Want to learn more about energy efficient heat pumps, including solar?

We often receive questions about energy efficient products, particularly heat pumps. As you know, the Richmond summers can be scorchingly hot and extremely humid so it's important to keep your home cool and comfortable all year long with the right heat pump for Richmond area homes.

It's also important that you have the right products that fit your home size and give you the desired energy efficiency. A list of Energy Star qualified heat pumps are found on our website, including the first integrated solar-assisted residential heating and cooling system -- the Lennox XPG20 SunSource™ Comfort System.

If you want to know more about the Dave Lennox Signature® Collection XPG20 SunSource™ Comfort System, here are the energy efficiency specifications:

• Efficiency ratings of up to 18.20** SEER and 9.70** HSPF—can save you hundreds of dollars a year, compared to a standard heat pump
• Single solar panel—provides freely available renewable energy to offset the electric usage of the heating and cooling system
• ENERGY STAR® qualified—meets or exceeds EPA guidelines for energy efficiency
• This product qualifies for a tax credit under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.***

You can even download the full consumer brochure.

If you have any specific questions about the technical specifications or the energy efficiency of heat pumps, please call the Marshall Mechanical office at 804.323.0189. We would be happy to take your call and, if you'd like, set up an appointment to provide you with an analysis of your current HVAC system compared to newer, more energy efficient products, both from the standpoint of energy and cost reduction.

We're here to help you reduce your carbon footprint as well as to save you money each month on energy costs on your Richmond area home.

$28 million in Stimulus provides RVA Homeowners with Energy Efficiency Rebate of up to $2,000; Federal Tax Credits of 30% of purchases

If you caught NBC WWBT 12's new story this morning, you already know that Virginia is receiving $28 million from the Federal government to help homeowners become more energy efficient in the form of an energy rebate of up to $2,000. According to the news story by Laura Geller, if the stimulus program is successful, Virginia is apt to receive another $35 million.

These Virginia state rebates are in addition to the Federal Tax Credits we told you about earlier this year.

If you own an existing home, you can qualify for Federal Tax Credits of 30% of the cost, up to $1,500, in 2009 and 2010, for replacement windows and doors, insulation, roofs, HVAC, water heaters (non-solar) and biomass stoves. For HVAC, this means energy efficient air conditioners, heat pumps, climate controls or programmable thermostats, etc. Sure, up to $1,500 credit is really good but listen up.

Here's the unbelievable news... If you are a homeowner of an existing home OR if you are building a new home, Federal tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, WITH NO UPPER LIMIT for the following: Geothermal Heat Pumps, Solar Heat Panels, Solar Water Heaters, as well as small wind energy systems and fuel cells.

This is in addition to the Virginia State rebate on energy efficiency just announced, of up to $2,000. As soon as the details of the stimulus rebate are posted on the VA Stimulus website, we will post again to give you that link.

Marshall Mechanical is experienced in installing Geothermal Heat Pumps by WaterFurnace and is a WaterFurnace HVAC dealer right here in Richmond VA. WaterFurnace has helpful information on their website to educate the home owner about using the 30% tax credits.

Like to know more about what the U.S. Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has to say about the Return on Investment of Geothermal Heat Pumps? You can read the full article right here. What you need to know is that while the installation price is of a geothermal unit is higher than that of traditional air-source systems of the same heating and cooling capacity, the additional costs are returned to the homeowner in energy savings in as little as 5-10 years. System life is estimated at 25 years for the inside components and 50+ years for the ground loop.

At Marshall Mechanical, we are your Richmond VA Green Home and Energy Efficiency experts. We will help you navigate through the Virginia State Stimulus Rebate for Energy Efficiency and we will help you get the paperwork right to apply for the Federal Tax Credits. Most of all, we will work with you one-on-one to take the time to answer all your questions about what HVAC units or programmable thermostats are best for your home. We can even give you a estimated calculation of Geothermal heat pump monthly savings for your home in just minutes.

Your Richmond area home is an investment. Let us help you maximize it. Call Sean Cantrell or Mike Smith at 804.323.0189 today to help you take advantage of the Virginia energy efficiency stimulus rebates and Federal tax credits. And then enjoy your comfortable home and your energy savings for years to come.

You can’t control the Richmond VA summer heat but you CAN control your energy costs.

With temperatures rising and energy costs continuing to soar, there are a variety of steps you can take to cut the expenses of cooling your home this summer.

"Cooling and heating equipment use more energy than any other appliance. This inevitably shows up every month on the energy bill, but it’s important to remember that energy costs can be controlled," said Sean Cantrell, owner of Marshall Mechanical.

Annual Maintenance

One step to control energy costs is to schedule annual maintenance checks to make sure your unit is running efficiently. Most cooling systems require very little owner maintenance. However, operating dirty cooling equipment can result in an unnecessary loss of efficiency and can damage the furnace. You play a vital role in making sure your cooling system continues to operate at peak performance.

High Efficiency Cooling Equipment

If you’re in the market for a new cooling unit, consider purchasing a high efficiency model. They can help reduce your energy costs as well as conserve our natural resources. When selecting an air conditioner or heat pump, pay close attention to the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). This is a measure of cooling efficiency for air conditioners. The higher the SEER, the higher the savings. The minimum SEER rating is 13.

Zoning

Zoning can drastically lower your heating costs. With zoning, you no longer have to pay to heat or cool areas of your home that are rarely used. You won’t have to heat or cool the whole house just to make one room comfortable. Zoning divides your home into separate comfort areas, which are heated or cooled based on your needs.

Programmable Thermostats

Programmable or setback thermostats can make a big difference in energy consumption. These thermostats deliver maximum comfort, efficiency, and energy savings. Setback thermostats are used to achieve the temperatures you want throughout your home. For example, if you’re going to be away, you can set the whole house at an energy-saving temperature to avoid heating an empty house. If you have setback thermostats, you can program them to have your living areas comfortable when you arrive home.

To find out more about reducing your Richmond VA cooling costs, call Sean Cantrell or Mike Smith at Marshall Mechanical today at 804.323.0189.

Is it too hot and your air conditioning isn't working? Or got a water leak and need a Richmond plumber? Are you remodeling your kitchen or bath?

No matter what the Richmond summer brings you as far as air conditioning or plumbing problems or service needs, Marshall Mechanical has the answers. We're available 24/7 for HVAC or plumbing emergencies and we offer same day water heater replacement and guaranteed next day HVAC service in the RVA and surrounding counties of Hanover, Henrico and Chesterfield.

At Marshall Mechanical, we're dedicated to solving your Richmond air conditioning or plumbing problems, quickly and easily. When you're having trouble with any of your HVAC systems or need a Richmond plumber in a hurry, our technicians will assess the situation and walk you through what is necessary to fix the problem as soon as possible. And we often will give you a temporary solution, like a window air conditioning unit for your bedroom, to help you stay comfortable while we take the time to fix the problem right.

• If you require a new HVAC system, an additional system, or if you're planning to remodel, a member of our sales team will come out to your home or business for an on-site consultation at your convenience, offering you options for high-efficiency and high-value systems that will save you money each month on both your cooling as well as heating bills.


• We even have options such as the industry's first solar assisted heat pump by Lennox and we're installing the first one in the Central Virginia area, which is one family's first step toward living off the grid!


• Or we can explain the benefits of the WaterFurnace geothermal energy heat pump, which is "The World's Greenest Heating and Cooling Systems."

• And we'll explain how you can may qualify for Energy Efficiency Federal tax credits too.
  

And our expert plumbing team, led by master Richmond plumbers, will replace hot water heaters, upgrade faucets, fixtures and toilets, clean drains, even install gas lines and appliances. And you can call us for big jobs, like water line and sewer line replacements too. We are here to service all your Richmond cooling and plumbing needs throughout the summer.

So for all your Richmond Plumber and HVAC needs both now and year round, please call Mike Smith at 804.323.0189 to schedule a service appointment today. Remember, we're available 24/7 for any cooling or plumbing emergencies so you can easily protect the investment you've made in your home or business.

And, yes, we service commercial HVAC design, build and maintenance clients too.

Be a part of the Music for Massey event! Sam Bush Band, The Waybacks & More! Get tix for June 11th!

Want to have fun on June 11th and do something wonderful for charity at the same time? Then come to the Music for Massey event on Thursday, June 11th, at the Science Museum of Virginia's outdoor Garner Pavilion! Gates will open at 6pm and the concert begins at 7pm.

Marshall Mechanical is sponsoring this event and we know you'll have fun listening to the Sam Bush Band, The Waybacks and more. If you want to see some sample videos, go to the http://www.musicformassey.com/ web page. And you can order your tickets right here. General admission is just $20 and proceeds benefit a great cause for the VCU Massey Cancer Center.

Join us in helping our community and the people we serve.

Richmond HVAC Engineer Talks Twitter at Virginia Council of CEOs Luncheon.

Sean Cantrell, owner of Marshall Mechanical, gets the opportunity to share the stage with Dave Saunders, president of Madison & Main, at last Thursday's Virginia Council of CEOs luncheon.

Sean tells his peers how social networking, blogging, key website changes and SEO/PPC ads have all positively impacted his business in just the last few months.

"Much of the new residential business Marshall Mechanical has received recently has been from new customers finding our company online, reading our blog, following us on Twitter or checking out our LinkedIn profile," Sean says.

And there's more helpful information coming on the website and the blog for both residential customers as well as commercial. Just today, Sean announced he'd match the residential Lennox rebates dollar-for-dollar thru the Lennox June 12th spring offer period, up to $1,200.

In addition to providing Richmond HVAC and plumbing services, Sean is available for speaking engagements or panel discussions on social networking or engineering design and solutions. Please call the Marshall Mechanical office at 804.323.0189 for more information.

Worried about cooling your home properly in the RVA summer heat? Double the Lennox rebate savings and more thru June 12th!

Are you worried about your home staying cool and comfortable all summer long in the Richmond VA heat and humidity? Is your Richmond HVAC system outdated and not as energy-efficient as you'd like it to be? Would you like to purchase a new HVAC system when the savings opportunity is significant both at time of installation and on your energy bills every month, and also qualify for 2009 Federal tax credits?

Marshall Mechanical is in it's final days of the Lennox Spring Rebate program. As you may know, rebates are available for any Lennox full HVAC system installed by June 12, 2009. Now, to save you even more money, Marshall Mechanical will match, dollar for dollar, any Lennox heating and air conditioning rebate you qualify for within their Spring program.

What does this mean for the RVA homeowner? It means there's no better time to replace your Richmond HVAC system than right now. Here are all the ways in which you can save:

1. The 2009 Lennox Spring promotion allows Marshall Mechanical to customize an HVAC system based on your home's specific requirements. We can pick a Lennox system from a range of qualifying products from their outdoor, indoor, healthy climate and controls lines and the homeowner will be eligible for a rebate of up to $1,200 for buying one in each category. The rebate includes up to $1,200 for a system purchased and installed by June 12, 2009.
2. As a special Memorial Day offer effective today, May 23rd, Marshall Mechanical will now match whatever Lennox HVAC rebate the homeowner qualifies for, dollar for dollar in savings. This amount will be deducted from your estimate. This means the homeowner can qualify for up to an additional $1,200 in savings. This offer will be good for HVAC systems installed by June 12, 2009.
3. And the homeowner can still qualify for up to $1,500 in Federal tax credits which are available on HVAC and non-solar water heaters for those installed in 2009 & 2010 in existing homes. This gives you YET ANOTHER way to save.
4. And all this is IN ADDITION to the savings you'll get each month by having a new more energy-efficient unit installed in your home for true comfort all year round. This could add up to hundreds of dollars in savings each year.

There's truly no better time to replace your Richmond HVAC / heating and air conditioning system than right now. At Marshall Mechanical, we really mean it when we say "your home is an investment and we help you maximize it!"

For an immediate estimate on replacing your Richmond HVAC unit with Lennox products and to take advantage of all of the savings opportunities we mentioned above, please call Sean Cantrell or Mike Smith at 804.323.0189. CALL TODAY!

Once we visit your home and write up an estimate, we can review the details of the HVAC products with you over the phone and show you the products' exact specifications with our new Lennox online system on our website, giving you all the information you need and more. And we can also show you how much money you'd save on your monthly cooling and heating bills. We aim to be the most helpful, creative and solutions-oriented Richmond HVAC service provider in the area! (And Richmond plumber too!)