Wells Rural Electric has teamed up with Western Mechanical to bring their owner/customers into the 21st century of heating and cooling technology.
When HVAC contractor Doug Meyers opened Western Mechanical in the Wendover area in May, he made 22 years of experience and expertise in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and commercial refrigeration available for area residents and businesses.
Meyers, who runs the business with the help of his wife Ana, and partners Cliff and Kristi Chapman, services much of Elko County and, of course, the Wendover area.
“We want to stay small so we can provide good, quality service that’s locally owned and locally operated,” Meyers said.
After selling his trucking business in the early 1990s, Meyers’ HVAC repair career started in Southern California where he worked for Pepsi Co. The company helped put Meyers through repair school and other industry training.
Meyers relocated to Carson City after his time with Pepsi, where he performed maintenance for a company that serviced several large commercial operations like Costco. Eventually, Meyers headed east and spent three years working for West Wendover’s casinos.
Meyers wasn’t always certain he’d stay in the area long-term, but he and wife felt a calling as youth pastors for the Wendover Christian Fellowship. So far, business and that calling have worked beautifully and Wendover has become home.
“It’s taken off a lot better than we expected,” Meyers said.
With technology and standards constantly changing and evolving, Meyers has continued to recognize the importance of ongoing education. Over the years, he’s completed more than a dozen factory trainings for various products to stay on top of his craft, including Bryant Heating and Cooling Systems, Hobart coolers, and Daikin ductless heating and air systems.
“I’ve been very fortunate to work for companies that have put me through a lot of school,” Meyers said.
Doug and Ana also went through a two-day workshop to help residents take advantage of two Wells Rural Electric Company rebate programs.
Commercially, Meyers can install Web-Enabled Programmable Thermostats (WEPTs) that allow businesses and municipalities to control the temperatures of their facilities remotely from a smart phone or computer. Participants get all the equipment for free; the benefit being the WEPTs can generate huge energy savings by allowing all of an operations heating and cooling to be controlled by a single person and allowing for real-time adjustments regardless of location. If an autumn day is warmer than expected, for example, the controller can lower the thermostat by a few degrees without physically touching the thermostat.
“ People are happy with it,” Meyers said. “It’s free and very good equipment. Honeywell is top of the line.
The part I like is that not just anybody could buy the part online and get the rebate. Using contractors means there’s a standard that jobs will be done the right way by a licensed, insured professional.”
Residential owners can receive rebates of up to $800 by switching their current electric heating and cooling system to a ductless heat pump, which can operate at up to 300 percent efficiency by absorbing the heat in the outdoor air and blowing it inside, even at low temperatures.
Skeptical about the efficiency of heat pumps in this area due to cold winter temperatures, Meyers set up a test unit and found that modern heat pump equipment is effective even when temperatures drop below zero.
“Any HVAC contractor who is good at what they do and cares won’t just grab something and run with it. They want it to be proven,” Meyers said. “It’s a good program that really does work with huge energy savings.”
If you’re in need of an HVAC service company, Meyers can be reached at (888) 390-7416. To take advantage of Wells Rural Electric’s rebate program, please call (775) 664-2204 to speak with an owner service representative or visit www.wrec.coop for more details.