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COMFORT CONNECTIONS
10 Years Later Celebrating 10 Years of Aire Serv of the Mid- Hudson Valley
s we welcome a new decade, we’re preparing to celebrate an anniversary here at Aire Serv of the Mid-Hudson Valley.
solely on growing this company. I’m confident that we can get to this point. I can’t emphasize enough the important role customer feedback plays in letting us know what we’re doing right and what we can do better so that we can continue to provide the service to which our Aire Serv family has become accustomed. Looking back, I’m proud of how far we’ve come in the past 10 years. We have grown, but many things that make us who we are have remained steady. There haven’t been any overwhelming shifts or changes, but it’s interesting to see where we are today compared to where we first began. "Looking back, I’m proud of how far we’ve come in the past 10 years. We have grown, but many things that make us who we are have remained steady."
In 2010, I was just beginning this franchise. Looking back, it was a pretty crazy time. I had many roles, including technician, owner, phone operator, and front-
desk employee. After all, I was the only one in the business at that time. I can still remember working a lot of long days, just trying to stay on top of all the paperwork and phone calls. I was essentially always on call. (That’s a good problem to have as a new business owner, I suppose.) In 2011, I contracted with a service to answer our phones. It was a big relief to get someone in the business who could answer the phones and take on some of the work I was doing. Soon, we began to hire more people, and I felt more comfortable delegating work to others. I no longer had to worry about answering calls on the job or juggling requests for service. I learned to trust our team members to represent my business, and I was making it home at a reasonable time in the evenings once again. Of course, one of my favorite hires has been my son. Nick and I worked together a bit before I began Aire Serv of the Mid-Hudson Valley, and I really enjoyed that time, so it’s been nice to regularly see him around the office. Nick handles a good chunk of the stress that comes from having to do regular paperwork, and I appreciate that about him. Plus, it’s nice to get to talk to him throughout the day. Now that we’ve welcomed a new decade, there are a few goals I have my sights set on. For starters, I want to hire more technicians for our growing business. We feel honored that we are continuing to add more work each day, but we also need more technicians to take on the extra load. Eventually, another goal of mine is to get out of the van and focus
Thank you for trusting our team for the past 10 years. It’s been an honor to serve this community, and I can’t wait to see what the next 10 years will bring.
Happy New Year!
–Jim Serra
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Help Your Kids Achieve More This Year
With every new year comes an opportunity to reinvent ourselves or start down a new path toward self-improvement. Making resolutions is a big part of many families’ New Year’s traditions, and parents often have a desire for their kids to take part in that tradition when they’re old enough. Following through on resolutions is tough, especially for young children, but with your help, they can achieve their goals. With Simple, Actionable Goals You are your children’s role model for almost everything, including following through on New Year’s resolutions. So, ask yourself if you follow through on your own resolutions. When you proclaim that you will read more books or finally get a gym membership, do you actually try to do it? Your kids will assign as much importance to New Year’s resolutions as you do, so by sticking to your own commitments, you can help them stay on track too. Practice what you preach.
on those goals. For example, if they want to be tidier, a good resolution might be for them to clean their room once a week or take responsibility for one household chore every day.
Don’t do all the work for them.
While it’s important for you to help your kids formulate their goals, be sure that you aren’t taking over. If they’re ultimately responsible for their resolutions, they’ll feel more compelled to keep them. Instead, suggest different goal areas they could improve, such as home, school, or sports, and let them elaborate. When it comes to creating habits, nobody is perfect, so even if your kids falter on their goals in the middle of February, don’t worry. The important thing is that you continue to encourage them every step of the way.
Keep things simple and achievable .
When your kids are forming their resolutions, their first attempts will probably be very broad. Statements like “I want to be more kind” or “I will try to help more around the house” incorporate good values but don’t include any actionable steps. Help your kids think of tangible ways to act
IS IT THE FLU OR YOUR HOME?
THE DIRTY SECRET LURKING IN YOUR HOME’S AIR
It’s the height of cold and flu season, and as you reach for another squirt of hand sanitizer, consider the ways your home may be affecting your health. Viruses seem to thrive in cold air, making winter the most habitable season for the sniffles. But the quality of the air in your home could be creating the same symptoms year round. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), air quality is influenced by temperature, humidity, ventilation, and contaminants. These factors can contribute to flu- like symptoms, including fatigue, headaches,
of heating and cooling the same air. This can be a good thing, as the pollutants outside your house stay outside, but it can also be dangerous. The EPA warns that indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air. Mold growth, dirt, and grime can give off bacteria and spores, which will compromise your home’s air quality. If you live in a valley that regularly floods, your home could be susceptible to mold or mildew growth. That’s where an HVAC expert comes in. There are many ways the technicians at Aire Serv of the Mid-Hudson Valley can help maximize your home’s indoor air quality. For starters, our technicians offer regular maintenance, which ensures your system is doing its job to filter out the gunk and keep your air clean. In addition, we can monitor and install carbon monoxide detectors, which could save your life in the event of a leak. Aire Serv of the Mid-Hudson Valley also offers system enhancements to improve your system’s ability to keep your home’s air clean. We can work with you to find a solution that addresses both the specific environmental challenges in your home and the unique needs of your family. Make sure your home’s HVAC system is poised to help you breathe easier this winter. Call 845-256-6518 today to set up an air quality appointment with our experts.
nausea, worsening allergies, respiratory problems, and eye and nose discomfort. In a more serious turn, exposure to poor air quality could lead to cancers, heart disease, chronic health conditions, and, in rare cases where carbon monoxide is involved, death.
Most home heating and cooling systems rely on a consistent cycle
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BUSTED! Humanity has been spreading misconceptions in a spirit of helpfulness since the dawn of time. Some are silly and harmless, but others can have a detrimental effect on your health and your wallet. Below are a few common HVAC myths that could create costly repairs if you choose to believe them. TRUTH: Freon is the chemical compound that your air conditioning unit uses to cool your home’s air, but unlike the fluids in your vehicle which regularly need to be refilled, freon is long-lasting. There could be a number of reasons why your home is suddenly a lot warmer, including issues with the compressor or fan, or other electrical component. In addition, if freon isn’t the issue, pouring more freon into the unit could be an unnecessary expense or even make a bad situation worse. MYTH: AIR CONDITIONER BUSTED? IT’S PROBABLY THE FREON. MYTH: THE THERMOSTAT IS THE PROBLEM. TRUTH: The thermostat is one of the most contested elements in a home. When a home is too hot or cold, no matter how a homeowner may fiddle with the settings, it’s the thermostat that often gets the blame. But it’s likely not the culprit.
Debunking Common HVAC Myths
You wouldn’t blame the remote for the sudden loss of signal on your TV. The thermostat works the same way. It communicates your needs to the HVAC system, and when your home is regularly uncomfortable, it’s not always the "communicator" that’s to blame but often the HVAC unit itself. MYTH: IF YOU TURN THE HEAT WAY UP, YOU’LL GET WARMER FASTER! TRUTH: This is a tried-and-not-so-true method used by some homeowners. The idea is that turning the heat on full blast will warm your home faster . But the theory lacks merit. The air isn’t coming out any faster. Instead, it’s plunging or rising at the same rate, just to a higher or lower degree than you would like. In addition, frequent and dramatic changes in temperature could cause more damage to your unit than if you let it consistently run at one temperature. But we don’t expect you to know everything about your unit! Instead, rely on us. We’ve seen a lot of scenarios in our day-to-day work and can likely offer a good solution based on our years of experience. Learn more about how we can help by visiting AireServ.com/Mid-Hudson-Valley. HOPPIN’ JOHN
HAVE A LAUGH!
Inspired by Epicurious
A traditional New Year’s favorite in the South, Hoppin’ John includes black-eyed peas that are said to represent coins, a sign of prosperity for the coming year. It’s usually served alongside collard greens, which represent cash.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup dried black-eyed peas • 5–6 cups water • 1 dried hot pepper, optional (arbol and Calabrian are great options)
• 1 smoked ham hock • 1 medium onion, diced • 1 cup long-grain white rice
DIRECTIONS 1. Wash and sort peas. 2. In a saucepan, cover peas with water, discarding any that float.
3. Add pepper, ham hock, and onion. Gently boil and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until peas are just tender, about 90 minutes. At this point, you should have about 2 cups of liquid remaining.
4. Add rice, cover, drop heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes, undisturbed. 5. Remove from heat and let steam for an additional 10 minutes, still covered. 6. Remove lid, fluff with a fork, and serve.
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We’re Celebrating 10 Years! INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 2 Helping Your Kids Make New Year’s Resolutions 845-256-6158 | aireserv.com/mid-hudson-valley
Breathe Easier With Our Help
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Why You Shouldn’t Believe These 3 HVAC Myths
Hoppin’ John
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Real Winter Wonderlands
ESCAPE TO A WINTER WONDERLAND CHI LL OUT IN THESE FROSTY DESTINATIONS
Snow is magical and gorgeous — unless you have to commute in it. If you want to enjoy all the wonder that winter has to offer without the hassle, why not turn it into a vacation? Here are a few breathtaking, snow-covered destinations that any winter lover can enjoy. BULGUKSA TEMPLE, SOUTH KOREA Above the city of Gyeongju, this ancient Buddhist temple has stood on the slopes of Tohamsan Mountain since the eighth century. Bulguksa, or “Temple of the Buddha Land,” is South Korea’s No. 1 UNESCO World Heritage Site, making it a popular attraction for domestic and international tourism. The crowds and school tours die down during the winter, however, which also happens to be when Bulguksa is at its most pristine. The iced-over lotus ponds and snow-dusted pagodas add to the sense of tranquility this site naturally exudes.
are just for you. Located in northeastern Italy, this stunning mountain range is home to some of the best skiing in Europe, as well as many historical sites. The secluded villages that dot the mountain valleys are an attraction in their own right, especially for the rustic cuisine you’ll find there. Don’t expect pasta though. This region is a melting pot of flavors from Austria, northern Italy, and the local Ladin people. Ricotta and sauerkraut pancakes, anyone? THE ANTARCTIC This is the one entry on this list that is best enjoyed during the summer months, which is December through February in the Southern Hemisphere, because that’s when the freezing temperatures of the southernmost continent are at their most hospitable. The Antarctic has become an increasingly popular tourist destination, with cruises taking adventure seekers through the vast, untouched beauty of this far-flung destination. Some tourists even enjoy kayaking or cross-country skiing through this icy paradise.
THE DOLOMITES, SOUTH TYROL, ITALY If you want the feel of a ski trip to the Alps without the packed slopes and ritzy resorts, the Dolomites
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