Reminder! It's Gonna be HOT!

Happy Friday to all! To some, it's not so happy because it's rainy and dreary outside...fear not! It will be sunny and HOT this weekend. Make sure you stay safe outside all weekend.

Our air conditioner $30 instant savings sale is on and in full force! People have been pouring in today getting their hands on a great deal on an A/C that will definitely keep them cool this weekend. To let you in on a little secret, we've dropped the price again on one of our air conditioners this weekend only...purchase the Frigidaire FAA055P7A this weekend only and pay only $89 after $30 instant savings (see blog below for details or visit percys.com)!

During the "warm season", the hardest working appliance in your home is your refrigerator. Because it works so hard, it may work TOO hard and start to shut down. So here are some tips to a more efficient refrigerator:

1. Always ensure refrigerator has its own power outlet (no double adapters).
2. Position the fridge to allow good airflow on all sides.
3. Keep condenser (grill on back) and the compressor motor free of dust and dirt.
4. Regularly clean the outside with warm water (cirtushine if you have stainless steel)
5. Same procedure for door seals.
6. Internal cleaning maybe assisted by adding 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda to each 500ml or water.
7. Bicarb is also to keep defrost drains free of blockages. Mix with water and pour down drain regularly.
8. If going away, leave fridge turned on at a low setting on the thermostat.
9. Adjust front legs higher than the rear to allow doors to self close.

If you are having any additional issues with your fridge, you can call our service department and simply let them know the issues you are having. You may need to have your fridge serviced. If so, call 1-866-590-1777 to schedule an appointment.

Remember to keep cool this weekend anyway you can. If you need an A/C, you can go here. If not, then enjoy your cool room with the family and don't forget to root on the Celtics this weekend!

CELTICS: the Road to FREE TVs

Game by Game ticker info for those who participated in Percy's Celtics Promo

Game 1 synopsis: Despite an almost crippling injury situation, Paul Pierce came back out to the court to score 15 points in the 3rd quarter ending with a Celtics win over the Lakers in Game 1 (98-88). The Celtics led 3 out of 4 quarters to take down the Lakers in a late starting game 1 situation. The '07-'08 best record (season) Celtics are only 3 away from winning their first Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy since '87, and you as a customer who participated in our Celtics promo, are 3 wins away from having your merchandise for FREE! Keep in touch as I update this blog on Monday after the completion of Game 2!

Take care this weekend,

-Brian

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A Few Reminders...

I wanted to extend a warm welcome to all those who are new to Percy's blog. If this is your first time viewing this, I am trying to make this area a good spot to let you know of some upcoming events, hints and tips, money saving ideas, and even a recipe here and there.

There's a lot going on in the month of June and July. Some of the events are too early to tell, but it's going to be a promising summer for heat and humidity. I've been talking about air conditioners and I'll cover some hints and tips on dehumidifiers next week, but today I'm going to cover just a few things.

If you live in the New England area then you're well aware that the Boston Celtics are taking on the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals tonight. These two teams have gone head to head 11 times over a course of around 46 years. Boston has won 8 out of these 11 match ups and the last time the Celtics won the championship was in 1987 against the, you guessed it, the Lakers. Why is this important you ask? Percy's ran a promotion back in December which allowed customers to purchase electronics with the hopes and dreams that the Celtics would win the championship. They did this because Percy's would foot the bill if the win! Sorry, anyone who wants to go for this promo NOW, it's a little too late! But for those who participated in this, the fruits of your dedication are about to show as you root for the Celtics to WIN! I'll keep you updated daily with my own little "Celtics: the Road to FREE TVs" tracker. In the mean time, keep your hopes up and the negativity down and GO CELTICS!

The latest weather shows ALL weekend being 90+ degree weather and all the meteorologists are urging people to check on their air conditioners and make sure they are working properly. Check yours out here. If you need a new one, you can check out our promo here.

Take care,

-Brian Read More!

Air Conditioner Upcoming Sale

Ok. So we've talked about which A/C is right for you and also some energy saving tips, but what about replacing your current older model or even your non-Energy Star model? "What can you do for me?", you ask? The current weekend outlook shows 90 degree heat all weekend long here in Massachusetts so Percy's is going to help you stay cool this weekend and all summer long while also saving you money!

If you are an Nstar or National Grid customer, then you are eligible for a $30 instant savings on any Energy Star air conditioner this weekend (June 7th & 8th). That means you can get an air conditioner starting at only $99! Of course you must be an Nstar or National Grid customer to be eligible, but what if you're not? Well for me, I live in a town that doesn't use Nstar or National Grid for their electricity but there IS still savings for me. My town will give me $25 just for buying an Energy Star air conditioner! We have many towns that help support us with selling Energy Star products and you can see if your town is listed here. If you town is NOT listed here, then just simply call your town or city's office and ask if they give reimbursements for Energy Star products. What will it cost you? It may save you money!

Now, before you come down to Percy's this weekend, think of this. What are you going to do with your current, older model air conditioner? Bring it with you! Seriously. I did some research for you, and learned that it normally costs you $35 to $80 to put your air conditioner on the side of the road for the trash company to pick up. It may even cost more depending on size! That's way too much money! This weekend only, Percy's will take your old model for FREE! On top of a big savings on a new air conditioner, you'll even save money in getting rid of your old one! Where else could you go and save up to $110 and keep cool in one weekend? If there were ever a time to get your A/C with big savings...now is that time! You can see this current promotion and all the details here.

If you'd like to get updates on all Percy's promotions, click here. It costs nothing to you but may help you save alot of money on your next appliance or electronics purchase.

Enjoy another well-made recipe from weber.com listed below and take care,

-Brian

Rotisserie 5 Spice Chicken

from Weber’s Real Grilling™ by Jamie Purviance

Prep time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: 4 to 6 hours
Grilling time: 1 to 1-1/4 hours

Marinade
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate, defrosted
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds

1. In a medium bowl whisk the marinade ingredients.

2. Remove and discard the wing tips, giblets and any excess fat from the chicken. Place the chicken in a large, resealable plastic bag, and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal it tightly. Turn the bag several times to coat the chicken evenly with the marinade. Place the bag in a bowl and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours, turning the bag occasionally.

3. Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade. Truss the chicken with twine. Following the grill’s instructions, secure the chicken in the middle of the rotisserie’s spit, put the spit in place, and turn the rotisserie on. Let rotate over indirect high heat (450°F to 550°F) until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 170°F in the breast and 180°F in the thickest part of the thigh, 1 to 1-1/4 hours. Keep the lid closed as often as possible during grilling. Check the chicken after 30 minutes; if the skin is browning too quickly, reduce the heat to indirect medium.

4. When the chicken is fully cooked, turn off the rotisserie and, using thick pot holders, remove the spit from the grill. Slide the chicken from the spit onto a cutting board, being careful not to splatter yourself with the hot juices. Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before carving into serving pieces. Serve warm.

Makes 4 servings

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Air Conditioner Tips

So by now you may have an A/C in your window, your wall, or rolling around your home (if not, this weekend you will. I'll talk about that tomorrow). But how do you make it so that your investment works at 100% each and every time, each and every year? I'm going to give you a few tips you will help your A/C last for years to come. If you haven't purchased a new A/C in the recent years, these tips may help you even with your older model.

1. Keep the outside clear.

If you've ever put an A/C in your window/wall yourself, you know that the back of the air conditioner that sticks outside is sharp and full of metal "fins". It's kind of painful if you grab it the wrong way and it actually can dent very easily. Behind these "fins" is actually the condensing coil. This is the part of the air conditioner that handles the warmer air that is pulled from your room and it evaporates outside. This part of the A/C is very important and needs to be free of any fences, debris, decks, grass, leaves, or anything else that would prohibit the evaporator from working properly. The more it's blocked, the less warm air gets pulled from your room.

2. Keep the inside clean.

Along with the condensing coil, there is an evaporator coil. This is located at the front of your A/C unit. It can get dirty over a few years time as well as the rear condensing coil. Both of which can be cleaned by any service technician (schedule yours here) and can greatly improve the length of time your air conditioner lasts, as well as the efficiency of the air flow. If the front coil is NOT cleaned regularly, it can be very unhealthy for you and your family and could also cause the air conditioner to run more frequent. What would cause it to run more frequent? Well, if the dirt and debris isn't cleaned from the front coil, in turn, this means less humidity being allowed to pass through the coils. If the thermostat is set to a certain temperature, then the unit will continue to work until it reaches this temperature. Keep the inside clean and you'll have a more efficient air conditioner. And don't forget to change your filter (if equipped) regularly. Most of these filters can be found at any hardware store.

3. Simple tips that help.

Raise the thermostat a few degrees and use fans to circulate the air instead of keeping it blasted at 52º. The higher you raise the temperature the more money you save (each degree saves you 5% on average). When you leave your home for a day, few days, or even a week, turn your air conditioner off completely and even unplug the unit to save on energy. Keep your window shades or blinds drawn to keep the solar heat out of your home. The "darker" or "shadier" your room is the cooler. And as always, keep all windows and doors closed to keep the maximum amount of cooler air inside your home.

Following these simple tips will help your air conditioner last from summer to summer. If you need a new air conditioner, we have models starting at $89 after rebate. If you're just not ready to pull your old one out but need some expert advice, call us at 1-866-590-1777, or click here.



Quick History of the Air Conditioner:
information courtesy of wikipedia.org

"In 1902 the first modern electrical air conditioning was invented by Willis Haviland Carrier. Designed to improve manufacturing process control in a printing plant, his invention controlled not only temperature but also humidity. The low heat and humidity were to help maintain consistent paper dimensions and ink alignment. Later Carrier's technology was applied to increase productivity in the workplace, and The Carrier Air Conditioning Company of America was formed to meet rising demand. Over time air conditioning came to be used to improve comfort in homes and automobiles. Residential sales expanded dramatically in the 1950s.

In 1906, Stuart W. Cramer of Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, was exploring ways to add moisture to the air in his textile mill. Cramer coined the term "air conditioning", using it in a patent claim he filed that year as an analogue to "water conditioning", then a well-known process for making textiles easier to process. He combined moisture with ventilation to "condition" and change the air in the factories, controlling the humidity so necessary in textile plants. Willis Carrier adopted the term and incorporated it into the name of his company. This evaporation of water in air, to provide a cooling effect, is now known as evaporative cooling." Read More!

Deciding Which Air Conditioner Is Right For You

If you didn't already know what type of air conditioner is right for your home, I hope that at the end of this blog you'll know exactly what is best for the upcoming warm weather.

It's a well known fact around New England that during the winter, it's bone-chilling cold, and during the summer it can get VERY hot and humid. But some of you may be using either too small of an air conditioner for your room, or may be using an older non-Energy Star air conditioner, or aren't even using one at all because you don't know what to buy. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. What is right for your room application:

Take a look around the room that you spend most of your time in that you wish you had an air conditioner in there. Are there windows? Is there a wall that borders the outside? Is there even a plug in the room (grounded)? Coming up with the answer tells you what style to buy. There are:

A. In-Window Air Conditioners

B. In-Wall Air Conditioners

C. Portable Air Conditioners

In-Window A/C's range from small capacity to even large capacity and I would say are the second easiest to install. All you need is a window opening large enough to fit it, a 110 or (in some cases) a 220 outlet, and depending on how big it is, an extra hand to help put it in!

In-Wall A/C's also range from small capacity to even large but are a little harder to install. You'll need a wall that borders the outside and you'll have to cut a hole in the wall large enough to fit it (ask us about installation). These A/C's may be best for larger room applications.

Portable A/C's are the easiest of them all. A plug is all you need to run this A/C in any room you want to be in (most models)! These A/C's can roll from room to room and keep you cool, but you'll have to have a hose long enough to reach outside handy or even a 5 gallon bucket will do to catch the moisture the A/C pulls from the room.

2. What is right for your room size?

There is a simple formula that all A/C's use to determine cooling and it is called BTU (British Thermal Unit). The dictionary defines btu as "a unit of heat equal to the amount of heat required to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit at one atmosphere pressure...". Basically, they measure the amount of heat an air conditioning unit can remove from any room. The larger the btu, the more heat it will remove. This can be broken down into a simpler formula:


Measure your room lenghtwise and then measure it widthwise. So for example, if your room is 10' x 10', then you have a 100 square foot room and would require a 5,000 BTU A/C. A 25' x 22' room would be 550 square feet and would need a 12,000 BTU A/C. Use this formula to figure out what size A/C you would need.
(*image courtesy of energystar.gov click to enlarge)

3. Purchasing Energy Star Air Conditioners really make the difference:

If you were to replace your current non-Energy Star A/C with a new Energy Star model while following our simple buying guide, you'll save up to 10% on your overall bill (according to Energy Star). That could be $20 to $25 a month! Make sure you replace the filter yearly to keep the unit running properly.

Percy's has all your A/C needs in-stock and a knowledgable sales staff to help you make your decisions. If you already have an A/C and need a tune up, click here. Or, if you want to see our selections of new A/C's, click here.

Take care and thanks for reading,

-Brian

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