Heat the Country: Local Association Helps those in Need

The Air Conditioning Contractors of America -- National Capital Chapter (ACCA-NCC) participated in the Heat the Country project in October 2006.
This program was designed to repair and service heating equipment for elderly and/or disabled, low income homeowners and to ensure that they have adequate and safe heating in their homes this winter.
ACCA-NCC worked on both sides of the river with Tim Cropp, HTC Committee Co-Chairman (CROPP-METCALFE A/C), on the Virginia side, and Chris Perry, (J P HEATING) and Debbie Risher (BELAIR ENG.) HTC Committee Co-Chairmen, working the Maryland side.
The staging areas were at R. E. Michel's in Alexandria and R. E. Michels in Forestville. Donuts, coffee and Heat the Country sweatshirts were given out. The crews headed on their service calls to the pre-screened homes. ACCA-NCC's community partner on the Virginia side was The City of Alexandria, Department of Human Services and the Housing. Community partners on the Maryland side were the Prince George's Home Energy Fund and Christmas in April.
Representatives from Belair Engineering, Choice Heating A/C, Cropp-Metcalfe A/C, J P Htg. A/C, James A. Wheat Sons, Krafft Svc., M M Mech., M. E. Norton, Inc. and Shapiro Duncan not only donated their time on that Saturday, but the service continued into November where a new high efficiency boiler was installed, replacing a 40 year old, non-operational unit, in a home in Mt. Rainer at no cost to the home owner. The grateful homeowner was in tears when she was told the technicians were coming to help her. She has two small children, and had not had heat for a very long time, and was heating her home with two portable electric space heaters.
HTC teams installed a new, high efficiency heat pump at a home in Laurel. The heat pump was over 15 years old and had a bad compressor and a bad condenser coil. This new unit will reduce the high electric bills because the owner will no longer have to use the emergency, back up heat.
It is estimated that a total of 200 man hours and several thousand dollars in parts, labor and equipment were involved in servicing the homes. All this donated by the participating contracting companies and the corporate sponsors of Burnham Boilers, Choice Heating, Northeastern Supply, Inc., R. E. Michel Co., Inc., and TSTATS.
The 2007 Heat the Country Project has been scheduled for Saturday, October 21, 2007.