Grand Bay

Owner makes a "Grand" gesture with heat pumps.

Registered Nurse and Grand Bay Convalescent Home owner, Marlene Hart, knows how to take care of her residents and her business. After working closely with a contractor to build an addition to her convalescent home, Marlene made a decision that is now saving her business money and making life grand for the home's residents.

A sound business decision.

When Marlene Hart, an RN and owner of Grand Bay Convalescent Home in Grand Bay, Alabama decided to add a new wing to her facility, she wanted to make sure all her decisions about its construction were sound ones. She wanted to consider long-term benefits for her patients and her business, so she worked with the contractor every step of the way, making sure that all aspects of construction met her specifications. When it came time to choose a heating and cooling system, Marlene approached her contractor with the idea of installing individual electric heat pumps in each of the new rooms.

Heat pumps work for everyone.

Marlene had heard about heat pumps through advertising but had no experience with them. The contractor agreed that for economy and efficiency, heat pumps were a good choice; and when the new wing was opened in December of 1986, every room had its own individual unit. Marlene says, "That was my first experience with heat pumps. Since then, I've installed them in my house and in my rental property, and as I replace units in the old section here at Grand Bay, I replace with heat pumps."

Keeping summer days cool and carefree.

As far as economy and efficiency go, Marlene has been extremely pleased. Her monthly electric bills are always reasonable, even in the dog days of summer in south Alabama, and, more importantly, her maintenance costs are almost zero. "I haven't had to replace or repair any units in the six years, only clean and replace filters." The heat pumps run all day long, all year long, and none of the units have ever been down.

Efficiency, kindness, and heat pumps are a winning combination for patients.

A shrewd business woman and a caring nurse, Marlene is a very satisfied Alabama Power customer. She works to insure her patients' comfort and quality of life while administering her business in an efficient and professional manner. She feels very good about the decisions she has made since she first opened Grand Bay, especially her decision to heat and cool the building with electric heat pumps. After six years with her heat pumps, Marlene says, "The initial construction has shown me that the decision to install all heat pumps was a wise one...I'm sold on heat pumps!"