There’s no question about it, running a business in New York City is expensive. We don’t need to tell you that you’re faced with some of the highest rents and operating expenses in the country. Like any successful business owner in NYC, you do what you can to cut costs.

To save money, you may decide to cancel air conditioning maintenance. If you have fairly new equipment, air conditioning maintenance may seem unimportant.

The simple truth is, air conditioning maintenance is not a cost. That’s because it saves money. Depending on your equipment, the usage of your space and the nature of your business, air conditioning maintenance can save you a startling amount of money.

Here are 6 surprising ways that air conditioning maintenance saves money:Read more 

Have you recently moved into a new NYC residence? Congratulations! You’ve finally found the perfect home for you, and naturally you want it to stay that way.

Like many new homeowners, you may be thinking about purchasing a homeowners warranty to cover unexpected failures to major home systems like heating and cooling equipment. You may also have received a homeowners warranty as part of your purchase contract. If so, you probably feel like you’ve covered all the bases and you can breathe easy.

Not so fast.

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It’s downright scary when your furnace is making noise

It’s Halloween again, that spooky time of year when you see ghosts, bats and witches hanging out all around your neighborhood (not to mention miniature superheroes and Disney princesses). So when you have a furnace making noise and producing all sorts of ominous sounds, you can’t help but wonder if a poltergeist is haunting it.

Before you call in the ghost busters, get a grip and realize that your furnace is making noise because something is wrong, and more than likely it’s not an evil spirit.

Here are some clues to the common problems that cause your furnace to be making noise. Luckily, most of them are not that scary.

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When you have electrical issues related to your air conditioner, you might not be able to tell what’s causing the problem: your air conditioner or the electrical system in your space.

It’s no secret that electricity is nothing to fool around with. If you’re not an expert in wiring and electricity, the danger is enough (as it should be!) to keep you from trying to figure it out on your own. But then who do you call? The AC guy or the electrician?

In most cases, your first call should be to your air conditioning service company. There are a number of power-related problems that can cause AC failure and performance issues, and an AC service tech is qualified to diagnose the problem, and properly trained in how to work around high-voltage electricity.Read more 

Isn’t it just the last thing you need during the crazy rush right before the holidays? Your maintenance guy tells you there’s a puddle of water under your furnace. Oh, great… there goes your dream of a profitable December and starting off the New Year with a trip to the tropics. Will you have to shell out thousands for a new furnace instead?

Don’t cancel your plans just yet! There are a number of reasons that can lead to your furnace leaking water, and most of them don’t mean an untimely death for your heating system.

Start by identifying what type of heating equipment you have, and check out these possible causes for water leaks.Read more 

When you’ve been working with the same heating and air conditioning service company for a while, you may begin to wonder how you can tell if your HVAC service technician is any good. Is he just doing okay servicing your equipment or is he really a top-notch HVAC guy?

Here’s one fun, yet effective way to tell: think about the qualities of a top NFL quarterback. Look for signs of these skills, habits and abilities, and you can be sure your HVAC service technician is someone you can count on to get the job done right.

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Is it time to look for a new heating and air conditioning company?

If you’re reading this, you probably already suspect that things are not going the way they should be with your current heating and air conditioning company. Have you experienced any of the following signs of declining service?

• Making you wait days for a service call
• Not showing up when they say they will
• Sending untrained technicians that don’t understand your system
• Misdiagnosing problems
• Skimping on preventative maintenance
• Leaving a mess behind

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DIY HVAC repair is tempting

Have you always been handy? If you can fix your car and lots of things around your home, you may be tempted to take on the challenge of DIY HVAC repair. Or maybe you’re a business owner with a maintenance staff that handle cleaning and minor repairs around your premises. They should be able to tackle DIY HVAC repair, right?

Wrong! DIY HVAC repair is not only dangerous, but it can lead to some very expensive consequences. Read on to learn why DIY HVAC repair is a temptation you should not give in to.

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If your building’s furnace has been there for 10 or 15 years (or more), you may be wondering how much life it has left. You don’t want to shell out thousands of dollars for a new one if you don’t have to yet, but you also don’t want to be in a position of having to make a quick decision to buy a new furnace when it suddenly fails and you have no heat. How can you predict when it’s likely to fail so you can replace it proactively?

If you’ve noticed many of the following warning signs, it’s time to call a certified HVAC service company for an evaluation of your system and recommendations for replacement options.Read more 

Are you in the market for a new HVAC service provider, and wondering how to tell if someone’s really any good? Think about the qualities of the great detective, Sherlock Holmes. That’s what it takes to be a top-notch NYC HVAC guy.

Look for signs of these skills, habits and abilities, and you can be sure you’ve found someone you can count on to get the job done right:Read more 

Remember the Grinch, slowly driven mad by the Whoville Christmas celebrations with all that NOISE, NOISE, NOISE, NOISE? That’s how you start to feel when your AC is running constantly. It’s annoying enough to turn anyone into a Grinch.

All that noise from your air conditioner is trying to tell you something! And the problem will only get worse if you don’t address it.Read more 

7 Fun Facts About the History of Air Conditioning

Since it’s too hot to go outside and you’re probably safely ensconced in your comfortably air conditioned home or office, you may be feeling blessed to live in the 21st century where we only have to step inside to escape from the heat.

But the truth is, our ancestors had all sorts of clever ways to beat the heat, and some of their ideas are precursors to air conditioning as we know it today. So sit back and enjoy these fun facts about the history of air conditioning.

On the other hand, if you’re sitting in an office that’s not all that comfortable and wishing you could do something about it, here’s what you should be reading instead: Improving an Imperfect World: Mitigating Office Temperature Extremes.

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Air Quality Alert: How Safe Is Your Indoor Air?

For those of us who live and work in New York City, air quality is an issue we can’t afford to ignore. After all, it’s easy to see that brown haze that hangs over the city, especially on hot and humid summer days. And it’s not a surprise considering the concentration of motor vehicles, diesel generators, construction, kitchen exhaust and industrial byproducts in and around the city. You can’t help but wonder what that’s doing to your lungs. Especially if you’re one of the millions who suffer from asthma or other breathing difficulties.

As individuals, we can take steps to improve air quality outdoors, but we may not see an immediate payoff. But here’s a surprising fact that you may not know: indoor air quality can be just as bad for your health, and may be even worse, than outdoor air. According to the EPA, indoor air quality can be as much as 2 to 5 times worse than the air outside. And according to GreenGuard, an organization that promotes environmental health and safety, there is a great deal you can do to immediately improve air quality in your home and work space.

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If you’re not an expert on HVAC equipment, or even a handy sort of person, choosing a furnace maintenance provider for your company can seem like a daunting task. You’ve been trusted with this important assignment, yet you may feel like you’re in over your head.

Not to make you more nervous, but there’s a good reason to be concerned. If you choose a provider that’s unwilling or unable to do the job right, they may skip steps that can result in dangerous and even deadly consequences for you and your building’s occupants.Read more 

Humidity and Air Conditioning Problems Cause More Than Just Bad Hair Days

July in New York City can feel like we’re living in the tropics. The temperatures pushing 90 degrees or higher are compounded by sticky air that makes it feel even worse. If your air conditioner is not doing a great job getting rid of the humidity, it can have all kinds of nasty consequences beyond comfort and uncooperative hair.

Here’s what you need to know how to tackle humidity and air conditioning problems.

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Are you making these five mistakes?

Your air conditioning plays a major role in your day-to-day comfort and well-being. So when you’re installing air conditioning in your home, making the wrong choices can really cost you. Not only in dollars and cents, but also in your quality of life.Read more 

If you’re reading this, you’re probably in the market for a new furnace or boiler. It’s a lot of cash to lay out so close to the end of the heating season, but if your current unit is DOA you may have no choice. If you’re among the smartest NYC business owners, maybe you’re planning ahead to get the best deal BEFORE the old unit dies.

In either case, the good news is you have an opportunity to get a more energy-efficient unit, which can save you considerable cash on your utility bills. But you may be confused about the HVAC energy efficiency ratings and what they mean. Also, you have probably realized that more efficient models can cost considerably more. Is it worth it? How much HVAC energy efficiency will give you the right return on your investment?

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At one time or another, many New York City business people find themselves tasked with finding an HVAC service provider. Thiscan seem like an overwhelming assignment. While you certainly appreciate a comfortably heated and cooled building, how are you supposed to tell which heating and air conditioning service companies are any good?

You may have paid attention to the trucks you see around the neighborhood, and asked people you know for recommendations. You’ve probably done an internet search to see which HVAC service companies are the leading providers in your area. Beyond that, you may be at a loss about how to find a qualified and reliable company that can meet your needs.Read more 

New Furnace? Don’t Neglect Maintenance and Void Your Warranty!

Have you installed a brand new furnace in the past! year? It probably cost you a pretty penny, but you’re now happy to be luxuriating in reliable and consistent warmth. No more worries about coming into the building in the morning and discovering that your office is an ice box.

You may think you’re done worrying about your HVAC system for a little while. Unfortunately, that’s not the smartest decision. Your installer may have mentioned that your new furnace needs regular maintenance to keep it running at its best. Don’t dismiss this advice as just a way for them to get more money out of you!Read more