The beginnings of Fall mean that you no longer have to crank up your air conditioner and you do not have to worry about your furnace yet.  Therefore, furnaces and air conditioners are the last things on your mind.  However, this is one of the best times to invest in a new air conditioner or furnace. Why?  Because since it is not the middle of July or below freezing in December many people do not think about a heating or cooling unit since it is not necessary.  This means that seasons such as the beginnings of Fall are slow for many heating and cooling companies. Prices may be lower since the businesses will not be as busy.  Also, it is possible you will be able to pick a more convenient time for an installation since the days will not be as booked.  Finally, a peace of mind can come from having your new furnace installed and ready to go before the chill of winter swoops in.  When thinking of buying a new unit you should think about when to buy it and remember slower seasons such as the end of  Summer/beginning of Fall, it could save you some money.  Even if you are not immediately thinking that it is time to buy a new furnace or air conditioner since it is still working for now, this time of year is a good time to consider whether or not you will need one soon.

Majority of us like to take a hot shower, especially as the outside temperature starts dropping.  That is why it is such a pain when your hot water heater breaks.  However, if you live in the Tri-County area, Flame Furnace promises to give you hot water by 5 p.m. if you call by noon.  Even though Flame offers this great deal, it is best to just keep your hot water heater working.  Here are some tips for maintaining your heater: Have your hot water heater inspected every couple of years (around 2).  This will make sure that any little problem that develops can be fixed before it becomes a big problem!Drain a gallon of water from the tank every three months or so, to prevent sediment collecting on the burners.  This also saves energy, because built up sediment makes the water harder to heat. Also, having a technician replace the anode rod every 5 years or so is a good idea.  This rod is one of the defensives that hot water heaters have against the corrosion that comes from hot water.  The rod gets beat up so that the tank will stay good.  The rod by itself helps to maintain your heater, but it having it checked or replaced will ensure an even longer life for your water heater.  Other energy saving ideas include: lowering the temperature setting down to 110 or 120 degrees and adding your own insulation to the tank to make sure minimal heat is lost by using a fiberglass blanket or even a kit from a hardware store.  However, many tanks, especially Bradford-White already come with a good insulation system.These were just some tips to make sure that your showers stay warm, and that you are not spending all of your money to keep it that way. 

Health is always “in style.”  The basics of being healthy include eating right, excercizing, having regular check-ups at the doctor, and plenty of rest.  There are some other little things that can be done to promote physical health also. For example, your furnace filters can affect your health.  The filters help trap particles that could contaminate your household air which makes the air you breathe cleaner.  However, the trapped dust and bits can build up on the filter and clog it.A clogged filter means that there is less space for the air from your furnace to get through to the rest of your home and so your furnace is working harder to get out the same amount of air that it produced with a cleaner filter.  This wastes both money and energy.  Also it is possible that a clogged will not be as effective at keeping your air pure as clean filter.  The good news is that cleaning or changing your filter is fairly simple and you can do it yourself at home.  You can buy filters at your local hardware store and they range in price depending on the type of filter.It is recommended that you check your filter at least once a month and change it if it is dirty.  Though you will be spending money on filters, they can sometimes be bought in packs of 4 or more and you will be saving money in the long run.  Changing your furnace filter can help save money, energy and help to keep your household air clean. 

You may think buying a furnace is easy.  You can just look up a contractor in the phone book and they will come right over, install a furnace and you will have a perfectly heated home,  However, it does not always work out like that.  Some contractors will not give you the right information about your new furnace.  Therefore, here are a few things you should look out for in your new furnace: 1. Energy efficiency-today energy is a hot topic  and another way to save money and conserve energy, other than riding your bicycle or walking, is to purchase an energy efficient furnace.  Bryant furnace brand has energy efficient furnaces and other brands have them also.2. Sizing-if your furnace is not probably sized it will not work as well.  A furnace that is too large could cost you more money than you need to spend and a too small furnace would not heat your home properly.3. Air quality/health-when choosing a furnace you may look into a system with air purifiers or good filters to help keep your household air clean and pure and possibly reduce allergy symptoms.4. Contractor/Technicians- A good HVAC contractor can help you pick the right furnace for you.  They will help correctly size it and look for qualities such as air purification and energy efficiency.  Also, look for a business with NATE certified technicians because this ensures they are knowledgeable and experienced in this field.Instead of just picking out the first furnace business in the phone book, take your time and look into these different furnace qualities and qualities of a contractor. 

Did you know that the average home in during the Winter months has a humidity percentage of 5%-15% while Death Valley has 23% humidity and the Sahara Desert has 25%? That does not seem right, does it? The recommended humidity percentage is 35%-55% and a home humidifier can help to achieve that.

Buying a humidier can be as easy as driving to the hardware store. They are fairly inexpensive and you can use them to only humidify one room. However, finding the perfect one can be tricky. Purchasing one that is too big for the room can cause excess humidity and therefore an icrease in the growth of molds, bacteria and viruses. You also need to remember to refill the water resevoir otherwise it will not help humidify an area.

For consistent humidity control and peace of mind, a whole home humidifier is good option. Bryant offers four different models and a specialist can help you pick the right one for your home. They all come standard with a Humidistat which is placed on your wall seperately from your thermostat and you manually adjust the humidity. Another option is automatic humidity control. This senses conditions in and around your home and automatically adjusts the indoor humidity level. Automatic humidity contol can come seperate from your thermostat or Bryant offers its Thermidistat Control or Evolution System where you can control a rooms humidity and temperature in the same place.

Whole home humidifiers are more expensive than one you can just pick up at the hardware store, but they supply constant humidity and can even help to purify your home. Flame Furnace Company offers whole home humidifiers and experienced technicians and consultants to help pick out the right unit for your home.

Summer is beginning to end.  This means going back to school, fall leaves, sweaters and scarves, football, Halloween and apple orchards.  What you may not think of is, a furnace inspection.  Soon the temperatures will be dropping and turning on your furnace will be a necessity.  However, if it has not been inspected in a while problems can occur.

It is a good idea to have your furnace (and air conditioner) inspected once a year.  It does not matter when the inspection occurs, though it is recommended to be done in late summer/early fall to make sure everything is set for when it starts to get cold.  Furnace inspections include but are not limited to: checking for carbon monoxide, making sure the blower is operating correctly, cleaning air filters, cleaning motor and fan etc..  You can feel free to ask your HVAC specialist exactly what he is going to do.

It is smart to book a furnace inspection while it is unecessary to use a furnace instead of waiting until it breaks down in freezing cold weather.  So when you think of fall and going back to school, also keep your furnace in mind (even if it isn’t as fun or exciting as an apple orchard or haunted house).

Sometimes when the power goes out you may think it is not a big deal. You think, ”it will only be out for a little while, I can just light candles or sit outside, it will actually be relaxing.”  However, what happens when the power is out for a couple days?  Not just in your home but at your business.  If that  happens, a power outage is no longer relaxing, it is costly.

Possible residential money losses are:  spoiled food due to refrigerator not running,  basement flooding because sump pump is not working. water purification systems may fail which increases the need to purchase bottled water.

Possible Cost:

Spoiled Food: An average grocery shopping trip can cost up to $400 so it is possible to lose around $200 on spoiled refrigerated/frozen food

Flooded Basement:  Depends on the valuables/furniture/TV that get ruined in the flood. Loss of furnace, washer, dryer, furniture and TV could be around $3,000.  Cleaning and drying the basement can cost even more.  Even if you do it yourself it may still be necessary to rent a shop vacuum or a portable sump pump.

Bottled Water:  A 24 pack can cost around $7

 As you can see, losing your power for 48 hours or more can cost you up to $5,000 just in your home! (depending on different circumstances.)  One way to prevent this is by investing in an automatic standby generator.  The generator can sense when the power has gone out and automatically swtiches your home to generator power.  You would not have to worry about making sure that your food is cold in the refrigerator or hoping it does not rain becase your sump pump isn’t working.  The generator would take care of all that for you.

Quack! Quack! It’s not duck season it is DUCT season!  In case you are unaware, the duct work in your home is what supplies and removes the air to and from your heating and cooling systems.  Cleaning your duct work from time to time is highly recommended though ducts do not need to be cleaned daily, weekly, or even monthly!  Every 5 years is a good time to have your ducts clean.  Why? To prevent any potential health and air quality problem.  Cleaning your ducts also helps to purify your current air also.

If you are having any allergy problems or are seeing more dust than usual in the air-it does not hurt to have your ducts cleaned in between regular 5 year cleanings.  You can also look in your ductwork and see if there is a large amount of built up dust and particles.

All Flame technicians are certified by NADCA, National Air Duct Cleaning Association, and therefore willing, competent, and able to clean your duct work.

Air Conditioning has become so common today that it is hard to imagine life without it.  You enjoy the cool temperatures and relief it provides in when it is hot out, but you may have not realized that air conditioning can actually benefit your health.

Turning the air conditioning on at night can help prevent sleep deprivation.  As we all know, trying to sleep when you are boiling hot is difficult and nothing seems to do the trick.  In hot temperatures you tend to have a hard time falling asleep and you toss and turn all night.  Many sleepless nights in a row can deteriorate your health.

Air Conditioning can also help those are afflicted with asthma.  The air conditioning is especially useful if turned on when there is a high pollen count (midday) or any type of pollution warnings.

Being outside in the sun when temperatures are high can be dangerous.  For example on the opening day of the 2008 Ann Arbor Art Fair, 40 people were sent to the University of Michigan Hospital because of heat-related illnesses. Heat exhaustion or sun burn can develop as well as heat stroke-which is considered to be an emergency condition.  Going inside to an air conditioned place from time to time if possible can help prevent this.

So when you are basking in the cool breeze that your air conditioner provides, remember that it is not only comforting you but also benefiting your health.

When it comes to air conditioning you no longer have to choose between central air conditioning and a window unit.  Window units can be noisy and not look very nice while sometimes central air-conditioning cannot reach every room in the house.  Split duct-less air conditioning and heat pumps have grown increasingly popular.

Mitsubishi offers its “Mr. Slim” systems which consist of an indoor unit, and outdoor unit and a remote control.  The indoor unit is neutral colored and can be mounted on the wall or suspended from the ceiling.  It is connected to the outdoor unit through refrigerant lines that require only a 3 inch opening in the ceiling or wall.  The installation is quick.

 Bryant is also offering a system similiar to the “Mr Slim.”  If you have a room that is not connected to your central air systems and you do not want to use a window unit, this may be the best choice.  Feel free to browse the below websites, or call Flame Furnace or any other Bryant or Mitsubishi dealer about ductless heating and cooling.

 http://www.bryant.com/products/ductfree/index.shtml

http://www.mrslim.com/