Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning Blog : Archive for December, 2014

Why Do We Hang Up Mistletoe?

Thursday, December 25th, 2014

Of course, you probably know part of the answer to this question already. You hang up mistletoe so that the people standing underneath can share a romantic holiday kiss! But what you may not realize is that the origin of this longstanding ritual predates many of the other holiday traditions we celebrate today. Why would a plant that has many poisonous varieties (most types sold for use in the home have few negative effects, but you can wrap it in netting to prevent children from consuming any fallen berries or leaves) be used as a symbol of holiday affection?

There are a couple of ways to explain the positive associations of (potentially hazardous) mistletoe. For one, this semi-parasitic plant has long been hailed as a treatment for illnesses and pain. The ancient Greeks and Romans used it to cure cramps, epilepsy, and more. Even today, mistletoe extracts are one of the leading alternative medicines studied for their effectiveness in killing cancer cells. And because the early Celtic Druids saw it as a sign of healing and life, they may be the first to bestow upon the plant its romantic associations, deeming it worthy of treating the infertile.

But it is Norse mythology that is likely responsible for a majority of the modern traditions associated with this small hanging bunch. One of the powerful Norse god Odin’s sons, named Baldur, was said to be invincible due to an oath his mother took to protect him from harm. But Loki, a god who often set out to make trouble for the gods, set out to find the one thing that could do some damage, and eventually discovered that Baldur’s mother Frigg had never included mistletoe in her invincibility oath. When mistletoe was finally responsible for her son’s demise, the grieving Frigg vowed that the plant would never again be used to hurt another living thing, and that she would plant a peaceful kiss upon anyone who walked underneath it.

And that is one of the reasons that, today, kissing under the mistletoe is viewed as a source of good luck. From our family to yours, we wish you a safe holiday season, and we hope that you and your family are full of joy and good fortune—mistletoe or not! Happy holidays from Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning!

 

Continue Reading

Tags:
Posted in Happy Holidays | Comments Off on Why Do We Hang Up Mistletoe?

3 Common Signs that It’s Time to Schedule Furnace Repair

Thursday, December 18th, 2014

Have you noticed anything unusual with your furnace lately? Oftentimes, homeowners sense something strange with the furnace, but they still don’t suspect their system is in trouble. This means they’ll end up waiting to schedule repairs until later on assuming that there is no risk for their unit at the present time. But many of these same people end up discovering this is not true in the most jarring way—when a sudden heating breakdown occurs.

When you notice any type of problem with your unit, small or large, it’s time to call for heating repair. A furnace problem is indicative of a single part or many parts that are wearing down, and when this happens all of the other parts have to work a little bit harder to keep up. This means that the other parts could become worn down as well until a component failure causes your entire unit to stop working. Look for the following warning signs and call a technician at Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning for heating repair in Woodland Park.

  • Low Heating Capability: If you feel some heat, but the unit never quite seems to reach the temperature you desire, you may think that heating repair can wait. But this means that something in the unit is not quite right, and an eventual failure is unfortunately inevitable.
  • Unusual Noises: Strange noises are indicative of a number of problems, from a faulty electrical control (often a buzzing noise) to a gas buildup in the furnace (a banging noise which can be very dangerous).
  • Short Cycling: “Short cycling” is a term used to describe a heating system that starts up only to shut down shortly afterwards. If your system is short cycling, it could be for number of reasons. You may simply have a faulty blower motor or a malfunctioning thermostat. Or your flue gases are not venting properly, causing the safety control to shut off the unit after running for only a short time.

Don’t delay! Contact Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning to schedule service with quality technicians heating repair in Woodland Park today!

Continue Reading

Tags: ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on 3 Common Signs that It’s Time to Schedule Furnace Repair

When Is an Energy Recovery Ventilator Necessary?

Thursday, December 11th, 2014

You know that your heater or air conditioner will have to work much harder if you open up the windows for a bit of fresh air. Unfortunately, we keep our homes sealed up tight to prevent our air conditioners and heaters from consuming too much energy. If your HVAC system runs for too long, your bills will skyrocket and the parts may wear down far too quickly. While this may help us to save quite a bit of money, it can have consequences to our health and comfort.

Most home comfort systems circulate the air from inside the house in order to consume as little energy as possible. While this is useful in preventing your air conditioner from becoming overworked, poor ventilation is responsible for many indoor air quality problems. Improper ventilation results in stale air and a general feeling of discomfort, but can also allow for a lot of pollutants to remain in the home.

An energy recovery ventilator is necessary whenever improper ventilation allows for less-than-satisfactory conditions in your household. An energy recovery ventilator (ERV) brings in fresh air from the outside and pre-heats or pre-cools it so that it is conditioned for your home. The stale indoor air is simultaneously vented to the outside. And don’t worry; the outside air will go through the same filtration process as the indoor air that circulates through the home, and will ultimately be cleaner to breathe in than the air that recycles through the house. Besides, the sealed heat exchanger allows for very little heat to escape, meaning you won’t notice an impact on your bills.

An ERV is also useful when you have a problem with humidity in the home. High humidity levels can allow moisture to buildup in the home, ruining furniture, walls, and structural components, and allowing for a dangerous buildup of mold and mildew. Although it is not technically a dehumidifier, an ERV will transfer moisture from the indoor air to the outdoors to keep the home feeling more comfortable and preventing the possibility of structural damage.

You might choose an energy recovery ventilator when you notice conditions in the home have become uncomfortable. But ultimately, you should ask a trained technician whether this type of unit is right for you.

Contact Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning to learn more about installing energy recovery ventilators and to gain some control over your indoor air quality today.

Continue Reading

Tags: ,
Posted in Indoor Air Quality | Comments Off on When Is an Energy Recovery Ventilator Necessary?

Gain Control over Your Home with Woodland Park Home Automation Services

Thursday, December 4th, 2014

We’ve all been in this situation before: you leave the home and are halfway to the office, your kid’s school, or the grocery store before you remember you forgot to switch off (or turn on) an important electrical device. This may be an air conditioning or heating system, a security system, or just the lights, but in any case, there is little you can do to control the situation. You can call a friend or neighbor, but this isn’t always a reliable system, and seems a bit extreme if you’re just worried about saving a little bit of money on your energy bills.

But in today’s world, new advancements in technology allow you the ability to control your home even from very far away. At Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning, we’re proud to announce that we install, repair, and maintain home automation systems so that you can keep track of your electrical appliances and your home security no matter where you are.

What’s Included in Home Automation?

A home automation system works through an app installed on your smart phone or tablet, or by logging into your home automation system account on any computer with internet access. With this system, you can control a wide range of features of your electrical system. Turn off a light as soon as you realize you’ve forgotten. Shut off your heating and air conditioning system, as these are some of the biggest energy hogs in your home. Or, turn on the thermostat, delay the automatic settings, or raise and lower the temperature so that you’re greeted by a temperate, comfortable home as soon as you arrive.

Home automation can also help you to monitor your home security. Did you leave the garage door open when you left? Find out via the app, shut it immediately, and make sure your home security system is activated while you’re at it. If you have a technician install a compatible door lock, you can even lock or unlock the doors.

To get all of these features, you’ll have to install fixtures that are compatible with your home automation system, and only a trained technician has the skillset to do so.

Call Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning to find out how you can get home automation services in Woodland Park today.

Continue Reading

Tags: ,
Posted in Home Automation | Comments Off on Gain Control over Your Home with Woodland Park Home Automation Services