Ductless Air Conditioning Systems

I was invited to attend a certification class for Fujitsu Ductless Air Conditioning Systems last year. Am I ever glad I accepted the invite. These things are the best. I plan on putting several into my own home.

I installed one for a customer, Bruce, about a month ago. He was sitting there and suddenly called out that it wasn't working. Well, turns out the thing was so quiet we couldn't even hear it!!!!! And apparently it works so well that it doesn't even get turned up off the lowest setting. It works that good! I've started to install one in neighbors Kate & MJ's house. They might be getting a second unit for the upstairs.

If you thought you couldn't have central air installed, you might want to think again. I hate tying up a window in each room with a window unit. These systems have no ductwork that needs to be run through the ceiling or under your floors. There's no unit to go in the attic to feed cold air through that ductwork. These systems hand on your wall, are about 12 inches tall and 32 to 36 inches wide. They do need to be mounted about 8 inches down from the ceiling to allow proper air flow. A small hole is punched through the exterior wall to allow for the pipes to be connected to the outside unit, which is about the size of a suitcase. Sometimes, the inside unit can even be mounted on an inside wall which is what I'll be able to do for Kate and MJ.

I'm really looking forward to putting in my own!

Spring seems to have finally made the decision to make its appearance this year. I was almost beginning to think we would bypass it altogether and move right from winter to summer. Granted, the days are a little cooler than they should be but at least the tremendous amount of rain has stopped. Everyone knows about the major storms we’ve had and all the damage that had been caused. Driving around and seeing all of the fences down, roofs damaged and worst yet, all of the trees that had been uprooted and destroyed. Wow. So many old-growth trees lost for good. I hope those of you who suffered damage from the storms have been able to get repairs underway and completed. An childhood friend of my wife actually caught video of the huge pine tree in her yard falling over ever so slowly and landing on the neighbors’ house. Thankfully there was no damage to speak of but the timing was incredible. My own neighbor had a pine tree that just started leaning over so they decided to have it taken down just to play it safe. I have to admit I will certainly miss that tree. It was on the north side of my house and did a wonderful job of blocking a lot of that north wind that we get during nor’easters. It also provided a good deal of privacy for the corner of the enclosed porch. While we didn’t suffer any damage (thankfully) I’m sorry to say we did have several neighbors who did, especially roof shingles that took off. So many of them landed on our property, I had four garbage pails full! Pretty much everyone has had repairs done or almost completed.

If you had water in your basement around your heating and water heater systems or around your central air system, be sure you get the units checked for any unseen damage. Don’t assume that they are fine because everything had dried out. Water damage can short out systems and cause electrical problems. Have a simple inspection done by a qualified heating and a/c person can prevent problems later down the line. Air conditioning is going to be needed very soon. You don’t want to flip that switch, hear that infamous “pzzzzzzzzzt” sound and then have the power short out. Have your system checked by a certified and licensed HVAC mechanic for the proper coolant levels, the wiring, the evaporator drainage (haven’t we had enough water damage already?) and proper cooling. Remember, the coolant in an air conditioning system requires special certification to be worked with. Don’t tempt fate (and the EPA and DEP) by using an unlicensed company. Just releasing some of the coolant can lead to fines and jail time for improper handling.

Are We Having Fun Yet?

I know the plenty of you are having fun playing in the snow but I'm not. It would have been nice to at least had a break of more than a couple days between storms. Here on the south shore of Long Island we've been hit but friends and relatives in other states, wow. Turnersville, NJ relatives had 31 inches on the front lawn. Friends down in Reston, VA right near Dulles Airport, 32 inches. Their photo of a garbage bin that gets posted to keep track of snowfall total is slowly becoming a fixture like Punxsutawney Phil. Other friends in York, PA near the Harley Davidson factory, well we don't know exactly who is having more fun playing in the snow, the parents or the kids.

So, tons of snow on the ground and what do I want to be doing? Servicing air conditioning of course. I'm talked about it before. When those first stray days of humid weather that come upon us unexpectedly show up you should be able to just flip the switch on your thermostat and have cool air coming out of the vents.

But wait, you threw the switch, nothing happened!!!

That's why you should be calling me now to come do a checkup on your central air system. Waiting causes all sorts of problems for you and me alike. Yeah, I know, you don't want me pumping cold air into your house when it's cold out. But the amount of cold air that would come in is the equivalent of what you get when you open the front door. It's fast and painless, believe me. Think about it, and yes, I realize it's Valentine's Day ♥ (which also happens to be my birthday), Memorial Day is not that far off. The family is over for the first bbq, the kids are running around yelling and screaming, your wife and the in-laws are prepping the food in the kitchen. All of a sudden you hear someone yell "turn the ac on for a while, it's getting too warm in here". Yep, that was your mother-in-law......uh oh. You slowly walk over to that thermostat, reach for the switch that turns it from heat to cool and as you move it from one side to the other you close your eyes and hope.....D'oh, crash and burn! It didn't work! And it could have been prevented......call me now. It's always easier for everyone (including your wallet!) to have your heating and air conditioning serviced in the off season before you need it. You'll be happier, your wife (or husband) will be happier, your mother-in-law will be happier.

Remembrance of those who are gone and thanks for those who remain.

I was supposed to be at one of the buildings at the World Trade Center on that terrible day. I had an appointment with someone but it was not yet time for me to leave when my wife called me to tell me to stay home. I hadn't turned the tv or radio on that morning so I had no idea what had happened until her call. Unfortunately, she was sitting at a traffic light waiting for it to change on Northern Blvd. in Long Island City on her way to work and was looking at the WTC and then started watching a plane flying overhead. She kept watching that plane until she watched it disappeared into the north tower. She has told me that she still sees it in her mind and that she will probably never be able to go to Ground Zero. Two of her friends were there and both made it out safely. I'm glad I didn't see what she saw and I can't and won't try to imagine what the people who lost friends and family went through and are to this day, still going through.

Thank you to all the people from the FDNY, NYPD, PANYNJ, ambulances, hospitals and those who just helped. Your sacrifice is without a doubt the most heroic of all deeds.

To those who have lost, our hearts and thoughts are always with you.

Everyone is remembered.

It's Finally Here!

Summer finally arrived. That was the longest Spring I can remember. It's hard to believe that it took until the second week of August for us to hit the 90 degree mark. By now we've usually had about 30 of them! Think about it, in roughly two months, it'll be Fall already. That would be the absolutely perfect time to get your furnace cleaned up for the Winter season.

Yes, I know you are probably wondering why bother but remember what I said earlier? One day soon you are going to realize that it got chilly rather quickly and your wife is going to ask for the heat to be turned on. What are you going to do when you flip that switch and nothing happens?

Want another reason to take care of it now? The parts that might be needed are cheaper now than on a day where it's below 60 outside. But you might not need parts. You might just need a cleaning and a tune-up.

Always take care of your heating and/or cooling units during their down season. Its easier on you and easier on me too! Who wants to work in a hot attic? Or in a cold basement when it's 15 degrees outside! Doing the job off season will make you happier in the long run so call now.

Happy Birthday Nikola Tesla!

When it comes to electricity, everyone knows the names Edison and Westinghouse. But there is another important name, Nikola Tesla. Without him, life would have been much different today.

Induction motors, alternating current, polyphase alternating current systems, the rotating magnetic field, bladeless steam turbines, all invented by Tesla.

The inventor of alternating current. Mr. Tesla's invention lights the entire world today. He also created the device that converts the electricity to mechanical power so we can use all of the equipmnt us have. He also created the first hydroelectric plant up in Niagra Falls, NY. The US Supreme Court deemed that Marconi's patent for wireless technology was invalid, the contribution to it's creation made by Tesla being greater.

The remains of Tesla's Wardenclyffe lab, built by JP Morgan and designed by Stanford White, is here on Long Island in Shoreham, near the now decommissioned nuclear power plant of the same name.

Happy Birthday Nikola Tesla, and thank you.

Thank you to the Tesla Society for a wonderful website which you can see at http://www.teslasociety.com/biography.htm for a detailed history of Mr. Tesla and his genius.

Rain Rain Go Away!

OK, enough is enough already. This weather is beyond ridiculous. I don’t remember the last time we had so much rain! I think we are at double the amount for the month and we still have a week to go. I’m sitting at the dining room table watching more of the most incredible looking rain clouds heading in this direction. Oh well. I did want to remind you to make sure you clear any standing water around your home. I know whatever it is will probably fill up again but don’t wait. There’s enough to worry about with swine flu, we don’t need to worry about the mosquitoes and West Nile. Also remember to watch for ticks on both you and any pets. Traipsing around the yard can be a bit of an obstacle course. I have my own private pond where one never existed. Before this all started, all I had to do was dig down about a foot and the hole would start filling with water. Now, the ground is so saturated that I’m surprised we haven’t gone sliding into the bay across the street! I’m one step away from being a houseboat with all this water!

UPDATE: I just looked through newsday.com and about half an hour ago an article was posted which refers exactly to what I was saying. But here's the rub.....a fine for the homeowner who doesn't clear standing water...... here''s the link to the article.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/nassau/ny-linile2412911478jun23,0,1405065.story