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Comfortable Living: Pioneer Heating & Air’s Fall 2017 Newsletter

THERMOSTATS 101

Imagine living in the early 19th century. Fall is here and you’ve turned on your furnace. There’s only one problem: your house keeps swinging from cold to hot. And every time it goes too far in one direction, you have to walk down to the basement to adjust valves, dampers or the furnace itself. Not an ideal situation! Fortunately, this changed with the invention of the thermostat. This is where we can help!

How Thermostats Control Temperature
The basic way that thermostats control temperature is by sensing to make changes until the temperature matches the set point. How the thermostat does this depends on what it’s connected to.

For furnaces, the thermostat might turn the fan and burner on to increase the temperature and turn it off when the temperature is just right. Some thermostats are connected to valves that open and close to allow hot water into a radiator when the temperature drops. Air conditioning control works by turning on the fan and unit when the temperature gets too high.

Types of Thermostats
Thermostats come in three types: programmable, non-programmable and smart.

Programmable thermostats allow you to save multiple set points for daytime, nighttime and weekends (depending on the thermostat itself). This allows you to save on energy when you don’t need as much heating or cooling while you’re at work, for example. A thermostat set to a lower temperature at night (known as night setback) is a common way to save on energy as well, without having to remember to manually turn down the temperature before bed.

Non-programmable thermostats are your basic manual thermostats that you set and change as needed.

They can be dial type where you turn a dial to set the temperature, or digital. If you want to lower the setting on a winter’s day while you’re out of the house, you’ll have to make sure you do it manually before you rush out the door.

Smart thermostats give you the benefits of programmable thermostats with added features. Many of them learn your habits and change settings according to your inputs and whether you’re home or not. You can control the temperature in your home from an app so you save on energy when you’re away but come home to a comfortable temperature. Wi-Fi thermostats feature improved energy efficiency and feedback, geofencing, learning, and alerts like carbon monoxide and smoke. Still, there are some thermostats that work with Alexa and smart devices like lights, TVs and yard sprinklers.

Making the Right Choice
If you need help choosing the right thermostat, and installing it, give Pioneer Heating and Air a call and we’ll help keep your home at just the right temperature day and night, season after season.

5 Benefits of Having a Maintenance Agreement

Most people go into a panic when things go wrong with equipment at home. One way to reduce the panic and keep your house in order is to have a maintenance agreement with a professional company. For a fixed monthly or annual fee, a professional will keep your equipment in top working order.

Here are some reasons why you should have a maintenance agreement in place for your home:

1. Lower cost over time. When you maintain your equipment, the repair cost tends to be lower, and failure happens less frequently. Your equipment operates more efficiently when well maintained, saving money on operating costs like your utility bills. This may also reduce the pressure on emergency funds for sudden breakdowns and repair.

2. Peace of mind. Besides saving you money, regular maintenance will reduce the chance of you getting stuck in the heat with no air conditioning or taking cold showers for days while your water heater is being replaced. A maintenance agreement will also lengthen the lifespan of the components in your equipment. This postpones replacement and allows you to maximize the use of your equipment.

3. Keeping Your Warranty. Some manufacturers won’t replace a part if the unit has not been maintained by a professional. Rather than having to remember to book and keep up with maintenance yourself, having an agreement in place ensures that you keep the added protection of a warranty should your parts fail.

4. Relationship. You can count on your regular service company who will want to keep your business rather than one-off servicing by a stranger. If there are any ongoing issues, a maintenance agreement will provide you with better follow up on work done. The technicians who take care of your home will also become familiar with how everything works and will be better able to make suggestions and pick up on issues early on.

5. Safety. For routine maintenance, you may be able to take care of it yourself. You might even be tempted to do more complex maintenance on your own. However, a professional will know the safest way to carry out the work. Protect yourself and your family by having a professional do regular, planned maintenance on your equipment.

Get your home’s maintenance in order. To find out more about maintenance agreements, and whether it’s the right fit for you, give Pioneer Heating and Air a call to discuss.

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