Abel Onsite Product Spotlight: Evergreen IM Motor

If you’re looking to save money and increase the efficiency of your heating and cooling system, then have Abel Onsite, Minneapolis’ and St. Paul’s HVAC specialists, install an Evergreen IM motor.

The Evergreen IM is the first high-efficiency motor created for replacing standard motors found in residential heating and cooling systems. The benefits include:

• Reduced energy consumption
• Always quiet, no abrupt switching on and off
• No quick temperature changes

With an Evergreen IM motor, you can save up to 25% - more than $200 per year - on your home energy bill, meaning extra money in your pocket.

To learn more about the Evergreen IM motor and how it can benefit you, visit www.AbelOnsite.com today!

Take Advantage of Abel Onsite’s Performance Program

Need seasonal maintenance of your heating & cooling unit? There’s an APP for that.

The Abel Performance Program (APP) is a seasonal maintenance program that will save you money when it comes to your Twin Cities’ home furnace and/or air conditioner. Abel Onsite is proud to offer this program, as we know our clients are thinking more and more everyday about potential costs.

With the Abel Performance Program, you get:

• Priority Service – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When you call for service, you’ll be at the top of our list.
• Our Normal Rate – You won’t be charged our emergency rates if you immediately need service. It doesn’t matter if it’s after hours or on the weekends, you’ll only be charged our normal hourly rates.
• 10% Off Parts & Labor – These discounts mean you will pay less.
• 5% Off Replacement Equipment – If our technician determines your heating and cooling unit needs replaced, you will pay less for the new system.

The APP covers furnaces, air conditioners, humidifiers, zone systems, commercial rooftop units and more.

If you live in the Minneapolis & St. Paul areas and are interested in saving money on your HVAC unit, call us today 952.446.9545 and ask about the APP.

Inspections Every Home Owner Should Make

Ah! Being a homeowner is a wonderful thing. You have total control of the way your house looks and you know that nobody can boot you out at the end of a lease. It is a wonderful sense of independence - until something breaks. That landlord was your best friend when something broke. Just call him or her up and magically the repair person showed up in a day or so to fix the problem. Now you are on your own and you have to foot the bill. How can you keep the repairman away from your house?

The best way is to keep things from breaking. Performing inspections and basic maintenance on your home at least annually will help you save bundles of money over the long term.

Here are several systems to keep in mind when tuning up your home.

First, the hot water heater. It works away for you day after day and you hardly ever think about it. Keep it lasting longer by draining the tank. During normal operation sediment accumulates at the bottom of tank. This gunk, if left alone, can corrode the bottom of the heater causing a leak and it also forces the heater to work harder. This shortens its life and runs up your gas or electric bill. Consult the owners manual for the draining procedure.

Second, blow the leaves and debris out of your air conditioner fins. Wind and lawnmowers among many things cause the spaces on your A/C fins to fill with gunk. You might be tempted to just spray the hose at it, which will work but could damage the unit. The better course is to take the top off according to the manufacturers instructions and use the hose to blow the debris from the inside out. This also gives you the opportunity to inspect the internal components for rust or wear.

Third, inspect your gutters and downspouts. Leaves in you gutters can cause water to pool inside them and wick under the drip edge. This can rot out your fascia board. Additionally, gutters filled with water are heavy and can start to pull away from the fascia and eventually rip away from the house. Also, make sure all your downspouts are in place. They prevent water from collecting next to your house which can cause basements to leak or flood.

Fourth, inspect the siding on your house. Small holes in wood, vinyl or other material can allow weather, animals or insects into the interior of the wall. These can cause substantial damage over time. If your siding is painted, be sure to keep the painting current to preserve the underlying material. Finding small problems with your siding can head off large problems down the road.

Fifth, inspect your roof. Damaged flashing or shingles can allow water to leak into your home and cause significant damage. One of the unfortunate attributes of water leaks is they can go for very long periods of before being noticed. Replace any missing nails and caulk over any exposed nail heads that might be holding down vents or other devices.

Sixth, inspect your appliances for frayed or defective electrical cords. Repair any that you find to prevent a house fire.

Finally, make sure your furnace filter is changed regularly. Doing so helps keep allergens out of the air and keeps your furnace from working harder than it has to which will extend its life and save money on monthly utility bills!

These are a just a few routine inspections a homeowner should make. Doing them will help you save on repair bills and give greater pride of ownership. Of course, if you aren't comfortable doing certain inspections, you can call the repairman. They will be happy to help and it will be at a much lower cost than if they were coming to repair that same item. Be smart - spend a little to save much more!

Read more about the HVAC products and services provided by Abel Onsite of St. Bonifacius, MN.

Article independently authored by Eric Parish. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Abel Onsite. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.

The Air in Your House is Polluted!

Most people now have some level of concern for the environment and air pollution. As a result, there is much focus and information on the outdoor air quality for various cities and it can be big news when a particular municipality violates the various air pollution regulations. Of course, this is cause for concern as a citizen you don't want to be breathing dirty, polluted air when you go outside. The little secret though is that the air in your home is, in all likelihood, worse than the polluted outdoor air on the news.
It is not commonly known but the air quality inside a standard home is very poor. In fact, the EPA has reported levels of indoor air pollutants may be up to five times higher and occasionally up to 100 times higher than outdoor pollutant levels. This is rather profound given that people spend most of their time indoors. There are many things that contribute to poor indoor air quality such as new paint or other cleaning products, pet dander, radon or dust. Also, new carpet - that "new carpet" smell is chemicals used in making the carpet and should be ventilated as best as practicable. Additionally, firewood stored in the house can release mold or spores. Obviously, indoor smoking is powerful air pollutant as cigarette smoke contains hundreds of toxins.
The build up of these pollutants can lead to respiratory problems and lowers overall health. Those with asthma suffer more frequent attacks with poor indoor air quality.
The best way to prevent your air quality from degrading is to eliminate the source. Have smokers smoke outdoors, use non-toxic "green" cleaning products, vacuum and dust regularly, etc. However, it is not possible to eliminate all contaminants and this is where an air purifier can help.
An air purification system is designed to eliminate or greatly reduce mold, bacteria, particulates and other microorganisms so as to improve or "purify" the air inside your home. Whole house systems are designed to do just that and improve the air in the entire house. These are excellent systems and wonderful to install if you or a loved one suffer from allergies or asthma. The drawback can be cost. If you are not quite ready to install a whole house system, small units designed for a single room or small space can be purchased at major retailers. Be sure to check the square foot rating for a given device so that you have the proper size machine for the room it will be located in. Typically this would be the bedroom since many hours are spent there and the space is generally small enough for a tabletop unit to be effective.
If you would like to improve your health an air purification system is a great way to go. Contact a qualified installer in your area and have them visit your home. In this way, you may find out exactly what your home needs and learn the cost. Plus, the installer will be able to advise you on specific pollutants common in your area of the country and state. They can be a valuable resource and consultant.
At a minimum, think about the things you bring into your home and how they might be contaminating your air. Doing so will help your family live a longer, healthier life!

Learn more about how to eliminate air pollutants in your home by visiting Abel Onsite of  St. Bonifacius, MN. Article independently authored by Eric Parish. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Abel Onsite. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.

Quick Winter Energy Saving Tips

The chilly winter season is upon us and it is a good time to think about how we can make our homes more energy efficient. Not only will it save money on your electric bill but will help you live a greener lifestyle and be more comfortable. Fortunately, none of these steps are overly burdensome or expensive.

The first one is to plug up the leaky spots around your home. If you have never thought about how heat might escape your house, you probably have numerous spots where cold air is able to rush into the living space. A common area is under outside doors where the seal has become ineffective and no longer blocks the outside air. Additionally, the weatherstripping around the remainder of the door can fail allow cold air to seep in. You can easily purchase replacement weatherstripping at a home improvement store and follow the directions to install it. Be sure to caulk gaps or cracks around the door frame. Often cold air can reach the interior of the wall through these cracks and find its way into your living space.

Consider expanding foam spray if you find larger holes or cracks that can't be filled in with caulk. One brand name is Stuff. Basically, it is a liquid that rapidly expands and then hardens. I found that it worked well to block a hole underneath my door threshold that was large enough to actually see through. Plus, the foam prevents insects and mice from entering your home.

Next, cold air can enter your home through outlets on outside walls. Check for drafts around yours and buy specially designed foam inserts to block the air flow. They are not visible when installed properly.

Windows are a huge concern for conserving energy. You can reduce the amount of heat escaping your home by covering each window with plastic. The plastic creates dead air space over your windows and retards heat loss while allowing light to enter. An alternative is to keep your drapes open on windows that are facing the sun. This way you put the sun to work heating your home. However, you have to keep all other windows draped over to prevent heat from escaping. By not covering your windows you are allowing up to 20% of heated air to escape.

Finally, technology can really help out. Consider installing a programmable thermostat. These devices can be set to only heat and cool your home when you are home. While you are away at work the thermostat can let the temperature in the winter drop ten degrees and then warm up again right before you come home. In this fashion you are not fully heating an empty house and incurring the cost. A qualified heating and cooling specialist such as Abel Onsite can advise you on this topic.

These are just a quick tips to think about. Hopefully they will help you easily save money each month on your power bill.

For more energy saving tips visit Abel Onsite or call 952.446.9545 today . Article independently authored by Eric Parish. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Abel Onsite. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.

Authorized Air Sealing & Weatherization Contractor

Abel Onsite is now Authorized by Honeywell and certified by the Building Performance Institute (BPI) to perform air sealing and weatherization for homes and buildings

As an authorized Honeywell Weatherization Contractor, Abel Onsite is now providing services to make homes, buildings more energy-efficient.

Saint Bonifacius, MN – November 2010 – ABEL ONSITE, the heating and air conditioning specialists, announced that it has been authorized by Honeywell to provide air sealing and weatherization services for homes and commercial buildings. As part of their training, key employees at Abel Onsite have also received their Building Analyst and Building Envelope certification by the Building Performance Institute (BPI) which teaches them to take a comprehensive “House as a System” and “Building as a System” approach to their weatherization projects.

To learn more view our full Press Release on our website "Click Here".

Five Reasons to Install a Solar Array

With all the talk of alternative energy on the news lately, you might begin to wonder how you can be a part of it. There are many ways to become involved from hybrid cars to geothermal heat and cooling. One of the best ways, however, is solar. In fact, here are five excellent reasons for installing solar panels on your home.

1) Save Money - Electricity rates have been going up for quite some time now and they are not expected to reverse this trend. In fact, some experts believe that electricity rates could skyrocket over the next few years. With solar, you insulate yourself from these problems. Once you install a complete system you never have to pay an electric bill again. That is a great feeling. Even if you install a system that only supports a portion of your needs, you are cutting down your electric bill each month.

2) Power Outages Don't Happen - If you have ever lived through a multi-day power outage you know how very inconvenient this is to put it mildly. With a complete solar array, you will always have power even if you neighbors don't (depending on how you have your array configured). You cut your dependency to the power company. In fact, this can feel liberating which might be yet another reason for solar!

3) Increase Your Home's Value - Solar is a very desirable item in the real estate market. Of course, if you intend to move very soon installing a solar system does not make sense. However, if you are going to spend many years in your home and ultimately desire to sell, it can increase your selling price. A 1998 study by ICF Consulting found that a solar system that saves $1,000 per year on electric bills increases the home's value by $20,000.

4) Protect the Environment - Solar power is renewable and does depend on fossil fuels. For this reason, solar is a clean technology. By investing in a solar array you are helping to make the earth a cleaner place.

5) Technology is Cool - This isn't an oft cited benefit but it is a reality. A solar array is a great conversation starter as people have a interest in it. Plus, if you have children or grandchildren it is a great live science experiment. Teaching about the various aspects of the system can lead into many interesting and educational conversations. By talking to people and your children you are helping to spread the word about solar power and helping the earth and others in the process!

Of course, solar power is a complicated subject with many aspects to consider. Take the first step and call an installer to see what if would take to install a small, starter solar system. Your pocketbook and the earth will be glad you did!

For additional information on the topic of solar power visit Abel Onsite. Article independently authored by Eric Parish. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Abel Onsite. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.