REGINA AUTO REPAIR & SERVICE technicians are well equipped to repair your vehicle and get you back on the road.

Car Air Conditioning…. Helpful tips on maintenance.

Car air conditioners were once a great luxury, but alas now a common feature on cars. While the servicing of modern air conditioning systems is best left to air conditioning technicians, you can get more enjoyment from your ac system if you know a bit about how it functions and what malfunctions you should be on the lookout for.

Car manufacturers recommend that Air Conditioning systems (AC & Climate Control) are serviced every two years, which should include cleaning the refrigerant gas and the lubricating oil, as well as carrying out a system leak test. Over time the air conditioning gases in your car will escape from the AC or Climate Control system. This is because car air conditioning systems “are” designed to leak. Car engines vibrate, piping moves and the rubber ‘O’ rings expand and contract allowing leakage. This allows the performance of the air conditioning system to gradually deteriorate. The other system components are forced to work harder in order to compensate, leading to potential catastrophic failure, which will certainly be expensive to repair.
 

Some vital facts on car air-conditioning systems:

Foul smells coming from the air conditioning may be caused by a buildup of bacteria.

As your car ages, or when the air conditioning systems are used infrequently, bacteria, micro-organisms, mould and fungus may start growing behind the dash panel on the evaporator causing some very unpleasant odours. Some people claim this can result in headaches and flu-like symptoms sometimes referred to as “sick car syndrome.” This can be solved by using an anti-bacterial treatment that destroys the bacteria growth and leaves your car smelling fresh again and new again.

If your car does not feel cold enough, then it may be time to recharge your system.

 If you feel that your car doesn’t feel as cold as your buddies’ car, then your air-con may need servicing. The air conditioning system in your vehicle is not usually covered by most manufacturers' servicing tasks and the refrigerant gas that is used to operate the system depletes over time. On average most vehicles lose up to 15% annually. This leakage can be caused when the air conditioning is not used during the winter months thus allowing the small “O” ring seals to dry out resulting in a gradual deterioration in air-con performance. If this continues, eventually the system will not be able to function at all.
Most problems of this type can be put right fairly easily by having a leak check of your system followed by a complete refill of your refrigerant, often referred to as a re-gas. 

Using your air conditioning all year round helps maintain the system. 

If you run the air conditioning during winter it will help to keep the system well lubricated and leak-tight because the refrigerant actually carries the oil that lubricates the system and the compressor. It also keeps the seals and hoses moist, preventing them from drying out and cracking which leads to leaks.

Strange noises coming from the air conditioning should be checked immediately.

If your air conditioning suddenly starts making noises you haven’t heard before it’s advisable to have a qualified air conditioning specialist have a look at it. Some noises could be early symptoms of a compressor (air conditioning pump) failure. The compressor is the most expensive part on the system and if the bearings in your compressor break down or if the compressor seizes up it also means that other components can become contaminated with metal particles. A flush of the system would then be needed as well as replacement of the compressor, the receiver/drier and the expansion valve – which could lead to a big bite into your hip pocket.

Don’t worry about a pool of water forming under your car after using the A/C.

If you see a puddle of water on the ground, don’t be alarmed. This is a normal occurrence, as it is only water dripping from the air conditioning evaporator. The evaporator has a drain tube fitted to allow the condensation from the evaporator to drain away from the vehicle. So don’t be afraid that it’s some sort of leak.

Excessive moisture inside the car can be fixed easily

Sometimes the drain tube from the evaporator may become blocked or detached allowing condensation to build up inside your evaporator. If this occurs water will just build up inside your car to a point where carpets are damp or misting occurs. These problems can be solved with low-cost servicing.

Have your air conditioning serviced regularly, even if you have no visible problems.

Just as the other systems of your car need servicing regularly, the same applies to the air conditioning system. The compressor needs oil, or else it will seize up. The filter collects debris and moisture. If the filter becomes blocked, then the performance of the system will deteriorate and it can even stop working entirely (probably when you need it most!)

Normally the refrigerant gas in a car's air conditioning system has to be recharged completely within four years from the manufacture date and thereafter every two years.

Regular annual servicing of your car’s air conditioning system will guard against malfunctions. Annual maintenance will save you money in the long run and guarantee you comfort in the hottest months...so you don't have to resort to desperate measures 

Your first step into the beautiful Wheatland Fireplace Kitchen & Bath Regina showroom will help you understand why Wheatland Fireplace has been given the Thumbs up by Trusted Regina as your exclusive Trusted Regina fireplace store. Wheatland loves their customers and as a result, their customers love and TRUST them.

Fireplace Tips from Wheatland Fireplace

Thinking about fireplaces? Here are some specifics you might want to think about — or, better yet, talk to your spouse about — while you’re in the planning stage.

•Decide if you want the fireplace for heat, for looks or for a combo of both. Knowing what you’re going to want the fireplace for help speed you through talks with the salesperson.

•There are fireplaces to heat one room only and there are fireplaces with heat distribution systems. Enjoy localized heat or circulate warm air to other parts of your home using our “Heat Wave” air distribution system.

•For heating efficiency, consider a thermostatically-controlled, self-modulated fireplace. Those are big words that mean the fireplace will be automatically programmed to regulate temperature.

•Ask about trim options (the casing set around your fireplace). There are lots of colours and styles and you’re sure to find one to match your décor. If this is a tough choice for you, consider consulting an interior designer. The salespeople have brochures that you can take with you.

•Visit the Wheatland Fireplaces showroom so you can see the fireplaces when they are lit and when they are turned off. The fireplace won’t be running 24/7, so you want to be sure you like the look of it with flames or without.

•Think about how you want to turn your fireplace on and off. Do you have room and the right space for a wall switch/thermostat? Or are you more of the remote control type? Old school? Then you’ll want a manual switch right on the fireplace, right?

•Wheatland Fireplace sells and installs fireplaces. That’s important. How the fireplace is installed impacts operation efficiency and durability.

Another one of those great businesses to join the Regina Directory of Excellence is Worby Wealth Management, the first TRUSTED REGINA FINANCIAL ADVISOR to be featured on the REGINA DIRECTORY. Let's tell you all about Chris Worby and why he deserves the Thumbs up! 

Choosing Worby Wealth Management to help you plan and live your dreams means you have someone who sees the person behind the numbers. Chris Worby is the kind of financial guy who knows the math behind investing but who recognizes that understanding the people he deals with is the real key to being a successful financial planner. Chris believes that clients should have more than a 'Hi' and 'Thank You' and a bunch of copies of paperwork after meeting, rather that there should be a true consideration of their client's goals and how to achieve them...the paperwork is the formal part! Chris has been in the REGINA Financial Services industry since 2001..,..just in time for 9/11, accounting scandals like Worldcom and Enron, and the end of the dot com bust so you know you are working with someone who has seen the rise and fall of the financial markets. He came along this profession the old-fashioned way as both his Dad and Grandfather were in the business making him a 3rd generation financial planner.

As one of TRUSTED REGINA's FINANCIAL ADVISORS Chris also gives actual advice...meaning that he will listen and provide alternatives but he that he ultimately strives to give sound recommendations he can stand behind. Speaking of standing behind, he also doesn't bring just any financial product or manager in front of his clients, he takes the time to consider each one thoughtfully and determine if it's a solid option.

When we spoke with Chris' clients in the verification process, the feedback was impressive, click here to read what they had to say. The general consensus is proof that Chris does take the time to know his clients and that he cares as much as they do about their dreams. And really, you couldn't ask for more than that in a TRUSTED REGINA FINANCIAL PLANNER, could you?

Cardbored?: Using Eco-Friendly Moving Boxes vs Cardboard 

People move. Once every five years, on average, we gather every single thing we own and we pack it up, transport it and unpack it somewhere else, making a home in a new place. The status quo as you read this is to do all that packing and transporting with cardboard boxes. Whether you find them behind a liquor store or buy them brand new, it’s a disposable paper product, that sooner, rather than later, ends up as waste. 

Try sourcing Eco-Friendly Boxes take sturdy, stackable plastic boxes and rent them out in whichever quantity and for whatever duration is required to make the move. 

So what’s the difference? It’s simple: reuse 400 times!

 Cardboard averages just less than two uses, and is virtually useless after 5 or, at best, 10 times around the block. But hey, it’s also obvious that plastic requires way more energy to produce than a good old flimsy cardboard job. Bingo, 100% correct. It takes approximately 8x more energy to produce an eco box than it would produce a cardboard box of equivalent capacity. What that number means is that once an eco box has been used eight times, every additional use does not require the input of additional material resources. There are 392 uses left to go and 392 cardboard boxes that don't need to be made.

So to be clear, we’re not saying everyone should buy ECO moving boxes and keep their own in their garage. They may reuse them a few times, but that would have a higher impact than owning some cardboard. The idea is that you take a durable product and facilitate its shared use as moving boxes by the community at large. So what’s the actual impact of cardboard? And what do we save by using eco-friendly moving boxes? We’ll talk about what we’ve done so far in the last three years, but we’ll also visualize the bigger picture too, what impact it will have when Eco Boxes becomes status quo. So far, one eco box supplier (FrogBox moving boxes) currently in circulation has been used over 250,000 times. This means 223 Metric Tonnes of cardboard were not used. And 587 MTCE (Metric Tonnes Carbon Equivalent) avoided in waste and production...for example packing tape,  the tape that holds those boxes together accounts for an uncertain but more toxic portion of the footprint of the box and cannot be recycled.

And so what does that 587 MTCE (CO2) number mean?

•  It’s equivalent to one car driving 1,920,000 kilometres (which is five one-way trips to the moon [or two and a half round trips, but that leaves you stuck on the moon, and also, what road are you driving on?])!

• Which is the same as 60 cars doing 32,000 km.

• Or 190 individual people not flying to New York from Vancouver (planes use a lot of fuel).

• Or powering 73 avg North American homes for a whole year!

Small potatoes? Yeah, we’re not the big fry yet, but so that’s where things look interesting. 55 million people move every year in the USA and Canada and that means 1.9 billion boxes and as much as 271,662 MTCE assuming all cardboard boxes are actually used twice (another future post in the works here). eco-friendly moving boxes are strong, sport a waterproof tub design (lids attached!), have handles and don’t need to be taped together or broken down when you’re done.

Which all, ahem, saves you time. Time is still important too, right?.

www.trustedregina.com works for YOU the public. We work extremely hard to find the Trusted businesses we feature on the Regina Directory and we do all the running around and checking on those businesses so YOU don't have to ..no other directory OR service out there offers the public the unique service that we do at Trusted and we take our job very seriously.

Our latest Trusted Regina Insurance partner stands together with us and certainly deserves their place in the ranks of Trusted Regina Businesses..here we tell you about Dusyk & Barlow and why they belong on the REGINA DIRECTORY of Trusted Businesses.  

Dusyk & Barlow

Dusyk & Barlow is a locally owned and operated Regina insurance business where you know you will be taken care of by some who knows their stuff and who genuinely cares about you.In fact not only do they know insurance but both Rob Barlow (Albert Street office) and Stephen Barlow (University Park office) are actually part of the 4th generation of Barlows in the Regina Insurance industry!

Starting with Garnet Barlow back in 1936 the agency evolved along the way to include Brian Dusyk in 1993 leading to the current Dusyk & Barlow Insurance Brokers of today. What does this mean for you? Well, it means if you need any kind of insurance for pretty much any kind of job, industry, or personal need, Dusyk & Barlow can help you find the right product and that they certainly have PLENTY of experience and will have pretty much handled any and all situations you could think of! They KNOW insurance and they also are dedicated and committed to providing the best possible service in a very personalized and professional manner.

The staff at both convenient locations are always ready with a smile and are willing to help you with whatever you need.

Dusyk & Barlow are Professional Regina Insurance Brokers You Can Trust ...It’s a reputation they've built in the Saskatchewan community, based on honest, reliable, personalized service to their clients. They have a commitment to maintaining a high standard of excellence in all that they do and their goal is to establish a relationship of mutual trust with each of their clients.

Their Aims are laid out on their website for all to see :

1. To provide you with the very best service.
2. To reduce gaps in coverage.
3. To reduce your insurance cost.

Their objectives are :

1. to be honest and fair in all our dealings,
2. to be interested in people and their problems,
3. to treat our clients’ needs as though they were our own.

Let this family Regina insurance business look after your family's insurance needs!

Check out their listing HERE  in the REGINA INSURANCE Category and read what their clients said about them!

 East location

South Location