Did you know that James River Air has it’s on in-house sheet metal shop?  Here’s Hugh Joyce along with one of our sheet metal mechanics, Gordon.  The computer-controlled plasma cutter (the machine that says Lockformer Vulcan) can cut duct fittings so there’s very little waste.  What little waste is left, we recycle!

WTVR has a helpful article on money-saving tips from Dominion Virginia Power for coping with the hot weather we’re experiencing.

Keeping your system maintained is key!  Call or e-mail us today to set up an inspection on your system to make sure you’re prepared for this summer!

You know that James River Air can help you with permanent air conditioning solutions, but did you know that we can also help you with your temporary cooling needs?  Below is a picture of a couple of our technicians helping one of our commercial clients install a temporary cooling unit.  Call or e-mail us today for more info on how we can help you!

James River Heating & Air is excited to be offering Free tickets for the Children’s Museum of Richmond 529 College Savings raffle!

James River Air and The Children’s Museum of Richmond want to give You the chance to win a free college education.. The proceeds from this raffle will benefit the Children’s Museum of Richmond’s mission, programs, exhibits and the winning raffle ticket will be drawn at Short Pump Town Center. Purchase tickets and view detailed rules and regulations at www.c-mor.org/cmor-tuition-raffle-2015.

The First 50 Clients who purchase a Residential Heating and Cooling System, between May 29th  and June 29th will have a chance to win a 529 College Tuition Plan.

Below are a few simple, but important Rules:

• Purchase a new residential Heating and Cooling System between May 29th and June 29th.
• System must be paid in full (unless financed).
• System must be installed by July 30, 2015.
• Raffle tickets will be given to the first 50 clients with purchase of new heating and cooling system.

For more information regarding CMoR (Children’s Museum of Richmond) please visit:
www.c-mor.org/tuition-raffle
For detailed overviews of Virginia 529 savings plan please visit:
www.virginia529.com

With warm temperatures here, your air conditioner is probably running quite a bit.  As you may know, air conditioning systems work in part by removing moisture from the air – and that moisture has to go somewhere!  Make sure you know where your condensate is going so you can avoid water damage to your home.

• Condensate lines are typically ¾” PVC lines that go from your inside coil to the outdoors.  Sometimes they are encased in downspout material along with the copper lines that go between the indoor and outdoor units.
• Find where your condensate lines are on the outside of your home, and make sure that they are not blocked.  Sometimes we’ve seen mulch or other items laid down in such a way that the pipe gets blocked, creating backups inside.  Also look out for mud daubers:  they can build a nest in a day that will stop up a condensate line.
• Know where your indoor coil is and what sort of condensate removal setup you have.
• Condensate lines require periodic maintenance to avoid being clogged by algae growth or dirt and other particles from your air conditioning system.
• Sometimes a condensate pump is involved.  These require periodic cleaning to prevent algae buildup and clogs.
• If your air handler is in a finished space, like an attic, you probably have an emergency drain pan.  If you’re seeing water in this emergency pan, it’s not normal!  Water should only be going into that pan if there’s a problem in the normal condensate drain system.
• If your indoor unit is in a finished space, consider getting a ceiling saver kit.  Our kits include special traps and water sensors that cut your unit off if a clog is detected to help prevent ceiling damage.

Our technicians have seen some costly damage caused by condensate over the years.  If you have any doubts about whether you have a good condensate drain system or would like to have maintenance performed, please contact us to arrange for a visit from one of our qualified techs.

Allergy season is here, and many of us in Central Virginia are feeling the effects.  Here’s an article from WebMD about how to help ease your symptoms.  Note that one of them is changing your air conditioner / heat pump filter monthly!

James River Air can be a part of the solution to your allergy issues.  We offer duct cleaning services, specialty air filters, and air purification products.  Contact us today for more info!

Here are some impressive before and after pictures from Chris, one of our master plumbers.  Nice work!

Before:

After:

There are more changes coming related to equipment energy standards and the refrigerants that are used in units that provide cooling and heating. Most equipment manufacturers are now working on new designs that may increase the size of the units and change the type of refrigerant needed for their operation. It will be important to have your team educated on these changes so that a plan can be developed and a budget set to address the cost of theses changes. To help pay for these upgrades, you may want to consider an equipment leasing program that, in some cases, will pay for itself with the energy savings.  This would also be a good time to evaluate your needs to make sure your equipment meets your current requirements.  The best way to do this is to have an equipment asset evaluation performed on your facility.

James River Air Conditioning can provide assistance in evaluating and developing a plan to meet the new standards – just e-mail us or give us a call!

With temperatures going below zero, we thought it would be a good time to remind you of a couple important things you should do around your home or business to prepare:

• Make sure you know where your water cutoff is!  With these extreme temperatures, it’s possible a pipe could burst and you’ll want to be able to cut the water supply off fast.  When we perform our plumbing preventive maintenance checks, we label the cutoff so you can easily find it.
• If you heat with oil, consider using fuel oil treatment.  If you have any moisture in your oil lines, it could freeze, preventing your furnace or boiler from heating.
• Make sure the water is cut off to any outside faucets to prevent freezing.
• You may only discover some leaks after temperatures warm up, when frozen pipes thaw.  As temperatures rise, be on the lookout for any hidden leaks.

From our commercial service manager, Joe Austin:

“Make sure you are maintaining your cooling tower at least once a year.  This equipment is vital to your building operation and maintenance will prolong the life expectancy of your equipment.”