Indianapolis-Area Air Conditioners Working Overtime in Early Summer-Like Weather

Other than one cold night last week, Central Indiana has been experiencing exceptionally warm, often record-breaking, weather for almost two weeks. This means that your home’s air conditioning system is probably working overtime already, and it’s only the first week of April. We still have a long, potentially hot, summer ahead of us.

Is your AC up to the task? One of the best ways to ensure that your home stays cool and comfortable is to have your air conditioning system inspected and tuned up by a trained HVAC technician.

Most homeowners don’t think twice about their air conditioner until it breaks down and you are stuck in the middle of a heat wave with no cold air. Many of these breakdowns can be avoided if you hire a reputable HVAC company to service your home’s unit each year. Regular air conditioner maintenance can also help the unit’s energy efficiency – saving you money in utility bills.

According to Angie Harmon, founder of Angie’s List, “You need to have your air conditioner serviced at least once a year… before the real hot hot weather sets in. Maintaining your air conditioning system is real important, because each year you fail to maintain it, it loses 5% efficiency.”

Angie’s List Founder Angie Harmon and Thiele President John Traub
Discuss the Importance of Annual AC Checkups

When you’re ready for your home air conditioner tune-up, give us a call. Weekly ongoing education for our service technicians provides you with the most extensively trained service department in the industry.

Thiele Heating & Air Conditioning sells, installs, services, and repairs furnaces, heaters, air conditioners and HVAC systems to Indianapolis-area homeowners and businesses. We are a two-time Rheem Top Ten US Contractor, a certified Honeywell “Contractor PRO” and a Multiple Honor Roll Award Winner on Angie’s List. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 317-639-1111, or visit www.CallThiele.com.

Rheem Racing’s Cale Gale and the Rheem XR90 Gas Water Heater Continue Winning Tradition As Season Heats Up

Click the Image Above to See New Lineup of Energy-Efficient Rheem Heating & Cooling Products

As we mentioned last week, Cale Gale, driver of Rheem Racing’s #33 Chevy Silverado, has been performing well so far this season. First, he took a seventh place finish at the inaugural 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

Then, while many of the NCWTS teams took a few weeks off after the season-opener in Daytona, he went on to win the inaugural Mobile ARCA 200 at his hometown track in Mobile, AL.

Next, Cale returns to his roots in short-track racing with a trip to the Martinsville (Va.) Speedway this weekend.

Last year, Gale, in the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet, scored his career-best NCWTS finish at Martinsville Speedway as a part-time driver for Kevin Harvick Inc. After starting the 200-mile race in 13th position, he pulled into the top-three about half-way through the race, and finished in a respectable seventh place for such a young driver.

A Little History:
Cale Gale first teamed up with Rheem Racing during the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series season opener at Daytona. Later that year, he captured the pole at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee and went on to finish 4th. After impressing Rheem executives with his performance, the duo have worked together since then. He has competed for Team Rheem in NCWTS, ARCA, and Super Late Model series events, and continues to do so in 2012.

As the 2012 racing season heats up quickly, so does the temperature outside. Over the last couple of weeks, Indianapolis and the entire Central Indiana region has been experiencing record and near-record temperatures, reaching 81° degrees on both March 14th and 15th!. As we mentioned in an earlier post, if these recent temperatures are any indication of things to come, the summer of 2012 could be a brutal one.

So we ask again, is your home’s air conditioner up to the task?

Previously, we discussed the top-of-the-line Rheem Prestige Series™ High Efficiency Two-Stage Serial Communicating Air Conditioner System, the” Cadillac” of the industry, and in our most recent post we took a look at the Rheem Value Series™ High Efficiency Single-Stage AC, which was designed with both price and performance in mind.

And just like Cale Gale, Rheem continues its winning ways with the XR90 Extreme Recovery Gas Water Heater, which earned the prestigious AHR Innovation Award from the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) in the competition’s plumbing category.

• The 29-gallon Rheem XR90 Extreme Recovery Gas Water Heater heats water 42 percent faster than a standard 50-gallon gas water heater.

• The XR90 costs approximately 17 percent less to operate annually: only $261 versus $315 per year** for a standard 50-gallon gas model.

• It has a first hour rating (FHR) of 90 gallons—meaning homeowners get three times the amount of hot water in an hour than what the tank actually holds. By comparison, a standard 40-gallon gas water heater*** has an FHR of 67 gallons.

• Once the Rheem XR90 has been depleted of its available hot water, the unit can be ready with 90 gallons of available hot water in only 29 minutes.

  In comparison, standard 40-gallon gas water heaters takes 59 minutes to produce 67 gallons of available hot water, which means they run out of hot water much faster.

• The Rheem XR90 is ENERGY STAR®-qualified.

If you are in the market for a new water heater, the Rheem XR90 will dependably fill the bill for years to come.

As the Rheem Racing team provides the support Cale depends on, you can rely on Rheem and Team Thiele to provide the support and service you need to keep your new Rheem water heater operating efficiently for years to come.

Visit the Thiele Heating & Air Conditioning website for more information about Rheem heating and cooling products we sell, install, maintain and service, or call us at 317-639-1111.

*Rheem defines a standard 50-gallon gas water heater as one that features a 40,000 Btu/h input and 0.58 EF.
**Based on U.S. Department of Energy annual operating cost figures comparing the Rheem XR90 to a standard 50 gallon gas water heater.
***Rheem defines a standard 40-gallon gas water heater as one that features a 40,000 Btu/h input and 0.59 EF.

Rheem Value Series™ Air Conditioners: Efficient Performance In An Economical Package

As we mentioned in our last Team Rheem update, if the recent warm weather is any indication of things to come, the summer of 2012 could be a brutally hot. Is it time to upgrade your home’s air conditioning system?

Rheem's Value Series Air Conditioner line features cooling efficiencies up to 14.5 SEER/13.05 EER.

The Rheem Value Series™ High Efficiency Single-Stage AC was designed with both price and performance in mind.

All Rheem AC units offer comfort, energy conservation and dependability. Their Value Series line features cooling efficiencies up to 14.5 SEER/13.05 EER. The higher the SEER level, the greater your energy savings will be over time. Purchasing a higher efficiency model will pay off with years of savings on your monthly energy bills.

Rheem’s Value Series’ eco-friendly condensing units meet or exceed world environmental standards by utilizing a refrigerant that won’t contribute to ozone depletion.

Plus, Rheem Value Series 13 SEER Air Conditioners come with a 10-Year Manufacturers Warranty.

Visit the Thiele Heating & Air Conditioning website for more information aboutRheem heating and cooling products we sell, install, maintain and service, or call us at 317-639-1111.

For an interesting perspective on our strange weather, read the IndyStar feature article, All About the Heat: Record Zoo Crowds, More Bugs, Crabgrass to Emerge Sooner.

Rheem Racing’s Cale Gale Efficiently Wins ACRA 200 in Hometown Mobile, Alabama

Click the Image Above to See New Lineup of Energy-Efficient Rheem Heating & Cooling Products

Congratulations to Cale Gale and the entire NASCAR Sprint Cup #33 Rheem Chevrolet Racing team for their win on March 11 at the 2012 ARCA 200. The win must have been particularly sweet, since the race took place in his hometown of Mobile, AL.

Cale led 76 of 203 laps, including the last 28. He passed fellow Alabama driver Grant Enfinger on Lap 176 and held onto the lead through four late cautions and their restarts.

We also want to extend our congratulations to 15-year-old phenom Brandon Jones for his debut performance this past weekend in the United Auto Racing (UARA) STARS Series at the Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina.

Brandon posted solid practice laps and was among the top-12 competitors before he spun out on lap 138 after his rear bumper got hooked with the approaching #2 car. He managed to ably avoid contact with the wall or other competitors, got his car pointed in the right direction, and recovered nicely to finish in 19th-place finish, respectable under the circumstances. For more information about Brandon’s performance, read the PaddockTalk article, Brandon Jones Overcomes Late-Race Spin To Finish 19th.

Today is the official start of spring, and the weather is heating up as fast as a NASCAR stock car. If recent temperatures are any indication of things to come, the summer of 2012 could be a brutally hot. Is your home’s air conditioner up to the task?

In our last Team Rheem update , we discussed the top-of-the-line Rheem Prestige Series™ High Efficiency Two-Stage Serial Communicating Air Conditioner System, in our opinion the” Cadillac” of the industry. But not everyone can afford a Caddy.

In our next post, we will take a look at the Rheem Value Series™ High Efficiency Single-Stage AC, which was designed with both price and performance in mind. Stop back on Friday for information about these efficient AC units at an economical price.

As the Rheem Racing team provides the support Cale and Brandon depends on, you can rely on Rheem and Team Thiele to provide the support and service you need to keep your new Rheem air conditioner operating efficiently for years to come.

Visit the Thiele Heating & Air Conditioning website for more information about Rheem heating and cooling products we sell, install, maintain and service, or call us at 317-639-1111.

Daylight Saving Time Controversy Still Looms In Indiana, And Worldwide, Too

Daylight Saving Time (DST) started this week, which in Indiana is always cause for discussion. Have you recovered from losing an hour of sleep yet? Last year, in our post Daylight Savings Time – Indiana May Have Had It Right After All, we discussed some of the history and controversy about DST in our state, as well as the pros & cons of the annual time change. But until recently we had no idea about the long and complex history of DST worldwide.

This entertaining and enlightening video from C.G.P. Grey’s Blog offers a “A brief history and explanation of the annual madness that is daylight saving time.”

Some of the key points made in the video include:

• Hawaii is one of two states in the Union that ignore daylight saving time. The other is Arizona, which, with an average summer temperature of 107 degrees, doesn’t need or want any more sunlight than it already has.
• The original purpose of Daylight Saving Time was to conserve energy by encouraging people to stay out later in the summer and use less artificial lighting. If people get more sunshine, but don’t use it to go outside, DST might actually use more electricity, not save it.
• As technology continues to improve and infiltrate our daily lives, more electricity is dedicated to things that aren’t light bulbs, i.e. technological entertainments (X-Box, internet, cable, etc.) and climate-controlled comfort inside. So, even if we go with the assumption that DST is effective, it’s probably less-so with each passing year.
• And speaking of light bulbs, after more than a century of use, the highly inefficient incandescent bulbs are being replaced with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and LEDs, which, as this Comparison Chart – LED Lights vs. Incandescent Light Bulbs vs. CFLs clearly demonstrates, can reduce the amount of energy needed to light a room by as much as 90%.
   

Another excellent source of information about the history of DST is the article Daylight Saving Time: Way More Complicated Than Just Setting Your Clocks Back, by Whet Moser, from The 312, Chicago magazine’s staff blog. Among other things, Moser tells the story about how, in 1949, the Indiana Senate quietly passed a bill that would keep the state on Central time and outlaw daylight-saving time.

And the controversy goes on; reportedly, plans are underway to introduce a bill into the State Senate to repeal DST, which has only been in effect in Indiana since 2006.

And remember, if we’ve switched to Daylight Savings Time, that means it’s time to get your air conditioning system tuned-up and ready for the season. We haven’t hit our busiest time yet, so there are still plenty of slots available to have a Thiele service tech perform the maintenance needed to keep your AC system up and running all summer long.

Call us today to schedule your appointment, (317) 639-1111. You’ll be glad you did.

Be An Educated Consumer: “Energy-Saving” Gadgets That Sound Too Good To Be True, Probably Are!

We came across an interesting column about gadgets that supposedly help conserve energy.  In his op-ed piece, Many Energy-saving Products will Cost You Instead, Paul “The Watchdog” Muschick discusses products, gadgets and additives that promise to reduce your home energy consumption or increase your car’s gas mileage, not all of which may work as advertised, if at all.

A few of the key points he makes include:

• If an offer sounds too good to be true, it is. Beware of products that seem over-hyped.
• The Appliance Labeling Rule requires retailers to provide EnergyGuide information for products such as refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, air conditioners, heat pumps, water heaters, furnaces, boilers and washing machines. The FTC has fined or warned some less-than-honest stores for failing to use EnergyGuide labels.
• If you are going to buy an energy-saving device, like for any other product, do your homework before you make a purchase. See if the product comes with a warranty or money-back guarantee. Read consumer reviews.

For more of Muschick’s valuable recommendations, insights and observations, read the full column, Many energy-saving products will cost you instead, published on the Lehigh Valley Morning Call website.

Of course, one of the best ways to reduce energy costs is to upgrade your home’s furnace, heat pump or HVAC unit to a new high-efficiency, ENERGYSTAR rated product. For example, top-of-the-line furnaces, like Rheem’s RGRK, RGRL, and RGTK Classic® Series gas furnaces have an annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) ratings of 95%, making them up to 15% more efficient than standard models. This will quickly add up to considerable savings.

For more information about upgrading your home with a new, energy-efficient furnace or heat pump, visit the Thiele Heating & Air Conditioning website. Call 317-639-1111 to schedule a free in-home evaluation of your home’s existing heating system.

Rheem Racing and Kevin Harvick are Back on Track and Running up Front

Click the Image Above to See New Lineup of Energy-Efficient Rheem Heating & Cooling Products

Congratulations to Kevin Harvick and the entire NASCAR Sprint Cup #33 Rheem Racing team for their second-place finish in this past Sunday’s race in Phoenix.

Kevin ran up front during the entire race, but in the final segment the #11 team had the fastest car on the track and they let everybody know it.

It’s good to have racing back on the weekends and we look forward to the upcoming season of Rheem Racing in several series.

Of course, if it is race season, then winter is just about over and it’s time to get ready for the warmer days just around the corner – and the hotter days of summer that all-too-quickly follow springtime.

Like the Rheem Racing team this past weekend, Rheem’s lineup of heating and cooling products will perform steadily and efficiently all season long.

One of the keys to the team’s performance is communication, between the driver and the crew chief, between the chief and the pit crew, and even between the car and the engineers. The same holds true for the Rheem Prestige Series™ High Efficiency Two-Stage Serial Communicating Air Conditioner System.

Rheem’s exclusive Comfort Control2 System™ provides on-board diagnostics to detect system and electrical problems, and sends “Call for Service” alert notification to the thermostat to let you know when service is needed.

When combined with a Serial Communicating Air Handler and Series 500 thermostat this unit offers auto-configuration, diagnostic messaging and full communicating capability, to increase your home’s comfort, and your peace of mind.

Prestige Series Air Conditioners feature Rheem’s Dual Drive Scroll® Compressor, a two-stage compressor that delivers the precise amount of coolness required, and provides more even temperature and greater comfort throughout your home.

Rheem's Prestige Series RASL- JEC Air Conditioner Earned the ENERGYSTAR 2012 Most Efficient Designation

All Rheem AC units offer comfort, energy conservation and dependability. With system SEERs as high as 19.5, these units continue a tradition of delivering high efficiency.

In fact, the RASL- JEC model was awarded the ENERGY STAR Highest Efficiency designation for 2012.

Plus, all Rheem Prestige Series Air Conditioners come with a 10-Year Manufacturers Warranty.

As the NASCAR Sprint Cup #33 Rheem Racing team provides the support Kevin depends on, you can rely on Rheem and Team Thiele to provide the support and service you need to keep your new Rheem furnace, heat pump or air conditioner operating properly for years to come.

Visit the Thiele Heating & Air Conditioning website for more information about Rheem heating and cooling products we sell, install, maintain and service, or call us at 317-639-1111.