By Pete Gardner

This winter is starting to be a very intense and cold season. From the Northeast all the way down the coast to as far a Jacksonville has experienced freezing temperatures and even some abundant amounts of snowfall. The weather has definitely put a strain on road conditions, air travel, electrical grids and on and on shutting down businesses and commuters. Much of the Electrical Grid System is under heavy strain and fresh water pipes in some areas have been bursting. Some of the areas under these conditions are not accustomed to having to deal with such conditions. As of this writing, the temperatures are going to remain the same for the next week and a half in most of the East Coast and Mid West.

Many homeowners and dwellings are unprepared for extreme weather like this. Some systems are old or in need of repair and won’t be able to handle the amount of work needed to supply the needed comfort. While some homeowners may have maintenance contracts to keep their systems in check, many do not. It may be a wakeup call for many residents to sign up for maintenance to avoid any possible winter inconveniences that this season and future winter seasons may deliver.

This is where the HVAC industry and its service technicians and contractors can do a tremendous job of educating the public in preparedness, supplying the customers with needed information and services to keep them warm and their systems in good working condition. I am sure that by now, with this weather, many of you are out there and quite busy repairing, replacing and servicing equipment every day. Make sure you are well stocked and prepared for the challenges and signing residents up.

If you have had any experiences or would like to share your comments on what you have had to deal with this season please comment. My information is in this edition on page 3. Until next month, keep warm.