Category Archives: Blog

Air conditioning systems don’t last forever. If your system runs constantly throughout the spring and summer, the constant wear and tear will add up. Maintenance, too, is key. Scheduled, comprehensive maintenance can extend the life of your system; without it, your system may fail prematurely.

Generally speaking, most of us can expect our air conditioning systems to last about 15 years (and we should budget accordingly). But how will you know when it’s the right time to replace that old system with a new one? Answer these questions, and you’ll have a much better idea.

How old is your air conditioner?

This is the most important question. Air conditioning systems can stop being efficient before they stop working entirely. Any system that’s more than ten years old will be substantially less efficient and costlier to run than a new system. While you may want to put of the cost of replacing your system, you’ll be spending more on energy in the meantime – somewhere in the neighborhood of 20% more.

What’s your air conditioner’s SEER value – and what should it be?

The SEER (or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating) value indicates the efficiency of your system; the higher the value, the more efficient. This value makes it easier to compare your system to a new one, and to project operating costs. Keep in mind that the most efficiency isn’t necessarily the best option. With added efficiency comes added cost. Consider meeting with an expert heating and air conditioning technician to learn what SEER value would best meet the needs of your budget and your home.

Is that energy bill getting bigger?

As mentioned above, systems become less efficient over time. The SEER value of your air conditioner may no longer be as high as it was when your unit was new. How can you tell if your system is losing efficiency? Take a look at your energy bills. Are you paying a lot more than you did last summer or the one before? If you are, you’re seeing a strong indicator that your air conditioner is having to work harder and harder to keep you cool. And that’s costing you money.

Are you paying too much for repairs?

With age and constant use, air conditioning systems and components wear out and require repair or replacement. As a system nears the end of its lifespan, you’ll get less use out of each repair. If you need to repair or replace an expensive component (such as an evaporator or compressor), you should weigh this cost against the cost of a new system. You may find that replacing your air conditioner a year early is smarter than paying for a short-term fix.

No one wants to pay for a new air conditioner earlier than necessary. But if your current system is inefficient or expensive to run and maintain, you may discover that now is the right time to invest in a new air conditioning system. Consider getting an inspection and advice from a local air conditioning expert before you make any decisions.

Eating healthy and taking care of your body is important throughout your entire life, however, as we age, we really have to ensure that the food we are putting in is providing not only the optimal levels of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, but isn’t causing any unnecessary health risks or potential issues down the line.

After speaking with the team at Seniors Helping Seniors of North Phoenix, an in-home senior care agency that specializes on elder care assistance – we came up with some great tips for increasing your health through your diet!

With the growth and boom of the ongoing organic food and healthy dieting trends, it is easier than ever (and cheaper) to find nutritious, organic food to supply your body with.

One of the more important things that can be a direct result of changing up your diet and eating healthier can be the massive reduction in potential trips to the doctor.

Not only will you be spending less time and money at the doctor, but it can also help seniors with staying independent and healthy as they age. As you grow older, our various needs that our bodies require changes, and you’ll need less overall food and more of a variety of certain nutrients and vitamins.

Deciding to eat healthy and taking the proper steps to provide your body with full nutrition can also help your health drastically – especially if you suffer from any health-related illnesses such as diabetes or high-blood pressure.

It can be extremely helpful to take the time to set up an appointment or two with a certified nutritionist, so you know exactly what your specific requirements will be.

In general, here are our best tips for dieting and researching some healthier food options:

1. Keep in mind your view of what is regarded as a healthy plate. Rather than referring to the outdated food pyramid, look at more recent models that showcase these statistics such as MyPlate. Instead of having percentages or portions for each type of food group, it shows you exactly what your plate should look like with your food portions.
2. Ensure you look for important nutrients and know what your body needs. There are some cases where you may need additional supplements to help improve your body’s absorption of specific vitamins/minerals, however, a healthy diet and overall lifestyle should generally include: Lean protein, fruits & veggies, whole grains, and low-fat dairy. Some other nutrients to keep in mind are fiber, sodium (which you should minimize), and vitamin D.
3. Skip pre-packaged foods and prepare meals at home from scratch. Many foods that come packaged have a large variety of chemicals and preservatives in them that can be extremely high in sodium and also may contain products that aren’t good for your body.
4. Stay hydrated throughout the day. One of the biggest reasons many individuals overeat is because they mistake thirst for hunger. Often, you do not notice that are you dehydrated until it is too late, and you are already feeling the effects. It’s absolutely vital to drink as much water as possible throughout the day, with some recommendations reaching up to 1 gallon of water or more!

Window tinting is popular way to reduce heat gain in the summertime, reflecting away infrared light that would normally pass through untreated glass windows and warm a home’s interior. This reduces the burden on air conditioners, and saves money on energy. Less well-known is the role that window tinting can play in winter time; tints can provide an extra degree of insulation between a winter home’s warm interior and the cold air outside, reducing the work your heater has to do.

The key is to apply window tints with all seasons in mind, and not sacrifice summer coolness for winter warmth (or vice-versa). With thoughtful application, tinting can provide year-round energy-savings and comfort. Let’s take a closer look.

The key to creating the best-possible balance between summer and winter effectiveness is to vary the tint application to reflect the light the window receives. If the window receives a lot of light – more likely if it faces south – then reflecting away summer heat is key. If the window receives less light – likely if north-facing or shaded – it’s ability to reflect away light is less critical; it’s a good candidate for optimizing for winter.

So how can you optimize tint for summer or winter? In summertime, you’re most concerned about reflecting away heat. As mentioned above, summer-optimized tints should be applied to reject infrared light. In winter, infrared light is much more welcome as a source of needed heat. In both summer and winter, you’ll want tints that have low-emissivity, or low-e; materials that are low-e conduct heat poorly, making it more difficult to heat to pass in either direction.

Just about any home can benefit from the application of window tints. Older, single pane windows do not help to manage light rays and are not effective at insulation. While double pane windows are much more effective, they can also use more insulating power. As a general rule, window tints should be able to yield the control and energy efficient of an additional pane of glass; tinted single pane windows can do the work of standard double pane, for example.

If you’ve recently priced replacing the windows on your home, you know that new windows are a considerable investment. For many, the cost of window replacement is prohibitive. The cost to apply window tints is much less; generally speaking, you can have your windows tinted for just 5% to 10% of the cost of a window replacement. If you’re more interested in saving money than spending it, window tinting might be a great option for you.

While it’s possible to install window tinting on your own, your best bet is to arrange for a consultation with a residential window tinting professional. A professional will be able to correctly evaluate your home, your windows, and your light; this will ensure that you select tints that work to maintain the right temperature all year long. Professional installations also tend to be backed by warranties – both from the manufacturer and installer; while a window film should never bubble, peel, crack, or discolor, a professional tint installer will make things right if it happens.

Cleaning your carpets regularly is necessary to prevent the accumulation of dirt, air pollutants and allergens. However, some of the products used by carpet cleaning service providers contain chemical compounds that could cause mild to serious health problems. For this reason, you should always opt for chemical-free carpet cleaning. Read on for more information on this topic!

How Carpet Cleaning Chemicals Affect Indoor Air Quality

When cleaned with products that contain potentially harmful chemicals, carpet fibers can trap and retain these toxic chemicals. According to the New York State Department of Health, carpets can slowly release these chemicals into the atmosphere over time. Inhaling the released chemicals could potentially cause short-term health problems such as dizziness, drowsiness, respiratory irritation and headaches. Moreover, prolonged exposure to these chemicals could substantially increase the risk of developing medical issues related to the liver, kidney, and the nervous system. For example, the International Agency for Research on Cancer says that trisodium nitrilotriacetate is a potential human carcinogen.

Non-Chemical Carpet Cleaning

To ensure that you do not expose yourself and others to the aforementioned health risks, you should only hire companies that offer chemical-free carpet cleaning services. In particular, carbonated hot water extraction is an eco-friendly carpet cleaning method. This cleaning technique uses carbonated solutions to extract dirt and allergens such as dust particles from carpet fibers. Carbonated carpet cleaning relies on millions of bubbles to dissolve and lift dirt particles trapped in carpet fibers to the surface for extraction. This method is not only green, but also safe for children because it doesn’t use potentially toxic cleaning products.

The Benefits of non-Chemical Carpet Cleaning

1. Better indoor quality

   Chemical-free carpet cleaning methods guarantee healthy indoor air because carpets cleaned using such methods do not retain and release potentially harmful toxins to the atmosphere.

2. Low risk of lawsuits

   By hiring professionals who use chemical-free carpet cleaning methods, you would essentially reduce the risk of getting embroiled in a law suit. This could happen if a carpet cleaner using conventional cleaning products sustains chemical burns and engages you in a lawsuit. Remember, some conventional fabric cleaners contain caustic compounds that could cause severe skin burns. Furthermore, some emit poisonous fumes that could cause lung injuries. For instance, cleaning products that contain bleach form chlorine gas when mixed with acid-based cleaning agents.

3. Extend the life of your carpet

   Besides harming humans, the chemicals found in most conventional carpet cleaners degrade carpet fibers. It is worth noting that, according to the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), carpet cleaners are supposed to adhere to certain standards and guidelines when at work. These guidelines govern the entire carpet cleaning process including pre-treatment, dry matter removal, water and cleaning agent use, drying and grooming. In essence, the guidelines aim to ensure cleaners do not destroy carpet fibers.

4. Avoid bad odors

   Chemical-based cleaning techniques can cause carpets to develop bad odors depending on factors such as the type of cleaning agent used. Using a carpet deodorizer to fight carpet odors is not a viable solution since the deodorizer would only mask the bad odor for short periods.

5. No sticky residue

   A common problem associated with chemical-based carpet cleaning sticky residue, which causes carpets to pick up dirt even faster. Additionally, sticky residue causes carpet fibers to stick together, making vacuuming difficult. Fortunately you can avoid this mess by using chemical-free carpet cleaning services.

Conclusion

If you have to hire a carpet cleaning company, go for on that uses chemical-free cleaning techniques. Benefits include better indoor air quality, no sticky residue, longer carpet lifetime, low risk of being sued by injured cleaners, and low risk of your carpet developing bad odors.

Many seniors these days have made the decision to remain in their own home, rather than move to an assisted living facility or nursing home. This seems like the obvious choice when presented with those options, because nobody wants to move into a nursing home at any age. Unfortunately, many seniors who choose to live independently struggle with feelings of isolation or depression due to a lack of quality social interaction. There are several ways to deal with these feelings, like hiring an in-home senior care companionship service, but one you may not have thought of is starting a garden.

Research shows that seniors who have access to a garden have a much higher quality of life overall. Gardens are beneficial for people of all ages, but they are especially therapeutic for seniors.

Often seniors that live at home don’t get to go out to places all that often, due to difficulty driving, or trouble walking long distances. Having an outdoor space that you can call your own is wonderful for taking short walks, or even sitting and reading. The University of Michigan did a study that showed that going outside and being under the influence of plants can increase memory retention up to 20%. For seniors suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s, gardens can be a wonderful way to help keep the mind active and sharp.

Having plants inside the house can also help to boost memory, as well as purify the air inside the home. The effects on memory are not quite as strong for indoor plants, but there are still noticeable mental health benefits. Another benefit of having indoor plants is the recurring task of watering. Easy tasks like this help to keep senior’s minds engaged while they are living at home. This routine can help with memory, and it gives seniors living at home something to do, which can break up the monotony of living alone.

For many seniors the prospect of taking care of a whole garden is a bit daunting, but with the help of a professional gardener, and the right set up, it can be easy to maintain. When sprinklers are placed at proper intervals, watering can be as simple as turning the spigot on and off. Since bending and kneeling are fairly difficult for seniors, especially seniors with arthritis, it’s best to hire a gardener or ask a family member to take care of planting the garden. Once everything is planted and the sprinklers are set up, the rest of the maintenance can be fairly easy.

Gardens that are set up for the express purpose of being a natural refuge for seniors living at home should always have a quiet shaded seating area. This creates a quiet space for reflection, and can be a great place to read, or take a nap, provided you have the right kind of chair. These outdoor refuge areas give seniors a place to go where they can feel connected with nature and the rest of the world. It can be very depressing feeling trapped inside the house due to your mobility restrictions.

Gardens offer a wide variety of benefits to seniors living at home. I’ve detailed a couple of the ways that a garden can increase quality of life, but there are many more ways that I don’t have time to mention here. Everyone responds to gardens differently, and the plants you choose for your garden can make all the difference. Putting your favorite plants in your garden gives you an extra special way to connect with nature in a very personal way.

If you have elderly loved ones who are living at home, bring up the idea of starting a garden with them. You’ll be amazed at the benefits it can provide!

Many of us do what we can to make the world a little cleaner and a little greener, but it isn’t always easy. Recycling takes time. Saving electricity takes investment. Saving water takes discipline. And sometimes, you use what you need to in order to get the job done. You spray a weed, when you could pull it. Or you spray a harsh cleanser, when you could simply scrub.

The same could be said of the way we clean our carpets.

We’ve used detergents and solvents to clean our carpets because, generally speaking, they work. They loosen the stuff in our carpets so the cleaning machine can pull it away. But nowadays, more carpet cleaners are joining the green bandwagon. They know that cleaning day-in and day-out with more eco-friendly solutions makes a big difference – to the environment and to their customers.

Phoenix’s Dr. Chem-Dry, for example, has been using greener carpet cleaning practices for years. Instead of soaps or detergents, Chem-Dry uses solutions that are naturally based. Their primary cleaning solution uses hot carbonation; where soaps loosen dirt in other carpet cleaning methods, Chem-Dry’s bubbles lift dirt away. And those bubbles get the job done, and done well. Overall, green solutions are as effective as traditional cleaning methods.

Green carpet cleaning isn’t just a win for the environment: It’s better for you, too. Green solutions are non-toxic, and safer for you, your family, and your pets. They’re less likely to irritate you, or to contribute to health issues such as asthma or allergies. Think of it this way: Which would you rather pour on your floor: a cup full of club soda, or a cup full of detergent? Which would you rather put into our water supply?

If you like the idea of working with greener carpet cleaners, they’re not too hard to find. But do keep in mind that some professional cleaners are more committed to eco-friendly practices than others. Doing something good for the environment requires your due diligence. If you don’t know what’s in the cleaning solution that could go on your carpet, don’t be afraid to ask.

Ask a professional about his cleaning methods, and you should hear terms like natural, non-toxic, and kid-friendly. If not, find another carpet cleaner. Once you discover that green carpet cleaning works, too, you’ll be glad you made the extra effort.

Replacing your windows allows you to do something good for yourself while doing something good for the environment. New windows are often more efficient than the old, offering better insulation as well as glass that can either trap heat or reflect it away. This manages the temperature in your home, which reduces heating and cooling costs.

That’s a win for you, and a win for the planet.

Because there is an eco-friendly component to replacement windows, it’s not surprising that many potential buyers are taking a closer look at what goes into them. Window buyers are asking questions about sustainability and recyclability, as well as more traditional ones relating to energy-efficiency and longevity. More and more often, window buyers are liking the answers.

Wood windows have long been a favorite among eco-minded buyers. When managed and harvested responsibly, wood is a sustainable product. Wood windows can last for many, many years, which means that fewer of them end up in landfills. Wood can also be recycled and repurposed into new forms – even other windows.

Many windows are now using reclaimed or recycled wood. Some are more traditional wood windows; some blend wood with materials such as vinyl or fiberglass; these windows can also be eco-friendly. Renewal by Andersen, for example, blends PVC with recycled wood to create windows that are long-lasting and energy-efficient; unlike wood windows, the Renewal by Andersen versions are maintenance-free.

While few would make the claim that vinyl windows are eco-friendly, they’re not as detrimental as some suggest. Vinyl is a capable insulator, which aids in energy-efficiency. While vinyl windows don’t last as long as wood, they are built to last – keeping them out of local landfills. While not as readily recyclable as wood, vinyl can be ground into small pieces that can be repurposed into new forms.

Much of the same can be said for fiberglass. While fiberglass yields well-insulated, durable, energy-efficient windows, recycling options are very limited. Perhaps by the time today’s new fiberglass windows reach the end of their lives, more recycling options may exist.

Some might say that their energy-efficiency alone makes new windows good for our planet. Others hold windows to a higher standard, by valuing sustainability and recyclability as well. Either way, most would agree that windows are working harder than ever to make the world a better place.