Episodes

  • How Do I Know If I Need A New Air Conditioning System?

    How Do I Know If I Need A New Air Conditioning System?
    Apr 1 2024
    "So these are great times to invest in a system that will save you money - not invest in the system just to go with the cheapest price to get it up and running." - Bruce Gammon, Heating & Cooling Expert The owner, Bruce Gammon from Gammon's Heating & Cooling joins Check A Pro Joe on this episode. Bruce explains the ins and outs of whether to replace the entire air or heating system or to just replace some of it. Check out this episode of Gammon's Heating & Cooling Podcast to find out more about proper sizing of air conditioning units in you home ... For more information about Gammon's Heating & Cooling in Saco, Maine - log on to Gammon's Heating & Air or check them out at www.checkapro.com. Visit Us At - Gammon's Heating & Air You Can Call Anytime: (207) 286-3400. Podcast Episode Transcript: So these are great times to invest in a system that will save you money not invest in the system just to go with the cheapest price to get it up and running. This is the check a pro radio show check a pro Joe has assembled a team of pre-qualified home service contractors to bring you the latest in services products new techniques now here's your host the man with a hard hat and tool belt check a pro Joe heating and cooling is so important to our overall comfort a lot of people call comfort systems and I totally agree with that a question has come across my desk and it's this if you have an older heating and air conditioning system can I save money by just replacing the outdoor unit So what they mean by this is they're AC unit the one that's outside I've asked Bruce gammon to join me from Gammon’s heating and cooling he is an air conditioning and heating expert hey Bruce how are you I'm great Joe yeah thank you for joining me today I'm sure you've heard this question before you know I looked at the stuff on the inside it looks pretty good but the thing on the outside is kind of old and rusty can we just replace that what's the answer well I appreciate you having me on I'm really chuckling inside my head so that's we get this this is a pretty commonly asked question and the answer to that is podcast we took advice with us in doing that we just provided this service to the customer that that's you know there's certain cases where end new system that was just installed and something happened to the outdoor unit and it was you know somebody ran into it with a vehicle or hit it with a lawnmower used to be changed because the system's brand new then then I would say yes if it's a system with some age on it and when I mean age could be as little as four or five years old you know again we've talked about another podcast about the cost of ownership so these are great times to invest in a system that will save you money overall length period of time not invest in the system just to go with the cheapest price to get it up and running you're not doing yourself any favors with your home and your cost to own your home yeah and you know Bruce of course you would know more than I do you know cause I'm a radio guy and you're the guy out there you know putting in these air conditioning and heating systems but I would imagine you don't really wanna mix and match parts right so if there's a system that's eight years old and the outdoor unit is going to be replaced only how do you know what to put there that's a good question so how do you know what to put there number one whatever whoever you're using as a contractor doing this work should have that answer for you and the answer should be provided in that so let's show the cost of what a typical operating cost would be for the system you have and let's fill possibly what it could become you know throwing parts in old systems just to get them up and running is not something we do at our company and I hope other contractors would agree with me you know we're just we're just not providing the best service to the customer by doing such a thing as well yeah we've all seen the car truck on the road where you're like what have they done to that car that is that is not original equipment but when it comes to your air conditioning system it's even more important because it is science and in case everyone doesn't understand how a cooling system works it doesn't blow cold air it might seem like it does it removes the heat from the air and so it's not as simple as a heating system there's a lot of science there and if everything has to be just perfect so if it's not sized right and if the coils aren't clean and if it's not cycling properly it's not going to work well so you might think it blows cold air it feels like that and it does but it's really way more science than you think it's and actually pulling heat out of the air and that's not simple there's a bruise that's right that's right and we would refer to that our world is a it's a heat rejection system that's what we're dealing with this this into a piece we're rejecting the heat were taken out of the system and when ...
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    6 mins
  • How Long Should My Furnace And Air Conditioning System Last?

    How Long Should My Furnace And Air Conditioning System Last?
    Mar 1 2024
    "The refrigerant that we use inside the systems are better for the environment, they can do so much more with them now." - Bruce Gammon, Heating & Cooling Expert The owner, Bruce Gammon from Gammon's Heating & Cooling joins Check A Pro Joe on this episode. Bruce talks to Joe about how long your heating and air conditioning systems should last. Check out this episode of Gammon's Heating & Cooling Podcast to find out more about proper sizing of air conditioning units in you home ... For more information about Gammon's Heating & Cooling in Saco, Maine - log on to Gammon's Heating & Air or check them out at www.checkapro.com. Visit Us At - Gammon's Heating & Air You Can Call Anytime: (207) 286-3400. Podcast Episode Transcript: The refrigerant that we use inside the systems are better for the environment they can do so much more with them now. This is the check a pro radio show checker pro Joe has assembled a team of pre-qualified home service contractors to bring you the latest in services products and techniques now here's your host the man with a hard hat and tool belt check a pro Joe we love our homes but there's a problem we have all these appliances from dishwashers to refrigerators and water heaters we also have an HVAC system heating ventilation and air conditioning the question is how long does that equipment last they say a dishwasher may last ten years water heater maybe 7 to 10 years nowadays here's the real question when you're investing in your heating and air conditioning system how long can you expect that to last I've asked an expert in heating and cooling to join me here on the program today his name is Bruce gammon from gammon’s heating and cooling Bruce how are you I'm great Joe how are you doing today fantastic so I'm sure you hear this question all the time as people are thinking about investing in a brand new system how long will this new heating and air conditioning equipment last that's a great question and you know I'm going to start off by saying my mindset has changed over the years with this but where the answer to this OK you ready for this job absolutely alright when I started out in the trade and I may have worked at summer to you know a little bit and then and then nineties 9596 during the high school time and soon after you know get into the industry you know we would patch oil tanks they would patch heat exchangers inside furnaces we were the Band-Aid kings let's just Band-Aid everything and make it last you know overtime you know equipment to the law into much better the technology is better the refrigerants that we use inside the systems are better for the environment we can do so much more with them now and I answer this like this you know how long did the Model T last I've seen people drive them in parades alright you can keep band aiding that Model T you can keep putting paint on it and you can keep putting new tires on it and keep it running you know I was into collecting old antique to Toronto tractors for a long time you know my oldest one was in 1936 and that thing just ran just fine but let's talk about this has anybody ever thought about this scenario what's the cost of ownership over a ten period of time of owning a piece of equipment the cost of owning a new high efficiency piece of equipment could be much less than your monthly payments than what it would cost to keep operating a 20 year old piece of equipment no it's absolutely true and there's many reasons for that of course efficiencies you have to keep fixing and fixing which takes time and money sure and the other thing is happening well let's talk about electric cars and cars that are getting 3040 miles to a gallon you know what's the cost of ownership over that car truck over the next 10 years versus maintaining what you have and keep driving what you have it's only getting 16 miles to you so I think the industry needs to look at things a little bit different rather than the manufacturer says that should last 15 years 10 years yada yada let's look at the condition of the piece of equipment and let's look at what it's going to cost you to own this piece of equipment over the next 10 years so that would be my answer to that you know Bruce I'm going to interject here with some thoughts that because it really came to my mind when you were talking about cars automobiles or tractors a number of years ago I made a decision to drive late model vehicles yes I'm putting money into it but here's the good news I have the latest technology it's the safest technology and I don't have to worry about it so when I'm at work my wife's not going to call me and tell me the AC system stopped again I did this is the third time this month all the guys out I'm much rather know it's a brand new system and I'm not going to have any trouble and if I do guess what it's under warranty isn't that nice that's right and you know it's under warranty you're going to have a you know with us we offer maintenance ...
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    7 mins
  • How Can I Save Money On My Energy Bills?

    How Can I Save Money On My Energy Bills?
    Nov 19 2023

    "Number one, Maintenance. Number two, sometimes we need to upgrade our systems to a new high efficiency system."

    - Bruce Gammon, Heating & Cooling Expert

    Don't we all want to save money on our energy bills!? Well of course we do! We can do that with a more efficient heating and cooling system.

    Bruce Gammon from Gammon's Heating & Cooling discusses ways that a properly maintained HVAC system brings efficiency to your system. Join Jim Klauck - AKA - Check A Pro Joe and Bruce Gammon on this podcast.

    Check out this episode of Gammon's Heating & Cooling Podcast to find out more about proper sizing of air conditioning units in you home ...

    For more information about Gammon's Heating & Cooling in Saco, Maine - log on to Gammon's Heating & Air or check them out at www.checkapro.com.

    Visit Us At - Gammon's Heating & Air

    You Can Call Anytime: (207) 286-3400.

    Podcast Episode Transcript:

    With the cost of everything going up through inflation. How can we save money on simple things? Well, we can drive a little bit less if gas prices have gone up, we can travel a bit less if it costs more to fly and stay in hotels. But how can we save money at home? Maybe on our energy bills. I've asked an expert in the heating and cooling business, Bruce Gammon to join me from Gammons heating and cooling to help answer this question, Bruce, how you doing my friend? How are you? I'm fantastic. Ok. So how can we save energy on, how can we save money on our energy bills? Well, quite a few ways. But let's talk about the easiest ways for ourselves at home. Excellent. Number one, Maintenance. HM. Number two, sometimes we need to upgrade our systems to a new high efficiency system. Take advantage of financing, get low monthly payments on these new systems. Um The other thing we can do the way we control our systems, thermostats. There's a lot of great uh products out there when it comes to high efficiency systems. There's also thermostats out there that will fit everybody's uh, need in their homes and different people like different looks of different thermostats and different colors and their smart thermostats that cover all those bases. And sometimes there's even thermostats you don't have to see on the wall anymore so they can do a lot of things for these, uh, for your system that will help you save money in your energy bills. Yeah, it's a combination of things and the best way to really learn is to get a consultation from our friends over at Gammons. Bruce Gammon and his team are here to help you with all of that Bruce's information. All of his information is located in the description of this podcast. It's really easy to reach him. Hey, Bruce, thank you so much. I appreciate it, buddy. Thank you, Joe.
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    2 mins
  • Is Bigger Better When It Comes To Air Conditioning Units? What Size A/C Unit For Me?

    Is Bigger Better When It Comes To Air Conditioning Units? What Size A/C Unit For Me?
    Sep 8 2023
    "Number one, the upfront cost is higher, the second thing they use more energy higher energy bills because they take a lot more power to control your home the units lifespan is shorter while the unit is cycling off and on too many times per day it's not doing a good job keeping a nice steady even temperature throughout the home." - Bruce Gammon, Heating & Cooling Expert The owner, Bruce Gammon from Gammon's Heating & Cooling joins Check A Pro Joe on this episode. Bruce discusses the reasons for proper sizing of Air Conditioning units in your home. Check out this episode of Gammon's Heating & Cooling Podcast to find out more about proper sizing of air conditioning units in you home ... For more information about Gammon's Heating & Cooling in Saco, Maine - log on to Gammon's Heating & Air or check them out at www.checkapro.com. Visit Us At - Gammon's Heating & Air You Can Call Anytime: (207) 286-3400. Podcast Episode Transcript: Number one the upfront cost is higher the second thing I use more energy higher energy bills because they take a lot more power to control your home the unit’s lifespan is shorter while the unit is cycling off and on too many times per day it's not doing a good job keeping a nice steady even temperature throughout the home. This is the Check A Pro radio show! Check A Pro Joe has assembled a team of pre-qualified home service contractors to bring you the latest in services products and techniques now here's your host the man with a hard hat and tool belt check a pro Joe sometimes bigger isn't always better in terms of your air conditioning system a lot of people say hey I want the biggest AC unit because I want to be cooler than my neighbors I'm not so sure it works like that so I've asked my friend Bruce gammon he is an expert in air conditioning and heating from Gammon’s heating and cooling Bruce for you I'm great Joe how are you hey I'm fantastic so bigger is not always better right I'm pretty sure about this it's not necessarily bigger for more cooling I think it has to be sized right doesn't it well maybe if you're out fishing maybe if you're moose hunting bigger it could be better OK yeah but let's talk about air conditioning here for a minute alright great even heating oversized air conditioning units #1 the upfront cost is higher the second thing I use more energy higher energy bills because they take a lot more power to cool your home the youngest lifespan is shorter what does that mean well the unit cycling off and on too many times per day it's not doing a good job keeping a nice steady even temperature throughout the home when we oversize heating and air conditioning systems the system comes on it brings the house down to the set point that you're asking for with your thermostat and it shuts off very quickly then everybody knows what the next thing happens the house warms right back up or cools right back off and guess what the system comes back on again so we're starting a softening system too many times per hour which has a big impact on the mechanical components of that system they don't last you know I was going to say when we are trying to in the heat of the summer to reduce humidity which can happen to us it's important that that system isn't cycling on and off too often because we could have and we have humidity here in Maine we could have a problem with the AC system not doing its job as a dehumidifier absolutely that's absolutely correct so a air conditioning system is a moisture removal system that's what that does so when we oversize systems it doesn't run long enough to really pull that moisture out of the air like it needs to so the humidity levels tend to stay higher in the space when you have an oversized system so people will complain that 68 degrees in there but the humidity is really high you have an oversized system it's not running long enough to really get the moisture out of the air and do its job yeah so if you've got a 1200 square foot home and Gammon’s says hey we think it's a three ton you need well we're pretty sure it's a three ton don't say you want the five because you have to understand at games they're professionals they actually know through science through numbers how to size the system they're professionals that's what they do so it's really important size does matter sometimes it needs to be a little smaller that is correct Joe that's correct yeah you got that right for all of your heating and air conditioning needs if you just need some questions answered I know Gammon's will even help you over the phone just give them a call all their contact information is located in the description of this podcast Bruce as always thank you so much for joining me today on the program thank you Joe Check A Pro is your local source for pre-qualified contractors stay tuned for more of the Check A Pro radio show.
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    4 mins
  • How Often Should I Change My Air Conditioning and Heating Filters?

    How Often Should I Change My Air Conditioning and Heating Filters?
    Aug 11 2023
    "Something to take into consideration when you're asking how often should I change my air filter, number one what type of air filter do you have the type of air filter that you have in your system will determine how long that filter is going to last." - Bruce Gammon The owner, Bruce Gammon from Gammon's Heating & Cooling joins Check A Pro Joe on this episode. Bruce explains why it's important to change your air filters on a regular basis. Not all heating and air conditioning systems are created equal. Heating and Cooling expert, Bruce Gammon explains the importance of changing your air filters regardless of the system you have. Check out this episode of Gammon's Heating & Cooling Podcast to find out... For more information about Gammon's Heating & Cooling in Saco, Maine - log on to Gammon's Heating & Air or check them out at www.checkapro.com. Visit Us At - Gammon's Heating & Air You Can Call Anytime: (207) 286-3400. Podcast Episode Transcript: Something to take into consideration when you're asking how often should I change my air filter number one what type of air filter do you have the type of air filter that you have in your system will determine how long that filter is going to last. This is the Check a pro radio show Check A Pro Joe has assembled a team of pre-qualified home service contractors to bring you the latest in services products and techniques now here's your host the man with a hard hat and tool belt check a pro Joe a question that crosses my desk a lot here at Check A Pro is how often do air filters need to be changed in an air conditioning and heating system and that's a really good question so I've asked an expert Bruce Gammon to join me here on the program from gammons heating and cooling today to answer just that question hey Bruce how often do air filters need to be changed in air conditioning heating system oh child I I want to thank you for asking me this really massive open-ended question I know it is it is open-ended I and I apologize for that you know it's a frequently asked question people ask us all the time they do ask us and they ask our technicians they ask our installation crews they ask everyone in our office it's a pretty commonly asked question I'm not sure if there's a right or wrong answer to that and I don't know what the right or wrong answer to it is but I'll do my best to put some information out there on what I personally believe would be an answer that most people need to hear so number one something to take into consideration when you're asking how often should I change my air filter number one what type of air filter do you have the type of air filter that you have in your system will determine how long that filter is going to last and we all know we can go to a local hybrid store or such and we can buy you know filters for you know $0.79 you have a 79 cent air filter that's probably getting exactly what you paid for and you also have filters that are as much as $35 to$40 that are pleated they do a great job with traffic particles they last longer they're very high quality and those can last as much as three to six months depending on the use the other things came into factor is allergies, pets, and the use of the home you know how often is the doors opening closing what type of system this is whether it's a heating system that is moving air throughout the home whether it's a air conditioning system some people in Maine just have central air systems and their heating systems separate which is wet heat or hydrophobic you know dusty driveways or dusty the house love sunlight brings in a lot of particles so my true feeling is if you're operating your system year round you have duct work I truly believe the air filter should be changed out three months with a good quality filter yeah and you know everybody you need to ask your technician at gammons because like drew said there are so many different scenarios if you have radiators to heat but you're using a traditional air conditioning system which is forced air through the home well then that's going to be used more in the hot months and in Maine it's not hot all the time so it depends and some require big media filters in them some don't you can get inexpensive ones like Bruce and so really the best thing to do is contact Bruce and his team at gammons they will know the answer have them come out and take a look absolutely and you know one of the last things I would mention is you know an essential system that's moving forced air through it whether it's air conditioning or heating the ductwork that's on that system that comes into play too now if you have a system with ductwork in your attic or basement and the ductwork is not sealed and we're drawing air from that attic or that basement probably not the best they are to be pulling through that dock work into that filter and the filter is just not going to last as long get a hold of Gammon’s all of their contact information is in the ...
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    5 mins
  • Bruce Gammon, Owner Of Gammon’s Explains His Why And Why He Is A Servant

    Bruce Gammon, Owner Of Gammon’s Explains His Why And Why He Is A Servant
    Jul 26 2023
    "I truly believe I'm a servant and I love to serve, I love to help people and I love to help people in the right way whether it's just my customers or even our employees at Gammon's." - Bruce Gammon The owner, Bruce Gammon from Gammon's Heating & Cooling joins Check A Pro Joe on this episode. Bruce explains his Why. Why he serves his customers and his employees. Check out this episode of Gammon's Heating & Cooling Podcast to find out... For more information about Gammon's Heating & Cooling in Saco, Maine - log on to Gammon's Heating & Air or check them out at www.checkapro.com. Visit Us At - Gammon's Heating & Air You Can Call Anytime: (207) 286-3400. Podcast Episode Transcript: I truly believe I'm a servant and I love to serve I love to help people and I love to help people in the right way whether it's just my customers or even our employees at gammons this is the check a pro radio show checker pro Joe has assembled a team of pre-qualified home service contractors to bring you the latest in services products and techniques now here's your host the man with a hard hat and tool belt check a pro Joe your heating and air conditioning system is really important you know back when I was a kid living in the northeast we really didn't use AC much certainly heat and today I am proud to say I've got Bruce gammon on the program with me today from Gammon’s heating and cooling we're going to talk about bruce’s why - why he does what he does why he loves to help serve his customers he's got great passion for what he does Bruce how are you great Joe how are you I'm fantastic it is so great to have you on the program today now I would say it's pretty obvious that you have great passion for what you do and you obviously bring your passion to service to your customers you've put your name on the business gammon’s heating and cooling tell us a little bit about what gets you up in the morning to serve your customers sure good question Joe So what gets me up in the morning to serve our customers is exactly what you just said I truly believe I'm a servant and I love to serve and I love to help people and I'd love to help people in the right way whether it's just my customers or even our employees at gammons I enjoy seeing them grow and I enjoy seeing the change the better changes I should say that we can make in their lives and then their families lives outside of work and then I also really enjoy you know and my wise that I really love going to customers location in their house or small business and really give them my best and do everything to make things better for the customer not better for gammons yeah and you know when you take care of both your customers and some people are listening saying what does that mean a lot of people who are in home service know what I'm talking about but the homeowners like I'm a customer well in a small business they're really two sets of customers and that is in this case the homeowner where gammons is supplying the service to you but also for Bruce and his team it's the employees and their customers as well and when everyone is happy at home at gammons everyone's going to be happy in your home Mr. and Mrs. Smith you've got that right Joe absolutely we want our employees to commend to work in the morning and feel welcome feel happy to be there and feel like their lives are getting better every day because let's face it they spend most of their time at work probably more time at work than most people spend with their families so we can do that when our employees are out in the community in the field they can help make everyone's lives better too so you know I look at it as like a little bit of a pyramid but not a pyramid scheme it's a trickledown effect from the top all the way down through to the customer yeah it all starts with the culture at the top and when you put your name on it gammon alright when you put your name on it then you need to be committed and you're serious and your team members know that and of course your customers as well I love the family owned and operated type business as a consumer I love it and I know other homeowners love that as well they really want to have someone come out and service them regardless of what they do you guys do HVAC you do the heating and the air conditioning the ventilation right that's what you do but it's more than that because I know Bruce if you changed your model and you brought something else into it you would still be all about the service to your employee and to your customers and that's really what we do every day in our businesses right we want to serve you this happened to serve them with the heating and cooling correct Joe hey Bruce thank you so much for joining me today to get a hold of Bruce and his team at Gammon's heating and cooling simply go to the description in this podcast all of his information is in there a quick click away and you will be able to set up an appointment thanks Bruce appreciate it ...
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    5 mins
  • How Does The Summer Heat Affect My Air Conditioning Unit?

    How Does The Summer Heat Affect My Air Conditioning Unit?
    May 25 2023

    Episode 16

    "But ever since I started regular maintenance,the air in my home feels cleaner and I've noticed a significant improvement in my breathing."

    - Heating & Cooling Experts

    How does the summer heat affect your air conditioning system? On this episode we talk about the summer heat and your comfort in your home.

    For more information about Gammon's Heating & Cooling in Saco, Maine - log on to Gammon's Heating & Air or check them out at www.checkapro.com.

    Visit Us At - Gammon's Heating & Air

    You Can Call Anytime: (207) 286-3400.
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    4 mins
  • What Are The Advantages Of Maintaining My Air Conditioning System?

    What Are The Advantages Of Maintaining My Air Conditioning System?
    May 24 2023

    Episode 15

    "The goal is to keep you informed every step of the way and ensure you're comfortable with the repair process."

    - Heating & Cooling Experts

    What are the advantages of maintaining your air conditioning system? There are many reasons to do so. On this episode we discuss many of these upsides.

    For more information about Gammon's Heating & Cooling in Saco, Maine - log on to Gammon's Heating & Air or check them out at www.checkapro.com.

    Visit Us At - Gammon's Heating & Air

    You Can Call Anytime: (207) 286-3400.
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    3 mins