Pictures from the 2018 Ronald McDonald House Run at Riverwinds. FLEX was proud to be a sponsor and to participate in this year’s Ronald House Run! It was a successful fundraiser for a great charity! Also thanks for all the volunteers that came out to help make this day possible!
2017 Ronald House Run
Pictures from the 2017 Ronald McDonald House Run. FLEX was proud to be a sponsor and to participate in this year’s Ronald House Run! It was a successful fundraiser for a great charity! Also thanks for all the volunteers that came out to help make this day possible!
Review from Linda J.
Review by Linda J.
Project: Water Damage
I wanted to take a minute and and THANK YOU Mike and the entire crew for the wonderful job you did on my house after the water damage. You guys were a pleasure to work with. You made me comfortable in a stressful situation. You guys went above and beyond!! I am a happy customer and will use you again if I ever need to.
Thanks Again,
Linda J.
2016 Checking for Charity
Pictures from the 2016 Checking for Charity Event.
2016 Ronald House Run
Here are the pictures from the 2016 Ronald McDonald House Run. FLEX was proud to be a Hope sponsor and to participate in this year’s Ronald House Run! Congratulations to all the runners and especially to our team runner Chris who received a first place medal. It was a great day and raised over $60,000 for this great charity. The participants were treated to a fun day with lots of snacks and drinks. The little ones enjoyed the bounce house, sand art, face painting, activities and games, kids relay race and the star himself, Ronald McDonald!
Storm Watch vs Warning
Here is a great article by the Nation Weather Service explaining the definitions between watch and warnings. They also list helpful links such as how to find your local forecast office. Check out the full article here
What is the difference between a Tornado Watch and a Tornado Warning issued by the National Weather Service?
- Tornado Watch: Be Prepared! Tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area. Review and discuss your emergency plans and check supplies and your safe room. Be ready to act quickly if a warning is issued or you suspect a tornado is approaching. Acting early helps to save lives! Watches are issued by the Storm Prediction Center for counties where tornadoes may occur. The watch area is typically large, covering numerous counties or even states.
- Tornado Warning: Take Action! A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. There is imminent danger to life and property. Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If in a mobile home, a vehicle, or outdoors, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Warnings are issued by your local forecast office. Warnings typically encompass a much smaller area (around the size of a city or small county) that may be impacted by a tornado identified by a forecaster on Radar or by a trained spotter/law enforcement who is watching the storm.
- Severe Thunderstorm Watch: Be Prepared! Severe thunderstorms are possible in and near the watch area. Stay informed and be ready to act if a severe thunderstorm warning is issued. Watches are issued by the Storm Prediction Center for counties where severe thunderstorms may occur. The watch area is typically large, covering numerous counties or even states.
- Severe Thunderstorm Warning: Take Action! Severe weather has been reported by spotters or indicated by radar. Warnings indicate imminent danger to life and property. Take shelter in a substantial building. Get out of mobile homes that can blow over in high winds. Warnings are issued by your local forecast office. Warnings typically encompass a much smaller area (around the size of a city or county) that may be impacted by an on-going severe thunderstorm.
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Ronald McDonald House Run
Pictures from the 2015 Ronald McDonald House Run. FLEX was proud to be a sponsor and to participate in this year’s Ronald House Run! It was a successful fundraiser for a great charity! The participants were treated to a fun day with lots of snacks and drinks. The little ones enjoyed the bounce house, sand art, activities and games, princess showcase and the star himself, Ronald McDonald!
Air Conditioner Tips for Summer
The summer heat is upon us, and before you know it, the AC will be running, which means the return of higher summer electric bills. Below are some tips that can help you prepare your AC unit for summer, along with tips to reduce your electric bill.
The best way to maintain your AC unit is to have it inspected and serviced by a professional before you turn it on for the season. They can check the coolant levels and other areas that can affect the efficiently of the unit. However there are steps you can take to help maintain the efficiency of your unit. The easiest thing to do is to change your filters regularly. Dirty filters can cut airflow, and in some cases block it entirely. This can cause many issues including having your inside coil ice over. A dirty filter makes your unit work harder and will contribute to higher energy usage. This is especially true of micro allergen reduction filters that are designed to capture finer particulates, which clog faster and easier than standard filters.
Cleaning the outside AC unit can also help. Wash and keep the outside condenser clean. Make sure there are no plants or shrubs blocking the AC unit. Blocking the flow of air will reduce the efficiency of the unit. There should be a few feet in all directions to allow the free flow of air. If your unit is in a shaded area, that can increase efficiency by 10%. Also check for bent fins, which can block airflow and not allow the unit to cool effectively. In most cases you can fix the bent fins using a fin comb that can be purchased at some retailers.
In addition to maintenance, you can take these steps to make your unit more efficient.
Insulating your ducts and taping and sealing all joints can save you so much that the US department of Energy states that the cost of insulation your ducts with foil faced R08 insulation will pay for itself in 3 years with the savings in energy.
Upgrade to a smart thermostat. Newer thermostats have enhanced controls that can learn from your temperature settings and more accurately change your temperature to suit your needs, saving energy usage. They also allow you to remotely control the temperature from your smart phone, which can save you up to 10%. Make sure fan is set to Auto as it will consume less energy than the constant on setting. It also will provide better De-humidification as it allows moisture to drip from the cooling coils to the condensation pan and not into the air. Dryer air means cooler air.
Use ceiling fans to help cool house. Ceiling fans help circulate the air which will give the impression of the room being cooler and allow you to raise your AC temp setting up 2-3 degrees and still feel the same level of comfort. This can save as much as 5% per degree higher you leave your AC.
Use blinds or heavy drapes to shade south and west facing windows, which are the hottest during the day. Turn off the lights whenever possible or convert to energy efficient LED lighting.
Cooking outdoors, running the dryer and dishwasher at night, or letting your dishes air dry and hanging up your clothes to dry can all cut down on the temperature inside the home.
Following these tips will help prolong the life of your AC unit as well as provide savings on your energy bills.
**Please note before performing any cleaning or maintenance to your AC unit, make sure to turn off the power at the breaker to protect your unit.
What is the difference between snow, sleet, and freezing rain?
Snow, sleet and freezing rain. This winter we have experienced them all, but what is the science behind them?
When it comes to how precipitation falls, it all depends on the air temperature. Think of the atmosphere as sectioned into three different layers of temperature. If the first layer is below freezing, then precipitation begins as snow, and the air temperature of the layers below determines what form of precipitation will fall to the ground, either snow, sleet or freezing rain.
Snow occurs when the temperature is below freezing in every layer, causing the snow to directly fall to the ground.
Sleet occurs when there is a layer of warm air in between two layers of freezing air. When the snow falls into this middle layer, it melts and turns to water. This water then falls through the bottom layer and re-freezes before reaching the ground surface.
Freezing rain is formed the same way sleet occurs, however, with freezing rain, the layer of warm air is much thicker and when the snow melts it does not have time to re-freeze before hitting the ground. This results in the liquid water freezing on contact with the ground or any object it comes in contact with. It produces clear ice on surfaces and is also known as glaze ice.
Freezing rain, when falling for an extended time, has the potential to cause large amounts of damage due to the increased weight the forming ice can add to the object it forms on. When it forms on trees and power lines it can cause them to sag and eventually break from the increased weight.