The Good News: For Every Problem, There is a Solution (for HVAC, anyway). A furnace that stops working is never fun. Nobody likes to be cold, and if you have small children or elderly family members living with you, low indoor temperatures can pose real risks to their health. Still, we’re grateful we don’t live in say, Minnesota, where a broken furnace can result in ... Continue Reading
Fake News! Get the Truth About Efficiently Heating Your Home
These HVAC Myths Are Costing You Money! We get it: when it’s cold outside, the last thing you might be thinking about is energy efficiency if you have central heating and air conditioning. Just like reaching for a blanket, it’s human instinct to do whatever gets your home cozy as quickly as possible. But are the steps you’re taking less than helpful? We’ve ... Continue Reading
Space Heaters and You: Safety Rules for Indoor Comfort You Need To Know
Extra Care Means Extra Safety At the end of the day, we just want our families and friends, neighbors and the community at large to enjoy a safe, happy holiday season. Whether you enjoy state-of-the-art HVAC or a simple wall unit air conditioner for summer and a small space heater for winter, your well-being should be most important. That’s why we devote a column ... Continue Reading
Is Your Home Too Cold? Here’s How to Troubleshoot Common Problems with Your Furnace
Easy Fixes Will Keep You Warm All Winter We may not have snow here in the San Gabriel Valley, but we do get cold winter mornings. Even in the Southland, nobody likes the feeling of a cold house, condo or apartment when it’s chilly outside too. If your furnace goes on the fritz, here are some simple guidelines for handling everyday fixes before they turn into larger ... Continue Reading
Indoor Hot and Cold Spots Mean It’s Time for an HVAC System Checkup
Inconsistent Indoor Temps Could Signal Airflow Problems Usually, residential customers notice it in a cold snap. Most of the house is warm and cozy, while one room feels like the North Pole. Usually, this is also the room that gets extra hot in the summertime, too. What gives? There are a few possible causes for these kinds of problems, the most common of which we ... Continue Reading
BRRRRRR: How to Make Colder Rooms Cozy In Your Home
Do Some Rooms in Your Home Feel Chillier Than Others? Here’s How to Fix it It happens every winter. Some rooms in your home are toasty and comfortable while others seem perpetually cold and uninviting, no matter how high you set the thermostat. Don’t buy another throw blanket. Try one of these suggestions first to make your home a consistently cozy one. It may be a ... Continue Reading
The Secret to Residential Heating and Cooling That Never Breaks Down
It’s in the Maintenance, Silly You might have had to learn the hard way, but sooner or later most adults figure out never to let the car go too long without a lube, oil and filter. Ditto with paying health insurance premiums and making sure your homeowners insurance doesn’t lapse. It’s not always fun, but taking care of these routine tasks every year prevents disaster ... Continue Reading
Seasons Greetings from Your HVAC Specialists!
Take Our Quiz to Test Your Holiday Knowledge Along with total indoor comfort, it’s all about family and friends, good food and forever memories this time of year. Find out how much tradition trivia you know by answering a few easy questions below. Or better yet, impress your Aunt Martha with your holiday expertise next time she won’t stop talking about her Chihuahua’s ... Continue Reading
When Your Furnace Isn’t Enough: Space Heater Savvy
Know the Rules and The Risks with Portable Space Heaters When it comes to convenience, space heaters are often seen as the perfect solution to add supplemental heat to your home, office or apartment. Portable and now available in a variety of styles and shapes, they are popular among college students, apartment dwellers, office workers and homeowners who don’t have a ... Continue Reading
Your Fireplace and Your HVAC System Don’t Always Mix
Don’t Let a Fireplace Burn Through Your Wallet Everyone enjoys using a fireplace, especially around this time of year. Sitting on the sofa, enjoying a cup of hot cocoa or adult beverage when it’s cold outside: for some, it just doesn’t feel like the holidays without a crackling fire. Nevertheless, there are some things you should know ahead of time before savoring ... Continue Reading
Three Ways to Reduce Heating Costs in Your Rental House or Apartment
Conserve Energy and Your Budget If you’re a renter and watching your wallet this season, you’re not alone. Between household expenses, birthdays and holidays, crazy heating bills won’t help any tenant’s bottom line. When the weather is cold outside, it might seem like you don’t have a whole lot of options, but we beg to differ. Check out these easy ways you can reduce ... Continue Reading
Furnace Troubleshooting: Things You Should Know
Your Heating Equipment Doesn’t Have to Leave You Steamed. When it comes to furnace repair, you can count on Air-Tro to find and fix the issue immediately. However, we understand that calling someone may not be your first impulse when it comes to minor issues around the house. To that end, here’s a simple guide to the most common furnace problems you may encounter. Impress ... Continue Reading
The Fall Furnace Question Everyone Asks
Is This HVAC Issue Happening at Your House? With cooler nights and even the occasional rainstorm, many Southern Californians are turning on their furnaces right about now. And like the flocks of Canadian geese migrating south, the crisp mornings and the crunch of colorful autumn leaves underfoot (okay, maybe it’s just one or two leaves), there is one question on many ... Continue Reading
Variable Speed or Single Stage? Understand Your Options When It Comes to a New Furnace.
New Choices, New Standards for Energy Efficiency When It Comes to Heating Your Home If you’re looking into replacing the furnace for your house or condo, you should be aware of the different types of products available, along with their advantages and disadvantages. While we’re always happy to consult with our clients and offer recommendations, it’s always nice to ... Continue Reading
Cover Me: Learn Strategic Uses of Vent Covers To Improve Indoor Comfort
Vent Covers Are Your Secret Weapon When It Comes to Maintaining Ideal Temperature In Your Home It doesn’t matter what time of year it is, or whether you want your home hotter or colder. The truth is that using your vent covers in the right way can help you not only save energy and reduce your utility bills, but get your house “just right” summer or winter. How It ... Continue Reading
Don’t Let Your Furnace Go the Way of The Cleveland Browns This Season: Get a Tune Up Instead
Avoid an HVAC Losing Streak with a Sensible Maintenance Strategy It’s bad enough they have to live with an embarrassing 0-16 losing streak this season. But what’s even worse? Many of the players are still in Cleveland right now. As one of the coldest cities in the United States, it's currently topping out at a high of 7 degrees. And hey, if they handle their furnaces like ... Continue Reading
Have Fun and Stay Safe with These Easy Holiday HVAC and Fireplace Tips
Note to Self: Avoid Carbon Monoxide and Grandma’s Special Rum Punch With friends and family around the home and office for holiday parties and more, it’s easy to forget that your furnace and fireplace still require some oversight to stay safe this holiday season. It’s hard enough to avoid the nutritional hazards of your average office party or family get together. Don’t ... Continue Reading
Forget How Much Your Family Enjoys HVAC, Because We Bet It’s YOUR PET Who Appreciates It the Most.
Comfort Matters, Even for Pets! Anyone with a cat, dog or other critter knows how important it is to keep our pets safe and comfortable throughout the year. That’s why we’re running a contest just for pet owners this holiday season: Hot Dogs & Cool Cats! Just share your most adorable picture of your pet getting cozy. The winner will receive $500, with an additional ... Continue Reading
Is My Furnace Working Correctly? Don’t Wait For Your Energy Bill To Find Out
Red Flags to Look For When Operating Your Heating System Of course we’ll always suggest you call a licensed professional to evaluate your HVAC system at least once a year. It’s the safest way to ensure your heating and air conditioning units not only function efficiently, but also last for a long time before needing replacment. However, we understand that sometimes ... Continue Reading
Carbon Monoxide and HVAC: A Safety Primer for Fall
It’s Time to Check Your Detectors for Peace of Mind Winter is almost here. Soon, the temperature will get pretty darn cold, especially at night, and turning on the furnace will seem like the most sensible thing to do to keep your home and workspace comfortable. Before you do that, however, do us a favor. Check your carbon monoxide detector batteries. Change them, if ... Continue Reading
Winter Is Coming: Time for a Pre-Season Furnace Checkup
Save Money and Avoid Surprises by Doing Yearly Furnace Maintenance Now Soon the cool days of autumn will be upon us. Unless you’re using a dragon to heat your home, your furnace will be in daily use sooner than you think! A little preparation and some simple tips will help you get your heating system into shape for winter’s chill. And here’s something to make you even ... Continue Reading
Fun Facts About Furnaces, or Brrrrr! It’s Cold Outside!
Understand Your Furnace and Impress Family and Friends These recent storms have made a lot of people start thinking about their furnaces, and with more rain predicted, it’s never a bad time to consider the status of your home’s HVAC system. But there might be a few things about furnaces you didn’t realize, facts that you can impress neighbors and friends at the next block ... Continue Reading
From the Found on the Internet File: Furnace Memes!
We spend some time every day looking at HVAC news, and we couldn’t help but notice recently the number of amusing memes there are out there about furnaces (well, amusing to us, but we’re in the business). A few of them raise some pretty good questions, too. Exploding Furnaces and Seismic Shifts Okay, we’ve all been there, living in Southern California and earthquake ... Continue Reading
Winter Is Here: Helpful Tips for Staying Comfortable, and Healthy
Of Course, a Great HVAC System Is a Sensible Start… The research is in, and scientists have proven that cold weather goes along with seasonal illness and even higher mortality rates this time of year. Interestingly, moderate decreases in weather temperature are even more lethal than episodes of extreme cold. In fact, the evidence suggests that the elderly, the ... Continue Reading
Arctic Circle HVAC And Other Fun North Pole Facts
Reindeer Hides and Up to Date Heating Systems Required It may feel like we’re living in the Arctic Circle with this cold snap, but some really do call the area around the North Pole home. Whether you count Santa Claus as one of those residents or not (and we sure do), there’s far more going on in this fascinating area of the world than most people realize. Keeping ... Continue Reading
