Halloween Activities for the Family

It’s that time of year again, where the tricks and treats are doled out among friends and kids dress up as whatever their heart desires. Yes, Halloween is here! We thought it would be fun to share some of our favorite things to do with our families during this spooky season of fun. If you don’t have Halloween traditions already, this is a great place to start!

Decorating the House

There’s truly no better way to get into the Halloween spirit than by decking out the house with the entire family. If you haven’t decorated your home yet, pull the boxes out of the closet, brush off the dust, and get everyone involved. Spend the day dressing the yard and your entire home; even take the opportunity to look up some DIY crafts and have your crafty family members whip up some new decorations! 

If you want to make things fun, assign each person a designated room in your house to decorate. They have the whole day to decorate the room the way they want it! The end result will be a fantastically decorated house with a little bit of everyone’s personality rolled in to it. 

Pumpkin Carving Contest

A pumpkin carving contest is one of the most traditional ways to celebrate Halloween, and for good reason. Go shopping for pumpkins (let everyone pick out their favorite one) and set aside a night of carving fun! After you scoop the pumpkin ‘guts’ out, wash the seeds and bake them for a tasty treat while everyone is creating their own masterpiece.

While all pumpkin carving with kids should be done with adult supervision, there are now a number of kid-friendly pumpkin carving kits you can buy practically anywhere. These popular kits provide safe and easy ways for kids to design and carve their own pumpkin.

Eating a Healthy Dinner before Trick or Treating 

Once the big day arrives, all the kids can think about is candy, candy, and more candy. Before they head out trick or treating for sugary sweets, plan a delicious and healthy meal for the whole family. Let them get partially dressed up before dinner so the excitement starts to set in. While you’re eating, map out where you plan to go for the night. Not only will this pump everyone up, but it’ll also avoid disagreements on where to go once you leave home!

Tip: Save the spaghetti for another night, serve something that won’t stain if costumes are already on!

Share Scary Stories

This is an activity we would save for the older kids, once the little ones have left to show off their costumes to the neighborhood. In between answering the door for trick-or-treaters, pass the time by coming up with your very own scary story to tell. The only rule is that it can’t be one you’ve heard before! These stories should be made up on the spot, making them fun for everyone to tell and listen to at the same time. 

We hope you have some fun with these ideas, and even put your own twist on things! To all of our customers, have a safe and happy Halloween from everyone here at Arctic Fox!

Leading Causes of House Fires

The leading cause of house fires in the United States is something cooking related. The second leading cause is usually due to air conditioning or heating unit malfunction. During winter months, heating equipment is the leading cause of home fires. About two-thirds of home heating fire deaths are caused by portable or fixed heaters.   

Since most Arizona dwellers won't use their heating systems for most of the year, you may not expect anything to be wrong with your units if they haven't been on. Unfortunately, this isn't the case. Unused heating units can rust and clog up essential areas of ventilation, which can cause a malfunction, potentially leading to a fire within your home's walls.

It's imperative that you always remember to get your AC and heating units cleaned and maintained on a regular basis to ensure the safety of your family and your home. As your local HVAC professional, it's our job to make sure your units are running the way they're supposed to. Give us a call and we'll inspect your air conditioning and heating systems head to toe to make sure they're in perfect working order!

Baby Time: It's A Boy!!

We've had a lot to buzz about over the last number of weeks here at Arctic Fox. We're so happy to announce that company developers and owners Heath and Misti Thomas have given birth to a baby boy! 

Ryker Thomas was born on July 31 and joins the Thomas family as the only boy of Heath and Misti’s three children. We’re more than sure his two older sisters will help take great care of him!

We’re wishing Heath and Misti huge congratulations on the newest addition to not only the Thomas family, but the Arctic Fox family as well. 

 

Ryker’s birth reminds us what a huge part family plays in our business, and that’s only one of the reasons Arctic Fox is your go-to for heating and air services in the Phoenix-metro area. We provide the same service to all of our customers that we’d want our own families to be happy with, so check out our website today. Whether you need a replacement, a fix, or just an annual check, we're always here to make sure your home is running just the way you want it to.  

Labor Day Weekend Safety Tips

Labor Day Weekend has arrived! It’s our last big hurrah of the summer, and everyone wants to have some fun. Whether you’re traveling this weekend or bringing the party to your home, there are some safety tips we urge everyone to keep in mind when having fun.

If you’re visiting friends, family, or just getting away on a mini-vacation, be extra cautious of the highways and roads while driving. More than 42,000 people suffer fatal car accidents each year, and Labor Day Weekend is one of the peak weekends for accidents. If you are driving anywhere, make sure your car is in proper working order and that you are well rested (and if you are above the legal drinking age, also 100% sober). Don’t forget to enforce the seatbelt rule for everyone in your car.

Since Labor Day is the last official weekend of summer, we know most people are going to enjoy it by some sort of body of water. Whether it’s the beach, a lake, or just your own swimming pool, always keep an eye on everyone in your party if they are in or near the water, no matter how experienced of a swimmer they are. If you’re out boating, take extra precautions around swimmers and near the shore. Remember: driving the boat is the same as driving a car; don’t do it if you’ve been drinking at all.  

It wouldn’t be Labor Day weekend without some serious barbequing, would it? There are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to all the great food you’ll be eating. If you’re helping get the food ready for a party, make sure to wash your hands often, don’t leave perishables out of the fridge for more than two hours, and never mix utensils and plates with raw and cooked food. When it comes to the grill, make sure you keep the kids away. Not only can they be a distraction to the cook, but they can accidentally burn themselves if they touch anything, something we know kids love to do.

Last, but not least, no matter what you do this weekend; we’re willing to bet you’ll be spending some time outside. While you should be wearing sunscreen every day, it’s vital that you wear it this weekend. It’s still summer and the sun is powerful, even if it’s cloudy out! Reapply often, especially if you’re spending your weekend by the water or mostly outdoors. Taking precaution against skin disease by wearing sunscreen is one of the easiest ways to protect yourself and your family. 

Keep these tips in mind and you’ll be sure to have a few days of fun in the sun before heading back to work or school. We hope everyone has a great Labor Day Weekend!

Air Conditioning Installation

Installing a new air conditioning unit in your home can greatly reduce energy costs. New air conditioning models are designed for better energy efficiency.

In the Phoenix Metropolitan area, we require high-quality air conditioners to keep our homes comfortable during the extremely hot summer months. In order to keep our homes cooled, there are many different types of air conditioning systems designed to effectively work.

Roof Top Air Conditioning Units

Many homes in the Phoenix Metropolitan area have roof top air conditioning units. They are often called “packaged heat pumps” or “gas packs”. At Arctic Fox Air Conditioning and Heating, great care is taken with the installation of new roof top air conditioning unit. Our technicians ensure that a new unit will be a good fit for the house. It needs to have the correct rating in order to effectively cool the home.

During the installation, Arctic Fox Air Conditioning technicians follow a step-by-step procedure to provide a quality installation. Here are a few of the important steps that we take during the installation of roof top air conditioning units:

• Construction of Custom Built Sheet Metal Air Duct Elbows to Fit Rooftop and Unit Exactly
• Changing of the High Voltage Disconnect and Wiring on Roof
• Installation on New Thermostat Wiring
• Installation of Condensate Drain to Home's Drain
• Installation of a New Digital Thermostat
• Inspection of Duct Work in Attic Looking for Leaks

Split System Air Conditioning Units

Split system air conditioning units typically have the condenser part of the air conditioning unit outside of the house on the ground with the blower inside of the house. When Arctic Fox Air Conditioning and Heating installs a split system air conditioning unit, we follow a list of procedures designed to provide you with the highest quality installation possible. Here are some of those procedures:

• Installation of a New Electrical Disconnect
• Installation of New Copper Lines from the House to the New Unit
• Ensure That the New Air Conditioning Unit Outside of the House is Level
• Installation of a New Liquid Line Dryer and Suction Line Dryer
• Installation of a New Secondary Drain Pan in the Attic
• Installation of the New Air Handler or Furnace
• Reconnection of the Drain Lines with Proper Slope for Adequate Drainage
• Installation of New Plenum Boxes and if Needed, New Duct Work
• Installation of New Gas Flexes and Flue Pipe on Furnaces
• Installation of a New Digital Thermostat

At Arctic Fox Air Conditioning and Heating, we never cut corners on the installation of a new air conditioning unit. Our technicians use high-quality parts that are designed to last. We believe that it is better to have a low-quality unit installed properly than a top-of-the-line system installed poorly.