Russell & Abbott

Olive, Why Do I Hear Water in My AC?

June 1st, 2021

I am always glad to help out my readers when they have questions about air conditioning. Air conditioners are a part of everyday life (at least in summer), but people who aren’t HVAC experts often don’t know much about how they run.

And that’s fine! Most people drive cars but don’t know how combustion engines work or anything like that. You can say the same thing about pets: you might have a dog, but you won’t be an expert on veterinary medicine. That’s why you take your dog to a good vet! Believe me, we dogs appreciate having good vets, even if we kind of shiver and shake when we wait in the vet’s office.

Anyway, today I’m going to answer a question I often get about how air conditioning systems run: “Why do I hear water dripping in my AC?” People want to know if this is normal, why there’s water in the AC at all, and where that water goes. Let’s get into it!

Olive Explains Your AC’s Cooling Limits

May 17th, 2021

Greetings everyone! I’ve gotten some questions about just how cool I can be!

Okay, maybe it wasn’t phrased exactly that way. People want to know just how cool an air conditioning system can make their house. It’s a good question: air conditioners do have limits, the same way that your car can’t do 300 mph no matter how well-built it is. And although we dogs can get super-fast—did you know that Greyhounds can run as fast as 45 mph?—none of us are going to outpace a Bullet Train no matter how healthy we are. Not meant as a criticism! Just basic facts about how things work.

So, what’s your air conditioning system’s “top speed”? I’ll get into that below. Please hang around, this can be helpful with setting your thermostat during summer.

Olive’s Summer Starter Tips for Your AC

May 3rd, 2021

“But Olive, it isn’t summer yet!” That’s true, but I’m here to help you get started for summer, which is not too far away. We can start getting full summer temperatures in May. This is why I encourage all my loyal readers to have any big jobs they need to be done for their HVAC system scheduled now. For example, if you think you need a new AC installation in Knoxville, TN, now is the time to talk to us about it.

If you don’t have any major HVAC service need, there are still some “summer starter” jobs you can do to help your air conditioning system work its best. Here are a few of my top tips.

An Important Reminder About Refrigerant in Your AC

April 19th, 2021

Ever heard these phrases before? “You need to top off the refrigerant in your AC,” or “It’s time to get a refrigerant refill on your AC.” These are based on very common misunderstandings about how air conditioners work, and sometimes unscrupulous people who claim they are HVAC “technicians” try to use them on homeowners.

Here are the facts, straight from your favorite HVAC blogger dog: the only time you’ll need to have more refrigerant put into your air conditioning system is if there is a refrigerant leak. Otherwise, you can expect the amount of refrigerant in the AC will stay the same and keep circulating through it for the lifetime of the system.

Spring Is Here! Let’s Get Your AC Inspected and Tuned-Up

April 5th, 2021

Springtime! If you’re a dog (and I’m assuming you’re not), this is one of the best times of the year: not too hot, not too cold, and people are always looking for an excuse to take you outside so they can enjoy the warmer weather as well. I’ll admit that I’m still biased a bit toward fall because I like to leap into piles of dried leaves, but spring is still a pretty big deal for me.

And it’s a big deal for all of us here at Russell & Abbott, because spring is when we provide one of our most important services: air conditioning maintenance. Routine HVAC maintenance is the most important service we offer, and AC maintenance is one half of that.

Final Round! Vote for Us in Daily Times’ Reader’s Choice Poll

April 2nd, 2021

Hey folks, got some great news and an update about the Daily Times’ Reader’s Choice Poll.

Thanks to all of our wonderful customers who voted for us in the first round of the poll, we’ve once again been nominated for Best Heating and Air Company. You’re the best community we could ever hope to serve, and it’s a thrill knowing that you love what we do.

But the action doesn’t stop yet! Now it’s time for the final vote.

You can log into the poll and vote for us from April 1 to April 30. Just scroll down to the Heating and A/C Company, where you’ll see a nice picture of yours truly. And yes, you can vote every day, and please do. We’ve won this poll three years running now, and it would be amazing to make it four!

Russell & Abbott serves Maryville, Knoxville, and surrounding areas.

Time for the Annual Furnace Performance Overview!

March 22nd, 2021

When winter comes to an end, it’s time to think about how your furnace managed over the season. This will help you know if you need any important furnace service in Knoxville, TN (such as repairs or a full replacement) during the coming stretch of the year when you won’t need to rely on your heater daily.

This is when I get out my pen and help you go through a checklist “performance overview.” I’d love it if I could tuck the pen behind my ears, but I don’t have stand-up ears like German Shepherds, so I’ll just have to grip the pen in my mouth when not using it. Anyway, let’s get into this informal overview.

Please note: This casual exercise is not a substitute for annual heating maintenance in fall. When you need actual heating work done, you’ll want our pros to be there to do it!

Just What Is a Condensing Furnace?

March 8th, 2021

Part of my job is keeping track of developments in comfort technology. Most dogs are interested in only one type of heating technology, which is their fur. I love my fur, but I also love knowing about furnaces and the ways they keep making it easier for humans to stay cozy in winter.

So today I want to talk about one of the best developments in furnace technology, the condensing furnace. Sort of a funny name, but it’ll make sense when I explain it. If you are considering getting a new furnace in Louisville, TN, a condensing furnace might be on your list if it suits your home and current needs.

The Daily Times’ Reader’s Choice Poll Is Back: Vote for Russell & Abbott!

February 24th, 2021

This is one of my favorite posts to write each year! It’s when the Daily Times runs its annual Readers’ Choice poll for the best local businesses. For the last three years, Russell & Abbott was voted the Best Heating and Air Conditioning Company in the poll. I’d like to think that my diligent work getting out the vote is responsible—but the truth is that it’s you, our great customers, who have made us #1 year after year. And I’m hoping you’ll make us #1 again for 2021.

Here’s what you have to do…

Phase 1 starts on March 1st, and only the top five nominees from this phase will move forward to Phase 2. From those five nominees, one will be chosen as the winner. During Phase 1, go to the Readers’ Choice 2021 page and nominate a “Best” Business in the “Business & Professional Service” category. Complete the name, address, and phone number fields, then nominate “Russell & Abbott Heating and Cooling” as the Best Heating and Air Company. Do this every day until Phase 1 ends on March 31st. Please don’t let us get bumped out during round one!

You can help me out by asking your friends, family, and buddies on social media to also nominate Russell & Abbott daily as the Best Heating and Air Company.

Get us into Phase 2 and I’ll be back here in April with instructions on how to push us to #1 again!

Who’s the best when it comes to local HVAC? You already know the answer! Call Russell & Abbott for all your heating and cooling needs.

Combustion Analysis—It’s Important, But Not Everyone Does It!

February 22nd, 2021

If I wanted to go on the road as the World’s First and Best Psychic Dog, I know just the trick to pull to amaze my viewers: my assistant would ask someone in the audience to stand up, and I would announce (through special barking code) that they use a gas furnace to heat their home. And I’d be right … most of the time. (If I’m wrong, I’ll just tell them they may have a gas furnace in the future.)

So I’m guessing you have a gas furnace. And if you do, you’ll need occasional combustion analysis for it to help make sure it’s keeping your family safe. Our team is great at combustion analysis, and we’re proud of that because far too many other HVAC contractors don’t do it at all!

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