The Economy is in real trouble because our banking system has encouraged most (but not all) Americans to borrow what they can't pay back, buy what they can't afford and not to worry about what happens in the end when all you are doing is servicing debt. Think about this the next time you see an ad to replace your system for 8-10 grand. We can do a lot more for a lot less.

"The American way: get your ass in debt, and stay that way"
--- Unknown Mechanic in Westminster Maryland.

We are now in our Winter mode, this is the time were we gear toward emergency repairs and problem solving and less toward renovation and modifications. However this a good time of year to work on modifications and renovations if it doesn't disable your system.

The good news is that Scott has just converted his work truck to operate on Clean Cheap, American Natural Gas (CNG) that I can fill up for ~$2.04 a Gallon Equivalent. I did all the work myself and I would consider this undertaking to be 100 times more complicated than a Gas Furnace. So if I can convert my work truck to run on natural gas then it should be obvious that I should be the one to work on your system.

The bad news is that in June 2009 BGE closed their remaining CNG fueling stations which tells us what they really think of the environment. The State of maryland has a station at BWI airport but won't let me use it claiming that they don't want to compete with BGE. I plan to find a place to fuel the truck myself. Look up the movie "Who Killed the Electric Car".

G&S mechanical update: Scott Meenen has build a grocery store near Reston Virginia. The equipment on this project is about 100 times more complex and involved than your residential heat pump, which means that I will be able to do 100 times a better job that someone who cannot repair any part of a grocery store rack system.

Feel free to call me anytime later in the day, I will gladly answer your questions. After 1.5 years of waiting I finally have my work truck returned with a new engine. It would have been taken care of sooner if other potential customers (You wouldn't do that) were more interested in contractor competence than the quality of the paint job on their work truck or the size of their ad in the phone book. I have 3 vehicles that makes 1 up 2 down. Please hire us instead of the company with the fancy add in the phone book and let me fix my other 2 vehicles.

  Let's get something straight about pricing: The average price charged by our competition for a new system is $4,000 to 8,000 with half of that being pure profit. If you are willing to spend that kind of money then we are willing to drop everything to change your system in the worst weather imaginable and work through the night to do it. So will any other contractor for the right number of thousands of dollars in profit. Most larger contractors don't even want to talk to you unless you are willing to sign a contract to put several thousand in their pocket, why shouldn't we get that work?

For that 4,000 to 8,000 it is possible to do a tremendous amount of modifications and retrofitting that will save real money and not just place a pretty system outside your house. With the bad economy a lot of other contractors have dropped their prices but they have not improved their quality, we have.

    If you want good service you will have to pay for it, if you want great service it will cost you a bit more but you can still have rotten service with a big price tag.

Scott

    Whether you heat with natural gas, oil, heat pump (with electric, oil or gas), electric or some other heat source, your system should be checked out to make sure it is working properly. Many other contractors provide these services but we get too many reports that all they are good at doing is collecting their fee and not providing any preventative maintenance or worse. We will actually maintain your equipment and worry about the things that should be worried about and not concentrate on the things that are of minor consequence (such as making sure that your motor run capacitors are the exact value so others can charge $50 for a $5 part).

    I have not been able to update this page in a while and I have not been able to respond to all your calls. The reason I have been so busy is that I am trying to help a friend of mine save a piece of property from a bank that is trying to sell it off in violation of trust documents set up by his parents. Depending on your political views you may feel that Americans are entitled to own property or you may believe that banks always know best what we should do with our assets after they have divested us of them. Read more about this at Letter to the president of Sandy Spring Bank. (follow links to home page).

Scott

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I see that fewer people are using AIM and more of you are using YIM and Facebook. I have AIM on my phone but it is a very inefficient way to communicate. When I am driving down the road I have plenty of time to kill to "talk shop". I would love to talk to everyone who contacts me but I must do service calls to make a living.
 

   Heating load is measured in Degree Days. That is the number of days times the difference between the average temperature and the heating set point. For example if the set point is 70 degrees and the average temperature is 60 degrees then the number of degree days in a 310 day month is 31. If the average temperature for that month was 40 degrees then the number of degree days will be 930.
    Cooling load is similar but you would need to take into account humidity. Using a setback thermostat will complicate the formula.

                                                CALVIN COOLIDGE
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Never be afraid to try new things. Remember,... It was professionals who
built the Titanic. It was Amateurs that built the Ark.

- Unknown.

The purpose of this page is so you know where we are and what we are doing and any other important news. I will refine this page as time goes on.

Think you are getting ripped off, check out our phrase page to find out.

I am still looking for help but can't find anyone who wants to work.
I will be available for chat, look for me on AOL Instant Messenger name:n3sjh.
Send me an IM via Yahoo Instant Messenger.
See new contact page. I now have an IP: phone by Vonage that lets me call you back toll free.