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Fox Service Company: Celebrating 4 Decades of Excellence!

Since 1972 Fox Service Company has been focused on providing unparalleled customer service and guaranteed satisfaction to Central Texas homes and businesses. We finally get to blow out the 40th candle this year, and needless to say, we are proud to share this milestone with such a dynamic and thriving city as Austin and it's wonderful inhabitants!

Fox Service Company has changed a little over the years, yet we are still the same ethical and trustworthy company we started as in 1972: locally owned & operated, focused on customer satisfaction and a job completed right the first time. From humble beginnings, Fox Service Company has grown over the years, now employing over 250 employees, offering a wide array of commercial and residential services, including the use of cutting edge technology like FLIR Cameras, Copalum, Hydro Jetting, and more.    

Fox is home to  many types of specialists, commercial and residential experts. Whether it's a medical gas problem in a hospital, a cooling problem for a data center, or security lighting maintenance for a financial institution, Fox has the knowledge and the staff to keep you up and running, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. From home weatherization measures to high efficiency air conditioners, tankless water heaters to slab leaks, LED lighting to electrical service panel upgrades, We Can Fix That!

But like most success stories, it's not so much about us as it is YOU! Which is why we'd like to personally thank each and every Fox customer for their business and patronage over the last 40 years! Here's to another 40 years of excellence in the greatest city on earth! Thank You Austin!

Fox Service Radio Spot May 2012

Fox Service Radio Spot May 2012



If you haven't had the pleasure of hearing it live on the Radio, now's your chance!

All feedback is welcomed!

Lyrics (to sing along with!)

If it's blowing hot..

When it oughtta' be cold!

The lights don't work,

It's gettin' old!

If your kitchen sink is on the blink,

We Can Fix That! Quick as a Fox!

(License Disclaimer and Promotion Info) 

If you need a hand, Fox has a plan!

We Can Fix That! Quick as a Fox!

Quick as a Fox!

QR Codes- The New Coupon Without The Clipping

(link to http://www.foxservice.com/austin/current_promotions/index.asp)

(QR Code approved by Fox Service Company)

According to Wikipedia the QR Code was invented by the Toyota subsidiary Denso Wave in 1994 to track vehicles during the manufacturing process, the QR Code is one of the most popular types of two-dimensional bar codes.^[2] It was designed to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed.^[3]

Unlike the old bar code that was designed to be mechanically scanned by a narrow beam of light, the QR code is detected as a 2-dimensional digital image by a semiconductor image sensor and is then digitally analyzed by a programmed processor. The processor locates the three distinctive squares at the corners of the image, and normalizes image size, orientation, and angle of viewing. The small dots are then converted to binary numbers and validity checked with an error-correcting code.

So why is this cool, or important, or even relevant? Because this technology turns the (even less than) average Smartphone into a bar code reader with a simple application download. As long as the phone has an on board camera to 'scan' with, and supports one of the many applications out there (mostly free) you are a 'QR Code Reader' waiting to happen. The trend in using these codes has recently exploded from what was once only an exclusive automotive manufacturing tool, to just about every other industry's next big thing.

Fox News recently did a story about a Headstone manufacturer that was embedding them in in their headstones for funerals. The QR Code, once scanned, takes the user to an interactive memorial page for the deceased. But their use has not stopped there. In March 2011, Capital Metro, Austin's public transportation system, announced intentions to use them at bus stops and light rail terminals.  They are in use in restaurants, shopping malls, state parks, and the future possibilities for use are as endless as the imagination.

If you haven't yet begun to see the bigger picture in how these codes might benefit you in your everyday life, let me point out a few, at the risk of overstating the obvious:

Discounts, Savings, Specials, and Exclusivity-
While this coding system has been around for some time, it's recent popularity with public commerce has lent this 18 year old technology a rebirth as the new interactive marketing message. Due to it's still relative obscurity, only tech-savvy individuals are in-the-know about them. This lends the code a somewhat secret identity, masquerading as some little jaunty extra piece of art on a napkin to the unwary, but to those who are initiated in their use, you are subject to find some great deals hiding behind that unassuming little pictogram. Because business owners are finding such varied use for the QR Code, they are pushing them to the public at an alarming rate. In fact, I bet those of you who are new to this topic begin noticing them all over the place, and sometimes in the most unlikely of settings. New technologies are always slowly adopted by the mass public, so while the traffic is still light businesses are offering some whopping savings just for recognizing and using their QR Code.

What's to worry?-
Well like most burgeoning technologies, there are ways to subvert the QR Code's inherently benevolent properties, to do the bidding of hackers and other technologically-inclined malcontents. According to this story reported by Fox News, QR Codes can be maliciously created to direct the user to a potentially dangerous site. The safe thing to do is not scan any QR Code unless it appears to be from a reputable source. As the article mentions anyone could alter a posted sign's QR Code, at a bus stop for example, but printed promotional or marketing materials from a known or reputable source (like Fox Service Company) are probably safest. So keep your eyes open, you're bound to start spotting them all over the place. Bring on the savings!

Why Are R-22 Costs So High?!

Here’s Why:

The U.S. EPA controls the production and import of R-22 refrigerant. They set limits on how much can be produced and imported each year, but they failed to set limits for 2012. Until the EPA sets these limits, manufacturers must produce 45% less R-22 refrigerant than they did last year. This creates uncertainty in the marketplace and the manufacturers have increased their prices.

What’s Next?

The earliest the EPA will announce its decision is summer 2012. Nobody knows what the final 2012 limits will be. Until the EPA makes its decision, the market will remain uncertain and prices may continue to rise. As a professional contractor, our goal is to provide you with the best possible products and services at the best possible value. Unfortunately, we have no control over the cost of a commodity like R-22 refrigerant. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope Washington resolves this issue soon.

Attic Breeze: Fresh Breath For Your Attic

Fox Service Company proudly carries Attic Breeze products, winner of the 2011 Eureka Award . These products are designed to efficiently cool your attic space during the grueling summer months and provide moisture alleviation to the space during the winter, helping prevent mold and excessive indoor temperatures year round.


Innovation isn't just another buzz word for the folks at Attic Breeze; they have established themselves as the authority in traditional and solar-powered attic ventilation, and have continued to raise the bar each year. With products like the "The Zephyr", "The Grande", and now the "Breeze Mate", they are poised to even further revolutionize the attic ventilation industry.


Call Fox Service Company at (512) 442-6782 to see what Attic Breeze innovations we can bring to your home or office!

The Truth About Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality is one of the key factors in occupational health. The need for clean air in our homes should not be underestimated. That's because many homes are being built and remodeled more airtight, without considering the factors that assure fresh and healthy indoor air. Americans spend an average of 90 percent of their time inside, and 65 percent of their time in their own homes. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air is anywhere from 2 to 10 times more hazardous than outdoor air. Indoor air contains many substances that may be hazardous to our health. Indoor air pollutants range from minor irritants such as dust and animal dander, to major irritants such as molds and chemical vapors that may be emitted from building materials and furnishings.

One in five Americans suffer from some type of lung disease (asthma, emphysema, lung cancer) and many more Americans are affected by allergies. Eleven million Americans have asthma. Twenty-eight million Americans have hay fever and other allergies. The US EPA estimates an 18 percent annual production loss to American business due to poor indoor air quality. The World Health organization tells us that 40 percent of all buildings pose a serious health hazard due to indoor air pollution. The US EPA says high levels of formaldehyde cause cancer while scientists now recognize that pollutants, even at acceptable concentration, combined together in an indoor environment have a negatively synergistic effect.

The air we breathe is a factor in all these conditions, therefore, it is vital that we implement the necessary steps to ensure the highest level of indoor air quality.Every year at least 6,000 new chemical compounds are developed in the US. Many are used indoors every day, at home and at work. Add to these pollutants the mold, mildew, bacteria, viruses, tobacco smoke, grease, pollen, dirt, asbestos, lead, mercury and numerous other contaminants that can affect our breathing and our health. Then allow them to circulate in today's nearly airtight indoor environment. The viruses and bacteria that thrive in the ducts, coils and recesses of building ventilation systems have been proven to cause ailments ranging from influenza to tuberculosis. Some HVAC systems have been found to contain up to 27 species of fungi.

Other facts about the hazardous nature of our air include:
• Asthma cases have increased by more than 100 percent since 1976.
• According to the American College of Allergies, 50 percent of all illness is aggravated or caused
by polluted indoor air.
• Nature's air-cleansing agents such as ozone and negative ions are kept out of sealed buildings,
while contaminants are kept in.
• A recent study found that the allergen level in super-insulated homes is 200 percent higher than it is in ordinary homes.
• According to Scientific America, a baby crawling on the floor inhales the equivalent of 4
cigarettes a day, as a result of the out-gassing of carpets, molds, mildews, fungi, dust mites, etc.

The US EPA informs us that 6 out of 10 homes and buildings are 'sick', meaning they are hazardous to your health to occupy as a result of airborne pollutants. Some practical tips to improve indoor air quality include:
• Stop smoking

• Ensure regular maintenance of the furnace and air conditioning system • Reduce moisture & mold in the home by repairing roof and foundation cracks

• Grade soil to allow water to flow away from the house

• Reduce the amount of stored materials in the house

• Choose building and renovating materials with low levels of chemical emissions

• Use recommended high efficiency air filters and UV lights.

• Introduce fresh air through heat recovery ventilator systems.

• Avoid the use of pesticides

Fox Service Company is your full service Indoor Air Quality consultant specializing in HVAC repair, replacement, and weatherization services. Give us a call at (512) 442-6782 or visit our website www.foxservice.com