SafeAire Heating & Cooling Building Share in Residential Market
Thursday, April 3rd, 2014
Over the past three years, SafeAire Heating & Cooling has focused on building its share of the residential market. With new training programs, ramped-up marketing and an emphasis on customer satisfaction, the company has grown its residential business.
"We focus on putting our customer needs first. We always tell our technical service and support professionals that we are in the people business – we just happen to be installing and servicing air conditioners," said Matt Lane, Director of Sales and Service for Residential at SafeAire.
The company was founded in 1964 by SafeAire President C.H. "Red" Carr, who is still at work at 6:15 every morning, according to Lane. SafeAire serves residential, commercial and industrial customers and has a large staff of technical service and support employees. The company has been designated as a "Trane Comfort Specialist™" – an honor earned by only a select group of dealers who meet Trane’s stringent standards of professionalism and technical expertise.
Keeping up with a changing market
The residential market for heating and cooling has changed considerably over the past 10 years with the advent of new technologies and a drive for greater energy efficiency. According to Lane, heating and cooling systems can account for about 60 percent of the energy consumed by a household and represent the most expensive appliance purchase.
"Units that run on variable speed rather than a single speed are one of the biggest advances in energy efficiency. I compare it to driving a car. In the city with lots of stop and go, you use a lot of fuel. In the country where you drive for a long stretch you use less. Variable speed units are similar to a car driving in the country," Lane explained.
Other advances include programmable thermostats and smart thermostats. Programmable thermostats let users set specific temperatures by day and time of day so that units run only when the air conditioning or heating is needed. Smart thermostats connect to wireless networks and can be controlled remotely from a smartphone. These units also learn programming preferences as users change settings.
In addition to these technologies, SafeAire also offers home automation services that give customers more control over appliances in their homes. For examples, doors can be locked or unlocked remotely, cameras can be added to thermostats and users can view a table showing the run time and energy consumption of their heating or cooling unit over time.
Providing the basics
Just as important as new technologies is a focus on the basics. SafeAire recommends twice-a-year maintenance on heating and cooling systems.
"It's just like your car. If you don't do annual maintenance, you have a higher probability of breakdowns or increased fuel consumption," Lane said.
Duct cleaning is another regular service that households should consider. Georgia's humid climate encourages substances to grow inside ductwork, according to Lane.
"We come in and remove anything that's built up in the ducts and treat the duct system with a microbioside that really improves the air quality in your home," Lane said.
SafeAire also offers advanced systems that can proactively help clean the air in your home. Developed to help fight the bird flu epidemic a decade ago, the technology emits hydrogen peroxide ions, which help eliminate allergens and viruses in the air, according to Lane.
A community partner
SafeAire is one of four primary sponsors of the Phoebe Foundation's Children's Miracle Network. They also sponsor area sports teams and local schools.
"It's all part of being in the people business," Lane said.
More information on SafeAire Heating and Cooling is available at www.safeaire.com.
