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A Safe Heating Season || Heating Technician Mount Forest

Found this and had to share with our customers. US or Canada everyone needs to be safe during the heating season!

A Safe Heating Season

Tips to Protect Your Family Against Carbon Monoxide and Gas Leaks

Quote startNationally, 20-25 percent of all homes have either significant gas leaks, carbon monoxide, combustion issues, or both. This is serious stuff.Quote end

Irvine, CA (Vocus) October 19, 2010

Fall is on its way out, and homeowners are taking out window screens, signing up for heating oil contracts, and putting in storm windows. One thing that should be on every list is a yearly checkup of the furnace. It’s tempting to think of this maintenance as optional, but it can be critical to ensuring a safe home environment. Mike Rogers of GreenHomes America, a company specializing in retrofitting homes to be safe, comfortable, and energy efficient, points out that, “Nationally, 20-25 percent of all homes have either significant gas leaks, carbon monoxide, combustion issues, or both. This is serious stuff.”

While an inefficient furnace degrades air quality and comfort, the most critical issue is carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, tasteless, colorless gas that results from inefficient combustion. Rogers notes, “Anything that burns fuel creates some CO, but a dirty, old or compromised furnace – whether it burns gas, fuel oil, kerosene, wood, or coal – can produce dangerous levels. At lower doses, CO can worsen heart conditions, cause fatigue, headache, weakness, confusion, nausea and dizziness. At higher doses, it can kill.”

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that, on average, 170 people die every year in the US from CO poisoning, and the Centers for Disease Control estimates that several thousand people go to hospital emergency rooms every year to be treated for CO poisoning.

The following tips, from GreenHomes America, can help ensure a safe home:

1. First, have a qualified technician perform a yearly inspection of your fuel-burning appliances and chimneys to make sure they are operating and venting correctly. The inspection should include analysis of the combustion gases and draft. Make sure to include water heating systems, generators, wood stoves and fireplaces.

2. At a minimum, install a UL-listed CO alarm in the hallway by every separate sleeping area in the home. They are inexpensive and can be had in any hardware store for $10 or less. A better approach is hardwired, interconnected CO alarms on every floor and in each bedroom.

3. NEVER attempt to adjust or service a fuel-burning appliance yourself. Always have a qualified professional do this work.

4. Burning any fuel with inadequate oxygen can lead to increased production of CO. Furnaces or water heaters without an adequate air supply can cause problems. A home performance or HVAC specialist can check for this problem, and if necessary, install a combustion air supply. A better approach is to use only sealed combustion equipment, which avoids any connection between the combustion and the air inside your home.

5. Make sure there is unobstructed space around your furnace. There should be at least a two-foot buffer around all sides. And, check that there are no combustible or volatile agents nearby (these should never be inside the house anyway).

6. If you heat with a wood stove, pellet stove or fireplace insert, make sure to use only wood or good quality wood pellets for a pellet stove; do not start the fire with agents like lighter fluid; and have proper ventilation.

7. NEVER use a gas stove, grill, camp stove, or any fuel-burning space heater indoors, even in an emergency. This is extremely dangerous. You’re better off staying elsewhere.

8. And anytime you make changes to your home, from building an addition, to adding air-conditioning, to changing your windows, you should have an expert make sure that all equipment is operating and venting properly.

Additional resources are available at the National Safety Council’s website,http://www.nsc.org/resources/factsheets, or at http://www.greenhomesamerica.com.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/466.html

Irvine-based GreenHomes America is the premier industry-accredited, single-source provider of home performance contracting (HPC) in the U.S., with locations nationally. GreenHomes America offers an award-winning home improvement service that significantly enhances the comfort, energy efficiency and air quality of existing single and multi-family homes. GreenHomes America delivers a full line of home performance and HVAC services including comprehensive home energy audits, insulation and air-sealing, high-efficiency air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, and water heaters, indoor air quality, windows and doors, and solar systems. We guarantee to save homeowners at least 25% on their heating and cooling energy usage. GreenHomes America works with Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, is a Building Performance Institute (BPI) accredited organization, and is a founding member of Efficiency First. For more information on GreenHomes America, call 1.877.867.2833 or visithttp://www.greenhomesamerica.com.

Heating System Service || Mount Forest Heating Contractors

Winter has officially arrived and had us waking up to a blanket of snow all over our lovely town of Mount Forest! Which means… heating season is officially here!

Is your system up and running?
We highly recommend having one of our tech’s check your system at least once every 1 to 2years, minimum, to ensure it is running at its peak performance and running as efficient as possible.
There are some things that a home owner can check themselves:
  • Check your thermostat settings – If you have a programmable thermostat you can take advantage of programming your settings to have the heat on only when you need it. Such as taking the stat down 1-2 degrees at night for sleeping and during the day if you are not home.
  • Change your filter at least every 2 months, if your filter is dirty the heating system has to work harder to get the air flow and could potentially cause your equipment to fail IF it was extremely dirty.
  • Ensure all furniture is away from your heating and return air vents, this can restrict the flow and the furnace will have to work harder to bring up the temperature to what the thermostat is set at.
Reminders before calling in for a service call :
  • If we had a heavy snow – which thankfully isn’t yet – if you are able to, please check your vent pipe out the side or back of your home, if this gets clogged with snow this can cause your furnace to fail.
  • It is beneficial if you know the make, model and age of your furnace in case any parts are needed to make the repairs.
  • Did you try re-setting the system – which you can do by simply turning off the thermostat and then turning back on again, sometimes this is enough to reset the system and it will start back up again.
If you are having issues with your heating system please give us a call toll free 1-866-565-5513 We provide 24-7 Emergency Service for no heat. We do recommend calling at the first sign of trouble so you are not left without heat in the evening or middle of the night to disturb your nights rest!

When to Replace your Air Conditioner and Furnace || Mount Forest Lennox Premier Dealer

When to Replace your Air Conditioner and Furnace

To repair or replace, that is the question that likely comes to mind whenever your heating or cooling system stops working like it should. Although repairing may be the most affordable solution now, it might not be the best choice over the long run.

Factors to consider include:

Fifty Percent Rule

When the cost of repairs approaches 50% of the value of your heating or cooling system, it’s generally time to replace the system.

Other Rules of Thumb

Even if needed repair costs aren’t quite as daunting as 50%, you might want to replace your system if it’s more than 12 years old or you’ve had a history of problems with it. Also, it might be worthwhile to take advantage of one of several opportunities:

  • Convenience – When you purchase a new system, you can avoid the hassle of unexpected repairs down the line, and you don’t have to sit around uncomfortable while waiting for parts.
  • Lower utility bills – A high-efficiency home comfort system from Lennox can save you hundreds of dollars each year in energy costs, compared to an older system.
  • Energy tax credits – You can recover some of the cost of your system by taking advantage of any programs currently offered by the government.
  • Friendlier refrigerant – Due to growing environmental concerns, the U.S. federal government has mandated that all HVAC manufacturers phase R-22 refrigerant-based equipment out of production. In response, Lennox now mainly manufactures cooling systems with R-410A, a U.S. EPA-approved, chlorine-free refrigerant.
  • Enhanced comfort – Advanced technologies that improve energy efficiency also enhance your comfort, so you can enjoy more even temperatures, better humidity control and a constant flow of conditioned air.
  • Improved air quality – Better humidity control means a reduced potential for mold and mildew growth. Lennox home comfort systems are also available with Healthy Climate® filtration, which minimizes the impact of indoor pollutants.

For help in deciding if it’s time to replace your heating or cooling system, contact a Lennox dealer near you.

Dave Lennox Signature® Collection SLP98V Variable-Capacity Gas Furnace

  • The most efficient and quietest furnace you can buy1!
  • Efficiency rating of up to 98.2% AFUE —can save you over $800 dollars each year*, compared to standard furnaces
  • ENERGY STAR® qualified—meets or exceeds EPA guidelines for energy efficiency
  • Self-calibrating variable speed inducer—automatically adjusts to match the system requirements, ensuring cleaner combustion and efficient operation
  • Stainless Steel secondary heat exchanger—has a robust, time-tested design that captures waste heat, allowing the furnace to achieve industry-leading efficiency levels
  • Dual-fuel capability—can be combined with an electric heat pump to enhance comfort and fuel efficiency by alternating between electric and gas heat, optimizing energy use and minimizing heating costs
  • icomfort™-enabled technology—allows the furnace, when installed with the easy-to-use programmable icomfort Touch thermostat, to exchange information and make adjustments as needed to optimize performance and efficiency**
*Savings amounts depict potential energy savings you can expect from Lennox furnaces, versus a 65% AFUE model. Your actual savings may vary depending on the weather patterns in your local area, local fuel rates and your individual lifestyle.
**icomfort Touch thermostat must be installed with an icomfort™-enabled indoor unit for maximum performance.

Check out our website for complete details on this furnace. Click on FURNACES to view the various options from Lennox and to view the NEW SLP98!