Check out our March newsletter!
MONTH 2021
(AV)A BREATH OF Fresh Air MARCH 2024
AvaAir. We’ll Be There
PICKLES HOUDINI IS NOT AFRAID
In the world of heating and cooling, every day brings a new challenge, and every customer has a unique story to tell. Recently, I received a call from a new customer who found us while on vacation in Maine, seeking assistance for her HVAC system back home in Atlanta. She had heard of our company through our stellar reputation among Nest customers, and as a Nest user herself, she felt confident reaching out to us for help. This particular customer was facing an interesting predicament. Her homeowner’s association (HOA) had mandated the removal of all gas furnaces in the units, necessitating the installation of a heat pump. However, the installer
encountered difficulties integrating the heat pump with her Nest thermostat. Frustrated and in need of assistance, she turned to us for help. Upon arriving at her home, I quickly assessed the situation and identified errors in the wiring of the thermostat. After making the necessary adjustments and resetting a few options, I was able to successfully synchronize the Nest thermostat with the new heat pump! However, the encounter raised concerns in my mind about the competence of HVAC companies hired by HOAs, especially when faced with integrating different thermostat models. This experience prompted me to reflect on the broader topic of electrification in HVAC systems. While many customers are considering transitioning to heat pumps for environmental reasons, it’s essential to acknowledge the potential drawbacks. I often caution customers that, while heat pumps are more eco-friendly, we have found that customers are less satisfied with perceived comfort. Historically, Atlanta heat pumps have been less cost-effective on a net heating basis than natural gas systems due to our electric rates. Furthermore, incentives such as tax credits and rebates may not always be as lucrative as they seem. Tax credits are only beneficial if you owe taxes, and some rebate programs have income caps or limited availability. Despite the push for electrification, it’s crucial to weigh the financial implications and long-term benefits before making the switch.
During my service visit with our new customer, I had the pleasure of meeting Pickles Houdini, the beloved chihuahua and local celebrity. Pickles, known for his charming personality and Instagram fame, holds the title of Atlanta’s Dog of the Year and even has a part-time job as an ambassador at the Atlanta Apparel Mart. Upon my arrival, Pickles greeted me warmly, bundled up in his jacket due to the chilly indoor temperature. As I worked to restore warmth to the house, Pickles remained unfazed, confident in our ability to solve any HVAC challenge — he wasn’t worried! His resilience serves as a reminder that, no matter the complexity of the problem, we are dedicated to providing reliable solutions and ensuring our customers’ comfort. Whether it’s troubleshooting thermostat issues or navigating the complexities of heating, cooling, and electrification, our team is committed to delivering exceptional service and exceeding our customers’ expectations. And with loyal companions like Pickles by our side, we approach every task with confidence and determination. “With loyal companions like Pickles by our side, we approach every task with confidence and determination.”
–Chris Heenan
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TRY THESE PRACTICAL HACKS TO TACKLE PESKY PROBLEMS Streamlined Solutions
Get rid of wrinkles on your clothes. Are you tired of using your steamer or iron to get annoying wrinkles from your pants and shirts? Toss a wet washcloth or a couple of ice cubes into the dryer with your clothes. The steam will work out the wrinkles and leave your clothes smooth. It’s not as effective on heavier fabrics, but with light fabrics, it’s incredible and takes less than 10 minutes. Start a fire with dryer lint. Are you going camping or planning a bonfire in the backyard? It’s sometimes hard to start a fire, but if you have dryer lint, stuff it into a paper towel tube or toilet paper tube and use it as kindling. Lint lights up easily and burns quickly to form a strong base for a fire. Use a staple remover to open key rings. It can be difficult to get a key on a key ring, but using a staple remover is a way to save your patience and your fingernails. Slide the teeth of the staple remover between the coils of the key ring, then clamp down on the remover and pop your new key on the key ring. Get permanent marker off of a dry-erase board. You were writing on your whiteboard with a marker, but oh no! You accidentally used a permanent marker and left a permanent stain on it. Don’t fret. Get a dry-erase marker and draw right on top of the permanent marker lines. Then, wipe the board off with a dry cloth or a whiteboard eraser, and the marks will disappear. Get Bluetooth trackers for things you can’t afford to lose. We all have things we can’t live without: our phones, laptops and tablets, keys, wallets and purses, and so on. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we misplace them, but this is where Bluetooth trackers come in handy. Small, convenient, and inexpensive, these trackers stick to your items and help you locate your belongings if they go missing. These life hacks will help you save time, money, and energy, allowing you to use your valuable time for other things. Give them a try today and see how much easier things can be.
Life hacks have become essential for navigating the complexities of daily life, offering ingenious solutions to streamline tasks, boost productivity, and simplify routines. Everyone can use simple solutions to make everyday life easier to manage and alleviate stress. Here are a few hacks to handle some of the peskier problems, which will save you time and money. Remove highlighter with lemon juice. You’ve just gotten a book from your local used bookstore, but it’s covered in highlighter marks. Lemon juice works wonders to remove highlighter marks in books! Dip a cotton swab into lemon juice and gently rub it along the highlighted text. The color will fade and be virtually invisible. Use nail polish to make your frequently used keys stand out. Do you have a lot of keys on your keychain? Try this handy tip. After identifying the key’s purpose, paint it with nail polish or wrap the head in painter’s tape. Stop your bathroom mirror from fogging up. If you want to stop your bathroom mirror from fogging after a hot shower, shaving cream or car wax can help. Grab a microfiber cloth, apply a small amount of either one, let it dry on the mirror, and then buff it clean. Your mirror will remain clear the next hot shower you take.
Light long candles with spaghetti. During the cold winter months, candles
come in handy to make your house feel cozy. Unfortunately, the candle wicks are sometimes too hard to reach with conventional matches and lighters. There is a solution: If you have uncooked spaghetti, you can use it to light those candles. Light the spaghetti, then put the flame to your wick. You’ll save your fingers from burns and use
more of your candle.
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Fasting is a popular diet trend at the moment. You can find videos all over the internet about the benefits people have had while engaging in fasting. Fortunately, unlike many fad diets, the fasting trend is positive, as research has shown it offers many health benefits. Here’s a look at a few of those. Why should you fast? When the body stops getting calories, you start burning fat reserves in your body. This fat is sent to the liver and converted into acids called ketones. Ketones are used as fuel to run your body and brain like a backup generator when it doesn’t have food. This process is called ketosis and happens when you fast. Besides burning fat, fasting offers other benefits. • It promotes blood sugar control by lowering insulin sensitivity — so fasting decreases the chances of getting Type 2 diabetes. • Fasting reduces acute inflammation and improves chronic inflammation, which has serious consequences for heart disease, cancer, and other serious conditions. • It improves heart health by lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, decreasing the odds of developing heart disease. • Regular fasting may boost brain function and prevent neurodegenerative disorders. • Fasting helps with weight loss by increasing growth hormone secretion. FASTING FOR VITALITY Take Charge of Your Health
Types of Fasting Before engaging in any fasting routine, check with your health practitioner to make sure you are making a choice that aligns with your continued health and wellness. There are many types of fasting, including: • Juice Fasts — You only drink fruit or vegetable juices for the duration of the fast. • Water Fasts — You can only drink water for a regulated period of time. • Intermittent Fasting — This technique restricts food intake, wholly or partially, throughout the day or for part of the week. You can eat as you usually would during the off-hours or days. Fasting, a healthy diet, and exercise offer many health benefits and help keep your body and mind spry as you age. Talk to your doctor to see if fasting could be a reasonable part of your life plan.
TAKE A BREAK
The new year is all about new and fresh beginnings. So, why not start the year with a quick, refreshing meal that is both flavorful and nutritious? Bell Pepper Sandwich Inspired by TheSpruceEats.com
Ingredients
• 1 medium bell pepper, any color • 2–3 tbsp cream cheese • 1 tsp whole-grain mustard • 2 oz ham (or other deli meat), thinly sliced • 1 1/2 oz Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
• 1/2 small cucumber, cut into 6–8 thin slices • 2 tbsp guacamole or a few slices of avocado • Dash of salt and pepper
Directions
1. On a cutting board, remove the stem of the bell pepper with a sharp knife. Cut the pepper in half lengthwise and remove the ribs and seeds. 2. Lay the pepper halves on the cutting board and spread cream cheese inside each half. Spread whole-grain mustard on top of the cream cheese. 3. Layer your deli meat, cheese, cucumbers, and guacamole on each bell pepper half. Add a dash of salt and pepper, then combine both halves and serve!
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AvaAir. We’ll Be There
Inside
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Pickles Houdini Is Not Afraid
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Save Time and Resources With These Handy Tricks
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Enjoy Better Health With Fasting
Bell Pepper Sandwich
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Skin Signals of Liver Disease You Can’t Ignore
What Your Skin Says About Your Liver Health
You can’t live without your liver. Livers help clean blood, ensuring your body is free from toxins. It also produces bile, an acid that digests waste. Unfortunately, livers can be damaged in a myriad of ways. Catching liver disease early allows doctors to treat it quickly, so it’s crucial to check for any symptoms of liver problems, especially if you are at risk. Yellow Skin Commonly called “jaundice,” a yellowing of the skin and eyes is a telltale sign of liver disease. The liver’s inability to filter out bilirubin causes this unseemly syndrome. This important yellow substance is made during the breakdown of blood cells and used by the body to help digest food. A healthy, functioning liver filters out most bilirubin. Itching Besides jaundice, a common symptom of bilirubin buildup is itchy skin. Bilirubin creates “bile salts” that are deposited into the skin. The
result is intense itchiness. Note that itching can be from a variety of causes, including allergies. Spider Angioma These superficial red marks appear as a mass of tendrils centering around one point and look like a spider. While they are relatively common, an excess of spider angioma can indicate liver problems. Having three or more at a time can be a sign of a more significant issue, including hepatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, or cirrhosis. Red Palms Rashy red palms — or palmer erythema — can point to many problems. Excess estrogen causes this symptom, so hormonal changes are often the culprit. Nonetheless, liver disease makes it difficult for the body to break down estrogen. Easy Bruising Clotting proteins, which help the body repair injuries, are produced in the liver. If the liver is
diseased or damaged, it may produce fewer proteins. In addition, liver disease lowers the amount of blood platelets. This also can cause easy bruising. No one can live without a functioning liver, so protect the health of your liver. Drinking in moderation (or not at all), taking vitamin B, and getting regular exercise can promote a healthy liver.
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