It was a sweltering 100-degree day in August 2014. Roger Japp and Steven Linenberger had just purchased a house together, and they were on their way to their new home to celebrate with a bottle of champagne! They walked into the 80+ degree house, which was understandable since no one lived there then. Too excited to care, they turned on the AC and sipped their bubbly.
Roger vividly remembers that Tuesday night. He and Steven returned on Thursday to start moving in, expecting a cool home after leaving the AC on. Yet they walked into an 86-degree house! Roger frantically called Nate from To the T Plumbing & Heating to investigate. And then, with sweat rolling down, they moved in.
When Nate arrived, he did an inspection. Roger and Steven received the grim news that the previous homeowners hadn’t done any maintenance work on their HVAC system, such as changing the air filters and cleaning the air ducts. As a result, the AC unit couldn’t lower the temperature enough to cool the house.
To get things working again, Nate’s team took apart the entire furnace to clean it. They then cleaned all the air ducts and replaced the filters. It wasn’t a small task. Or a cheap fix.
On top of that, Nate explained that the AC unit was meant for a smaller home, and they needed a unit designed to cool the space properly.
Well, after that large, unexpected expense, Roger and Steven managed with the smaller unit for six years, which mostly worked out. During the hottest times of the year, the AC kicked on at 7 am and didn’t stop until 10 pm. When it was just too miserable upstairs, their workaround was to go to the basement.
Finally, in the summer of 2020, Roger and Steven called Nate again and purchased the right-sized AC unit for their house.
We’ve probably all had some kind of similar experience, and one lesson from this story is how important regular maintenance is to keep equipment operating optimally. If the previous owners had taken care of their HVAC system, Roger and Steven would’ve “enjoyed” moving into their new house with cool air to help offset the heat.
In addition to being physically comfortable, regular maintenance can prevent angst, worry and disruption to your daily life. It literally can help you sleep at night (physically again, but also mentally!).
To help their customers have restful nights of sleep, To the T offers a program called the Club Plan. This yearly maintenance plan includes three visits per year to optimize the HVAC system, reduced repair costs, and more. The goal is to provide “peace of mind so your family will be safe all year long.”
Chad Means also had the “pleasure” of the AC not working in the summer as well as a heater breakdown in the middle of winter. As a result of these situations, Chad firmly believes in investing in preventative care. Chad decided to purchase the maintenance plan with To the T since HVAC equipment and repairs aren’t cheap, and they wanted the protection to save money and ensure the units function properly for their comfort.
The Club Plan offers the additional benefit of receiving priority scheduling during emergencies. As Roger, Stephen and Chad have experienced, waiting a week or more can be miserable, so it's important to get the emergency taken care of as quickly as possible.
When investing in your home, explore options that go beyond replacing. For example, when it was time to replace the AC unit after a year of limping along with added freon, Chad opted to install more energy-efficient units plus a REME air purifying system, which reduces bacteria and odors throughout the entire house. “Our home is our largest investment, and protecting it is crucial. The new, energy-efficient units provide cleaner air," says Chad. "To the T's maintenance plan helps us preserve and safeguard our investment."
When Steven's grandma moved into the neighborhood just four blocks away, they recommended To the T for her home needs. To the T installed a reverse osmosis system to remove contaminants from water in her kitchen. In addition, Nate recommended higher toilet seats as a safer option, which all guests seem to love too!
As winter and the cold turn to the warmth of spring, those 100-degree days might seem like a distant memory. Yet now might be the perfect time to make sure your house is ready for the heat, so you can sleep comfortably knowing that your home—your biggest investment—receives proper care.
"One of the lessons from this story is how important regular maintenance is to keep equipment operating optimally."
"The goal is to provide peace of mind so your family will be safe all year long.”
