When most people are interested in replacing or adding some heating and air conditioning equipment they start by gathering different bids. These bids, sometimes called estimates, can all start to be a blur if you don't look for certain attributes with each one. A list over at wikihow.com has some nice information on how to choose a contractor so I'll summarize that to hopefully give you a guideline on what to look for.

1. Ask friends and family; this is a great place to start and first hand experience is usually very reputable.
2. Be sure the HVAC contractor possesses the required licenses and certifications in your area.
3. Choose HVAC contractors who are insured. Accidents happen and you'll want to be sure your home is protected.
4. Verify the company does not carry a large volume of complaints with local consumer affair organizations or online. In today's age online can be a great tool in determining which contractor to choose. Two really good sources are the Better Business Bureau (bbb.org) or Angie's List (angieslist.com). The reason these are great places to look is because the reviews come from legitimate sources and not just anyone can review you. Angie's List does have a small fee to join but it is worth it when making a large investment into a company.
5. Ask the contractor for references. Most companies can easily provide you with some but keep in mind contractors will rarely if ever give you a reference that will make them look bad.  This is again why sources such as Angie's List are a great place to find unbiased reviews. 
6. Choose HVAC contractors who are willing to come look at your home and system before providing you with a bid. All situations and homes are different and no one price fits all. Plus you will want to be sure you have the right equipment priced out for you. 
7. Obtain bids from a few different companies and weigh what you are receiving with each price. You'll want to ask about warranties, what equipment you're being offered and who does the actual work. You may even want to visit each companies' office to get a better idea of who you are working with.
8. Verify the contractor will provide you with a written contract of the work to be performed in order avoid any unexpected charges when the work begins.

It's getting time for some of you to jump on those pre-season air conditioning sales! There is one major thing you need to look for when purchasing these new air conditioners (or even furnaces) and that is sizing. Sizing is a crucial step in installing any piece of HVAC equipment and the norm for many years has been "bigger is better". This is definitely not good practice and an article from optimalbuilding.com breaks down some nice points as to why. It's a lengthy article so I'll do my best to summarize these reasons not oversize your equipment.


7 Reasons Over-sizing is a Bad Idea

1. Economics: An over-sized air conditioner will have shorter run cycles, like stop and go traffic this a very inefficient way to run your system costing you more money to run it. With these shorter cycles also comes shorter lifespan. This doesn't even include the higher upfront cost the bigger equipment comes with!
2. The high efficiency trap: Multistage air conditioners and furnaces are among some of the most efficient available. The low stage is there to increase run times at a lower capacity. However, too many times contractors size the low stage for full capacity, robbing the homeowner of efficiency they paid for.
3. Comfort: Again with the shorter cycles causing problems! An example the article uses is when a furnace runs for only twenty minutes an hour it stops circulating the air for the majority of the time. Houses cool off from the outside in (with the thermostat generally located centrally) so by the time the thermostat senses this and turns the furnace on the perimeter areas have cooled considerably more! That bedroom that is always cold is finally explained!
4. Ergonomics: Noise, noise, noise. Everyone hates the noise their system makes, and this is largely due to sizing. With perfectly designed ductwork,  a properly sized furnace should be virtually silent even during its high capacity stages. 
5. Indoor Air Quality: Shorter run times again! Short cycles means less air filtration, and largely over-sized air conditioners can even cause dust mites, mildew and in some cases mold!
6. Moisture Control: Air conditioners ability to remove moisture (latent capacity) is determined by how long it is allowed to run. Most coils require around 10 minutes of run time to get cold enough to condense water vapor. Over-sized A/C's may never run long enough to remove this moisture, contributing to the IAQ problems mentioned above.
7. Structural Durability: Although not usually a problem in dry climates, the lack of moisture removal can contribute to structural degradation. High moisture levels are the perfect breeding ground for potentially destructive fungi.

Water heaters are one of those things you rarely think about until something goes wrong. Sometimes they will just stop heating, but other times the tank can rupture, causing lots of water to flood and possibly creating extensive damage. This is why it's always a good idea to keep an eye on your water heater's age and performance. Keep reading for some signs it's time to change it out, but locally in Colorado Springs we typically see water heaters last between 10 and 15 years ( electric being on the high side and gas on the low).


Look for Warning Signs:

• Age. This is an obvious one. The longer you push your water heater past its lifespan the more you are flirting with trouble. If it's older than 10 years old, you may want to consider replacement. Tank-less water heaters have a longer life expectancy but since they are so new it is hard to estimate their actual lifetimes.
   
• Water. If your water is rusty looking or has any color tint to it, it is probably time to replace. In some cases the water may have an odor as well.

• Temperature. If you are running out of hot water under normal conditions, or if your water doesn't seem to be heating properly its time to consider replacement.
   
• Moisture. Any moisture around the base or top of the tank may signal a slow leak.
   
• Cold Water. An ice cold shower is never fun and could be a sign that something is wrong. This could be as simple as a pilot being blown out or a tripped breaker, but if its old and there are repair costs involved replacement would be a better choice.
   
• Puddles. A flood in the area around the water heater is a sure sign that you need a new one.

Digital thermostats are powered in one of two ways: Either with batteries or with the power from the furnace. If powered by batteries, every now and then your thermostat may start warning you that the batteries will need to be changed soon. This process is very simple for the most part and can be done by you!

How do I change the batteries?

The process can differ slightly for different brands of thermostat, but for the most part the way you go about it is the same. I'll go over a couple different ways for different thermostats.

Honeywell Pro 5000 and 6000 Digital Thermostats:

Honeywell Pro 6000

An annoyance a lot of home owners endure, and one that is not easily fixed in the home comfort industry, is the lack of consistent temperature throughout your home. The most common is the upstairs always being too hot in the summer. If you don't have an air conditioner, your problem is likely just the natural rising of hot air which will tend to pool in the upper levels. If you do have one and you have this problem, you are probably running into either of these issues: ductwork problems, equipment sizing problems or insulation problems and they can sometimes be interconnected. Keep in mind this information is based on some duct systems and houses we have seen locally in Colorado, so all of this does not necessarily pertain to all houses.

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