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Safe Home Heating Tips

Stay Safe, Stay Warm

There are a lot of different ways to heat your home in the wintertime, and all of them can lead to fire and other safety hazards when the proper precautions aren’t taken. These precautions include learning the correct operation and maintenance best practices for each type of heating used in your home, as well as an gaining an understanding of the common hazards associated with those heating sources—and how to prevent them.

Many homes have more than one type of heating installed, and homeowners often supplement those sources with space heaters and other forms of localized heat. Here we’ve discussed the most common types of home heating, the hazards associated with each, and maintenance tips for optimal performance and safety.

But first, some basic precautions that every homeowner should take:

  • Learn the system. Become more familiar with your heating system so you know when it’s working properly and when it’s not. Learn how to perform basic maintenance on your system to keep it running at optimal efficiency to prevent fire and other safety hazards.
  • Schedule detector tests. It only takes a few minutes each month to check all the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home. Hold a detector test at the same time of every month and show each member of your household how to check them. Keep extra batteries on hand so the ones that stop working can be replaced immediately. Carbon monoxide dangers are associated with all types of combustible heating, including fireplaces and wood stoves, so consider installing one in your home even if you don’t have gas or oil heat.
  • Install fire extinguishers. Keep a fire extinguisher on each level of the home in an easy-to-access location and in places where a fire is more likely to occur, such as the kitchen.
  • Create and practice an evacuation plan. Every home should have a fire and emergency evacuation plan and it should be practiced on a regular basis to keep it fresh in everyone’s minds. Make sure you hold fire drills at different times of the year during both the day and night.

Gas Furnaces/Central Heating

Gas heating burns fuel and produces carbon monoxide as a by-product. Carbon monoxide detectors warn us about leaks, but regular cleaning, filter replacement, and professional inspections will keep the system running at top efficiency and safety so that leaks never happen in the first place.

Carbon monoxide sinks, so install detectors low to the ground. Be cautious of installing combined carbon monoxide and smoke detectors too close to the ceiling, or use separate units for optimal safety. Carbon monoxide poisoning will often affect children and pets before adults. Unusual lethargy and sleepiness are two of the first signs to look for.

To avoid fire hazards with central heating, replace filters once a month during daily-use months and have your ducts inspected regularly for leaks. Leaky ducts cause systems to work harder and run longer, increasing the risk of fire. Vacuum in and around the entire unit twice a year to remove dust and flammable debris. Keep intake and output registers clean and clear from furniture, debris, and flammable materials.

Woodstoves and Fireplaces

Burning wood for heat is common but comes with a number of special fire hazards and precautions. Have your chimney inspected and cleaned once a year. Do not use excessive amounts of paper or any liquid flammables to start a fire, as hot, roaring fires can cause a chimney fire. It’s more efficient to keep a smaller, sustained fire anyway. Remember, there’s an art to starting a fire—it’s not just igniting a pile of fuel. Keep your woodpile dry and away from your home’s perimeter. Don’t decorate your hearth and mantel with flammable materials and plant debris.

When burning wood in a fireplace, keep a protective screen around the opening to keep sparks and embers contained. Keep flammable materials well away from the fireplace, hearth, and mantel. Keep a fire extinguisher within arm’s reach of the fireplace, and do not leave a fireplace fire unattended.

Woodstoves should be double checked for proper installation and correct clearance from combustible surfaces. Wood stoves should be burned hot for 15-30 minutes a day to prevent creosote buildup in the stove and chimney.

Woodstoves and fireplaces should be cleaned regularly and ashes should be disposed of properly. Scoop ashes into a metal bucket with an inch of water in the bottom. Wet ashes can be added to a compost pile or applied directly to a garden or other outdoor plants. Do not dispose of ashes indoors or keep ash containers indoors.

Space Heaters

Space heaters are available in many shapes, sizes, and designs these days, and they are often electric. Standalone oil-burning units can also be used but require proper ventilation. Portable units should come with an emergency shutoff in case the unit tips over.

Choose a space heater that suits the space you’re trying to heat, for optimal performance, energy use, and safety. Keep space heaters in a safe area away from children, pets, furniture, and flammable household items.

Stay warm this winter, and remember to put safety first. Contact an HVAC professional like Bob Jenson Air Conditioning and Heating if you need help preparing your home’s heating system for the coming months.

5 Tips to Prepare Your Home for Winter

Get your home prepped for winter

Winter is coming, and even in temperate San Diego, we have to prepare. The weather cools down, we experience storms and wet weather, the trees lose their leaves. We crank up the heat, break out the blankets and coats, and make hot tea a regular evening ritual.

Did you know your home needs some special attention during the colder months too? Winterizing your home is an important part of keeping it in good shape, and the best time to do it is now. See 5 home winterizing tips described below.

1. Clean your windows.

It’s not the most fun job, but washing your windows works two-fold to keep your home warm and comfortable for winter. First, cleaning the dust, dirt, and grime off your windows offers unobstructed light. More sunlight entering your home means more natural warmth and illumination. A good wash also gives you the opportunity to check for cracks in the glass, damaged caulking, and any other punctures in the window’s surrounding structure. Cracks and holes let in drafts and allow warm air to seep out of your home.

While some homeowners will hire professional window cleaners, you can do it yourself quite easily. Purchase a commercial window cleaner or make your own by mixing a quarter cup of white vinegar with a gallon of water. If you don’t have a soft cloth on hand, wipe your windows using newspaper, which is absorbent but won’t leave lint (wear gloves if you do this—the ink does bleed).

2. Get your furnace/heating system inspected.

Your heater is your main line of defense against the winter cold, so it’s a good idea to do the important maintenance now, while the weather’s still nice. Call an HVAC professional like Bob Jenson Air Conditioning and Heating to take a look at your heater. A professional can oil the bearings, check the fan belt, remove any dust and debris—both of which can significantly decrease your heater’s efficiency—and make sure that everything is in working order.

One thing that you can do without professional help is checking and replacing the filter. A dirty filter prevents the heater from operating efficiently, forcing it to work harder and leading to a bigger dent in your wallet. You should replace the filter once a month for best results.

3. Insulate.

Insulation keeps the warmth in and the cold out, so make sure that all parts of your home are properly insulated. One of the most ignored parts of the home is the attic. As heat naturally rises, you need to make sure your attic has plenty of insulation. Otherwise, all that precious warmth will just rise up and out of your home. Experts recommend about a 12-inch depth of insulation in your attic. There are several different types of insulation to choose from, so contact HVAC experts like Bob Jenson if you need help selecting an insulation that works best for your budget.

If you live in the mountainous regions of San Diego like Pine Valley or Julian (but last winter we had freezing temperatures countywide), you should consider insulating your pipes as well. Frozen water will cause the pipes to burst, warp, or otherwise prevent them from delivering water to and from your home. Most hardware stores offer foam insulation tubes that are affordable and fairly easy to secure to your outdoor pipes.

4. Clean out your gutters.

Okay, San Diego sees maybe seven days of rain in the entire year, but you still have to be prepared. Even a small storm can cause water damage to your roof, walls, and foundation. Gutters are designed to move the moisture away from your home to prevent leaks and damage, but that’s assuming they’re not clogged up with dead leaves and dirt.

Scoop out any debris in your gutters then flush them out with a spray from your garden hose. Patch up any cracks and repair other damages. Your gutters should fit snug against your home, not hanging loose and crooked.

5. Reverse your ceiling fan.

Turning on your ceiling fan is probably the farthest thing from your mind when you’re shivering under a blanket. Hark! Your ceiling fan is actually more helpful than you think. See, most ceiling fans have a reverse function that allows the blades to move clockwise. As mentioned earlier, heat naturally rises, so it tends to hover closer to the ceiling than down at the carpet. The reverse motion of the fans forces the warm air around your ceiling back down while drawing the cold air up and away. The constant movement also keeps the air from feeling stagnant.

Make sure you and your home stay warm and cozy this winter with these tips and you won’t have to worry about winter utility bills that are harsher than Jack Frost.

Home Energy Yardstick: How Does Your Home Measure Up?

Home Energy Yardstick: Compare your Energy with your Neighbors’

Want to be the most efficient household on the block?

The EPA’s Home Energy Yardstick is a great online tool to help you assess your home’s energy usage and how it compares to similar homes in your neighborhood. You just need to provide:

  • Zip code
  • Square footage
  • Number of full-time occupants
  • Which fuels are used in your home (electricity, gas, oil, etc.)
  • Your utility bills for the past 12 months (this is easier to find than you think!)

Click the link above to get started. When you’ve determined where you stand, use our guide below to reach energy-saving goals.

Measuring and Monitoring Household Energy Use

Want to dig a little deeper than your yearly utility bills to see where, how, and when you use the most energy? Assess information from the following sources:

Automated households can use both home computers and mobile devices to monitor and even save energy. While a high-end “smart home” has such features integrated into the house itself, a regular household can install a lower-level automated system that will tell you everything from which parts of the home are using the most energy and when, to specific usage readings from individual electrical outlets and water sources.

You can also help automate your home in other energy-saving ways, with a simple thermostat, bathroom fan timer, motion-sensor lights, and even by putting your window shades on timers.

Home energy evaluations from a professional organization or contractor like Bob Jenson can provide detailed information about each way your home uses energy, tips for saving energy improvements that are specific to your home, and an evaluation of your existing appliances, HVAC, and plumbing.

Improving Household Energy Efficiency

Once you’re monitoring your energy use more closely, you’ll begin to see trends and identify areas that demand reduced energy use. Now it’s time to find specific ways to reduce your consumption of electricity, water, and burned fuels like oil, propane, and natural gas. And while you can always find ways to further limit your consumption of all three resources, you should also concentrate your initial efforts on the areas where your household needs the most help. Start with the energy and appliances related to your highest average monthly utility bill.

Improving HVAC efficiency: Heating and cooling can demand a lot of energy use, so making the entire system as efficient as possible is one effective way to limit your resource consumption.

  • Replacing an old and outdated system is an investment that leads to an immediate savings on monthly bills that helps cushion the cost.
  • Central air systems can be improved by sealing or replacing older ducts rather than the entire system, although you might find that switching to a ductless system will be better for you in the long run.
  • Correct ventilation is crucial to your HVAC system’s ability to intake air efficiently.
  • Properly insulating and sealing your home will vastly improve the efficiency of your system, in addition to prolonging its life.

Electricity use: Electricity is consumed on a number of levels in the home, and if your home’s heating and cooling system is on electric, this is definitely one to pay extra attention to.

  • Lighting modifications can save a lot of electricity. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents to cut energy use at the source; add task lighting and LED light fixtures on dimmers to use only the light you need; and install a solar lighting tube that lights your home naturally during the day.
  • Electric heat can be inefficient and expensive, but adding a heat pump to the system can make it take a fraction of the amount of electricity to pump warm air from one part of your home to another, rather than using electricity to create the heat itself.
  • “Plug-ins” refers to anything you plug into the wall, from major appliances to cell phone chargers. Our tech-based lives demand a lot of device chargers, and each one continues to draw a small amount of electricity when plugged in but not in use. Simple measures like unplugging chargers and turning off computers and lights can add up to a sizeable energy savings.

Major appliances: Our appliances use electricity, water, and sometimes gas, so maintaining and upgrading appliances to high-efficiency, energy-star units is a change that can save on all resources at once.

Sealing and insulating your home: A well-insulated home has already completed a good part of the journey toward home energy efficiency. Windows, wall insulation, attic insulation, and ventilation should all be evaluated and modified to significantly reduce the amount of energy used to heat, cool, and ventilate your home.

Water consumption: There are a lot of ways we can reduce our water consumption and even save water for a non-rainy day when we need it the most. After replacing old fixtures and appliances inside the home with more efficient models, our outdoor water use is often the next issue to tackle. Replace water-hogging plants with drought-tolerant ones and inefficient sprinklers with drip irrigation or even hand watering, if you have the time. Rain collection barrels store roof runoff for use in the dry months. Back indoors, look for ways to use less dish and bathing water, and even try saving some for reuse in the garden (e.g. catch bath water in a bucket as it warms up rather than letting it run down the drain).

The Importance of Home Maintenance

When we have to replace materials around the home, we’re creating a demand for more supply and production that demands energy use. Maintaining items like appliances and HVAC components not only saves money, but also energy use on several levels both inside our homes and beyond. Bob Jenson A/C offers a solid, affordable maintenance plan for all brands of HVAC equipment to keep things running in top condition and to help avoid high energy usage.

Attic Insulation: Ensuring Your Home Doesn’t Gain or Lose Heat Too Quickly

Attic Insulation – Protecting Your Home from Heat Gain and Loss

Attic insulation can seem like one of those mundane, extraneous details of home maintenance. Fluffy stuff in your attic crawlspace? Why even worry about it, right? As it turns out, attic insulation is a very big deal and can have a significant impact on your home’s energy efficiency and your general well-being. Let’s take a closer look at attic insulation and how it helps your home maintain a comfortable temperature all year long.

Heat Flow

To understand insulation, you first have to understand how heat gets from place to place. Heat travels through three means:

  • Convection: The way heat circulates through liquids and gases. It’s what creates steam in a cup of coffee and is the reason that hot air rises while cold air sinks.
  • Conduction: When you dip a cold spoon into a cup of tea, it grows hot. This is an example of conduction—one thing sharing its heat with another thing to balance out the energy.
  • Radiation: One of the main sources of heat in the summer, radiant heat travels in a straight path and heats up anything in its way. The sun is the greatest source of radiant heat.

Your attic deals with a combination of all three. Furthermore, heat is quite the pervasive little force. It has a constant need to spread. Heat naturally flows to cooler areas, so in the winter, the heat inside your home seeps outside. In the summer, the sweltering outdoor air finds its way into your cool abode.

Winter Wonderland

But it’s more than just air moving from inside to outside, or vice versa. Heat moves within your home as well. During the winter, you turn on your heater to try to beat the chill, but your home isn’t as airtight as you think.

Considering that hot air naturally rises, a lot of the toasty air blowing from your heater seeps up into your attic. In an uninsulated attic, the air cools down. Remember how cool air sinks? Well, once it cools down enough, it moves its way back down to the rest of the house. That air eventually heats back up and moves back to the attic, and so on. It’s an awful cycle that wastes precious energy. Some sources suggest that your house loses up to a quarter of its total heat from your attic alone.

Summertime

Insulation isn’t just important in the winter. In the summer, your attic is pretty much a storage space for heat, reaching ungodly temperatures. It may be a bearable 90 degrees outside, but your attic could reach upward of 150 degrees—more if your ventilation isn’t working properly.
The heat doesn’t stay in the attic either. It spreads into the rest of your home, which is why your ceiling may feel so hot. That heat forces your air conditioner to work overtime. Worse yet, if your air conditioning ducts run through the attic, your vents will do nothing but blow hot air.

Radiate

Then there’s the sun itself. It shines down on everything, including your roof. Unfortunately for your home, most building materials soak up heat like a sponge and radiate it back in the process. Without insulation, the wood in your roof and ceiling warm up. That heat then radiates down to the rest of your home.

Material World

Insulation comes in a wide range of materials, including foil, foam boards, cellulose, and fiberglass. Bulky materials help control heat gained through convection and conduction, while rigid boards trap air to resist conductive heat flow. Foils and reflective insulation systems reflect radiant heat away from living spaces, keeping the sun from bearing down on your home.

Loose-fill and batt insulation are the most common forms of insulation installed in attics. When installed properly, loose-fill offers excellent coverage and is cheaper than batt and other types of insulation. Before you install any insulation, make sure you seal up any air leaks and repair damage in your roof if there is any. You should also combine your insulation with a radiant barrier to keep the sun off your roof.

Keep your attic insulated and you’ll save money on your air conditioning bill and stay cool all summer long. Call or contact Bob Jenson A/C for a free inspection and quote for attic insulation today!

Energy Efficiency Do’s and Don’ts

Energy Efficiency Dos and Don’ts During A Heat Wave

Weather has never been totally predictable. But there was a time when spring was spring and summer was summer—and heat waves came once a summer instead of once a month.

Just when you think the spring weather is finally becoming beautiful, that’s when a heat wave will strike. Don’t wait until a sudden 95-degree day to get your AC checked, and be sure to follow these simple techniques to keep your energy costs low as you attempt to stay cool at home.

Here are some energy efficiency dos and don’ts to consider for when the next wicked heat wave sweeps through your neighborhood.

A Couple of Don’ts

First, we’ll start with a few strategies you should never use in a heat wave. These are the things that could double your energy bills—or cause dangerous situations in your home.

Don’t Push the Limits of Your AC

The first mistake people make when it gets hot out is that they run the AC into the red zone. Just because it’s hotter outside doesn’t mean you have to compensate by creating a wintry environment inside. Use moderation; keep your home comfortable.

This is best achieved with a central air conditioning system or a ductless AC built into a specific room or set of rooms in your home. These systems do more than blow cold air in your face; they maintain a comfortable climate without constant changes in temperature. It’s efficient—and cost-effective.

Don’t Get Creative

You’ve seen it in movies and TV shows: the guy who rigs up three dozen fans in front of his fridge in order to blow that cool air into the living room. This kind of electrical creativity is a bad idea; obviously, it won’t work, but it’s also very expensive.

Moreover, you could overload a circuit with all those plugs. A fan in each room is ok, as long as you make the effort to turn them off when they’re not in use. Same goes for other appliances and gadgets: the less you have plugged into your walls, the less heat will circulate around your home. Think about how hot your laptop gets when it’s charging. Yes, even that will make a difference.

Don’t Stress

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, don’t overwork yourself. Stay relaxed and you won’t need to jack your AC unit up to the coldest setting, wasting money and straining your circuit breaker. That means refraining from excessive yard work and walking pets for long distances. Keep them in the shade, and do your best not to walk them in the middle of the day. Ergo, the cooler you remain during the day, the lower you can keep the settings on your AC. And that will save you money.

A Couple of Dos

Now here are some things you should do during a heat wave to cut costs and stay safe.

Hydrate

There are other ways to cool your body than just sitting in front of your AC’s vent. Drinking water and taking cool showers is a great way to keep your body temperature down. Plus, if you aren’t taking hot showers, you’ll save on gas or electricity!

Clean Air Filters

Keep your AC’s filters clean to ensure that you’re experiencing the best possible airflow. Plus, cleaning or replacing these filters will help your system maintain fresher air, which is a big part of feeling comfortable when the heat outside becomes unbearable.

If you’re unsure where these filters are located or how to clean them, call Bob Jenson’s skilled technicians for a quick and affordable maintenance service. No matter how hot it is outside, they’ll get your system cleaned up quickly so you can go back to enjoying the cool air.

Reduce Direct Sunlight

Though the morning or afternoon sun may light up your yard in a beautiful way, it’ll also light up your home—with heat. The Sun can pass UV light thru older windows and heat up surfaces inside your home, raising the temperature. If your gone at work all day consider closing the blinds or drapes to block out light.

Think About Insulation

Your attic is probably the hottest part of your home during a heat wave and it’s the fastest way heat enters your home. Adding a thermal barrier like Blown-in Insulation to a minimum of 12″ or more (R-30) is both very affordable and effective in reducing the heat load in your home and can reduce air conditioning bills up to 20%! Bob Jenson A/C can help you find out what your home needs, call or contact for a free estimate!

A heat wave can strike at any time in San Diego, and these days, it can be costly. Follow this guide and keep your bills low and your family comfortable.

Bob Jenson Air Conditioning Gets a New Look!

Refreshed style shows who we are!

Bob Jenson New Look

We are refreshing our fleet of trucks with a new look you might have already seen driving around San Diego. We have been working with Rheem to make this project happen. We sketched and mocked up the concepts in-house and reached out to CPR Signs to rebuild our logo from scratch and create the final truck wrap for our large box van. Buddy over at Santee BumperDoc took care of re-painting the front of the cab, bumper and installed a new grill to make it look as new. The guys at Line-X in El Cajon sprayed the back step bumper and it looks great. We are really happy to see the quality of work come together from all of these guys. We are working on bringing this look to our entire fleet and will be pulling up in front of your home in style!

Does Upgrading your Air Conditioning System Save You Money?

Should you Upgrade your Air Conditioning? San Diego Residents Read On!

With the cost of energy ever increasing, many of us are looking for ways to cut down on our utility bills. The biggest use of energy in our homes today is our appliances. Out of all of our appliances our air conditioning system uses the most electricity, up to 40% of our utility bill, especially during summer months. So how do we cut back on the monthly bills without losing our comfort? It may be time to look at the benefits of upgrading your old air conditioning system with something that provides better cooling at a higher efficiency. This info-graphic will show you how efficiency equals savings for years to come!

Upgrade Air Conditioning San Diego

Tips for saving cash on your next air conditioning system:

A new air conditioning system is certainly an investment into your home, your family and your comfort. That being said who doesn’t want a great deal? There are 3 things that can help offset the cost of a new comfort system:

Manufacturer Rebates

Check with your trusted air conditioning contractor to see if any brands are offering a rebate on high efficiency equipment. Since most top brands have comparable equipment take advantage of the brand that will save you some cash!

Tax Credits

Tax credits for air conditioning systems are still available for high efficient units. Ask a trusted contractor to see if the equipment your looking at qualifies. You can look at the bottom of this page to see the requirements.

Financing Options

A great financing plan can help you start saving on your electricity bills right away and get the comfort you were missing. This is a great way to offset the upfront cost of a new system. Whether you finance or not ask your trusted contractor what they offer and see what’s best for you!

Get a Free Estimate!

A trusted reputable HVAC company will not charge to sit down and help you decide on the best, energy saving equipment for your home. Make Bob Jenson AC one of your calls for a free estimate on your next air conditioning system, today!

2012 Angie’s List Award Winner!

Bob Jenson A/C has earned the service industry-coveted 2012 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor awarded annually to approximately 5 percent of all the companies rated on Angie’s List, the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews on local service companies. This award reflects company’s consistently high level of customer service.

“It’s a select group of companies rated on Angie’s List that can claim the exemplary customer service record of being a Super Service Award winner,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “Our standards for the Super Service Award are quite high. The fact that Bob Jenson A/C earned this recognition speaks volumes about its dedication providing great service to its customers.”

Angie’s List Super Service Award 2012 winners have met strict eligibility requirements, including earning a minimum number of reports, an excellent rating from their customers and abiding by Angie’s List operational guidelines.

Service company ratings are updated daily on Angie’s List. Companies are graded on an A through F scale in areas ranging from price to professionalism to punctuality. Members can find the 2012 Super Service Award logo next to company names in search results on AngiesList.com.

Bob Jenson A/C thanks their customers on Angie’s List who gave their honest feedback about their great experience and know that it’s due to them that they are honored with this award. If you are an Angie’s List member, you can login and search for Bob Jenson A/C to find exclusive deals and discounts for members only!

Looking to decide whether Bob Jenson A/C is the right choice for your next system replacement, repair or maintenance? Check out the Reviews to see what customers are saying.

We’re Nest Certified Installers

We are excited to let you know we are Nest Certified Installers, which means our technicians can help you easily install your Nest thermostat and make sure your confident in using your Nest. Also many of our customers are choosing to go with Nest thermostats on there new comfort system installations. Most people don’t program their thermostats because they are so complicated and have been that way for years. Even if they have an efficient system they are missing out on great energy savings by running a scheduled program, up to 20% off there heating and cooling bills.

With Nest it’s so much easier to tell Nest how you like the comfort levels in your home by just using it. Nest learns what temp you like and when your home, it adapts to you. But as we know our schedules can change suddenly, image your coming home early and it’s cold out. You can control your Nest from your smart phone and bump up the temp a few degrees and walk thru the door to a cozy home. The newest version of Nest will now work with most system configurations including multi-stage heating and cooling, humidifying, dehumidifying and even zoning individual rooms. Call us today and ask if Nest can work for your existing system or how you can get Nest with your new comfort system installation.

Bob Jenson A/C is a Nest Certified Installer
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