touch buttons. One button sets the Lyric to away, which can be handy if youre leaving your phone behind on purpose. The other button shows you a brief glimpse at the weather forecast for the next 12 hoursenough to see if you should grab an umbrella on your way out.

The Lyric app is as smart as the thermostat. First, it walks you through every step of the installation process with videos and even interactive guides. For example, when you remove the front of your old thermostat, youll see different colored wires attached to lettered connections. Since most people dont have a lot of thermostat-installing experience, it can be intimidating.

Lyric's app for iOS and Android lets you set up profiles for various activities.

Read more from the original source:
Honeywell's Lyric brings geofencing to smart thermostats

NEWFANE -- When it comes to NewBrook Elementary School's energy future, voters sent a mixed message during a lengthy, sometimes-contentious meeting Thursday night.

Residents from Newfane and Brookline turned down a 250-kilowatt solar-panel system that would have been constructed on school property. But voters later approved a companion project, which calls for a loan of up to $330,000 to install a new "air-to-air" heating and cooling system at the school. That electric-powered system is expected to be installed in time for winter, with the school's aging, oil-fueled boilers relegated to backup duty on only the coldest days.

"The voters want to see a different source other than burning fuel in there, which is a good thing. It will reduce our carbon footprint," said Ken McFadden, chairman of the Brookline-Newfane Joint School Board.

At the same time, however, McFadden is hoping voters will eventually reconsider the solar project, which had been envisioned as a power source for the new heating/cooling system.

"I don't think the solar part of it is dead. I just think it needs to be revisited with some clarification," he said.

With the elementary school's boiler and ventilation system in need of an overhaul, officials have spent more than three years looking at options including wood-fired and geothermal systems.

"I came into a situation where boilers were on their way out," NewBrook Principal Chris Pratt said Thursday. "I felt the need to explore alternative options rather than just replacing the boilers we already have."

Former school board member Kim Friedman, who still serves on an Energy Committee investigating the issue, said a primary goal was to "go as green as possible, but in a fiscally responsible way."

Other goals, listed on a handout at Thursday night's meeting, included:

-- Reduce or eliminate the school's carbon footprint.

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NewBrook voters split on energy projects

Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) June 10, 2014

Most of the older installed A/C and HP systems still use R-22 refrigerants. And the more age a unit accumulates, the greater becomes the cost of keeping it running. Summer is here. Residents of Scottsdale and other Arizona localities readily vouch the point. Repair prices are also increasing. And now, hundreds of worn-out home and business HVAC systems are crashing beneath the toll of ever-increasing heat.

This may well be the best possible time to install an energy-efficient cooling system. From the opening estimate, ACH offers phenomenally low pricing on heat pump installation and air conditioning installation. But now through July 1, management has declared that every Scottsdale residential customer is eligible to reap an automatic 13-SEER to 14-SEER upgrade on select heating and cooling units.

If your existing installed air conditioning system demands repetitive seasonal repairs, this American Cooling and Heating A/C sale is for you, Scot Morgan, ACH.

Arizona weather is merciless. Every Scottsdale, AZ air conditioning system battles the seasonal rise in temperatures, storms and dust. Maintaining a comfortable home or business environment is costly. But with modern HVAC technology, extremely sensitive thermostat controls, and a cooling system that is right-sized for the home, comfort can come with an energy-saving payback that makes sweat music out of the ACH 13-SEER to 14-SEER upgrade program.

Too many Scottsdale homeowners are giving up sleep, play and even work due to inefficient home cooling. American Cooling and Heating provides a reliable and cost-effective solution.

Make It A Heat Pump Solution

Due to the dual purpose use, heat pumps cost a bit more than standard central air conditioning systems. However, the year-round savings of a system that provides heat as well as cooling, typically make buying a heat pump the best option for most Scottsdale homes.

Consider the advantages of heat pump technology:

** Heat Pumps eliminate most if not all of the expense of heating with fossil fuelsThermostats and controllers at ACH

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Scottsdale Arizona Air Conditioning Company Announces 13-SEER to 14-SEER AC Upgrade on Select Company Installed Units

We all know that sweaty, drippy 90-degree, 100-percent humidity feeling. While we havent had that hot, sticky kind of weather yet, we know its coming this summer, and it pays to be prepared.

Even if you have air conditioning at home like almost 90 percent of Americans, there are still ways to maximize the cool during the hottest days of summer.

Leave your air conditioning units fan in the on position all the time, advised Mike Fields, service technician at Dave Lamb Heating & Cooling in Fenton. Also, maintain a constant temperature in your home, especially if its humid outdoors. Dont turn off the air when you leave your house, then turn it on when you get home, and expect it to be cool right away.

When running your air conditioner, set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer try it at 78 degrees or higher. Each degree setting below 78 degrees will increase energy consumption by about 8 percent. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the less your overall cooling bill will be.

Fields also suggests that you size your air conditioner based on the size of your home. Some people buy an air conditioner thats too large, thinking it will provide better cooling. However, an oversized air conditioner is actually less effective and an energy waster.

For every 600 square feet of house, you need a ton of air conditioning, he said. In BTUs per hour, an area that is 1,400 to 1,500 square feet needs 24,000 BTUs. Have your house properly sized for air conditioning. There are so many variables, such as the age of your house, how large your ducts are, etc.

All homeowners with air conditioning also need to be aware of the phasing out of the ozone-depleting refrigerant R22 in 2015, a staple in most systems.

Customers need to check their units now, because R22 and its replacement 410A are not compatible, said Fields. He suggests that homeowners check with a heating and cooling professional to see how this environmental change will affect their system.

Other ways to stay cool at home this summer

Install programmable thermostat to automatically reduce the temperatures during low-occupancy hours.

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Maximize the cool during summers heat