Mornings Still Have The Chill

With the temperature this morning dipping into the 40's, your furnace or heat pump will need to be working to keep your home comfortable.  If your heating system needs to be checked and brought up to snuff before the winter season has you shivering, call Aaron’s Mechanical Service at 623-388-4436.

A Reminder From:
Aaron’s Mechanical Service
623-388-4436
info@aaronsmechanicalservice.com
http://aaronsmechanicalservice.com

Be Warm and Safe This Winter

Today the National Weather Service is predicting that the high will reach at least eighty degrees Fahrenheit.  That may seem like a strange day to talk about heating.  But, you will use your furnace, fireplace, space heater or heat pump many days between now and the end of March. 

Did you know that half of home heating fires are reported during the months of December, January and February.

There is something about the winter months and curling up with a good book by the fireplace. But did you know that heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fire deaths? With a few simple safety tips and precautions you can prevent most heating fires from happening.

If you want to install a wood burning stove following manufacturer’s instructions or have a professional do the installation. All fuel-burning equipment should be vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

Install and maintain Carbon Monoxide alarms to avoid the risk of CO poisoning. If you smell gas in your gas heater, do not light the appliance. Leave the building immediately and call your local fire department or gas company.

Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away your heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove or portable space heater.

Have a three-foot "kid-free zone" around all open fires and space heaters.

Never use your oven to heat your home.

Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.

Remember to turn off portable heaters when you leave the room or when going to bed.

Always use the proper type of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.

Test smoke alarms monthly.

Make sure your fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. The ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance from your home.

Are you looking for fast and fair Heating Repair? Aaron’s Mechanical Services wants you to stay comfortable all year round.  Most important we want you to spend the least amount of money possible while you stay comfortable. If your Heating system or HVAC unit needs service or replacement please think of us and call at 623-388-4436 and we will come to you and solve your Heating System service needs.

Presented by;
Aaron’s Mechanical Service
623-388-4436
info@aaronsmechanicalservice.com
http://aaronsmechanicalservice.com

Cool Arizona Places: The Colorado River

"Horseshoe Bend TC 27-09-2012 15-34-14" by Paul Hermans - Own work.

 Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons -

 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Horseshoe_Bend_TC_27-09-2012_15-34-14.jpg

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The Colorado begins at La Poudre Pass in the Southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado, at more than 2 miles above sea level. After a short run south, the river turns west below Grand Lake, the largest natural lake in the state. For the first 250 miles of its course, the Colorado carves its way through the mountainous Western Slope, a sparsely populated region defined by the portion of the state west of the Continental Divide. As it flows southwest, it gains strength from many small tributaries, as well as larger ones including the Blue, Eagle and Roaring Fork rivers.

In Arizona, the river passes Lee's Ferry, an important crossing for early explorers and settlers and since the early 20th century the principal point where Colorado River flows are measured for apportionment to the seven U.S. and two Mexican states in the basin. Downstream, the river enters Marble Canyon, the beginning of the Grand Canyon, passing under the Navajo Bridges on a now southward course. Below the confluence with the Little Colorado River, the river swings west into Granite Gorge, the most dramatic portion of the Grand Canyon, where the river cuts up to one mile  into the Colorado Plateau, exposing some of the oldest visible rocks on Earth, dating as long ago as 2 billion years. The 277 miles of the river that flow through the Grand Canyon are largely encompassed by Grand Canyon National Park and are known for their difficult whitewater, separated by pools that reach up to 110 feet in depth.

At the lower end of Grand Canyon, the Colorado widens into Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the continental United States, formed by Hoover Dam on the border of Arizona and Nevada. Situated southeast of metropolitan Las Vegas, the dam is an integral component for management of the Colorado River, controlling floods and storing water for farms and cities in the lower Colorado River basin. Below the dam the river passes under the Mike O'Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge – which at nearly 900 feet above the water is the highest concrete arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere – and then turns due south towards Mexico, defining the Arizona–Nevada and Arizona–California borders.

After leaving the confines of the Black Canyon, the river emerges from the Colorado Plateau into the Lower Colorado River Valley, a desert region dependent on irrigation agriculture and tourism and also home to several major Indian reservations. The river widens here to a broad, moderately deep waterway averaging 500 to 1,000 feet wide and reaching up to one-fourth of a mile across, with depths ranging from 8 to 60 feet. Before channelization of the Colorado in the 20th century, the lower river was subject to frequent course changes caused by seasonal flow variations.

The Lower Colorado River Valley is one of the most densely populated areas along the river, and there are numerous towns including Bullhead City, Arizona, Needles, California, and Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Here, many diversions draw from the river, providing water for both local uses and distant regions including the Salt River Valley of Arizona and metropolitan Southern California. The last major U.S. diversion is at Imperial Dam, where over 90 percent of the river's remaining flow is moved into the All-American Canal to irrigate California's Imperial Valley, the most productive winter agricultural region in the United States.

Aaron’s Mechanical Services wants you to stay comfortable all year round.  If your furnace, heating system or HVAC unit needs service or replacement please think of us and call at 623-388-4436 and we will come to you and solve your Heating Unit service needs.

Presented by;
Aaron’s Mechanical Services
623-388-4436
info@aaronsmechanicalservices.com
http://aaronsmechanicalservices.com

You Never Have To Shovel Sunshine

Here in the Phoenix Metro Area we have a say about never having to shovel sunshine and we love to share it with friends and family who still live in one of the Snow Belt states.

I don’t know about you but I get cold just reading about and watching the news coverage on the real nasty weather they continue to have in the northeast part of the country.

Returning from the big ball game of February 1st travelers are still snarled trying to get home through this latest storm.

Here is a headline that causes travels and commuters to have second thoughts about driving. Winter Storm Linus Brings Black Ice for Tuesday Commute in the Northeast. For all of you who have encountered black ice knows that instant feeling you get when your car seems to have a mind of its own and the steering wheel inputs don’t respond at all. That makes me feel cold just thinking about driving in that kind of weather.

Winter Storm Linus brought a swath of heavy snow across much of the Northeast Monday, disrupting the start of the workweek for millions of people. The storm also laid down a narrow zone of freezing rain across a heavily populated area near New York City into parts of southern New England.

Now, a flash freeze is starting to take its toll on Tuesday's commute. Severe delays were reported on several MBTA lines in the Boston area, and 10-20 minute delays were also reported on MTA trains from Long Island. Yes, news stories like this bring many snowbird visitors to the Valley of the Sun every year.

So what does that mean in terms of the actual storm totals… Snow officially began at Central Park in New York City at 8:47 p.m. EST Sunday. After snowing all night, precipitation mixed with and changed to rain for a few minutes just before 6 a.m. Monday, but quickly changed to freezing rain by 5:54 a.m. Freezing rain with occasional sleet continued the rest of the morning, but Central Park changed back to light snow at 1:41 p.m. Monday.

Snow overspread much of the rest of New York state and New England, and up to 24 inches of snow had already piled up in Massachusetts by evening Monday.

Boston reported 16.2 inches of snow Monday, bringing its total to 40.5 inches over the past seven days. That's the snowiest one-week period in Boston since modern weather records began in 1891.

I know they think we are very strange when we talk about running our heating system or furnace when the outside air temperature gets below fifty (OK, even 60) degrees Fahrenheit. We tend to remind them that we need to be ready for temperatures that run over one-hundred ten degrees during the summer.

We just have to agree that we, in the desert southwest, just have a very different idea of what the term “warm” means.

Are you looking for fast and fair Heating Repair? Aaron’s Mechanical Services wants you to stay comfortable all year round.  Most important we want you to spend the least amount of money possible while you stay comfortable. If your Heating system or HVAC unit needs service or replacement please think of us and call at 623-388-4436 and we will come to you and solve your Heating System service needs.

Presented by;
Aaron’s Mechanical Service
623-388-4436
info@aaronsmechanicalservice.com
http://aaronsmechanicalservice.com

Fly By Air If You Have Time To Spare

Have you read or heard that old saying… “Fly By Air If You Have Time To Spare”? On Thursday, last week, we wrote, “Can you imagine what Sky Harbor International Airport will be like for Monday and Tuesday next week as the hordes fly-out?”  Yes, the crowds from the big game are trying to leave Phoenix.  While the weather is great here the eastern seaboard is snowed in again and many flights going there are delayed and even canceled.  Winter weather is so much fun… that is when you can watch it happen from here in the Valley of the Sun.

Sunday February 1st experienced a unique weather event here in the Phoenix Metro area. The Sky Harbor International Airport had a full ground stop for over an hour as fog, yes, fog limited visibility to below minimums for safe aircraft operations.

The National Weather Service is predicting a high of eighty degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday February the 5th. Seems like a certain ground dweller doesn’t have any effect on our weather.  Yes, today is Groundhog Day.

Punxsutawney Phil, the world’s most beloved and furry seasonal prognosticator, saw his shadow on Monday morning (despite very overcast skies), portending six more weeks of winter. What happens if it snows after mid-March?

The groundhog’s predication came around 7:25 am (EST) in Punxsutawney, PA., with overcast skies and scattered snow and rain showers moving through the region from the latest winter storm, conditions that are likely to continue if the plucky marmot’s prognostication is accurate.

The high on this Thursday means it is one of those Phoenix days where you can start in a jacket or sweater and end in short sleeves. If your car is parked outside it means you can start the day with the heater running and head home with the air conditioner needed to cool off the interior after a day baking in the sunshine.

Thursday is when the northeast is expected to see the last remnants of this round of weather to finally clear out. This is always a good time to send or post photos of your evening barbeques or drinks around the fire-pit to family and friends back east.

Did You Know?

The earliest one-hundred degree Fahrenheit day recorded by the National Weather Service in the Phoenix Metro Area is March 26th, 1988

Are you looking for fast and fair Heating Repair? Aaron’s Mechanical Services wants you to stay comfortable all year round.  Most important we want you to spend the least amount of money possible while you stay comfortable. If your Heating system or HVAC unit needs service or replacement please think of us and call at 623-388-4436 and we will come to you and solve your Heating System service needs.

Presented by;
Aaron’s Mechanical Service
623-388-4436
info@aaronsmechanicalservice.com
http://aaronsmechanicalservice.com

Getting Ready For Winter

With the temperature this morning dipping into the 40's, your furnace or heat pump will need to be working to keep your home comfortable.  If your heating system needs to be checked and brought up to snuff before the winter season has you shivering, call Aaron’s Mechanical Service at 623-388-4436.

A Reminder From:
Aaron’s Mechanical Service
623-388-4436
info@aaronsmechanicalservice.com
http://aaronsmechanicalservice.com

How Cold Will The Phoenix Metro Area Be For The Big Game?

I know that many folks across the country never consider that the Phoenix Metro Area is ever cold. Some folks think that sixty degrees isn’t even low enough to call it cool.

The average temperature for the Valley of the Sun on February first is sixty-six degrees Fahrenheit.  The National Weather Service is predicting this Sunday February first will be seventy-one degrees as the high.

Since the University of Phoenix Stadium has a roof and wonderful climate control (think HVAC) there was never a weather concern. Some of this week’s and this weekend’s events and activities are so lucky to have a roof and a heating system since we have been seeing rain on Thursday January 29th already.

The National Weather Service is calling for rain on Friday and Saturday as well. The highs on Friday and Saturday are predicted to be in the mid-sixties.

It looks like all of the major airline hubs will be snow free so the thousands (and thousands) of inbound visitors we have little problems. Those who haven’t planned well enough may have trouble finding rooms anywhere near the stadium and rental cars are showing all sold with most rental companies.

From what I understand the Patriots just missed being caught on the ground by the snowmegedon from the first of this week.

Have you got all of your planning done for your big Sunday party?  Some items are getting to be in a bit of a short supply at some local markets and grocery stores.  Rumors of a chicken wing shortage cannot be confirmed.

Have you seen the sales on large flat screen Televisions at the local big box and electronics re-sellers? What sixty inches isn’t big enough all of a sudden? Do you know that a flat screen TV uses much less electricity than the old picture tube models? They produce a lot less heat as well and will save on cooling costs during the summer.  Just saying, in case you need a few more reasons to justify a new flat screen set.

Can you imagine what Sky Harbor International Airport will be like for Monday and Tuesday next week as the hordes fly-out?

Are you looking for fast and fair Heating Repair? Aaron’s Mechanical Services wants you to stay comfortable all year round.  Most important we want you to spend the least amount of money possible while you stay comfortable. If your Heating system or HVAC unit needs service or replacement please think of us and call at 623-388-4436 and we will come to you and solve your Heating System service needs.

Presented by;
Aaron’s Mechanical Service
623-388-4436
info@aaronsmechanicalservice.com
http://aaronsmechanicalservice.com