February 16, 2012

Dear Black Hills,
I can’t say we were enthusiastic about buying a furnace. In fact, we dreaded the prospect. We could have done better maintaining our furnace, but it did get serviced a few times over its modest lifespan. When we called Black Hills, we were hoping only to give our wimpy clunker a good tune-up. I’d heard the ads on the Spirit 105.3 radio station and was impressed. They were different and spoke directly to some of my concerns. Because of those ads, when I received a flyer in the mail, I paid attention.

When Tim Woodbury came out, my husband and I were astounded at the level of effort and time invested in our furnace. It was definitely more thorough than anything we’d had before. A spa treatment for the poor machine! I don’t think we were surprised by the failing report given on our furnace, but we were hesitant to make a major investment, especially in this economy! Tim was highly knowledgeable when he gave us gentle insight into our options. His lack of high-pressure made us more comfortable in setting up an appointment with a salesperson.

I’m sure you’re already anticipating our appreciation for David. That’s why he’s doing sales. Certainly we enjoyed his easy-going nature, but that alone doesn’t sell a furnace. Neither does high-pressure sales. The sales training was evident, but Dave did not win us with refined technique. He navigated our personalities and our needs well. As a salesperson himself, my husband especially admired Dave’s ability to stop talking and listen, as well as allowing silence when contemplated. He did not push the top of the lin, which is a good thing, because if he had overemphasized that, we may have “pushed’” him right out the door. He gave us our options, and asked where WE would like to start, with less or more. That was good. He did a great job. And he was so personable that my 9 Year-old son was offering him snacks and inviting him to play!

With allergies, asthma and a freezing woman in the house, we knew it was time to make a serious investment. Charles Sand came in quietly to do the installation and worked tirelessly, with as little disruption as possible to our day. He was great at addressing our questions and concerns and we were immediately comfortable having him our home. Even better than that, was the un-furnace problem he helped us with. While he was here, our relatively new dishwasher decided to give our kitchen floor a bath. We stood over the pool of water, frustrated and admittedly-helpless. Even after many long hours of work, with many more to go, Charles stopped and came to our aid with the dishwater. He would accept no compensation other than our extreme gratitude. What a lucky day to have a leak?

We have only had our new system in for a few days, but so far, you guys are on a roll! They quality of our air is much improved! And the heat it heavenly! Dave promised we would notice an improvement in the evenness of heat throughout our house and he wasn’t exaggerating. I cannot believe the consistent warmth! We’ve even been able to keep the temperature lower instead of constantly turning it up. In fact, even at a cooler setting, I have been able to remove 2 layers from my daily bundling.

With all of Black Hills promises so far kept, we feel confident that should any problems arise, you will continue to deliver on your word and take great care of our needs.

Indoor air problems not only post a threat to your home and your family, but also to the continued health of the house and the air systems. Indoor air problems are typically caused from inadequate ventilation in the home and in situations when there is not enough outside air being circulated throughout the home. Additionally, as the air is circulating poorly, materials or devices inside the house that radiate pollutants will continue to disperse these pollutants throughout the already poorly-circulated home, compacting the problem. In addition, higher levels of humidity or heat within the home can increase the quickness with which the air will become polluted.

To resist indoor air quality continuing to decrease, ensure that you have your home properly ventilated, that you are keeping track of items or chemicals that put-out large amounts of pollutants or fumes, and also ensure to have your heating and air conditioning systems check for proper functionality. Call Black Hills Inc. today at +1 (866) 885-7885 to schedule your free estimate

Over the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the amount tax and credit based incentives available to Americans meeting certain requirements. Included in these requirements are those that make alterations within their home(s) to become more energy efficient, thus benefitting the environment and in most cases saving homeowners money. Entering 2012, these incentives will continue to exist and might just benefit you and your home.

With a recent bill passed in December, federal taxpayers who install qualified energy efficient units or retrofits (including higher efficiency heating systems, ventilations systems, air conditioning equipment, etc.) may be eligible for up to $500 in tax credits, again depending on the unit and method of installation.

The breakdown of these credits are as follows:
-You can potentially qualify for a 10% tax credit of the unit cost, assuming a $300 expense limit, for a energy-efficient hot water heater, heat pump, or central air conditioner. Additionally, when installing smaller units such as a qualified furnace or hot water boiler, taxpayers may qualify for an additional 10% (up to $150). Installation costs may also merit a credit of 10%, given a $50 limit.

When evaluating this information with the premise of obtaining a new unit, the requirements for a heating system are as follows:
The heat pump must meed or exceed 15 SEER and 12.5 EER and 8.5 HSPF to qualify. Additionally, natural gas furnaces, propane furnaces, natural gas hot water boilers, propane hot water boilers, oil furnaces, and oil hot water boilers all must meet or exceed 95% AFUE.

With incentives like this, it’s really a great time to evaluate both the efficiency and operational price point of your unit. If you have anu questions or would like more information, please contact our office toll-free at +1 (866) 885-7885.