D'Spain Sales and Service Blog : Archive for December, 2014

5 Facts about Santa Claus

Thursday, December 25th, 2014

Many holiday traditions involve the story of Santa Claus, the lovable old man who spends most of his time at the North Pole taking a single evening to deliver presents and candy to children everywhere. But since Santa Claus is so elusive (unless he happens to be visiting your local shopping mall), how do we know so much about him? Where exactly does his journey begin? Our holiday guide details 5 of the most common traditions associated with Jolly Old Saint Nick.

The Origins of Santa: The name “Santa Claus” comes from St. Nicholas (a name which became Sinter Klaas for short in Dutch), a Christian Bishop from 4 A.D. who was known for giving his fortune away to those in need in Turkey. Santa Claus’ first associations with gift-giving comes from Holland’s St. Nicholas’ feast day, during which children would leave out their shoes overnight and find presents waiting inside the shoes on the next morning.

The Stocking by the Chimney: While many people associate Holland’s shoe tradition with the origins of hanging a stocking, this isn’t entirely accurate. Hanging stockings instead comes from the legend of a time St. Nick helped a man afford to marry off his daughter by throwing a bag of gold down the chimney, which landed in a stocking that was hanging up to dry.

St. Nick’s Outfit: Santa got his fashion sense from a wooden cutout handed out during a meeting of the New York Historical Society in 1804. But it wasn’t until a 1930s Coca Cola advertisement that his traditionally blue, white, and green outfit was transformed into a big red suit.

Leaving Cookies out for Santa: Food was traditionally used as ornamentation during the holidays in medieval Germany as apples and cookies commonly adorned the home at wintertime. When the Christmas tree became a common symbol of the season, edible treats began to vanish, a phenomenon which became attributed to Santa Claus’ snacking habits.

Why Santa Drives a Sleigh: Santa gets his sleigh from a tale spun by Washington Irving, the same author who brought us the Headless Horseman. He wrote down an account of a dream in which Santa Claus drives a weightless wagon through the sky, and the stories became so popular, they stuck around.

Here at D’Spain Sales & Service, we hope that you have a joyful and safe celebration, no matter what holiday traditions you engage in this year. Happy holidays!

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Are Heat Pumps a Good Choice for Winter Heating?

Wednesday, December 17th, 2014

It’s a good question, but the answer depends entirely on the climate in which you live. Heat pumps are a unique form of heating system, with their own advantages and operation prerequisites. They can certainly serve a home well during winter (why install a heating system that can’t heat during the coldest time of year?) but there are a couple of things about which you should be aware. Let’s take a look at the inner workings of a heat pump, and what it can do for you.

How Heat Pumps Work

A heat pump has two main components, an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. Each unit contains a coil, and is connected by a refrigerant line that runs between them. As the names suggest, the indoor unit is installed inside the house, while the outdoor unit can be installed up to 100ft away.

When the heat is turned on, the outdoor unit uses the coil inside it to evaporate refrigerant into gas. This process leeches heat from the air surrounding the unit into the coil. The gaseous refrigerant is then pumped inside to the indoor unit, which condenses it back into a liquid state. This releases the thermal energy from the refrigerant, where it can be used to heat the home.

This kind of heating has a lot of advantages. It’s energy efficient, safer than combustion systems, and pays for itself in savings on your heating bill. However, there is one big thing you need to think about before installing one:

Climate

As discussed above, heat pumps rely entirely on the surrounding air to provide thermal energy. This is a good thing in some ways, because it allows the heat pump to work without wasting resources on combustion like many heating systems do. Unfortunately, it also means that very cold climates can severely hamper a heat pump’s effectiveness. The colder the air, the less thermal energy will be available for the heat pump to use. This is only a real issue in areas that routinely sink under 0 degrees Fahrenheit. In those areas, however, you might want to consult a professional to see if having a heat pump would be worth it.

If you’d like to know more, call D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc or you can schedule a service appointment with us. We provide heating services in the Helotes area.

Tags: Heating, Helotes
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How Heat Pumps Provide Both Heating and Cooling

Thursday, December 11th, 2014

Heat pumps are popular systems for cooling homes, but they can also heat, too. It may seem confusing that a system that doesn’t generate heat like a boiler or furnace can offer heating, but this is one of the ingenious aspects of heat pumps systems, as well as one of the benefits.

So how does a heat pump heat your home? Let’s take a look.

Heat in the Air

Believe it or not, there is always heat in the air, even when it’s cold outside. Your heat pump uses this latent heat to help heat your home – but there is a process. As we stated above, heat pumps don’t generate heat; instead, they transfer heat from one location to another. To help facilitate this transfer, refrigerant is used. During the winter, the outdoor unit of your heat pump system absorbs the heat in the surrounding air; the heat pump concentrates this heat to intensify it, then distributes the heat to your living spaces.

The Reversing Valve

So what enables a heat pump to provide both heating and cooling? A component called the reversing valve. The reversing valve changes the direction of how the refrigerant flows, which allows the heat pump to work in two modes: heating or cooling. A reversing valve has two settings within it: one is excited, the other is relaxed. The valve manufacturer sets which state stands for heating and which stands for cooling, so there can be variations between valves. What doesn’t change is that once a state is set for a specific operation – either heating or cooling – the other state setting is always going to be the other operation. But as the homeowner, you have it much easier: simply press a button on your dual-mode thermostat to change from heating to cooling and back again.

Heat pumps can be complex components, so if you are experiencing issues with your heat pump in Bandera, call D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc.

Our trained and certified heating experts can help with any heat pump issue you may have, so call us today!

Tags: Bandera, Heat Pumps
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Qualities of an Excellent Professional Electrician

Wednesday, December 10th, 2014

There are certain vendors your home simply can’t be without: excellent heating and cooling service providers, excellent plumbers and excellent electricians.

Finding reliable service providers for your home can be challenging, and when it comes to finding good electricians, there are some specific things you need to be able to count on. Here are some tips to help you find a reliable, professional electrician in fair Oaks Ranch, TX:

Training and certification – working with electricity is complex and requires a number of hours of education and training. Check to make sure that any electrician you want to work with has the training and certification required for your area.

Licensed and insured – any tradesperson who does work on your property should be licensed and insured. If they aren’t, you will be liable for any injuries or damages that happen while he/she works on your property.

Be fully updated on the National Electric Code (NEC) – the National Electric Code, also known as the NEC or NFPA70, outlines the standards for the safe installation of electrical wiring and equipment in the United States. Codes can be updated at any time, so it’s important to know that your electrician is fully up-to-date on all standards.

Make sure there’s a physical address – whether you are hiring an individual or a company, make sure the person or company has a traceable, physical address.

Experience – ask your electrician what his/her experience has been working in the field. Classroom and apprenticeship learning are important, but hands-on experience is just as important.

Provides written estimates of work – electrical work can be complicated and can sometimes be costly. Any good electrician should be willing to give you a written estimate of the proposed scope of work.

Guarantees/refund policy – any tradesperson should be willing to stand behind his or her work; the best way to do that is to offer guarantees on work and/or have a refund policy.

Taking the time to find an excellent professional electrician can help you avoid problems that can occur when you hire the first person you see online or in the phonebook. Experiencing electrical problems right now?

D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc., has been offering comprehensive electrical services since 1974, so if you are in need of excellent electrical service, call us today!

Tags: Electrician, Fair Oaks Ranch
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Benefits of Hiring an Electrician to Install Attic Fans

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2014

Heat naturally rises. This is a concept you’ve probably heard of before, but have you thought about what this means for your heating and air conditioning system? As heat moves into your home in the summer, it gathers in your attic, building up and having nowhere to vent so that it makes your home feel quite uncomfortable. And while running your air conditioner can help ease the discomfort, it won’t do much for all the heat trapped in your attic, which will make your home feel warmer soon after the AC shuts off.

Homeowners in Fair Oaks Ranch, TX often tend to choose attic fan installation in the summer months when looking for ways to cut cooling costs. An attic fan sits in the attic and vents warm air to the outside. This means your home will feel cooler and you won’t have to run your air conditioner for as long (or at all, in some cases), reducing the risk of repairs and cutting your energy bills.

But did you know that an attic fan can be just as useful in the winter? In the winter, the heat that collects in your attic can actually pose a health threat. As you run your heater, the warm air collects moisture from everyday activities like showering and cooking. This warm, humid air moves upwards, and can collect in the attic until mold or mildew form in the most hidden spaces of your home. This can cause allergies to act up as well as asthma, and may even lead to illness. However, an attic fan can move the trapped moist air back to the outdoors.

Why You Need Professional Service

The most important thing about attic fan installation is that you trust the job to a professional. Attic fan installation is not so simple as plugging in a fan and pressing a power button. You need your attic fan to be wired into your home’s electrical system so that it receives the right amount of power (and so that you can switch it on without climbing into the attic every day). In order to ensure safety, proper operation, and the greatest possible efficiency, be sure to schedule installation with a certified electrician in Fair Oaks Ranch, TX, like the friendly expert at D’Spain Sales & Service, Inc. Give us a call today!

Tags: Electrician, Fair Oaks Ranch
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