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End of the Year Resolutions in Bryan and College Station

With just a couple weeks left until we welcome in the New Year with open arms, now’s a great time to take a look back at 2014 and see how far you’ve come in achieving your stated goals.

And that answer to any of them is “not as much I would have liked to”, well; let’s just say that it’s never too late. At least when it comes to making a firm commitment to succeed.

Take right now, for example. That’s right: go ahead and pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea, take a deep breath, put on your “positive thinking cap,” and see what you can do about any or all of the following before 2015 debuts.

• Want to get organized? Start with your dresser drawers, closet, or kitchen cabinets. Donate gently or unused clothing and household items, and toss the unusable. Moving forward, pledge to tackle one organizational task each week, no matter how small. Hey, we all have that junk drawer that could use some attention.

• Want better health? Here’s one small step that will have a big and positive impact: drink more water. If that doesn’t sound appealing, try flavoring your water with cucumber and watermelon, adding a splash of lemon or lime juice, or even adding some fizz. And if the delivery method is the issue, treat yourself to a fun, new water bottle.

• Want to read more but can’t find the time? Try audio books. From the latest best sellers to time-tested classics, you’ll be able to check those must-reads off your list while you drive, exercise, or shop.

• Want to be a better person? Sneak in a few random acts of kindness before the year runs out. It’s simple, and doing good makes you feel good, too. So buy the person in back of you a cup of coffee, bring some cookies to the elderly widow down the street, or simply offer your time and talents to someone who can use them.

• Make amends. Not just with those around you, but with yourself. Anger, hurt, and disappointment are heavy loads to carry. So forgive, forget, and move on so that you can start the New Year with a clean slate and a fresh perspective.

Did you have any goals for your home that also have not yet been achieved, like maybe cutting your home heating costs? If so, then you’ll find all the professional help you need right here at The AC Store, where we offer the following home comfort services:

• Heating system preventative maintenance
• High quality troubleshooting and repairs
• New system design and installation
• And more

And yes, each of the services mentioned above can help save you money, and we’d be more than happy to show you how. For expert advice from people in the know, contact McKinzie Heating & Air today.

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Halloween Fun Facts & Trivia in Bryan & College Station

Did you know that Halloween is one of the fastest growing consumer holidays? It’s true.

In fact, it is expected that Americans will spend a total of $7.4 billion on Halloween candy, costumes, decorations, and other related items in 2014 alone.

But Halloween wasn’t always about collecting candy. The holiday has deep-seeded roots that date back to the middle ages. Here are 5 interesting facts about the history of Halloween.

1. Halloween is believed to have originated from the Celtic festival known as Samhain, a celebration of the end of the harvest season. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the deceased would come back to life and wreak havoc on the living, bringing illness or damaging crops.

2. The Samhain festival typically involved bonfires, which would attract insects, and subsequently, bats. Today, bats are a common symbol of Halloween.

3. The tradition of trick-or-treating is thought to resemble the medieval practice of “souling”, when the poor would go door to door on Hallowmas (November 1) begging for food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day (November 2).

4. The first Jack O’ Lanterns were actually made of turnips, which were hollowed out and illuminated by candles to ward off evil spirits during Samhain.

5. The color orange commonly associated with Halloween represents fall and harvest season, while black symbolizes darkness and death.

On a brighter note, we hope October 31 has something fun in store for you this year, whether you’re staying home to pass out candy or attending a costume party at the home of a friend. Happy Halloween from all of us at McKinzie Heating & Air.

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Creating the Right Homework Environment in Bryant and College Station

As you search the internet for “proven effective” homework and study habits, conspicuous by its absence is any solid information on what constitutes good homework lighting.

But that, as it turns out, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. According to a study conducted at the University of Michigan, there is no absolute “best lighting” that all budding scholars should adhere to. Rather, the study concludes that your own eyes are best able to determine the best lighting for you, as defined as being as productive as possible with the least amount of glare and resulting eye strain.

Are your kids’ eyes more likely to get tired faster with dim or an abundance of light? The answer is “yes,” as in, it depends on each child.   Still, we know you’re looking for some kind of general guidelines, and here’s what we recommend:

• It’s easier on the eye to read printed paper than words on a computer screen. So, in general, encourage your kids not to overly rely on their Kindles, iPads, or laptops to read homework assignments, especially when that same information is readily available in print.

• You can control the amount of glare on a computer screen in a couple of ways: where you place the computer in relation to the homework room’s main light source, and the brightness control feature of your monitor. This is a trial and error process, but one well worth undertaking.

• Most people agree that incandescent lighting is softer and easier on the eyes than compact fluorescents, so it only makes sense to have your kids study and complete their assignments using lamps or lighting fixtures with incandescent bulbs.

• In the daytime, use shades and drapes to limit the amount of outdoor light and glare impacting the homework area.

As you consider these and other tips for creating an ideal homework setting, it might occur to you that no such area exists inside your home. An area, that is, that provides students with adequate lighting, the tools they need to complete their assignments, an absence of noise and distractions, and so on.

At The AC Store, we can help, especially when it comes to:

• Computer and network wiring
• Installing new outlets and switches
• Installing new overhead lights

Contact McKinzie Heating & Air today for any home electrical, heating, air conditioning, or indoor air quality need.

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Getting Your Home Ready for Spring in Bryan & College Station

The temps are rising steadily, the birds are chirping, and the sun is shining. And that can only mean one thing:  springtime is upon us. A welcome season after this especially long and dreary winter.

As you prepare for the change of season by putting away the down comforters, wool sweaters, and mittens, now’s the time to get your home springtime ready with these 10 indoor maintenance tasks.

1. Wash and put away heavy linens, blankets, and clothing. Make sure everything is completely dry before storing in tight sealing containers or bags.
   
2. Vacuum and then flip or rotate your mattress, and wash pillows and comforters to reduce allergens and kill dust mites.
   
3. Air out throw and area rugs outside, and deep clean wall-to-wall carpeting.
   
4. Clean out your pantry and kitchen cabinets, tossing anything that has reached or surpassed its expiration date.
   
5. Clean the inside of your refrigerator and freezer using soapy water. Don’t forget to clean behind the fridge and vacuum the coils.
   
6. Thoroughly dust or vacuum window treatments, furniture, ceiling fans, baseboards and vents.
   
7. Clean your windows to keep them looking great and allow all that sunshine to pour into your home.
   
8. Replace your HVAC filters and call an experienced technician to perform an annual air conditioning inspection and tune up before the warm weather hits.  More about that in a moment.
   
9. Replace the batteries in all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and test them to see if they are working properly. If you have a home monitoring system, test that as well.
   
10. Inspect window and door frames for cracks and gaps and, where you find them, caul, re-caulk, or apply weather stripping as needed.

Here at McKinzie Heating & Air, we welcome spring with open arms and invite you to call us for a very thorough and professional AC system tune-up and inspection.  It’s your best assurance of clear sailing, air-conditioning-wise, throughout the upcoming warm weather season.

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Household Chores in Bryan & College Station, TX

How does that “Honey do!” list get handled in your home?  For some people in Bryan and College Station, it contains their weekend marching orders.  For others, it might as well not exist because, even with all good intentions, things just never seem to get done.

And then there’s the rest of us that tackle the important stuff first, leaving the rest until we have more time, more money, or both.

Here at McKinzie Heating & Air, we’d like to help you prioritize just a bit, especially since there are several chores that should be tackled much sooner than later to help prevent problems later on.

Things like the following:

• Cut back tree branches and shrubbery from your home to prevent critters from making themselves at home in your walls and attic.

• Fill in cracks and gaps in your foundation, driveway and walkways. Over time, they will only get worse.

• Periodically check for loose or missing roof shingles along with loose or cracked bricks in your chimney.  The idea is to deny water direct access into your home where it can only make a mess of things.

• Seal cracks and gaps around windows and doors to help cut your home heating and cooling costs.

• Clean or replace your heating and air conditioning filters once a month (in season) to keep your system running at maximum efficiency and maintain the cleanest possible indoor air.

• Clean your range hood and filter at least every two months. Months of grease build up can clog your filter and increase the likelihood of a kitchen fire.

• If you notice lights flickering or see sparks when you flip a switch, it could mean you have faulty electrical wires. Contact a licensed electrician immediately.

Then again, nothing beats good ol’ preventative maintenance, especially when it comes to your home comfort systems.  Our licensed electricians and HVAC professionals recommend and perform annual heating, air conditioning, and electrical wiring inspections.  The goal is to keep everything in top working order while helping to ensure your family’s greater comfort, convenience, and safety.

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Cold & Flu Prevention in Bryan & College Station, TX

Withe colder temperatures often comes an increase in colds and flus. So from our house to yours, here are some timely tips on how to feel or get better fast:

Protect Your Body

• We don’t mean to sound like your Mom, but if that’s what it takes to get your attention, so be it!  Wash your hands often, get plenty of rest, exercise often but don’t overdo it, and drink plenty of water sleep and exercise, and drink a minimum of eight glasses of water a day.

• Watch what you eat, and that includes consuming more vitamin- and mineral-rich foods like fish, yogurt, orange juice, garlic, sweet potatoes, broccoli, red bell peppers, and others.

• You don’t need pills to soak up more vitamin D.  Not, that is, when you make a point of soaking in a little more sunshine:  weather permitting, of course.

Protect Your Home

• Clean or replace your furnace filter once a month. Your furnace is designed to trap dirt, dust, and other airborne pollutants.  That’s its job.  But without regular cleaning or replacement, the furnace fan is eventually going to start blowing some of that accumulated gunk into your ducts and right back into your home.

• Weather permitting (once again), bring a little of the outdoors inside your home by throwing open a few doors and windows.  It’s a great to purge that musty, dusty air and replace it with the kind that’s fit to breathe.

• If you have a two-speed ceiling fan that’s sitting idle and waiting for spring to arrive, it’s time to press it back into service.  Turn it on and run it in the reverse direction so the fan is pushing warm air back down to help keep you warmer at lower temperature settings.  In the process, you’ll save money on your utility costs, even with the fan running.

McKinzie Heating & Air offers a number of indoor air quality solutions for further protection against and relief from colds, flus, and allergies.  By installing a whole-house air filtration system, for example, we can rid your home of more than 99% of airborne pollutants that are trapped on contact each time the system’s fan turn backs on.  Call us today for more information or to request service.

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