Monthly Archives: October 2017

What Are the Cost Savings of a Maintenance Agreement?

A maintenance agreement is a smart purchase, and your upfront investment can pay you back in long-term savings. There are several perks to signing up for a maintenance agreement for your Fairhope, Alabama, home. From priority service to discounted repairs, there’s plenty to love about our maintenance plan. Check out all the ways your tuneups will help you save.

Fewer Repair Needs

You can trace an estimated 75 percent of winter repair calls for a broken furnace back to a lack of maintenance. If you invest in maintenance early with our ongoing preventive agreement, you can avoid many common issues with your system. You also won’t have to deal with extra repair expenses later.

Lower Costs on Necessary Repairs

Though system maintenance will reduce your repair needs, you may still face an unavoidable issue from time to time. With our preventive maintenance agreement, you’ll still enjoy cost savings on these visits.

We offer a 15-percent repair discount for all parts as well as a 12-month guarantee. When you sign up for a preventive maintenance plan, you’ll also receive priority service, so you can restore your comfort quickly.

A Longer System Lifespan

A well-maintained system will last longer than one that’s struggling without maintenance. A new furnace or air conditioner installation can cost thousands of dollars. The longer your system lasts, the more utility you can squeeze out of the installation, lowering your long-term expense.

Improved Energy Efficiency

A well-maintained system operates more efficiently. Without regular maintenance, your HVAC system may suffer from loose electrical connections, poorly lubricated parts, and an accumulation of dust and dirt in the system. Invest in maintenance now, and you’ll have lower utility costs over the long-term.

If you’re interested in cashing in on the benefits of our maintenance agreement, contact Keith Air Conditioning, Inc. at 251-476-3610. Our maintenance plan is a great way to make sure your system is always in great shape. Reach out today to find out more about becoming one of our valued maintenance plan participants.

Choose the Right-Sized Generator for Your Home in Mobile, AL

A generator is a smart installation for any home. If you suffer from power loss, you’ll enjoy comfort and peace of mind knowing that your essential home systems will still function. If you’re considering a new generator for your Mobile, Alabama, home, it’s important to make sure it’s properly sized. Learn the critical factors of system sizing so you can purchase the right generator for your home.

Consider Square Footage

Your home’s square footage is an important consideration when you’re sizing a generator that will power whole-home systems like your air conditioner and furnace. A larger home will naturally need a larger generator to support it. The size of your home will also determine how many lights and electrical outlets you have throughout the space.

Keep in mind that you shouldn’t need to power everything in your home with a generator. When you’re operating off generator power, you’ll likely downsize to a few rooms, keeping most of your lights off and turning off unnecessary appliances. Think through every room of the house and consider which areas you’ll use on generator power so you can provide this information to your service technician when sizing your home for a new system.

Pick Your Appliances

If you’re running on generator power, which appliances will you plan to use? It’s best to avoid powering all your standard appliances if you can. Instead, opt for just the basics. You’ll want to keep your fridge running, but you shouldn’t need your oven, range, microwave and toaster oven all at once.

You can easily switch from using the dishwasher to hand-washing your dishes. Don’t power every television, computer and gaming system in the house when you can pare down to your most essential entertainment products. Your HVAC system is critical for comfort in inclement weather and should always be included when you’re determining the necessary generator power.

Understand Running and Startup Volt-Amps

For every item that you want to run on generator power, you’ll need to determine the running and startup volt-amps. Many appliances use more voltage when they first start up than they do when they’re running.

You can find the voltage for most appliances in the owner’s manual. If you can’t find the specs for a particular appliance, general estimates are available online for most common products. Add up the necessary volt-amps for everything you want to run to determine how much power your generator will need.

Consult a Professional

While you can come up with a good estimate of how much generator power you’ll need from your new installation, it’s best to consult a professional before making your final purchase. You can use the information you’ve gathered on your own to help guide your decision, but an experienced service technician is the best resource for an installation.

You’ll want to keep your service technician’s number on hand after your purchase and installation, too. You should schedule regular maintenance visits to keep your system functioning as efficiently as possible. Our service technicians offer annual maintenance agreements for regular tuneups, so you can rest easy knowing that your system is always primed and ready for any emergency.

Opt for the Larger Option

If you’re on the fence between generator sizes, you should always opt for the larger option. An undersized generator is a serious hazard. If your generator is too small you can suffer from:

System failures
Shutdown from capacity overload
Longer system lifespan
Tripped circuit breakers
Unstable output
Damage to equipment powered by the generator

Remember that sizing a generator is not like sizing and selecting an HVAC system. A furnace or air conditioner that’s too large will cycle on and off too frequently, suffering from excess wear. A generator that’s larger rather than smaller offers a little extra power and protection in an emergency.

If you’re in the market for a new home generator, give Keith Air Conditioning, Inc. a call at 251-476-3610. We’ll help you choose the best product to power your home effectively no matter what comes your way.

How to Stop Dust From Getting in the Way of Energy Efficiency

You may think of dust as an unsightly hazard that adds to your weekly chores, but it’s a culprit in more than just your cleaning routine. Dust can have a major impact on energy efficiency in your Mobile, Alabama, home. Those tiny specks may seem harmless on their own, but gather enough and they can take a serious toll on your utility bill. Stop the dust in its tracks with these tricks.

Change Your Filter

How often do you come face-to-face with your HVAC filter? You should be checking it at least once a month and changing it at intervals no longer than three months. Unfortunately, this quick and simple task is often overlooked. If your filter isn’t getting regular changes, it can become clogged. This forces your system to work harder pulling air through, which ultimately diminishes your energy efficiency.

Schedule Regular Maintenance

Your HVAC system needs annual maintenance to stay in prime condition. You should schedule one visit in the spring for your air conditioner and another in early fall for the heating system.

During this visit, our service technicians will thoroughly clean the unit from dust that can accumulate in those hard-to-see interior parts. If you let the dust build up here for too long, your system’s efficiency will plummet as your energy bills rise. A dirty system has to work harder to keep up with demands, while a clean one can operate easily.

Install an Air Cleaner

If you have a lot of dust in your home, an air cleaner can help. A product like the Performance Air Purifier PGAP stops up to 75 percent of irritants .30 microns in size or larger. An Infinity Air Purifier GAPA will trap as much as 95 percent of these airborne pathogens. This will keep the dust out of your HVAC system for better performance.

If you’re battling uncontrolled dust in your home, we can help. Give Keith Air Conditioning, Inc. a call at 251-476-3610 for an efficient indoor air quality solution.