Thank you to the Detroit News for spreading the word about E3! Look for more press in the coming weeks. You can view the article here.
Archive for January, 2008
Welcome to the Flame Furnace Blog
Have a Question? Ask The Furnace Doctor ®
Flame’s E3 makes the Detroit News
Does my home need more air from the outside?
See the diagram below that lists the symptoms of poor indoor air quality that will help you determine if you need a Skuttle (PVC venting make-up air (fresh air from the outside) into your air ducts.)
UV Lamps & Air Quality
Using Ultraviolet light to improve indoor air quality
With “tighter,” more energy efficient homes – the quality of indoor air has declined dramatically. The air circulating in the ductwork of the average home or office can be concentrated with contaminants including molds, bacteria, and viruses. Basic filtering systems offer little help because these airborne contaminants either pass through a filter or collect on filter medium and grow. Ultraviolet light can help fill the indoor air quality gap and clean the contaminants in the air that filters can’t.
The germicidal effects of UV light cause photochemical damage to DNA and RNA within microorganisms. UV technology is widely used in hospitals, pharmacies, and commercial kitchens to kill airborne and surface microorganisms like mold and bacteria. Now homeowners can benefit from UV products, too.
The air in a home will pass through the HVAC system up to 75 times per day during the heating/cooling season and up to 150 time per day if the system is in continuous fan mode.
Ultraviolet lamps can be easily added to an existing forced air system. Lamps can be installed either in the main supply or return duct of a central heating or air system. The best installation location for a UV lamp is downstream of the air conditioning coils on the supply side of the heating/cooling system. Condensation on air conditioning coils and standing water in the drip pan below provide a breeding ground for bacteria and mold. A properly placed UV lamp above the coil can eliminate these risks and can clean the air as it passes into the supply ductwork of the home. UV lamp systems can also be placed in the return air ductwork to clean the air as it passes through the system.
Flame Furnace offers a full line of UV coil irradiation and air treatment systems from the leading manufacturers in the indoor air quality industry. We also stock and sell replacement bulbs for these systems.
Duct Sealing
If a Flame E3 specialist determines that a leaky duct system is a problem in your home they will reccommend the Aeroseal duct sealing system.
Energy Efficient homes affordable for “regular people” too.
The Sacramento Bee out of Sacramento, California ran an article today showcasing the affordability of energy efficient materials in new home and retro-fit construction.
The article titled “Building a New Home While Dreaming in Green” by Ngoc Nguyen follows a first time home builder and the simple choices she made to create her green dream. Even on a single income (the home builder is a lieutenant in the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department) the energy efficiency solutions were reasonably priced enough to included throughout the home.
Take a look at the article and ask an E3 professional about how we can help you make similar changes to your home.
Does your furnace qualify for a $1,050 rebate?
Carrier Class Action Lawsuit Information
If you own or owned a Carrier, Bryant, Payne, or Day & Night high efficiency gas furnace made after January 1, 1989, you could get benefits from a class action settlement.
From the official court website:
The Court will hold a hearing on April 22, 2008 to decide whether to approve the settlement. Those included in the class action, together called a “Class,” have legal rights and options, such as submitting a claim form to ask for a payment, excluding themselves from the settlement, objecting to it, or asking to speak at the hearing. The deadline for exclusions and objections is March 21, 2008. You may fill out and submit a Claim Form online or mail it postmarked no later than August 1, 2008 to the address on the form. Click here to see a list of models that are included in the settlement.
Click the links on the official website to obtain a Claim Form or read the Court–ordered Notices, and other materials including a list of the furnace models that are included in the settlement, the Settlement Agreement, and the Preliminary Approval Order.
Is you furnace on this list? Not sure? Call or email us and we can check for you. If you would prefer, we can come out at no charge and verify if you are eligible. If your furnace is on the list, we can schedule a service technician for $49.99 to come out and check the heat exchanger on your furnace to be sure that it is safe to operate. If your furnace does have a defective heat exchanger we can send a comfort consultant out to go over your options – replace the heat exchanger or install a new furnace. There is a credit from the manufacturer for up to $1,050.00 towards the replacement of your heat exchanger or the installation of a new furnace.
Beware Energy Hogs!
The Alliance to Save Energy has started a fun program that warns young people about energy waste (Maybe you’ve seen the ads on T.V.). By clicking on energyhog.org students can train to become a Hog Buster through completing online games and taking a survey of their own home. The site is extremely well made and the interactive games are a blast to play, not to mention the content is completely free! This may be the only way to have kids explore the floor plan of a home and actually enjoy it.
