Keep your home cool all season long
By Laura Briedis
While the woolly bears in Vermilion and groundhogs in Punxsutawney may help predict winter’s severity, Hinckley’s buzzard sightings are a sure sign that spring is on its way.
When that first buzzard swoops back to the roost in the Hinckley Reservation every year on March 15, it heralds spring. This year, however, the cold, wet weather doesn’t want to loosen its grip quite yet.
Regardless of what these critters may predict, S&S Heating, Cooling & Sheet Metal is helping homeowners stay comfortable year-round.
A trusted local business established three decades ago, this family-owned company expertly installs, services and provides preventative maintenance on all types of heating and cooling systems including gas, electric, boiler and steam, as well as tank and tankless water heaters.
“Our mission is to ensure customer comfort,” says Mark Staron II, who is the second “S” in S&S Heating, Cooling & Sheet Metal.
His parents, Mark Sr. and Gayle, founded the business in 1989. As the vice president of the Hinckley Chamber of Commerce, Mark Sr. champions all things local and is a proud sponsor of Buzzard Day.
Tuning Up
With a dedicated staff of certified tune-up technicians, the company recommends homeowners get a precision tune-up once the weather reaches 60 degrees.
“Think of an annual cooling tune-up as if it were an oil change for your home,” says Mark. “You’d never think of going without one for your car or it wouldn’t operate properly.”
“This is a thorough two-hour service with a 30-plus item checklist,” he explains. “We don’t just look over your unit. We are tuning, cleaning, lubricating and making any necessary adjustments to keep your cooling system running at peak efficiency.”
S&S also offers a Preferred Customer Maintenance Program that can save customers money by extending equipment life, preventing costly repairs and ensuring the equipment is operating safely. In addition to including two tune-ups a year, if there are any problems, these maintenance plan clients are given priority when scheduling service and they receive a 15 percent discount on service repair parts and labor.
“It is important to note that many of the manufacturer’s warranties are void if the homeowner does not do regular maintenance,” notes Gayle.
Staying Cool
If you have been thinking about getting a new air conditioner, now is the time.
“For homeowners who have an air conditioner built before 2012 with the old R-22, it is more cost effective to get a new unit rather than replacing the refrigerant that is being phased out,” says Gayle.
At S&S, the staff helps you make informed decisions and sort through the cooling products, from the latest central air conditioners to mini splits and heat pumps.
“We sell and install leading brands such as Trane,” notes Mark.
“We also can build our own ductwork through our sheet metal fabrication facility in Hinckley or with our mobile truck shop. This comes in handy if we need to reroute a duct to adjust the level of comfort of a room.”
S&S also can add Trane CleanEffects whole-house air filtration unit to reduce contaminants and purify the air to get rid of allergens, germs and odors.
Getting Smarter
It is not only your phone that is smart nowadays, as homes are becoming smarter.
“Nexia home automation systems take your home’s comfort and efficiency to a new level,” says Mark. “Not only can you control your heating and cooling units through Wi-Fi from your phone, tablet or computer, but we can also monitor your system and get an alert when something is wrong. This way we often can solve a problem remotely so you don’t need to pay for a service call.”
For instance, Mark Sr. points out that they have a client who lives in Arizona during the winter and when the temperature dipped below a certain level signifying a problem in her North Royalton home, S&S was able to troubleshoot and address the problem.
In addition to controlling your heating and cooling units, Nexia can control more than 400 smart home products, including lighting, door locks, security cameras and sprinkler systems.
“With all of the high-tech touches nowadays, we still take pride in old-fashioned customer service,” says Mark Sr. “We learn about our customers and they learn about us, so together we can find the best solutions.”
S&S Heating, Cooling & Sheet Metal is located at 1353 Ridge Road in Hinckley. All S&S technicians are certified in heating and air conditioning installation and repair from leading manufacturers and North American Technician Excellence (NATE). Call 440-237-3663 or visit SSHeating.com for more information.