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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).

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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.

Contact Flame for more information or Check out these other interesting blogs about generators:

• Benefits of a Generator
• How a Generator Works but not a Physics Lesson
• Do Not Freeze When You Lose Power in the Winter

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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 Cleaners Association, and therefore willing, competent, and able to clean your duct work. Contact Flame within any questions!

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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.

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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/

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When the power goes out, a generator can help keep your lights on and refrigerator running-what more do you need to know?  The answer is, plenty!  There are many different types and brands of generators for sale.  One of the bigger decisions is whether to purchase a stand-by generator or a portable generator.

A stand-by generator is a permanent fixture.  It is located outside of your house, often right near the air conditioner.  This generator should have an automatic transfer switch that will sense a power outage and turn the generator on.  It will also shut it down once power is restored. When purchasing a standby generator you have options as to how much power it will supply your home.  You can choose anywhere from the bare minimum to enough power to keep your home running normally. Generators for both residential and commercial needs can be purchased.

Portable generators can be purchased for recreational use (such as camping or tailgating), professional use on job sites (such as construction) or for use in emergencies.  Like the stand-by generator, different sizes of portable generator can be bought to power a few necessary appliances or more.  A portable generator must be manually plugged into the device and appliances that are to be powered by using extension cords.  (An electrician may be able to hook it up to a circuit board like the stand by generator.)

There are pros and cons to each of these generators.

Pros Portable Generator:

• Less expensive than stand by
• Portable (If you have 2 residences, such as cottage where you stay for a long time in the summer-the generator can be taken there during the summer and used that way)
• Do-It-Yourself, you can purchase and hook up the portable generator by yourself without having to hire an installer or electrician

Cons Portable Generator:

• Cannot power as much Stand-by generator
• You have to manually hook it up during an emergency
• Portable generators are intended for shorter amounts of time (hours vs. days)

Pros Standby Generator:

• Automatically switches to generator power in case of a power outage.  This is very convenient if an outage occurs during the night while people are sleeping, or if no one is home.
• Certain generators can power your entire house
• You don’t have to worry about storing it, because it will be hooked up outside your house
• An installer or technician will install it, and this insures that it is properly set up and functioning correctly.

Cons Stand-by generator:

• More expensive than a portable generator
• An installer or electrician needs to come and install the generator

Flame Furnace offers certified technicians and electricians to install stand-by generators.  If interested, feel free to contact Flame and have a free consultation for a generator.  Flame Furnace does not offer portable generators, however call to find out more information on generators.

Other Generator Information:

• Benefits of a Generator
• How a Generator Works but not a Physics Lesson
• Changing Your Generator Oil

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This day and and age there are a ton of innovations designed to help save energy.  For example:  hybrid cars, hybrid heat systems, sun panels etc..  However, all these are fairly expensive.  What can you do to conserve energy without spending a ton of money?  Here are three ideas:  replace your furnace filters, install a programmable thermostat, and have your ducts inspected for leaks and a potential cleaning.

Replacing your furnace filter is so simple, that you can even do it yourself.  There is no need to call an HVAC specialist.  You should check your filters monthly all year round if you have both a heating and cooling system.  A dirty filter means that your heating or cooling unit has to work harder and use more energy to get air past a filter clogged with dirt and dust.  This wastes energy when you can just change the filter easily.  You can find furnace filters at hardware stores.

A programmable thermostat automatically changes the temperature in your home or workplace depending on the season, day, and whether or not you are away.  For example-a programmable thermostat will automatically turn the temperature down during a winter day while everybody is work or school. You can program it specifically to you or your family.  This means that heat and energy is not being wasted while nobody is even home.

Duct inspections can find leaks in your ductwork, where air is leaking out. If the ducts are leaking the warm or cool air from your furnace or air conditioner, energy is being wasted because your heating or cooling unit must run longer and harder to produce the same amount as when the ducts are completely sealed.  Duct cleaning, like filter cleaning, cleans out the ducts making it easier for air to get through and also providing cleaner air for your home or work place.

So as you can see, you dont need to go and buy a brand new to car to help save energy and money.  Just a few simple things around the house can help also.

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Energy saving seems to be on everyone’s mind these days.  Whether its caring about the environment or just trying to save a little money, saving energy is the way to go.  A programmable thermostat can help you do that. 

Programmable thermostats regulate the temperature in your home or business depending on the season, time of day, and whether or not you are away.  For example-during the day in the winter, if everybody in  your home is at work or school, the thermostat can be set to automatically lower the heat by 8 degrees at around 8 o’clock, and raise it back up around 3 p.m. when people start getting home.  This is also possible with a manual thermostat, but being human-we can forget to change the thermostat.  Especially when it is constantly changing.

Energy Star recommends the following temperature at the following times during the day depending upon the season:

Winter:

6 a.m. (wake)-less than or equal to 70 degrees

8 a.m. (day)-setback (turn down) at least 8 degrees               

6 p.m. (evening)-less than or equal to 70 degrees                  

10 p.m. (sleep)-setback (turn down) at least 8 degrees

Summer-

6 a.m. (wake)-greater than or equal to 78 degrees                  

8 a.m. (day)-set up (raise temp) at least 7 degrees                  

6 p.m. (evening)-greating than or equl to 78 degrees            

10 p.m. (sleep)-set up (raise temp) at least 4 degrees

As you can see, in the winter, the temperature you would “live” in would be 70 degrees or lower, and in the summer it would be 78 degrees are above.  The thermostat is set to those temperatures in the morning when you wake up and in the evening when you get home from work.  This program is not set in stone, you can easily personalize it with different times and temperatures.  However, with the setback and setup amounts listed above, Energy Star estimates a $180 savings per year.  That means, that just by using a programmable thermostat, in 5.5 years you will have saved $1,000 just by investing in a programmable thermostat and therefore doing zero work.

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Blasting an air conditioner seems like the most fool proof way to stay cool in the summer.  However, there may come a time when it could break or the power could go out, or maybe to save energy and a bit of money-you decide to raise the temperature on it or even turn it off for a little while!  If that is the case, here are some other tips found from various websites (WikiHow and MSNBC) that can help to make those sweltering days more bearable:

Fans-

• ceiling fans, box fans, or even window fans can help to make the air feel cooler.
• An idea to try is-Place a fan in a window, but have it facing outwards, this can blow the warm air out of a room.
• Fill a couple 3 liter bottles with water and freeze them.  Once they are frozen, place them in front of a fan and have the fan blow on them.  The melting ice cools the air around it, and the fan will disperse it.  *note-place the bottles in a bowl or on a towel, so that the condensation does not ruin anything

Water!-Water has always been the old summer standby-who doesn’t love swimming in a pool, lake, or ocean?  There are also other ways you can effectively use water.

• Soak a t-shirt in lukewarm water, wring it out, and put it on.  Then sit in a chair that has holes that allow air flow (such as a lawn chair or certain patio chairs) and let a fan blow you dry.  When dry, feel free to re-do the process.  If you do not want to wear a soaked t-shirt, you can just wet the sleeves on a short sleeve shirt and let them air dry. *Note-soaking your t-shirt in cold water may make you cooler than you would like.
• Cooling down key pulse points such as your wrists helps to lower the temperature of your whole body.  Use ice wrapped in cloth or cold water.
• The neck is another area that will help cool, especially the blood to the brain.  Before you drink your ice cold pop, press it against your neck.  Or soak a bandana in water and tie it around your neck.

Hydration-drinking lots of water is important, because your body loses water and electrolytes when it is sweating.

Clothes-many girls love to look stylish in the summer, however there are certain clothes that are definitely “cooler” than others.

• Loose, flowy clothes (dresses, skirts, loose pants) are good
• Light colored fabrics and fabrics such as cotton, silk, and linen are cooler than polyestor and rayon
• To protect yourself from the sun-cover your whole body in clothing, as long as its a light color and very lightweight.  This also keeps you cool because your skin is not having direct contact with the sun.
• Neck ties hold heat close to the body, so try to avoid those whenever possible

These are just a few tips, there are many more out there.  And while you are waiting for your air conditioner to be repared or when you will turn it back on-remember the good parts about high temperatures: ice cream bars, popsicles, reading books about cold weather, and going to see a movie in a cold theater during the day.

Check WikiHow or MSNBC for even more cool ideas

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4th of July weekend is supposed to be sunny and filled with fireworks, ice cream, and parades.  However, according to Weather.com (the website of The Weather Channel) storms and showers are going to be hitting the Midwestern and Northeastern areas of the country.  A power outage from one of these storms could really affect your Independence Day fun.

The best time to buy a back up generator is now, before the weather keeps  knocking out your power.  It is summer in Michigan, which means that storm season is in full swing.  The large storms that went through the state in early June knocked out the power of over 730,000 utility customers in Southeastern Michigan according to the Detroit News and it took around a week for DTE to turn this power back on.

The Byrant Automatic Standby Power Generator restores power to your home after it is knocked out quickly and automatically.  This is not only comfortable and convenient for you, it can keep your company in business and earning money when the loss of power would have also meant a loss of earnings.

When deciding whether or not to invest in a generator, keep in mind that summer is not the only time when the power can go out-ice and snow storms can bring down power lines just as easy and having no heat is never comfortable.  And since it is estimated that around 3.5 million Americans lose electicity every week, the time to invest in a back up generator is now-before any problems can happen and ruin your 4th of July or any other day.

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