Hey guys Josh Here we are out working waiting on a customer. so I thought we'd do a quick video. just to you know, just off the cuff, not scripted I've got Dion here. Dion's been with us a few months now, but he's been in the trade for what like a decade now.

pretty much yeah, like 10 years and I didn't even tell him what I was going to ask him. So this is all unscripted. but Dion 10 years in the business you've learned a few things I'm sure right? What is something that you think if somebody is in the if they're going to buy heating and air system today they're they're getting quotes. They're about to buy a heating and air system.

What's the number one piece of advice you would give them? Make sure you know what you're purchasing. make sure you know what you're purchasing. You want to elaborate well and you know people that didn't know what they were purchasing and regretted it. Oh yeah, I've had plenty of people you know I want a heat pump with backup gas but then they say like uh well I had one guy he like he wanted the backup heat like the you know the gas but he didn't know that he was purchasing a straight out uh straight AC unit.

Yeah, so he thought he was getting a dual fuel system which would be a heat pump outside but he was getting a straight AC right? That's a that's a good advice I Think that a lot of homeowners when they're purchasing things, they'll just you know they're getting quotes and they're comparing. They think they're comparing Apples to Apples Not realizing that you know that's a good point. you know they could be comparing a dual fuel system which costs more than a Straight AC with furnace. We've done a couple calls today.

One of the calls the customer: I'm going to be doing a video on this coming up. Um, the customer has an Ecobee thermostat and this is actually the first time I've run into this. I Knew that Ecobee had all these types of options to you know to try to save energy. uh, some of the Geo fencing and scheduling and all the different things that a lot of these thermostats do.

but I did not know until today. Okay, you know maybe this has been a thing and a lot of folks know it. but I did not know that they have a way for the power company to control that Ecobee thermostat. so that's kind of a new thing.

I Have had you heard of that? No? I never never heard of that. So I knew for years that our local power company here in Virginia had a way for them to control the Box itself. so they would install a box on the outdoor unit and or like a hot peak hour summer day, they could turn that outdoor unit off. But this is probably one of the first times that I've heard of a power company being able to control your thermostat and determine if you are you know, eligible to heat your home.

And here in Virginia and I think this is all across the country. but here in Virginia we have probably some of the cold. This is one of the coldest Christmases that we've had where I live now in a long time and I mean I'm well below freezing temperatures and you know I would say in the past I mean I've been living here for just over 10 years. I've only seen it get that cold a few times.

you know, only like maybe once or twice a year. but that we've we've had one heck of a cold spell. So for the power company to be able to tell that thermostat we're going to control that you're not going to be allowed heat is just crazy to me. you know that.

but that really, the homeowner is willing to give up that control. Really? you know, Especially when it's nine degrees outside, you know? So that's just thought that was nuts. I Had one last night where a technician before me had gone there and replaced the contactor on a heat kit and uh, I would say in my experience if you have a heat pump system with electric backup, more times than not I would probably say if there's something wrong with the heat kit, sequencer, or contactor, whatever. even if it's one of the components, just go ahead and replace the heat kit.

it's usually not that much more. You know it's It's not that big of a deal. You know you're talking about a contactor that's going to be you know, 15 25 bucks depending on which one you get. you know somewhere between 15 and you know I don't know 40 bucks probably at the absolute most.

And versus you know a lot of times the heat Kit's only going to be you know, 100 bucks, 150, 100, 200 bucks that absolute most. and then everything is new at that point. you know as far as the heat kick goes. So if you have an issue with your heat kit, yeah, it's just been a crazy Christmas We've had so many calls but anyway, customer just arrived.

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