Blog

Are Home Generators Worth the Cost?

Before the Christmas power outage of 2021, investor-owned utility PSE had experienced 160 hours of service downtime across its Washington state service areas due to major weather disturbances that year. The total outage hours were almost three times more than the number of outage hours due to severe weather in 2020. Will that trend continue in 2022?  Following...

Home Energy Efficiency = Greater Home Value!

Can increasing your home’s energy efficiency raise its market value? The short answer is “Yes!’ In a new set of studies reported by E, the environmental magazine, the experts at Energy Star found that an eight percent increase in home value correlated with Energy Star certified homes across Oregon, Idaho and Washington simply because they were deemed energy efficient. The same pattern has been observed across the U.S. A six percent increase was seen in...

World’s #1, Daikin Changes its Name, But Not Its Mission

The world’s largest heating, ventilation, and air conditioning company, Daikin, has a new name, but its mission to remain a forward-thinking leader in environmental solutions is unchanged. The Daikin products organization, including Daikin ductless and light commercial systems (including VRV) in North America, is unifying its core Daikin, Goodman and Amana HVAC brands. Derr Heating and Cooling is proud to be an authorized Daikin and Goodman...

Hit or Myth? Ductless Mini-Splits Myths and Misconceptions 

When Ductless Mini-Split systems, also known as Ductless Heat Pumps, began to surge in popularity around the Pacific Northwest, a number of myths and misperceptions sprung from the word-of-mouth of the unacquainted and uninformed. Outdated information can spread as quickly as praise and recommendations keeping homeowners from making the best choices about heating and cooling. To demystify those misbegotten...

Kitsap Housing Economy in 2023: What’s Ahead?

This month, the Kitsap Building Association hosted Robert Dietz, the Chief Economist for the National Association of Home Builders, to advise us all on what’s ahead. The speaker filled us in on a number of economic fronts, including new home construction, job openings in construction, labor force participation of men and women, lending rates, inflation...