The Hammond Services Company Party was held at Magnolia Lanes Bowling Alley.
The bowling alley was closed to the public from 5:30 -9:30 so employees could enjoy a night
with other employees and their families. It was a fun time for all.
”We’ve had a very busy summer so far”, said David Hammond. “It’s nice to be able to do this as a way of saying Thank You to all of our employees, and to their family members who support their hard work.”
This month, the June Shining Moment Award goes to, Phonexay Simmavanh, one of our air conditioning techs. Phonexay has been employed at Hammond Services for 10 years. He is well liked by his fellow employees and often recieves compliments from customers.
These are two compliments he recieved from customers in June.
Richard & Ramona Lunsford, who live on McKinley Drive in Griffin, called in to say what a great job Phonexay did at their home. They wanted to say thank you and make sure we gave him a big pat on the back.
Perry Pace, who lives in Griffin on Kline Circle, mailed us a note that read as follows:
“Yesterday, our AC wasn’t cooling and I called for your service. Mr. Phonexay came out and, without question, he was one of the best technicians to ever come to my home, Period. He was very professional and had a good personality, but above all he did a wonderful job and we are well satisfied.
Thank you, Perry Pace”
NCI Instructor, Paul Weibolt
On June 18-19, 2010 Hammond Services had on-site training conducted by NCI. The training course was titled “Air Diagnostics and Balancing”. Hammond Services had 14 employees attend this course, and employees from two other contractors also attended, one from Kentucky and the other from South Carolina. The purpose of the course was to train us all in new techniques to help our customers achieve greater energy efficiency and comfort.
When a typical heating and cooling contractor quotes the efficiency of the equipment (SEER or AFUE) and leads you to believe the new equipment will automatically deliver that efficiency, think again. Typical installed equipment only operates at 55% to 70% of rated capacity. In simple terms, 14 SEER air conditioning equipment could only operate like 7 SEER equipment. This is terrible, and it is an industry-wide problem. Now, with NCI’s approach to testing and measuring, we can identify and correct this problem.
While new high efficiency heating and cooling equipment may help, the number one factor in determining system efficiency is your duct system. Heating and cooling travels through ducts that are often too restrictive, damaged, poorly maintained, or improperly designed and installed from the beginning. A certified NCI contractor can fix many of these problems and increase your system’s delivered heating and cooling efficiency.
Measuring System Static Pressures
Hammond Services, now an NCI trained and certified contractor, will evaluate your existing duct design and look for deficiencies. Most duct systems have deficiencies, and these can be corrected while installing your new equipment. We will then measure the new system’s performance to prove te new system is functioning as designed. By taking this approach, we insure that you get the comfort and energy savings you’re paying for.
Hammond Services has always followed industry guidelines for duct design, and in most cases exceeded minimum design criteria. However, we are now discovering with the use of new test instruments and diagnostic techniques, that most systems are not performing as well as we originally thought. The average delivered cooling and heating efficiency of systems across the country is only 57%, according to NCI’s national database. This is shocking because it demonstrates that the focus on the equipment efficiencies alone is not working. That’s why Hammond Services is now implementing newly learned best practices to measure and deliver actual delivered efficiencies of 90% or better.
Now we can measure every customer’s system efficiency, and give it a SCORE. This will identify those opportunities for the greatest improvement. This will result in greater comfort and tremendous energy savings. We are very excited about this new technology and have invested heavily to make sure that our entire company is trained and certified accordingly.
Who are good candidates for this SCORE test? Actually we are doing it on every call. But those who stand the most to gain are those who have :
Give us a call at 770-227-5325 to have your system SCORE tested. Call now and see how you can get your system tested at no cost.
Joe Buice, a Spalding County Deputy, is recuperating after being shot in the face with an assault rifle January 29, 2010 while on duty in Griffin, Georgia. Deputy Buice has high hopes for a speedy and full recovery. A golf tournament to benefit Joe Buice was held on February 24th at Morgan Dairy Golf Club.
Hammond Services was one of the many sponsors that participated in this community effort. Hammond also put together a 4-man team for the golf tournament fund-raiser for Deputy Joe Buice. This team from Hammond Services consisted of David Hammond, Bill Ward, Ed Hammond, and Kirk Nixon.
Despite the very cold weather on Wednesday, the golfers and well-wishers showed up in great numbers to show their support for the officer. Joe was presented with a check for $19,000, and it is estimated that the final total was well over $20,000. Our community shows again and again that it strongly supports the men and women who serve to protect and defend us.
About Deputy Buice:
Deputy Buice rejoined the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office a year ago. He is a 25-year law enforcement veteran and a former sheriff in Lamar County. If you would like to contribute, there has been a fund established in his name – Joe Buice Benefit Fund. Please mail all checks to:
c/o Joe Buice Benefit Fund
Spalding County Sheriffs Department
401 Justice Blvd
Griffin GA 30224
If you have some time this weekend, you can save yourself some cash with this toilet replacement project and DIY with a little bit of patience and know how.
If a toilet has become damaged or is overly inefficient, then it is time for a new model that is water responsible. Toilet replacement can be broken down into three main tasks: Removal of the old toilet, the removal and replacement of the wax ring and the installation of the new toilet.
There are several types and models available for your new toilet, so be sure to properly research the best kind for your needs. There are models that are all one piece, but most likely you will need to purchase the base and tank separately. You will also need to buy the wax ring kit to seal the base to the sewer line. This kit should include the mounting bolts and the finishing caps that go over the bolts. You may also want to purchase a cement mixing tub to aide in the removal of the old toilet. If the water supply valve on the old toilet is damaged or has rust, you should consider replacing it along with the toilet tank hose.
Toilet replacement tools needed are: an adjustable open end wrench or socket wrench, large flat head screwdriver, mini hack saw, disposable plastic scraper, plastic trash bags, paper towels, latex gloves and a utility knife or box cutter. It is also helpful if you have a large sponge to aid in removing water from the toilet tank and bowl.
Remove toilet by turning off the water supply valve and remove lid to the toilet tank. Flush the toilet to alleviate any water pressure and disconnect the water supply valve hose from the fill valve shank.
Remove the plastic mounting bolt caps from the base and unscrew the lock nuts holding it to the floor. You may need to use the mini hack saw to remove the bolt if the threads are stripped or if the bolt is corroded. Score any caulking around the base of the unit with the utility knife, then position the cement mixing tub close to the base of the toilet and once the bolts are removed, lift with your legs to remove the toilet unit from the floor and place in the plastic tub.
To remove the wax ring, put on latex gloves and have trash bags and paper towels at the ready. Use the plastic scraper to remove the wax from around the ring, wiping it onto the paper towels and throw the wax away. Next, use the scraper to pry up the rubber lip of the wax ring and throw it away. Remove the bolts from the sewer flange and throw those away as well. Clean up any remaining wax with the scraper and paper towels. This should render the opening free from just about all wax and any debris.
If there is going to be a delay in toilet replacement from old to new – you can create a plug for the sewer line hole by partly filling a plastic trash bag with some paper towels, wadding it up into a kind of stopper and then plugging the hole. This will keep most of the gases from the sewer line from entering the house. Remove the plastic bag stopper before installing the new toilet.
Be sure to inspect the sewer flange for any damage before toilet replacement continues. If there is any damage, it will need to be repaired first. The #1 cause of bathroom floor damage is improper installation of toilet flanges and/or defective flanges. If replacing the flange, make sure that it is installed so that it rests on top of the finished floor.
Follow the directions on how to install the wax ring. Center and adjust the ring as needed into the sewer flange. Now install the mounting bolts into the guides along the edge of the flange and make sure they are perpendicular. Place the unit over the wax ring and pass the bolts through the mounting holes on each side of the base. You should feel the wax ring compress around the toilets drain pipe as you push down to seal it.
Take the plastic finishing washers and install them as directed onto the anchor bolts, properly tightening the bolt to secure the base to the floor, making sure the toilet does not move at all. You can then trim the bolt to a ¼ inch above the nut with the mini hack saw, covering them with the finishing caps.
Now you can install the tank according to the directions and hook up the water tank hose and water supply valve again. When this is done, you can turn on the water supply valve and allow the tank to fill with water. Watch for leaks and adjust the water level. Install the seat and your toilet replacement is complete!
Going “green” saves you even more money! Read this article we found below.
Did you know that if every one who watched Super Sunday had switched to a WaterSense labeled toilet, it would have saved nearly 200 million gallons of water on that in sync half-time flush?
Toilets are by far the main source of water use in the home, accounting for nearly 30 percent of an average home’s indoor water consumption. Older, inefficient toilets also happen to be a major source of wasted water in many homes. Replacing these toilets with
WaterSense labeled toilets could save nearly 2 billion gallons per day across the country-that’s nearly 11 gallons per toilet in your home every day!
With this Water Savings Calculator you can see yourself, how much water you can save by replacing older, inefficient toilets in your home. Plus, if your home was built before 1994, you may also qualify for a toilet rebate. You will need to verify with your water supplier if any rebates are currently in effect, and criteria for eligibility.
Contact Hammond Services today if you want to save money and water from being flushed down the toilet!
Hammond Services HVAC service technician, James Smith, was recently awarded the Employee of the Year (2009) by members of Hammond Services staff. James received the honor after being recognized as an Exceptional Employee throughout the year by his co-workers, customers, and management. Hammond Services employees are selected for this award by meeting high standards of customer service, and are nominated by their fellow employees.
“James Smith is an outstanding employee who brings value to our company far beyond the things suggested by his title,” said Hammond Services owner, David Hammond. “Not only does James perform his job as expected, he does a great job demonstrating to our customers how much we really care. He goes above and beyond, every single day.”
James was formally honored in February at Hammond Services monthly end of the year meeting in Griffin, Georgia. He will also be featured in the company blog. “I am honored to receive this recognition”, James said. “If you really care about each customer, and the quality of your work, the customer can tell. I don’t feel like I did anything special. I just did my job to the best of my ability.”
Here’s some information that you may want to know! It’s about a brand new rebate program being offered through the State to promote the purchase of Energy Star appliances. This is a limited program that started on Feb. 12th, and will end when the rebate money runs out. This can be combined with the current Federal Tax Credit program as well. Read Below for more details.
Since February 12, 2010, the State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program provides Georgia residents with rebates ranging from $25 to $199 on ENERGY STAR rated appliances. ENERGY STAR appliances eligible for the program include clothes washers, dishwashers, air conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces, water heaters, refrigerators and freezers. The total amount available for rebates is $8.6 million. This is a first come, first serve program until the money is used up. Purchases made prior to February 12, 2010, will not be eligible.. Detailed information can be found here.
L-R: Wayne Hughes, Jeff Snow, David Hammond
Jeff Snow celebrated his 47th birthday today. We want to wish him a very Happy Birthday. Jeff was treated to a birthday lunch at his favorite Griffin lunch spot, Buffaloe’s. Jeff was one of the first employees hired by Hammond Services. He’s been with our company for over 25 years now, and he owns part of the business. Jeff started out as a HVAC technician fresh out of Griffin Tech. Jeff has held other positions along the way, and he now is Vice President of Sales. It is a pleasure having a dedicated and motivated team member like Jeff. He works hard, but always has fun while doing so.
Happy Birthday Jeff!
Congratulations to our plumber, Larry Watson, for winning the November Shining Moment Award. On the 1st Monday of each month we have a company meeting. One thing we do is recognize is select a monthly Shining Moment winner. The way this works is this: During the month anytime someone is recognized by a customer or fellow employee for a job well done, we make sure it is written down and put in a folder. Many
Larry Watson
times this consists of a customer calling us back just to tell how pleased they were with the service along with any details they want to share. Other times it may be a fellow employee who writes something about another employee who they feel has done something special worthy of recognition.
For November, Larry had 3 different Shining Moments in the folder as follows:
1. Thomas Nail, a customer, from Thomaston called us to tell that Larry had done a great job and that he appreciates Hammond Services as his service company.
2. Ed Hammond, company founder, is currently retired and working full time as a missionary for local church and home improvement projects. Recently Larry had volunteered his time on a Friday and Saturday to work on a children’s home project in Macon. Ed said that everyone on the project raved about what a great job Larry did. Ed wanted to make sure that Larry was recognized for his generous and unselfish contribution of time and energy.
3. Jeanne Hinson, Administrator for Thomaston Hospice, Inc., sent us a letter recognizing Larry for his plumbing work for one of their clients, Ms. Hancock. Jeanne said that she appreciated the service given to Ms. Hancock. She went on to say that Ms. Hancok’s wish was to have running water and be able to wash dishes. She said that this made her very happy.
It is with great pride that we awarded Larry the November, 2009 Shining Moment Award. He certainly desrved the recognition.