Harrisburg Air Conditioning Tips

Save money on your Harrisburg air conditioning with the following tips:

Less is more

If you’re buying a window unit, remember more is not always better. Make your purchase based on the size of the room and other factors that may affect the room temperature. It will cost you more to cool if you use an a/c unit that’s too big for the room, as the unit will work harder.

SEER numbers

If shopping for a central air conditioning system, check to see if the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) number is 13 or better, as less efficient systems will cost more to run. Find an energy efficiency ratio (EER) of 11 or more for window units. High efficiency units cost more, but will pay for themselves with the reduced electric costs.

Think of replacing

If your current unit has a SEER number of 8 or less, you might want to think about replacing your air conditioner. Older units costs more to run, and since cooling systems are the second biggest energy guzzler, it might be worthwhile to invest in a new, more energy efficient air conditioner.

Control the temp

You can install a programmable thermostat, and vary the temperature according to when you’re home. If relaxing around the house, set the temp to 78 degrees, and if you’re gone for more than a few hours, set the a/c at 85.

Plant in the shade

You condenser should be located in a shady spot, and it should have room to dispose of the heated air removed. It should not be crowded with shrubs or anything else, but plant shade trees and shrubs around the house to reduce the heat of the sun, which reduces costs by up to 30%.

Need assistance with your Harrisburg air conditioner? Get in touch with Comfort Zone Heating and Cooling by visiting www.ComfortZonePA.com. 

Tips from Comfort Zone to Improve Your Air Conditioner’s Efficiency

Summer’s coming, and with energy prices higher than normal, you’ll want to make sure your air conditioner is running as efficient as possible. So, before it starts heating up in Harrisburg, remember the following tips:

1. Ensure the unit starts, operates and shuts down as it should normally.
2. When you’re not home, turn the air conditioner down. Consider installing a timer that turns off the unit when you leave and turns it back on before you get home.
3. Make sure all the moving parts are well oiled. Any unlubricated parts can cause friction, increasing energy usage.
4. Monthly changing the air filters makes the unit less efficient, thus reducing its lifespan.
5. Cleaning the condenser and evaporator coils can cause the system to run less and more efficient. A dirty coil causes the unit to operate longer, thereby increasing your electrical bill.

If you’re worried about the efficiency of your cooling unit, give Comfort Zone a call. We’d be happy to take a look at your HVAC system and tell you what can be done to lower your energy bills. Get a free air conditioning estimate by visiting www.ComfortZonePA.com.

Three Tips from Comfort Zone to Keep Your Air Conditioner Working

The one thing you don’t need to deal with on a scorching summer’s night is a problematic air conditioner. Your air conditioner has to be functional for you to be able to have a relaxed summer. Comfort Zone, the heating and cooling experts of Harrisburg PA, have the following tips to ensure you don’t need air conditioner repair this coming season:

1. Maintain your outdoor unit
   An unclean unit can become a nonworking unit. Avoid challenges by removing from your unit cottonwood and grass clippings. When dirty, the central air unit can overheat and shut off, which will reduce its life and prevent proper cooling.
2. Install clean filters
   The filter that helps keep your warm in the winter is the same as the one that will keep you cool in the summer. A dirty filter can result in higher costs, and affect cooling capabilities, which will mean more discomfort in the summertime.
3. Leave the air conditioner on at night
   Many clients ask if they should turn off their AC at night. The night air, despite being cooler, still contains humidity. If you turn off your cooling unit, all the humidity will sit there, and the air conditioner will have to work much harder to remove it. Save the appliance the effort by letting it run at night.

Enjoy the weather in comfort by contacting Comfort Zone for all your heating and cooling needs. Have a happy and safe summer!  

Your Money - Household Ways To Save Thousands

As the average home owner or renter, you have a full time job at home. You just don't realize it. And because you don't keep up on the maintenance, as you should, you're only making yourself and your loved ones suffer as victims. That may sound extreme, but the average home owner usually let's the simplest maintenance slip by unnoticed. You may say, "I'll get to it tomorrow.", but it's always tomorrow. I'm talking about basic monthly maintenance on the little things. When was the last time you cleaned your refrigerator coils? Did you cut those bushes back away from the house yet? What about the two most important and simplest tasks such as draining the sludge from your water heater and changing out your air filter in your air conditioner system? Why haven't done those tasks? They only take about 10 - 15 minutes. You might as well be throwing your wallet down on the sidewalk for someone else to pickup.

What!? That's right. By not changing your air filter once per month, your air conditioner needs to work harder. Your filter is dirty so the air conditioner needs to suck the inside air through all that dirt just so it can blow a lot of that dirt and allergens back in through your air registers. Think of the old vacuums that used bags. Would you take that old vacuum bag out in the house just to have that plume of dust and dirt fly up in your face? Your allergies don't react well to this. How much money do you spend on antihistamines and other allergy medications? This contributes to your allergies acting up even when you are inside your house.

By not following a regular filter change schedule, your air conditioner gets tired and worn out faster. This means that after years of abuse, instead of lasting 12 - 15 years, you'll be calling a service technician several years sooner. You wouldn't think that a little dirt and dust can do that, but a little adds up quickly. That's not a big concern though is it? The average hourly labor charge for a service technician in any trade will run you about $70 and up. In fact, count on at least $60 just for the technician to turn that key in his ignition and say, "Good afternoon." The cost not only can, but will be at least several hundred dollars. I'm not trying to scare you, but the truth is the truth.

What about your water heater? What sludge? Every water source pumps very small particulates of minerals and dirt into your house and goes through your water heater, even if you are on city water. Over time, these particulates can corrode the anode rod inside your water heater (which is a good thing). This "sacrificial rod" is what degrades over time instead of your water heater, and it settles as rusty sediment and dirt at the bottom of your water heater. You need to flush out this sludge from your water heater at least once per year. If you are on a well, then I would recommend flushing your water heater out at least 3 times per year and install a sediment filter on the main pipe that flows into your water heater. You will need to periodically replace the sacrificial anode rod as well; more frequently if you are on a well system, or you will find yourself replacing the water heater itself.

If you fail to perform basic preventive maintenance around the house, you won't be buying just a filter or anode rod for a few dollars. You'll be new equipment years before you need to do so. If you are unsure of how to do the maintenance, schedule a service call from a qualified technician, and observe them as they do the job properly. You will be better prepared to do it yourself the next time, and you can get your questions answered by someone who brings their experience into your home.

For more information and guidance about saving money in home repairs for water heaters, air conditioning, heat pumps, etc, visit Comfort Zone Heating and Cooling of Lewisberry, PA. Article independently authored by Dan Elliott. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Comfort Zone Heating & Cooling. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.

Your Water Heater Heats Your Water and Burns Your Money Up

With energy costs constantly on the rise and the housing market in a huge slump it is surprising to find home builders not taking steps to enhance a new home's features when it doesn't cost any extra. Basic upgrades which don't really carry an "upgrade" price tag would only facilitate a quicker sale. This would relieve some financial stress on builders from trying to carry the cost of an unsold home. Instead, homeowners are having to refit the home with new appliances in order to achieve a more efficient and economical cost of living. Perhaps the wisest and most efficient upgrade a homeowner can make is changing out their current traditional water heater for an on-demand tankless water heater.

Traditional water heaters store large quantities of hot water. For the average home the typical water heater stores 40 to 60 gallons. In order for the water to remain hot these types of water heaters need to continuously cycle on and off to maintain the preset temperature of the hot water. Even when there isn't any hot water being drawn at the faucets the water heater is still wasting the homeowners money by trying to maintain the water temperature at a consistent high level.

On-demand tankless water heaters only expend energy when the hot water faucet is opened. This type of water heater quickly and almost instantly heats the water to the preset temperature and can provide an unending supply of hot water. This means no longer would the homeowner run out of hot water for a shower while the washing machine is running or the whole family needs to take a shower one person after another.

Most on-demand tankless water heaters for the entire home utilize gas instead of electricity. There are electric tankless water heaters available, however they are designed for lower demand water usage such as at the kitchen sink. This is the limitation of electrically powered water heaters.

Depending upon the homeowners needs, one or a combination of both will pay for themselves in short order. The do-it-yourself handyman should be aware, regarding attempting to replace a water heater with a new tankless water heater, that in most locales a permit and inspection may be required for safety. Gas can be very hazardous to deal with and unless the homeowner is a professional this upgrade should not be done by a novice or amateur. A professional will be able to steer the homeowner in the right direction.

Learn more about water heaters and receive a free estimate from Comfort Zone Heating and Cooling of Lewisberry, PA. Article independently authored by Dan Elliott. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Comfort Zone Heating & Cooling. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.

Overlooked Preventative Maintenance That Will Save Time, Money, and Frustration

Now that spring is here, it's time to clean out the garage, fertilize the lawn, and do all of the other hundreds of chores that have gone forgotten this past winter. Three things that are commonly overlooked are the simplest tasks to get done ... and one of them doesn't even get done by the homeowner themselves.


Water heaters and boilers need to have the build up of sediment flushed out periodically, especially if the home is on a well system for its water supply. Nothing will shorten the life of water heaters faster than sediment build up. It's fairly simple. A simple garden hose is what is needed to hook up to the drain valve to flush the build up away.

The HVAC system isn't quite as simple for the everyday homeowner. The home's air conditioner and heating system should be inspected once per year, especially after a harsh winter in the Northeast. Specialized tools are required to service and test the system. If the home has central air, then the coolant level needs to be checked and possibly recharged.

This is inexpensive preventative maintenance that will save a lot of cost and discomfort in the heat of the summer. Nothing is worse than having to wait for a service technician in the summer when everyone else didn't get their HVAC system tuned up either.

A cursory visual inspection of the water pipes in the basement is a must. Any moisture around the joints should be inspected more closely. Any piping that passes through an exterior wall should be paid close attention to for expansion and contraction. Breaks in the pipe can be a common occurrence at these points.

It's amazing how often the above tasks are overlooked which only take a few minutes and the main focus is always put on the tasks that require the most time, such as window washing, dusting, and the floors. It's always gratifying if the house is presentable and clean, but if the temperature inside is unbearable or the house is flooded, who would want to spend time inside?

For more information on heating and cooling maintenance, visit Comfort Zone Heating and Cooling of Lewisberry, PA.

Article independently authored by Dan Elliott. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Comfort Zone Heating & Cooling. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.

Save Money With Solar Power

Alternative forms of energy are now the mainstream concerns of almost every public utility and private individual. As the cost of oil, coal, and electricity continue to climb rapidly overnight, more and more people are exploring other avenues of saving money through alternate forms of energy. Perhaps the most economical energy source is solar panels in the long term.

Initially, solar panels are a sizable investment, but solar power should not be looked upon as an expense. The sun is a perpetual and limitless source of energy that can actually make money for the homeowner while they inhabit the home or when selling the property. Depending on the type of solar collectors used, a household can not only produce electricity without the electric company, families can also produce hot water through solar heaters.

There are immediate benefits to be had when solar panels are used for a building's electricity needs. An immediate decrease in payments to the local electric company will be realized and in some cases the electric company can purchase surplus electricity that a families solar panels produce. The latter is the best case scenario.

Solar heaters are a useful method of heating water and air temperature for families or public venues such as schools, government buildings, or office complexes. The solar heaters collect and focus heat absorbed by the sun's rays into pipes, bricks, metal, or rocks. This heat is then moved to wherever it is required. Fans or pumps are used in active solar heaters or passive solar heaters can be used which do not rely on any pumps or fans. Active solar heaters can be powered by energy collected by solar panels thereby reducing the expense of relying on the local electric and utility companies. Local service professionals that specialize in heating and cooling may have the expertise and experience to provide guidance when deciding on solar heaters.

These methods of producing heat and electricity will have varying degrees of effectiveness depending on the region of the country that they are utilized. In southern climates from Los Angeles across the U.S. to Georgia, solar power can be the most useful. This is partly due to the fact that these southern regions receive more direct sunlight for a longer duration throughout the day and seasons. Even though northern climates that receive snow do not experience as long an exposure to sunlight, they can also receive benefits from solar panels. There are many different types of solar panels on the market and some are more effective than others. Local service providers that specialize in solar panels will be able to tell you which types yield the best results for the region they serve.

The most common placement of solar panels is on the roofs of houses and sheds. This placement has two large benefits. The first benefit is that by raising the panels further from the ground surface, a maximum of sunlight can be absorbed and converted into electricity. The second benefit is that the solar panels will greatly reduce the need to run the air conditioner. The solar panels or solar heater absorbs much of the heat that otherwise would be absorbed by the house or building thereby allowing the interior to stay cooler.

There are many federal and state programs that give tax breaks or credit for the installation of alternative energy sources. These incentives vary widely from state to state. Many utility companies have this information and some service companies can help steer an individual in the right direction to take advantage of these savings.

For more information and guidance about energy efficient heating and cooling, visit Comfort Zone Heating and Cooling of Lewisberry, PA. Article independently authored by Dan Elliott. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Comfort Zone Heating & Cooling. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.