Mechanical Heating & Cooling is a residential, light commercial Detroit heating and cooling contractor and Michigan HVAC company serving Southeast Michigan and the Metro Detroit area. We specialize in customer service, being there when we say were going to and complete customer satisfaction.

One of the main differences between Mechanical Heating & Cooling and other Michigan HVAC companies is Focus. We are focused on 100% customer satisfaction. Ongoing training in each specialized area of our business is key to making sure you are a satisfied customer. Most Michigan HVAC companies do not arrange their company into specialized areas. Not only are specialized areas of expertise key to our organization, but the Mechanical Heating & Cooling team also focuses on making sure we match the right person to the right task. Our unprecedented growth is attributable to our philosophy of treating our customer as we want to be treated. Its such a simple philosophy that so many Michigan HVAC companies overlook or forget. Mechanical Heating & Cooling pledges to our customers in Detroit, Michigan, and surrounding communities to never lose this focus.

Mechanical Heating & Coolings mission is providing each customer with safe and effective cooling and heating solutions at the best possible prices. Each customers comfort is a top priority in the day to day business of Mechanical Heating.

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Mechanical Heating & Cooling Mechanical employs only the ...

If youve come back to Campus Construction Update longing for more of the high anticipation and drama that surrounded last summers residential transformations: Sorry!

Nevertheless, while summer 2017s facilities work is low key by comparison, it sings of compelling things: academics, human comforts, technological renewal.

For the academic angle, tune in to Campus Construction Update again next week. Todays installment focuses, instead, on human comforts and a question of pressing importance to those of us who spend the summer at Bates:

Why is the Bobcat Den, Bates beloved subterranean caf in Chase Hall, closed?

Acckk! The Dens closed until August! Here, booths have been moved away from the wall and given a protective cover. (Doug Hubley/Bates College)

The good news is that the closure is only until mid-August, and in the meantime Dining Services is throwing hard-core Den-izens a lifeline in the form of special meal and beverage offers in Commons.

And, of course, the closure is for a good cause: the replacement of heating and air-conditioning infrastructure in the Den, and the extension of air conditioning into the high-ceiling area of Memorial Commons, above the Den.

Shown on June 14, 2017, the Chase Hall mechanical room awaits a major installation of steam heat-exchange and hydronic equipment. (Doug Hubley/Bates College)

The Dens had air conditioning, but the upstairs hasnt, explains Bates energy manager John Rasmussen, Facility Services project manager for the Chase Hall undertaking. So the Events Office people are pretty happy to be able to air-condition that space better than just opening up the windows.

What sparked the project was the need to replace two heat exchangers that have heated the Den since the rear section of Chase Hall opened in 1950. Those units distributed air warmed by the campus-wide steam system.

One of two obsolescent heat exchangers in the Den that are being replaced during summer 2017. (Doug Hubley/Bates College)

Air conditioning in the Den was driven by cold water from a chiller that serves several buildings. The AC pumped chilled air above the acoustic ceiling tiles, apparently following a sort of HVAC trickle-down theory that was about as effective as its economic equivalent.

With the heat exchangers at the end of their useful lives, it made sense not just to replace them, but to upgrade the whole system in fact, to a different heating method.

Even though the central steam plant heats most of campus, steam is not the point source of heat in many Bates buildings. Instead, those buildings use so-called hydronic heating, which circulates hot water to warm interior spaces. Central steam heats the water for the hydronic system.

Most of Chase Hall is already hydronically heated, and this summers project will bring in the Den and the high-ceiling commons into the system.

Ceiling tiles have been removed or pushed aside in the Den to make way for pipes that will supply heating and cooling water to new overhead climate-control units. (Doug Hubley/Bates College)

Its very difficult to control steam systems, because theyre massive and they tend to hold the heat, says Rasmussen. Henceforth, only Lane, Pettigrew, and Schaeffer halls will be warmed by radiators clanking with steam from the central plant.

With a budget of $600,000, what does the Chase Hall project entail specifically? A new steam-to-hot-water heat exchanger will be installed in the Chase mechanical room.

New pipes will connect that exchanger, as well as the existing chiller, to new fan-coil units that will push air of the desired temperature to the desired locations. HVAC contractor Damon Mechanical, as Rasmussen points out, is running new pipework clear across the buildings footprint, from the mechanical room in the southeast corner to the Den in the northwest. Its a disruptive work involving the removal of ceiling tiles, lots of pipefitting and soldering, and plenty of noisy drilling through masonry.

Its a wrap: Booths in the Den are protected with plastic sheeting as new heating and air conditioning equipment is installed. (Doug Hubley/Bates College)

New air handlers, occupying the closets in the Den where the 1950-vintage units once labored, will pull in outside air for ventilation. And new digital controls will tie all of Chase into the centralized network that regulates interior heating all over campus.

Five fan-coil cabinet units will go into Memorial Commons. Four ceiling units in the Den will heat or cool both their immediate surroundings and, via ductwork, areas never before blessed with AC, such as the Den servery, the adjacent prep kitchen, and the tiny staff lounge.

So its not just we customers wholl have something to look forward to when the Den reopens, on Aug. 22.

Can we talk? Campus Construction Update welcomes your questions and comments about current, past, and future construction at Bates. Write to dhubley@bates.edu, putting Campus Construction or Have you tried hydronically grown tomatoes? in the subject line. Or use the 21st-century commenting system below.

Pipe sections in the Chase Hall mechanical room awaiting incorporation into a new heating system for the rear of the building. (Doug Hubley/Bates College)

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Campus Construction Update: June 23, 2017 - Bates News

Speedtown Comfort Heating and Cooling joined other local contractors and Building Homes for Heroes at a Welcome Home ceremony in Avon, Ind. for Army Sergeant First Class Gary Pearson on May 25. The ceremony was held at 689 Weeping Way Lane, Avon, Ind. 46123 and was open to the public. Johnson Controls donated a complete YORK heating and cooling system and Speedtown Comfort Heating and Cooling provided installation of the system for the veterans new home.

The support of companies like Johnson Controls and its high-quality YORK heating equipment contractors like Speedtown Comfort Heating and Cooling enable our organization to reach more injured veterans in need and help them begin to rebuild their lives, said Chad Gottlieb, director of construction development, Building Homes for Heroes.

Building Homes for Heroes is a national organization that recognizes the tremendous sacrifices of men and women of the United States Armed Forces by supporting the needs of severely wounded or disabled soldiers and their families. The organization strives to build or renovate quality homes and gift the homes to severely injured veterans nationwide, mortgage free.

Speedtown Comfort was overjoyed when asked to help on this project. When we got the call, there was no hesitation to help one of our brave veterans who give us the freedom to live in a great country, said Tony Wilson, vice president, Speedtown Comfort Heating and Cooling.

Building Homes for Heroes invites anyone wishing to volunteer or make a donation to the organization to contact Building Homes for Heroes at [emailprotected]

To learn more about the Building Homes for Heroes organization or to donate, visit http://www.buildinghomesforheroes.org.

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JCI York and Contractor Provide Comfort System to Veteran Support Organization - Contracting Business

Plumbing Services

With Jessup Service, Inc., you have peace of mind knowing that you are working with a state licensed plumbing company that has an established reputation and is only interested in doing the best job possible. We offer a very wide variety of services covering all your light commercial & residential plumbing needs. We are ready to serve you in service, repair and renovations.

Plumbing Maintenance agreements Tankless Water Heaters Bathroom Renovations Kitchen Faucets Toilet Replacements & Repair Sewer Lines Drain Cleaning Backflow Testing Broken or Frozen Pipes

Heating Services and Cooling Services

Our Complete System Tune Up is a professional cleaning; adjustment and safety check we perform on all types of air conditioning and heating equipment to help maintain peak performance, safety and reliable operation. Cooling and heating systems require routine maintenance to maximize performance, maintain efficiency and to insure safety. In the past, systems were simple by design and had less moving parts but they have become more complex due to safety and efficiency standards. Take the example of automobiles. Cars made in the 60's were relatively easy to work on, and didn't take a lot of complex tools and knowledge to fix. In the 70's due to the gasoline crisis, vehicles were mandated to become more efficient, and they also increased safety standards. Try working on a car today with the complexity of computerized controls and systems. The same thing has happened to heating and air conditioning systems. The government has mandated that they be more efficient and safer than the units of the past. As of January 2009, Gas furnaces must be at least 95% rating (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) in order to meet the tax rebate standards - which is a lot like miles per gallon. The higher the rating, the more efficient the system. Cooling and heating systems are thebiggestexpenses in a home. Maintain your system to assure a long reliable life.

Electrical Services

Your home is important, and your safety is important to us! We provide electrical system safety inspections. We can also upgrade the electrical safety devices in your home or increase your electric panel and service size so you can add new electrical devices to your home. Our licensed electricians commonly install, repair and provide electrical system changes, maintenance for fuse boxes, smoke detectors and lighting receptacles, home automation wiring and design. Are you remodeling? Jessup Service is the first to call for home improvements when you want to install new lighting, change your light switches or upgrade your electric panel to handle today's new electric components and accessories.

That's why we say... Jessup Service, Installing the Best and Servicing the Rest, for 62 Years.

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Jessup Service - Greensboro News & Record

Tips to Keep Your Air Conditioner...

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Suzanne Marshall spent her Friday searching for a portable air conditioning unit to cool down her living room. She has lived in an East Beach apartment complex for more than 30 years without a cooling system.

"The weather has been changing, really been changing," said Suzanne Marshall.

She visited the Santa Barbara Home Improvement Center to check out her options after seeing her neighbor install a portable air conditioner.

The center currently has many fans and air conditioners for sale. A section manager tells us customers are constantly calling asking for more details on what's available, but sales typically pick up during August or September.

Once a unit is installed, routine maintenance and cleaning is required in order to keep the unit working properly.

"Rarely once they have them in, they rarely check the operation of the system. They change the filter when they need to or if a problem arises due to filter not being changed and then it creates a problem with a system," said JohnMcCormack, president and CEO of Heating & Air Conditioning in Santa Barbara.

McCormack says people should clear the area around your air conditioner unit within 3 feet of the condenser unit of weeds, sticks, and other debris, clean and replace the filters often.

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Tips to Keep Your Air Conditioner Running Smoothly - KEYT

Sacramento Bee

Air conditioner broken? Get in line Sacramento Bee HVAC repair services in Sacramento have been inundated with hundreds of calls every day during this week's record-breaking heat wave. Garick Air Conditioning Service on X Street in midtown ... When it gets hot, everyone gets impatient, said Matt ... and more »

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Air conditioner broken? Get in line - Sacramento Bee

San Diego Plumbing-Heating-Cooling-Contractors Association to install third executive form Bill Howe as chapter President

San Diego, Ca (PRWEB) June 22, 2017

Bill Howe Plumbing, one of the largest family-owned and operated home service companies offering plumbing, restoration & flood, and heating & air conditioning in San Diego will honor the third executive to serve as President of the San Diego Plumbing-Heating-Cooling-Contractors Association. Bill Howe served in 2006-2007, followed by Tina Howe in 2013-2014, and now Human Resource Manager, Amber Baynard will be installed this Saturday for 2017-2018.

The San Diego Plumbing-Heating-Cooling-Contractors Association is dedicated to the advancement and education of the plumbing and HVAC-R trades. The organization strengthens the industry for the health and safety of its local, and National, communities. Contractor and Affiliate members serve the mission of increasing safety within the plumbing and HVAC-R trades, as well as being a part of the legislation to increase safety regulations. The PHCC Academy, an educational non-profit section of the association, offers a four-year plumbing journeyman apprenticeship program and a two-year certification course in heating & air conditioning in San Diego.

The Bill Howe Family of companies, with services in HVAC, plumbing, and water damage remediation & reconstruction has been a staple in home services in San Diego since 1980. Part of their mission has always been to ensure plumbers and technicians are trained for the safety of customers and they have helped to grow and expand the PHCC. Baynard's goals as president will be to increase membership, ensuring more trained and licensed contractors operating in the community, giving back to the community through Copper for Kids, a non-profit organization, and to help sway legislation for the safety and protection of customers.

"It is an honor to follow in the steps of Bill and Tina Howe as President for the PHCC," said Amber Baynard. "As Human Resource Manager for our company, it is my responsibility to ensure high standards within our company, hire and retain quality employees and create a positive work environment. I have been heavily involved in the PHCC Academy with all of our new and returning Journeyman students and am excited to lend my expertise to our local chapter for the next year as President."

The installation ceremony will take place on Saturday June 24, 2017 at the San Marcos Lakehouse. The theme the PHCC Board has chosen is Superheroes. "Our plumbers and HVAC service & repair technicians are true community heroes," said Bill Howe, "They are saving the day for our customers on each service call."

For more information about the Bill Howe Family of Companies, visit http://www.billhowe.com, or to speak with Bill or Tina Howe regarding this announcement, contact Bill Howe Marketing Director, Julie Riddle at Julie(at)billhowe(dot)com.

About Bill Howe Family of Companies Bill Howe Family of Companies is comprised of Bill Howe Plumbing, Inc.; Bill Howe Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.; Bill Howe Restoration & Flood Services, Inc. The family-owned and operated company began in 1980 with the plumbing division and has grown into San Diego County's largest low-cost one-stop-shop for service, repairs and installation, offering both residential and commercial services. 9085 Aero Drive, Suite B, San Diego CA 92123. Call 1-800-BILL-HOWE because We Know Howe! ###

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/06/prweb14451048.htm

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Amber Baynard of Bill Howe Family of Companies to be Installed as 2017-2018 San Diego PHCC President - Benzinga

The Elk Grove school district is performing a slew of repairs and upgrades to campuses this summer.

Projects include repairing roofs and installing all-weather track and field facilities. School officials also plan to open two elementary schools next month.

District facilities officials delivered an update on the projects to the Elk Grove school board at their June 13 meeting.

They also announced that the district gained $84.2 million last month during the first sale of their new Measure M bond. Bank of America Merrill Lynch was awarded the winning bid for the Measure M bond. Voters approved the $476 million general obligation bond last November to repair and modernize the districts aging schools.

District officials are still aiming to place the tax levy for property owners within the district at $38 per $100,000 of a propertys assessed value.

Weve had a lot of work since the success of Measure M and quite frankly its been non-stop, the districts facilities superintendent Rob Pierce told the board.

On the districts drawing board over the next 10 years are $360 million in campus modernization projects and $100 million in projects requested by stakeholders.

At the top of the projects are roof repairs at eight schools that are scheduled to be finished this summer. Affected schools include Valley, Laguna Creek, and Sheldon high schools as well as two buildings each at Elk Grove and Foulks Ranch elementary schools.

This winters storms reportedly caused roof leak problems. Pierce mentioned that many rooftops went unrepaired for years due to deferred maintenance funds from the state.

I know those arent the most feel-good projects in the world but I promise you when you have a leaky roof and the building is not secure it can cause a lot of other issues, he said.

District officials also plan to spend state funds from Proposition 39 to help fund the roof repairs as well as to install new heating and air conditioning systems this year. They are aiming to complete Prop 39 energy projects at 26 schools, according to a district staff report.

Also on tap are all-weather track and field facilities for Florin, Franklin, Laguna Creek, Pleasant Grove, and Valley high schools. Plans are to begin construction next month and finish before soccer season begins in early November. These facilities will be funded by Measure M; the district staff did not have total project cost, as of press time.

Pierce mentioned that shade structures were the most popular amenities requested from parents. His staff plans to install those structures at more than 30 campuses next year.

The district will hold grand openings for McGarvey Elementary School in Rancho Cordova on July 11 and Zehnder Ranch Elementary School in Elk Grove on July 13.

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School district's Measure M projects underway - Elk Grove Citizen

June 21, 2017 by Bjorn Sturmberg, The Conversation Getting your strata committee to agree to solar panels is tricky, but it can be done. Credit: Stucco

While there are now more solar panels in Australia than people, the many Australians who live in apartments have largely been locked out of this solar revolution by a minefield of red tape and potentially uninformed strata committees.

In the face of these challenges, Stucco, a small co-operative housing block in Sydney, embarked on a mission to take back the power. Hopefully their experiences can serve as a guide to how other apartment-dwellers can more readily go solar.

From an energy perspective, Stucco was a typical apartment block: each of its eight units had its own connection to the grid and was free to choose its own retailer, but was severely impeded from choosing to supply itself with on-site renewable energy.

Things changed in late 2015 when the co-op was awarded an Innovation Grant from the City of Sydney with a view to becoming the first apartment block in Australia to be equipped with solar and batteries.

A central part of Stucco's plan was to share the locally produced renewable energy by converting the building into an "embedded network", whereby the building has a single grid connection and manages the metering and billing of units internally.

Such a conversion seemed like an ideal solution for solar on apartments, but turned into an ideological battle with the electricity regulator that took months and hundreds of hours of pro bono legal support to resolve.

In this way the Stucco project grew to embody the struggle at the heart of the Australian electricity market: a battle between choice and control, between current regulations that mandate consumers to choose between incumbent retailers, and the public's aspirations for green self-sufficiency.

A chicken and egg problem

Embedded networks have been around for decades. Yet if the Australian Energy Regulator had its way, they would be banned as soon as possible.

The reason for this is that they inhibit consumers' choice of retailer: consumers are forced to buy their electricity from the building's embedded network management company, which may exploit its monopoly power.

Yet it doesn't have to be this way. At least one company in Germany allows apartment residents to buy power either from their preferred grid retailer or from the building's solar-powered embedded network. This business model relies on Germany's smart meter standards that ensure all market participants can access the data they require.

We currently find ourselves in a standoff. The regulator is waiting on companies to offer solar powered embedded networks that include retail competition, while companies are waiting on the regulator to create an accessible playing field that would make such services viable.

The recently released Finkel Report touches on this by recommending a "review of the regulation of individual power systems and microgrids".

Stucco's bespoke solution

In the absence of such a solution, Stucco made a unique agreement with the regulator: the co-op committed to cover fully the costs of installing a grid meter for any unit whose occupant wishes to exit the embedded network in the future.

Such a commitment was feasible because Stucco's residents, as co-op members, have direct input into the management of the network including controlling prices (that are mandated to be cheaper than any grid offer). But it is difficult to image regular strata committees accepting such liabilities.

Embedded networks are therefore not the best general solution for retrofitting solar on apartments, at least not under current regulations. This is unfortunate because they represent the best utilisation of an apartment block's solar resource (Stucco's system provides more than 75% of the building's electricity) and are therefore increasingly being adopted by developers.

Advice for apartments

The good news for residents of existing apartments is that there are easier routes to installing solar. The even better news is that the cost of solar systems has plummeted (and continues to do so), while retail rates continue to skyrocket, so much so that body corporates are reporting rates of return of 15-20% on their solar investments.

The recommended options for apartments are epitomised by the old adage "keep it simple". They fall into two categories: a single solar system to power the common area, or multiple smaller systems powering individual units. Which of these is best suited to a particular apartment depends primarily on the building's size (as a proxy for its energy demand).

For buildings with 1 square metre of sunny roof space per 2m of floor space (typically blocks up three stories high), it is worth installing a solar system for each unit, as these will typically be well matched to unit's consumption.

Taller buildings (with less sunshine per apartment) are better off installing a single system for the common area, particularly if this contains power-hungry elements such as elevators or heating and cooling systems.

But here's the crux: no apartment can install solar without the political support of its strata committee. While this hurdle has historically tripped up many initiatives, increased public awareness has created a groundswell of support. Plus you may need fewer votes than you think.

To improve the chances of overcoming this barrier I have put together a solar-powered apartment pitch deck, available here.

While this article focuses on solar, it is important to remember that the first priority for any building should be to improve energy efficiency, by installing items such as LED lights, modern appliances, and insulation and draft proofing. For advice on these opportunities see the City of Sydney's Smart Green Apartments website and the Smart Blocks website.

Lastly, adding batteries to an apartment solar system creates extra challenges, for instance fire-prevention planning. But it allows for far greater energy independence and resilience, and a chance to join the future of distributed energy currently being enjoyed by so many of Australia's non-strata householders.

Explore further: UAE's first solar-powered gas station opens in Dubai

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

A government oil company in the United Arab Emirates says it has opened the country's first solar-powered gas station in Dubai.

A new estimate from the U.S. government shows that California met its goal to produce about half the state's electricity from renewable sources for three hours on March 11.

Solar power can cover up to 40 percent of the electricity needs of a typical Belgian household. Going beyond that level becomes really expensive: using batteries coupled with solar panels would be twice as expensive as using ...

Rising electricity prices have become a fact of life in Australia and are likely to be so for a few years to come.

For a country with so much sunlight, some might think Australia has been slow to adapt its electricity generation mix to include solar power. One of the main reasons for this is solar intermittency.

In order to determine where bed bug outbreaks are occurring and the best way to prevent and control infestations, entomologists examined 2,372 apartments in New Jersey and looked at factors such as the age, race, and gender ...

A telecom company in the Netherlands has teamed up with the country's traffic safety authority to develop a bicycle lock that also blocks its mobile network, in a move aimed at protecting young riders who regularly pedal ...

A data analytics firm that worked on the Republican campaign of Donald Trump exposed personal information belonging to some 198 million Americans, or nearly every eligible registered voter, security researchers said Monday.

Researchers at UC Santa Barbara professor Yasamin Mostofi's lab have given the first demonstration of three-dimensional imaging of objects through walls using ordinary wireless signal. The technique, which involves two drones ...

From "The Jetsons" to "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", flying cars have long captured the imagination.

Your next doctor could very well be a bot. And bots, or automated programs, are likely to play a key role in finding cures for some of the most difficult-to-treat diseases and conditions.

The long range of airborne drones helps them perform critical tasks in the skies. Now MIT spinout Open Water Power (OWP) aims to greatly improve the range of unpiloted underwater vehicles (UUVs), helping them better perform ...

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Get in on the ground floorhow apartments can join the solar boom - Phys.Org

Fix-It Chick: Some tips on choosing and installing a new thermostat Lawrence Journal World Instead they set average heating and cooling schedules based on the manual adjustments occupants make to the thermostat throughout the week. Step 2: To replace a thermostat, use the breaker or fuse in the service entrance panel to turn off the power to ...

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Fix-It Chick: Some tips on choosing and installing a new thermostat - Lawrence Journal World