Welcome to the Flame Furnace Blog

These past couple of weeks have been just down right bitter cold! It seems like just walking outside has been an almost unbearable task.  Here are some ways to keep warm, as we highly anticipate for Springs arrival:

1.  On the rare sunny days, open your curtains and blinds to let the sun shine through, because it will warm up your home.
2. Wear socks or slippers around your home
3. Use a lot of blankets, and always bundle up
4. Drink hot chocolate, hot tea, or hot coffee…
5. Eat hot soup or chili
6. Put rugs on bare floors, because they can help to keep your feet warm, especially if those floors are above a chilly basement.
7. Weather stripping and insulation can help to keep warm air in, cold air out, and your heating bills down.
8. A programmable thermostat also helps to keep your house warm when you need it, but it turns down the heat when you do not (for example, when everyone is at work or school during the day) and therefore it saves you money.
9. Light a fire, and when you are done, close the chimney flue so that your warm air does not escape.
10. Use a humidifier, or have a built in one installed by your duct work.  Humid air feels warmer than dry air.
11. Exercise: Breaking a sweat and working out is not only good for you, but it will increase your body temperature
12. Get your bed ready for winter with flannel sheets and a down comforter!
13. A high efficiency furnace can help heat your home while wasting less energy than other furnaces.
14. Wear a coat, mittens/gloves, scarf, hat, boots
15. Think Warm!  Read books or watch movies set in places like Florida or the Caribbean or plan a spring vacation to someplace warm, even if you do not intend to actually go on a vacation.

Hopefully these tips will be able to help you and keep your spirits high, until it gets warmer around Spring time.

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A leaking hot water tank can cause a lot of serious damage!  However, Flame Furnace can help shut your hot water tank off through this blog and also through a helpful video on Flame’s website.

1.  Locate the supply water- It will come in through a tube on the cold water side of the tank.  Turn it off, either by turning the valve perpendicular to the pipe or by turning a knob clockwise.
2. Shut the gas off- If you know where it is, but if you do not, you can always look at your tank manual or call Flame for help.
3. Connect hose to drain valve on bottom- That way you can direct where the draining water is going and you can lead it to a drain.

Also, consider installing a water alarm like the one that Flame offers, so that you can know right away if your tank is leaking and therefore prevent some water damage.  Call Flame or watch this helpful video if you have any questions:  http://www.flamefurnace.com/ask-the-furnace-doctor.php  (scroll down for “Flame Furnace talks about a Leaking Hot Water Tank)

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Energy efficiency is a hot topic these days, especially with the gas prices that are starting to creep up on us again.  During these cold months it is hard to save money, so Flame has another way to help you save both money and energy.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Your generator can be extremely helpful and useful when the power goes out. However, you can not forget to help out your generator.  If the power has been out for a couple of days and your generator is running, it is good to have your oil changed!

 Some sources suggest 50 hour intervals between change, and that sounds appropriate if your generator has been running for that period of time.  Also, oil filters need to be changed, though not necessarily as frequently as the oil. You can also check your generator’s manual, and follow its guidelines when dealing with changing your oil on a regular basis, not just when it is running. 

Flame technicians are available to answer any questions and to perform generator oil changes when you need it, so do not hesitate as we are happy to help.

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If you are interested in another way of saving money and energy, a tankless hot water heater is an option.  This concept may seem a little strange since we are used to hot water tanks.  However, as their name suggests-tankless hot water heaters have no tanks and they heat water on demand as needed!  This is obviously energy and money saving because you would only be heating water that you use, there would be no waste.

One thing to look into with a tankless heater is how much it can heat.  Sometimes smaller ones cannot heat as much or you cannot run two things at the same time, so you may want to look at bigger ones or full house heaters.  Also, these tankless heaters can be more expensive than a regular storage tank hot water heater, yet they will save you money and energy after their installation.

 Maybe you are not in the market for a new water heater right now. However, if your hot water heater breaks beyond repair, or it becomes old and inefficient, a tank-less hot water heater may be the right option for you and what you need.

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Are you tired of constantly having to shovel the snow?  It is truly a pain to have to shovel the snow just so you can get your car out of the driveway, or to have to shovel off the back patio for the dogs or for any other reason.  Other than hiring a service, or using your teenager, there is another solution to this problem.  The solution is radiant heat underneath your driveway or back patio.  

The heat will help to melt the snow, which will save you a lot of time and energy. Some reasons to consider heating your driveway include:  Not having to shovel,  less of chance of any serious injury of slipping on an icy or snowy driveway, and it could keep your driveway in better condition since you will not have to constantly salt it. 

The heat would run underneath your driveway.  It is usually powered by hot water, but sometimes it can be electric. Radiant heat can also be put into your home floors or walls as another heating option in your house.  

The next time you have to put on your boots and shovel the snow off your driveway, you may want to keep in mind the warm concept of a radiant heated driveway, that saves you time, effort, and provides a safe and secure way to handle the snow.

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Is you hot water heater not working very well?  It could be just old, and worn out. Normally it is about 10 years with your hot water heater, and then you may want to think about investing in a new one, but they can last up to 15-20 years.  Flame Furnace is more than happy to let you know if you need a new hot water heater and to help you find the right one for your home.  Until you get to that stage, here are a few ways to help prolong your water heater’s life:

•  Cleaning out your tank!  On older heaters especially this should be done annually.  Cleaning or flushing out your tank helps to clear out built up sediment and therefore keep your unit running efficiently.  If you have a newer heater, you may want to check and see if it can self-clean.
• Installing another anode rod-the Anode rod is a rod that is part of your water heater that is made of aluminum or magnesium and it collects the corrosion, so that your tank does not.  You anode rod is a little like your hot water heater’s hero.  Replacing your anode rod is also a good idea.

These are just two ways to help your hot water heater live longer, but there are some others.  Call Flame or comment on the blog if you have any other questions, and also check out our website: www.flamefurnace.com

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  You wake up to a snow storm and now your furnace isn’t working, and you do not know what to do.  If you have a 90% efficiency furnace and above, you may have snow blocking the pipes that allow for an intake and outtake of air.  These pipes are  white PVC, and you will be able to find them on the side of your house.

If you are not sure if you have a 90% efficiency furnace and above, check to see if you have those pipes.  If you do, then you have a 90% and above efficiency furnace.  If there is snow blocking these pipes, the furnace will not work.   Try cleaning out your pipes and see if your furnace starts to work again. 

Be careful when shoveling or snow blowing all that snow, that you do not mistakenly block those pipes, and make sure you keep your pipes clear to avoid any problems now or in the future.

If a problem still exists after clearing these pipes, call Flame and they can help to find what the problem is and figure out a solution!

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If you have a humidifier built on to your duct work, you probably do not think about it very much.  However you should know that you should replace your pad or filter about twice a Winter.  This is because minerals from the water can build up on the pad and therefore your humidifier will not work as well.  Unfortunately,  cleaning it will not work nearly as well as replacing it.

If you are wondering where your humidifier is, it is normally hanging from your duct work right near your furnace.  You can change the pads yourself or call professionals, if you are nervous or just do not want to do it.  The pads can be bought at hardware stores, off the internet, or even from Flame Furnace.  If you decided to change your pad yourself,  remember to turn the water off! Follow the copper water line until it meets with a bigger water line, where you will find a shut off.  If you leave the water line running, there could be a huge mess!

Next time you are enjoying the humidified air that your humidifier provides you, remember that you do need to take care of it to avoid many serious problems.

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