HVAC Monitoring: Protect Your South Jersey Shore Home Or Rental Property

South Jersey rental properties, shore homes, and second houses are just as susceptible to damage from severe weather, frozen pipes, flooding, or other emergencies as year-round homes. But, you can end up with a lot more damage when there’s no one around to respond right away when something goes wrong.

Every minute counts when there’s a burst pipe, a flood, or any other catastrophic event. Whether the damage is caused by Mother Nature, water leaks, or an equipment failure from your HVAC system, you need to know right away when something’s wrong.

But, how can you do that when you’re or a few towns, or even a state or two away?

The solution to these problems is HVAC monitoring. And, now there’s an app for that.

Broadley’s is now proud to work with Alert Labs, a company that offers cloud-based tools for monitoring your HVAC and water appliances for any problems. You can track energy consumption in real time and get alerts as soon as there’s a problem.

And, when you pair an Alert Labs monitoring solution with a service contract from Broadley’s, you won’t even have to travel to your South Jersey home to take care of the problem. When we get the alerts sent directly to us, we can head out to the house before you even realize something’s gone wrong.

Service Plans

In this article, we’ll cover:

1. Remote Alerts And Monitoring Systems For Your Home And HVAC System
2. Alert Labs Vs. Smart Thermostats
3. Instant Diagnostics and Alerts
4. Direct Communication With Your Service Team
5. Reducing Downtime Before Repairs
6. Flood Protection For South Jersey Homes
7. Alert Labs and Service Contracts With Broadley’s

Call or email us here at Broadley’s if you’d like to learn more about service contracts, winterization, and HVAC monitoring for your home or rental property in Cape May or Atlantic County.

We’ve served Marmora, Avalon, Ocean City, and other South Jersey towns since 1920, and we’re up to date with the latest technology to keep your home safe.

Remote Alerts And Monitoring Systems For Your Home And HVAC System

Think of monitoring systems and remote alerts as an excellent add-on to the winterization services we’ve offered for decades. That’s when we make sure your water is turned off and bleed the lines to prevent ice from forming in the pipes and causing a burst.

We’ve done it for so long that many of our longtime customers trust us with their spare set of keys when they’re away. And, with an Alert Labs monitoring system, we can get to your home right away if something goes wrong.

Here’s how it works:

The Alert Lab sensors measure how much gas, water, or electricity you’re using. Or, they’re on the lookout for problems like leaks and flooding. You’ve got a whole bunch of sensors to choose from, and each one checks for something different.

For instance, there are ones for your central air, or furnace, or sump pump. Others monitor humidity or for signs of leaks or flooding.

Just like your electric meter or gas company can record the amount of energy you’re using in real time, these alerts capture up-to-the-minute records of what’s happening in your home. But, you don’t need to wait for a monthly bill. Instead, all that information goes right to an app on your smart device.

These are great for any homeowner: You can check for surges in energy use, which could indicate a problem. Or, get an alert as soon as there’s a slight problem — not after it’s become much worse and more expensive to fix.

And, for second homeowners and property managers, these sensors give you an excellent way to keep tabs on homes and commercial spaces when you’re nowhere near them.

Alert Labs Vs. Smart Thermostats

If some of this sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve mentioned these benefits when we’ve talked about smart thermostats in other articles. Those were game-changers when they came out! With these, you could get an alert when there’s a sudden spike in energy usage.

Those spikes could clue you into an emergency. For instance, if no one’s home and the water meter suddenly starts spinning, you could have a burst pipe. Or a broken window in a house where the furnace is using twice as much energy.

Smart thermostats are a game-changer when it comes to knowing when there’s a problem. If there’s a sudden spike in energy usage, you’ll get an alert through the app.

But those aren’t the primary functions of those smart devices. The main selling points are adjusting your thermostat remotely and letting the device set the schedule (and save energy) based on your usage.

The emergency notifications are more of a bonus. With Alert Labs, that’s the primary function. As a result, the monitoring is much more detailed.

Talk To Broadley’s About Alert Labs For Your Home

Instant Diagnostics and Alerts

Let’s use the Sentree A/C monitor as an example of how you’ll get up-to-date, detailed information about how your home is doing.

Unlike a smart thermostat, you don’t have to wait for a surge of energy usage to get an alert. Instead, we install special sensors right on the condenser. They measure temperature and pressure to detect valve leaks. And they provide up-to-the-minute information.

So, if something goes wrong, the system sends out an alert instantly.

That lets us, your HVAC contractor, get on top of the problem right away. You’re not waiting for the problem to get big enough that you notice something’s up.

Direct Communication With Your Service Team

When we say, “We get an alert,” we don’t mean the customer called us. We mean that the system told us directly that there’s a problem. Most times, our truck’s on the road before the homeowner even realizes there’s a problem.

When we install an Alert Labs product, you can have the notifications sent right to us. That way, we’re on the job without you having to do anything.

Reducing Downtime Before Repairs

The alerts don’t just get us out to your home faster. They also help us get the repairs done quicker. That’s not just because we know there’s a problem sooner. It’s also because we have a good idea of what’s going on before we even show up.

A lot of times, there’s a lag between the moment one of our techs diagnoses a problem and when they can begin repairs.

If they need a particular part or special equipment, that’s an extra trip back to the shop before they can start. Meanwhile, you’re without heat, AC, or maybe even water.

But, when we get an alert telling us there’s a problem with pressure at the valve, we can send out a truck already stocked with everything our techs will need for that repair.

Flood Protection For South Jersey Homes

Here’s a subject that strikes fear in the hearts of every Jersey shore homeowner: Flooding.

Now, Alert Labs can’t stop the tides. But, it can keep you one step ahead of water damage from a variety of sources.

You can place flood sensors at any problem points in the house. Underneath a water heater is a good start, for instance. Or near a part of the roof that tends to leak. Or the spot that gets flooded first when water from outside starts seeping in.

The flood sensor alerts you within three seconds if there’s water where there shouldn’t be any.

There’s also a device you can attach to your sump pump to make sure everything’s working correctly. This way, you’ll know if there’s a chance of the system overflowing. Or, if there’s a mechanical failure or power outage, you’ll get an alert.

Alert Labs and Service Contracts With Broadley’s

It’s easy to see why we’re so excited about Alert Labs. It helps us help our clients keep their homes safe, dry, and ready for when they return.

We can install any Alert Labs model in minutes, and it’s up to you how much access we’ll have.

For instance, if you have a service contract with us, it makes sense to have us get the alerts right away. That way, we’re able to nip minor problems in the bud.

And, those quick fixes may not even cost you a thing: A lot of the common problems are covered under our maintenance agreements already.

Meanwhile, second homeowners and property managers can leave the keys with us to get in and fix a break quickly. That way, no one has to drive all the way down to let us in.

Or, if you want to make the call yourself when you get the alert, we’re happy to set that up as well.

Give us a call or email here at Broadley’s if you’d like to learn more!