Anyways I felt like complaining to someone.  It feels good to get it off my mind. I seem to recall winters of my childhood being a lot like this one. I think I am just getting older and tired of cold and snow.  Tired of shoveling, tired of getting my van stuck, and tired of being cold outside and hot inside because of all the clothes I have on.

It looks like spring may be here at last.  The sun is out and it is 50 degrees outside.  And here I sit typing on my computer. I think I might go outside.  Bye.

P.S.  Think Morels!

Note:  The picture on my blog is a coloring book photo of my work getting painted.

• First and foremost,  change your air filter regularly.  One of the most common things that I find wrong in a malfunctioning furnace is a dirty filter.  All of the air that comes through your duct-work has to go through this filter.  When a heating system is sized it is sized by airflow,  and a dirty filter ruins this.  Consequently a slightly dirty filter adds restriction to the airflow,  making the furnace work harder and longer to heat your home.  Incidentally,  I prefer a cheap fiberglass filter to the more expensive types that say they can last up to 3 months.  I have tested both and the internal temperature of a furnace goes up considerably with the more expensive filters.  Think of this,  a piece of plastic would stop all of the dust,  but your house would never get warm.  I use cheap $1 to $2 filters and change them every 2 to 3 weeks.
• Keep your heat registers and your return air grills open.  Here’s an example,  I go to a customers house because they called in and said that the air conditioning is not working.  When I get there the compressor and the evaporator coils are all iced up.  This can be caused by either low freon or low airflow.  After looking around I discover boxes piled in front of the return air grill blocking the airflow.  I inform the customer of the problem, and think that everything is fixed,  but the very next week I get the same call from the same people and guess what,  same problem.  They had moved back all the boxes I moved a week ago.  Please remember above when I said we set up systems by airflow and keep your registers unobstructed.
• Service your system.  This is not a sales pitch.  I do not need anymore service than I have.  You can service your own furnace if you feel up to it.  Most of the things I do to service a furnace are simple and take little time.  If you are uncomfortable, by all means hire a professional,  but get your system looked at once every two years for most cases and more frequently if your on L.P. gas or have a dusty or dirty furnace room.  Newer furnaces have no belts, oil ports, or pilots,  so need servicing less frequently.  If you would like to service your own furnace,  my suggestion would be to hire a professional HVAC technician and watch them do the work.  Ask questions and explain that you would like to clean your own furnace.  Most technicians will gladly show you a few tips about your furnace.  Just remember that all furnaces are not the same,  so don’t take your knowledge to your brothers house and apply it,  because it may just backfire.  Literally.
• Lastly,  where to set your thermostat.  Well,  I like to start out by telling my customers that everyone is different and has varying comfort levels.  That being said,  I remind them that in the spring when it is 65 deg. outside they go out in a t-shirt and are comfortable.  Keep your temp down as low as you can stand it and remember that you could were pants and a sweatshirt inside instead of shorts.  If no one is home during the day,  invest in a programmable thermostat (my favorite is the White Rodgers brand) and use it to turn your temps down when no one is home.  My house is 68 deg. from 6:30 to 8:00 am and 3:30 to 10:30 pm,  but only 6o deg. during the day and 64 deg. at night.  For cooling, different rules apply.  It being harder to cool a house that to heat it most of the time,  I recommend a fairly constant temperature setting while using the A/C.

Well, there it is.  A few small tips to save some money on your heating and cooling bills.  One other thing to keep in mind is the age of your heating system.  Older systems need more upkeep than new systems and once a system nears 20 years, it is time to think replacement.  My average replacement job for a 95% efficient furnace runs around $3000.00 to $3500.00 dollars, so at 20 years that’s only around $150.00 dollars a year for a furnace.  Well worth the investment in a house that might sell for $200,000.00 dollars.  Good luck and remember,  when in doubt,  call a professional.