[vc_row][vc_column][qodef_custom_font font_family="Archivo" font_size="60px" line_height="70px" font_weight="700" text_align="left" content_custom_font="How To Install A Mini-Split Air Conditioner" color="#000000"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text]In this video, This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey explains how the pros retrofit a compact cooling unit.   Steps: 1. Turn off the electricity to the circuit. 2. Hold mounting bracket to the wall, level it, then mark the screw hole locations and where to bore a hole for the refrigeration lines, condensate discharge line and electrical cable. 3. From inside, bore hole into the block wall with rotary hammer and 3-inch-diameter masonry coring bit. Once the bit’s pilot penetrates the wall, finish boring the hole from the outside. 4. Screw the mounting bracket to the wall, making sure it’s level. 5. Install the air-conditioning unit to the wall-mounted bracket. Pass the refrigeration lines and condensate discharge line through the hole in the wall. 6. Attach a vertical chase directly below the hole in the exterior wall; the chase will house the refrigeration lines, condensate discharge line and electrical cable. 7. Extend the condensate discharge line down to within a few inches of the ground by attaching a length of PVC pipe. Secure the discharge line to the pipe with duct tape. Fasten the lower portion of the pipe to the chase by screwing on a metal C-clamp. 8. Carefully bend the copper refrigeration lines down into the chase. Use two adjustable wrenches to remove the compression fittings from the ends of the copper lines. 9. Slide a brass nut onto a new length of copper tubing, then use flaring tool to flare the end of the copper tubing. 10. Hold the tubing’s flared end against the end of the refrigeration line coming from the air conditioner. Hand-tighten the nut to hold the copper tubing to the refrigeration line. Repeat to attach the remaining refrigerant line. 11. Set the outdoor condensing unit onto a level pad adjacent to the chase. 12. Use two adjustable wrenches to tighten the compression fittings on the refrigerant lines. Then wrap pipe insulation around each line. 13. Run weather-tight conduit from an outdoor electrical box to the condenser unit. Feed electrical wires through the conduit. 14. Run a length of nonmetallic electrical cable from the condenser unit through the hole in the wall to the indoor air conditioning unit. 15. Snap the cover onto the chase to conceal and protect the lines and cable. 16. Make all electrical connections at condenser and at air conditioner, then pressure test the system with nitrogen to 300 pounds per square inch. 17. Vacuum out the nitrogen, then open valves to release refrigerant into the system. 18. Turn on the electricity and test the air conditioner.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]...

[vc_row][vc_column][qodef_custom_font font_family="Archivo" font_size="60px" line_height="70px" font_weight="700" text_align="left" content_custom_font="Solving The Energy Efficiency Quandary" color="#000000"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text]New research showing dismal results for energy efficiency in homes highlights the need for performance-based measures. By Richard Martin on July 8, 2015   WHY IT MATTERS Energy efficiency has long been viewed as the most cost-effective way to conserve energy and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.   American industries have done a good job of becoming more efficient. According to a new report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, the energy intensity of the U.S. economy (measured in BTUs consumed per dollar of GDP) has roughly halved since 1980. Energy use in the United States rose by 26 percent from 1980 to 2014, according to the group—a period when the U.S. GDP went up 149 percent.   Making homes more energy efficient has proved more difficult—and harder to measure. While the energy intensity of the residential sector has gone down slightly in recent years, the increase in average house size (along with greater use of home electronics) has meant that overall energy consumption by households has continued to rise, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That has fueled a search for more effective residential efficiency programs—and intensified the debate over their benefits relative to their costs.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]...

[vc_row][vc_column][qodef_custom_font font_family="Archivo" font_size="60px" line_height="70px" font_weight="700" text_align="left" content_custom_font="50 Reasons We Love Summer In Minnesota" color="#000000"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text]After the bitter-cold, never-ending winter, we’ve finally made it to summer. To celebrate this amazing season when the days get longer and filled with sun, the City Pages staff collected a few of our favorite things to do around the state. Without further ado, here’s our love letter to Minnesota summers. Did we miss anything? Leave your favorites in the comments!   50. Every couple of years or so, the Walker Art Center commissions artists, designers, students, and dreamers to create a one-of-a-kind mini golf course straight from imagination to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. With a view of the iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry to the downtown skyline, this mini golf course is a hole in one.   49. Let’s all agree that even if you like pedal pubs, there’s been at least one time when those rowdy beer drinkers screaming at everything under the sun have annoyed you. Why not engage in a little playful heckling? They’re all yelling at you anyways, so give ’em a piece of your mind. (Or indulge in your passive aggressive side on thisFacebook group.) Also, exercise and copious amounts of beer on tap at the same time? We’ll take our brews ice-cold and on solid ground, thanks.   48. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! See how the animal kingdom keeps cool during Minnesota’s hottest months at the Minnesota Zoo and the Como Zoo.   47. Hanging outside all night is something that’s way more pleasant during the summer… and it’s even better when you can roam around checking out experimental art installations, nomming on food-truck goods, and exploring the city in a whole new light… or lack thereof at the all-night Northern Spark.   46. Surfing. Yeah, that’s right. You can hang 10 in Lake Superior if you can handle the chilly, chilly water.   45. Throw some heavy balls around. Bocce balls, that is! Minneapolis has a ton of parks with space for regular old lawn bowling, and a few are equipped with actual courts. If you fancy yourself a bocce pro, hit up the Nomad World Pub for their annual tournament. Ditto for Brit’s Pub if you’re into starting a lawn bowling league while sipping Pimm’s Cups on their rooftop.   44. Openings at the mountain biking trails popping up all over Minnesota, like the internationally-recognized ones in the 800-acre Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area, abouttwo hours north of the Twin Cities.   43. Disc golf! With great courses like Kaposia, Acorn Park, and the one in Theodore Wirth, getting out and tossing some disc is a fun and cheap way to enjoy summertime.   42. The metro area has dozens of small wildlife reserves that welcome visitors. Take an afternoon stroll through the Lake Harriet Bird Sanctuary, the Wood Lake Nature Center, or the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge and try to spot some obscure creatures.   41. Minneapolis and St. Paul shut down their streets to motorized vehicles during Open Streets events.   40. After an entire winter of slurping soup and chowing down on rich food, we can’t wait to whip out the picnic blanket and chow down outside. From getting a meal to go, grilling food yourself, or just packing some bread and cheese, picnics are a uniquely summertime experience to savor. We recommend this spot for some of the best picnicking in the Twin Cities…   39. The little town of Grand Marais balloons up to 10 times its normal population for the annual Fisherman’s Picnic during the first week of August. If you’re in the area, it makes for a fun way to get out of the woods and enjoy some good old-fashioned carnival...

[vc_row][vc_column][qodef_custom_font font_family="Archivo" font_size="60px" line_height="70px" font_weight="700" text_align="left" content_custom_font="Minnesota State Fair’s Corn King Continues His Long Reign" color="#000000"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text]Happy 30th anniversary to Corn Roast, the stand serving sweet corn doused in butter at the Minnesota State Fair. We chatted with owner Brad Ribar, 59, about how his kernel of an idea turned him into the State Fair’s corn king.   When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up? I always knew I wanted to work for myself. When I was really young, maybe 4, I used to gather rubber binders and safety pins and sell them to neighbors. Later, I’d go door to door selling Christmas wreaths. When my brother and I were in high school, we took over a family business selling trees and wreaths wholesale. We sold that business in 2000.   What was your first job in food? My grandfather grew pumpkins so I could sell them on the street in South Minneapolis, where my grandpa lived. He also ran Corn Cabin, which used to be on 32nd Street and Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis. It was one of the first drive-in restaurants and served popcorn, caramel corn and root beer.   How did you come up with the idea for Corn Roast? My grandfather worked for the Minnesota State Fair grounds department most of his life. After he retired, he went back and ran the sanitation department. That’s how I got started at the Fair. In 1967, I started picking up papers and trash.   My uncle had a beer garden at the Wisconsin State Fair, and I visited him to see how they ran their sanitation services. While there, I saw a roasted sweet corn stand. That was new to me. I tried the corn, and it was so good I turned around and bought another one.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_video link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=PO8GBe-TEWo&feature=emb_logo" el_width="70" align="center"][/vc_column][/vc_row]...

[vc_row][vc_column][qodef_custom_font font_family="Archivo" font_size="60px" line_height="70px" font_weight="700" text_align="left" content_custom_font="Air Quality And Your Health" color="#000000"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text]Does anyone in your household suffer from burning eyes, sinus or chest congestion, allergies, asthma, frequent colds, sinus inflections, or even annoying snoring? The source of the problem might be in the air you and your family breathe at home. By reducing the amount of micro-organisms you breathe, you find relief from sathma and allergy symptoms, and generally improve overall health.   “Having a BreatheCLEAN is like having an immune system for your home.” – Dr. Robert Rakowski, Houston, TX   Even the cleanest homes have mold, viruses, bacteria, dust mites, and other germs floating in the air. By reducing the organisms you inhale, you can improve your quality of life!   The ultraviolet light rays breaks through the cell wall of the organism and destroys the DNA. This renders the organism unable to reproduce and cause illness. For example, when someone has a virus or a cold and coughs or sneezes in one room; those germs are spread to every room in the house, through the ventilation system, within 30 minutes. With a BreatheCLEAN purifier attached to the ventilation system, those germs are destroyed and cannot cause illness or irritate asthma or allergies.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]...

[vc_row][vc_column][qodef_custom_font font_family="Archivo" font_size="60px" line_height="70px" font_weight="700" text_align="left" content_custom_font="Savings Savings Savings With Titans" color="#000000"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text] If you’re looking for a new air conditioning and heating system, you’ve come to the right place. At Titan Heating and Cooling, we’ve got the right solutions at the right price.   NEED NEW EQUIPMENT? Ask us about our 24 Months NO Interest With Approved Credit on qualified systems.   PRE-SEASON EARLY BUY We have manufacturer rebate savings for our customers depending on what type of system you purchase: Air Conditioning systems have a potential savings of up to $450 and furnace systems have a potential savings of up to $500. Call Titan Heating & Cooling today to learn more details.   STILL NOT ENOUGH SAVINGS? We are running a 10% DISCOUNT FROM February Thru May 2017 for new system installations. **Must Be Paid By Check Or Financed With Titan Heating & Cooling In addition,  you can save an additional 5% if you schedule an install date in February or schedule in March or April for 3% savings instead. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]...

[vc_row][vc_column][qodef_custom_font font_family="Archivo" font_size="60px" line_height="70px" font_weight="700" text_align="left" content_custom_font="Should You Get Your Air Ducts And Dryer Vents Cleaned?" color="#000000"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text] Duct & Dryer Vent Cleaning Improves Energy Efficiency and Reduces Fire Risk! Dryer Vent Cleaning is one of the most-overlooked services in many homes. Clean Dryer Vents help dryers work more efficiently:   Your Dryers will last much longer due to less wear and tear Your will save on your Electric bills You greatly reduce Fire Risk   The National Fire Protection Association says clogged dryer vents contribute to nearly 30% of house fires. Is your dryer taking to long to dry your clothes? Is it Hot to the touch after a cycle? Does your laundry room get warm, or leave a musty or burning smell? Did you know Dust accumulation is a major source of indoor air contamination. With Today’s superior building materials it makes your home more secure and better sealed against outside elements than ever before. In doing so these advancements have done a lot to reduce your homes utility costs, but they have inadvertently created a new problem: Poor IAQ (Indoor Air Quality).   According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Indoor air quality (IAQ) has deteriorated to the point where the air inside our homes may be five to ten times more polluted than outside air!   It’s a major source for allergies and the discomfort they bring: sneezing, coughing, eye tearing, and skin rashes It can trigger asthma attacks It can aggravate respiratory diseases like chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) It can threaten the health of anyone with a compromised immune system   Your homes Air Ducts pick up lots of debris that contribute to poor indoor air quality, and even worse, they recirculate dirty air, making the problems worse.  Moisture can also build up, here are a few examples of how moisture can build up.   Due to insufficient ventilation in bathrooms and/or kitchens If you have not had yearly cleaning/maintenance of your Air conditioners Dirty humidifiers and filters Mold can easily sprout inside the above environments, particularly in high humidity regions Smoke that comes from Fireplaces, Wood Stoves, Dirty Furnaces, Gas space heaters, and Candles can easily contribute to polluted Indoor Air Tobacco products are well-documented sources for chemical contaminants as well   A visit from a professional air duct and dryer vent cleaning service from Titan Heating and Cooling will start saving you money and improve your quality of life:   Better and reliable over-all performance Fewer expensive repairs from wear and tear More energy efficiency, reducing your energy bills [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]...

[vc_row][vc_column][qodef_custom_font font_family="Archivo" font_size="60px" line_height="70px" font_weight="700" text_align="left" content_custom_font="Right Ac Filter Guide" color="#000000"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text] Have you always been getting the same air filter or thought all air filters are the same? There are different options you can explore and there are benefits to knowing the right size and type.   The Right Size: This is option is probably a no-brainer but it’s incredibly important to know the right size for your filter because it increase filtration effectiveness and helps lower your overall electricity bill.   The Right Type: Did you know each air filter has an effective filtration rating? It’s called a MERV rating (Minimum efficiency Reporting Value) that goes from from 1 to 16 from least to most efficient. Explore your options the next time you are the hardware store and see which filter works best with your system.   The Right Position: Again, another no-brainer but significant to have the filter facing the correct position; follow the airflow arrows to indicate which position the filter should go for proper airflow filtration.   The Right Duration: disposable filter should be replaced every 90 days and if you have pets, it should be replaced every 60 days for best effects. However, do keep in mind that it is a rule of thumb, so be mindful of your filter and it can be changed at anytime once you noticed decreased air quality. Also, it’s helpful to set regular reminders to change your filters so you don’t forget.   The Right People: Trust the certified HVAC technicians at Titan Heating & Cooling for more helpful tips and the care of your home’s HVAC system.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]...

[vc_row][vc_column][qodef_custom_font font_family="Archivo" font_size="60px" line_height="70px" font_weight="700" text_align="left" content_custom_font="Fall HVAC Tune Up" color="#000000"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text] A fall tune up is performed by our professional technicians to check for multiple maintenance points to insure your HVAC system is working effectively and efficiently. Our licensed technicians inspect each component of your system to identify repair vs. replace parts, system cleanings, minor adjustments, and overall maintenance. The team at Titan Heating & Cooling explains, an early fall HVAC tune up will get your system ready for cooler weather.   Scheduling a fall tune up provides several benefits to homeowners. Call us today to ensure your home’s system is prepared for cooler weather and reducing the risk of unexpected breakdowns and malfunctions. Most importantly, a fall tune up will always save you money in the long run. By maintaining your HVAC system, it works more effectively and creates energy efficiency that saves you money on your next electrical bill.   Demand for an HVAC tune up increases when the temperature begins to cool, take advantage of a Fall Tune Up now. You’ll be ahead of the game, and your comfort and family will be prepared for the cooler season.   Whether you need a fall tune up or other vital HVAC services, you can depend on the team at Titan Heating & Cooling. We will help your family stay comfortable all year long. To learn more about our heating and cooling services, or to request a quote, call 651-714-8931. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]...

[vc_row][vc_column][qodef_custom_font font_family="Archivo" font_size="60px" line_height="70px" font_weight="700" text_align="left" content_custom_font="Thankful For Hvac This Thanksgiving" color="#000000"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text] Out of sight and out of mind, we normally don’t think about our HVAC system more than we need to, unless it’s in need of repair or maintenance in blistering heat or freezing temperatures. However, HVAC system, including air conditioners, furnaces, heat pumps, and more are unsung heroes of comfort. It may not be a significant other, family, or pet, but this Thanksgiving, let’s be thankful for our HVAC system and all that it does to make our lives easier each and every day of the year.   In today’s age, we’ve grown accustom to coming home to a perfectly cooled or heated home as if it was second nature. We always depend on our HVAC system to keep the temperature within the 68 to 75 comfort zone with perfect humidity levels and don’t pay attention to it unless trouble arises. So let’s be thankful for the things we never second guess.   It may seem silly to give outward praise and acknowledgement to a piece of technology especially an air conditioning unit at this year’s Thanksgiving table. However, we should all keep in the back of our mind where the comfort we enjoy day in and day out come from, our high efficiency and energy saving HVAC systems. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]...