Hi! As you can see from my appearance in the "before" picture, I used to be a sick, unhappy house and I'm only 15 years old!

Just as it is with humans, there are many things that can make a house (and the people within it) sick.

The people that live here had the Home Comfort Advisor from James Wall Plumbing Heating & Cooling" come diagnose my troubles.

There was no cost but he sure asked a lot of questions to find out why I felt so bad (and why they were unhappy too). These are some of the questions they asked and conclusions they reached:

Q. Do you want a Healthy Home?
A. Obviously, Yes.

Q. A Comfortable Home?
A. Yes.

Q. Toasty Warm on coldest Days?
A. Yes.

Q. Refreshingly Cool during the sweltering days of June, July and August?
A. Yes.

Q. A Safe Home?
A. Yes.

Q. A Quiet Home?
A. Yes.

Q. A Convenient Home, with technological features that control temperatures to match area requirements?
A. Yes.

Q. An Energy Efficient Home, using minimum energy to achieve desired results?
A. Yes.

Q. An Economical Home?
A. Yes.

The expert then asked:

Q. If anyone suffered from asthma or had an allergy caused by airborne pollutants, like pollen?

Q. How about runny noses or an itchy scalp?

Q. Or dry skin and scratchy, dry throats in winter?

Q. Or sinus irritation or respiratory problems?

Q. How about a house that would be free from dust, smoke particles, static electricity? Yes.

Q. Free from woodwork and furniture cracks in winter? Yes.

Well, he asked a lot of other questions too, but you get the idea.

Here are his conclusions:

The Heating system was installed when the house was constructed and while 15 years is not old for a house, it is ancient for a heating system.

The Air conditioning system was "added on" at a later date and it doesn't match the heating system (I don't know if "price" or ignorance had something to do with that). And because:

• There is no humidifier to add moisture to the air.
• There is no air cleaner to remove pollutants from the air.
• There is no zoning to control where the air goes.
• There is no programmable thermostat to control when the air goes.

He said it's no wonder I'm sick!

Here's what they recommended that makes me the healthy, happy house that you see in the picture to the right.

1. They replaced my old heating system with it's low 60% efficiency rating (that was tops 15 years ago ) with one of those new, shiny 95% efficiency, 2 stage heating systems with a variable speed electrical fan.

The beauty (and economy) of 2 stage heating is that on average days (about 80% of the time), the unit operates at the 1st level. This uses just 2/3 the energy but is sufficient to keep you warm on all but the coldest days when it automatically steps up to the 2nd stage. This means it costs less to have a quieter, more consistently, comfortable house. And the variable speed electrical fan means that they can run the fan constantly to help circulate and clean the air all the time, and it only costs pennies a day to do it!

2. They carefully matched the new air conditioner, with it's 13.0 SEER rating (the old one was just 7.0) with the new heating system. Now whatever mode I am in, I can deliver conditioned air economically and efficiently.

3. The new humidifier is automatic. It changes desert dry into an oasis. And the results are almost unbelievable. No more dry skin and static electricity to plague humans; even the plants look so much better. And it makes you feel warmer in the winter, even when the thermostat is set lower, because the body senses heat as a combination of temperature and humidity.

4. And that new Pure Air System! You can't believe how much better everybody feels (and how much easier my job is) now that all those particles of dust, dirt, pollen, mold, dander along with all those other millions of airborne contaminants in the air are now being removed all day long. I haven't been able to breathe this easy since the day I was built.

5. A lot less complaining too. Computers and electronic technology combined enables us to direct air where we want it and when we want it. Now the room over top the garage, grandma's bedroom and the activities room can all have a different temperature, thanks to the new zoning controls. So it costs less money to operate (because we are not conditioning areas we are not using) and more convenient too.

6. The crowning touch is that new, digital, programmable thermostat. It's much more accurate than that old mechanical one, keeping the house comfortable when people are here, and automatically setting back temperatures (saving energy) when they are away. It can store and repeat multiple settings 4 times in a 24 hour day!

7. And best of all, is the all encompassing "10 Year Extended Coverage Protection Plan. Even though the equipment comes with a limited manufacturer's warranty, any mechanical part is subject to failure. Today, when a single service call is usually well in excess of $200, what a hedge against inflation it is to know what your cost for total comfort will be up to 10 years in advance.

Combined with their annual "tune-up/check-up" preventative maintenance plan, we can look forward to many years of worry free, unplanned repairs and high efficency performance. Now that's what I call "Peace Of Mind" and really makes me a happy house!

8. Affordability? Look at this way. You're going to pay for a new system whether you get one or not. Old, inefficient equipment with increased energy costs

(1) frequent service costs
(2) increased cleaning of drapes and carpets combined with
(3) other home repair costs and
(4) the potential for more frequent, costly illnesses, to say nothing of discomfort, aggravation and inconvenience, these are all a part of the cost of operating an old, inefficient HVAC system.

The money you save on energy costs alone, will go a long way to helping offset the monthly payments of a new system (it's almost like having the utility company pay for your new system).

Combined with James Wall Plumbing Heating & Cooling's choice of financing plans that feature (1) NO down payment and (2) LOW monthly payments, it's easy to start controlling the health and comfort of your family "365 days of the year".