HVAC and energy tips for homes during cold seasons
For over 30 years, John Anderson Service Company has provided their expertise to customers in not only Calhoun, but throughout northwest Georgia.
Owner John Anderson said they provide Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning ( HVAC) services, weatherization, home efficiency, Georgia Power audits and more.
They also work through the North Georgia EMC heat pump loan replacement program, insulate homes and air seal.
“It’s not just HVAC anymore, you need the whole home service,” Anderson said.
“We do home audits and provide rebates for getting those services done and guide customers in what to do,” he said.
Anderson said what he’s found is that people don’t know how to make their homes more efficient. “They make a lot of mistakes when they try to self- attack the problem, they go the wrong way,” he said.
Anderson said most people go out and buy new windows when it’s not an A- list item. He suggests before buying new windows try air sealing the home.
“One of the simplest things is changing your light bulbs out if you want to reduce your light bill,” Anderson said.
Rodney Barnett agrees. He’s been working at Anderson’s for the last eight years.
“We’re a company that looks more for eternal investment and getting customers the most out of dollars spent,” he said. Barnett said the best thing a customer can do is make their homes more efficient so that the system doesn’t cost a lot to run.
Anderson said there are many ways to be energy efficient during the fall and winter months. Again he stressed the point of changing light bulbs.
“That’s a great place to start,” he said. “Put more efficient light bulbs in.”
He also suggests air sealing the home and making sure the weather strips on the doors are good. “Those are great ways to start off,” Anderson said.
He adds that the water heater should be insulated, especially if it’s outside the home like in the carport. “It needs to be wrapped and temperature set properly,” Anderson said.
“We also firmly believe if you have an attic access inside your home it needs to be sealed up.”
He said ductwork is another great way to make homes more efficient during cold months.
“Most homes you need to seal your duct work up, some of it is not hard to do,” Anderson said.
With most jobs performed by Anderson Service Company, 80 to 90 percent have ductwork that can easily be repaired.
Anderson said they go into attics with foam guns and foam everything possible. “We also seal up the duct work,” he said.
Barnett said it’s a good idea to have your system tuned up and make sure it’s running good during the cold months.
Weatherization is another great thing during cold months.
“It starts off with health and safety, we always make sure your bath fans are installed correctly and operating properly,” Anderson said.
He encourages all homes to have smoke detectors. And for homes with gas appliances, carbon monoxide detectors are needed.
“Make sure they are working and have one on every level,” he said.
Barnett said people spend a lot of money not knowing they have a problem because they don’t get their units serviced.
“If they were to have systems checked and see the problem, before the auxiliary heat kicks on, and stays on and you get a $ 500 utility bill, that’s a basically a service call and $ 70 fix,” he said.
Anderson said sometimes people lack the education to understand what they are doing and go about it the wrong way. “They spend a lot of money doing things they don’t need to do,” he said. “Don’t buy the cheapest heat pump, buy the better one, its going to work better, be more efficient and save money in the long run.”
Anderson said he appreciates all their customers. A lot are repeats.
“There are solutions. People need to seek them out and not just on their own,” he said. “Ask a professional to help you figure it out. Some of the things we offer, you can do yourself and we can do the other part,” Anderson said.
He says he realizes Do It Yourself is popular now. “We’ll show the do it yourself people what to do and keep them from spending money in a direction they are not going to get where they need to be.”
For more information on Anderson Service Company, located at 519 Pine Street in Calhoun, visit them online at www. johnandersonservice. com or call 706- 629- 0749.