Category Archives: HVAC

Summer 2015

Summer 2015

Well we are now starting to get to the summer of 2015.

Starting on Calendar Week 25 and they are predicting some very hot weather for the Upstate of South Carolina. Temperature ranges are supposed to be between low 90’s to about 95° at the highest and wrapping up at 89° towards the end of the week.

Some people think that we are very elated when we hear about high temperatures that reach
the danger zone above 85°, but in actuality we dread it just as bad. As the heat begins keep in mind to be very cautious.

Here is some helpful advice from the CDC:

The best defense is prevention. Here are some prevention tips:

  • Photo of athlete drinking water.Drink more fluids (nonalcoholic), regardless of your activity level. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Warning: If your doctor generally limits the amount of fluid you drink or has you on water pills, ask him how much you should drink while the weather is hot.
  • Don’t drink liquids that contain alcohol or large amounts of sugar–these actually cause you to lose more body fluid. Also, avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach cramps.
  • Stay indoors and, if at all possible, stay in an air-conditioned place. If your home does not have air conditioning, go to the shopping mall or public library–even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat. Call your local health department to see if there are any heat-relief shelters in your area.
  • Electric fans may provide comfort, but when the temperature is in the high 90s, fans will not prevent heat-related illness. Taking a cool shower or bath, or moving to an air-conditioned place is a much better way to cool off.
  • Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.
  • NEVER leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle.
  • Although any one at any time can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk than others. Check regularly on:
    • Infants and young children
    • People aged 65 or older
    • People who have a mental illness
    • Those who are physically ill, especially with heart disease or high blood pressure
  • Visit adults at risk at least twice a day and closely watch them for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Infants and young children, of course, need much more frequent watching.

If you must be out in the heat:

  • Photo of woman relaxing in the shade.Limit your outdoor activity to morning and evening hours.
  • Cut down on exercise. If you must exercise, drink two to four glasses of cool, nonalcoholic fluids each hour.  A sports beverage can replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat. Warning: If you are on a low-salt diet, talk with your doctor before drinking a sports beverage. Remember the warning in the first “tip” (above), too.
  • Try to rest often in shady areas.
  • Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat (also keeps you cooler) and sunglasses and by putting on sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher (the most effective products say “broad spectrum” or “UVA/UVB protection” on their labels).

If you have to work in this heat like we do then please keep in mind this information from OSHA:

To prevent heat related illness and fatalities:

  • Drink water every 15 minutes, even if you are not thirsty.
  • Rest in the shade to cool down.
  • Wear a hat and light-colored clothing.
  • Learn the signs of heat illness and what to do in an emergency.
  • Keep an eye on fellow workers.
  • “Easy does it” on your first days of work in the heat. You need to get used to it.

You can read more about OSHA guidelines to heat related illness prevention at:
https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/index.html

Electrical Fire Danger

Hello,

I get very sad when I hear every year about someone, or a family of people dying, or being seriously injured in an electrical fire. The best time to raise awareness is when something unfortunate has happened however. This is nothing uncommon in reality since you will see a mention of calling the local fire department for smoke detectors and mention of checking your smoke detectors in the home.

For more information and help with your electrical needs
Call America’s Service Repair @ 864-354-9108 or (864) 648-9113

People tend to put things off especially spending money until a later time it is human nature. That however can often prove to be fatal with electricity.

One of the problems we see often is from portable heaters. People try to use them to supplement a central heating and air system either because their primary system has failed, or because they think it will save them money.

As you can see by this table that the continuous load is different than the amperage rating of a wire:

Nominal Rated Circuit Capacity Continuous Rated Circuit Capacity
5 amps 4 amps
10 amps 8 amps
15 amps 12 amps
20 amps 16 amps
30 amps 24 amps
50 amps 40 amps
100 amps 80 amps
200 amps 160 amps

We recently got a call from a customer that had a heating system that was broken down.
While there I noticed they were using portable electric heaters as a heating source.
The last thing I told the customer before I left was to watch out for those portable electric heaters since they can be dangerous.

The next day we got a call that the customer had plugged in one more portable electric heater to try and stay warm. This was enough to overload the circuit and cause it to blow a fuse and catch fire. Lucky the customer was there to be able to deal with it.  More often the customer is away from the home when the fire starts, or they are sleeping when it starts and don’t get a chance to put it out.

Here are some pictures of the fuse box and the damage to give you a first hand look at what happens.

2014-12-19_00040 2014-12-19_00039 2014-12-19_00038 2014-12-19_00037 2014-12-19_00036 2014-12-07_00023 2014-12-07_00022 2014-12-07_00021 2014-12-06_00018 2014-12-19_00045 2014-12-19_00043 2014-12-19_00042 2014-12-19_00041

For more information and help with your electrical needs
Call America’s Service Repair @ 864-354-9108 or (864) 648-9113

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Spotting an unlicensed contractor

How to verify a licensed contractor

 Avoid Unlicensed Contractor

Original publish date by America’s Service Repair  Saturday, 04 June 2011

Many people on Craigslist are saying they are licensed contractors in fact they are actually an Unlicensed Contractor.
Sad to say almost all of them are lying about it.
As a licensed contractor in the state of South Carolina
I will attempt to help you learn to spot the Unlicensed Contractor.

The easiest way first is that most of them list no license information at all.
As a licensed contractor I am proud of my license and don’t mind boasting about it.
I run a great business and am proud of it. So why would they hide it?
Easy enough answer is they really are not licensed.
The next thing to look for is; those that say they are licensed but only hold a EPA license
for freon. This is in no way at all a valid license to practice in the field of HVAC in this state.
This is a card that anyone must hold to handle freon that is it, IT IS NOT certification
that they know how to install or repair HVAC equipment.
They know this but, they are preying on the fact that you don’t know this. Shame on them.

There is only one true way to check to see if you have a REAL licensed contractor or a fraud:
https://verify.llronline.com/LicLookup/LookupMain.aspx

This works not just for checking HVAC and other professionals but Electricians, Plumbers
and many other professions as well. Be fair with the contractors they might be listed with either
the Residential Builders board or the Commercial Contractors board.
Here is the South Carolina Laws regarding the right to practice in any field that is regulated by the LLR

SECTION 40-1-30. Authorization to practice. It is unlawful for a person to engage in a profession or occupation regulated by a board or commission administered by the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation without holding a valid authorization to practice as required by statute or regulation. An authorization to practice issued pursuant to this title is valid for up to two years and is renewable on renewal dates as established by the Director of Labor, Licensing and Regulation with the consent of each applicable regulatory board.

SECTION 40-1-200. Unlawful practice. A person who practices or offers to practice a regulated profession or occupation in this State in violation of this article or who knowingly submits false information for the purpose of obtaining a license is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned not more than one year or fined not more than fifty thousand dollars.

Don’t hire an Unlicensed Contractor not only is it illegal, it is also what is killing the trade. Every time you hire an Unlicensed Contractor you are taking away work from someone that does deserve it, and you are creating a situation where the honest, and good contractors won’t be around due to not having enough work to stay in business. Be honest, and do the right thing, and make sure you hire only State Licensed Contractors.