Welcome to the Flame Furnace Blog

If you are like me, you probably enjoy warm or hot showers.  If you are like my brother, you probably enjoy warm or hot showers that can last up to half hour.  500 years ago, many people did not believe in bathing.  We have progressed past simply realizing that it is hygenic into enjoying bathing now that the majority of us do not have to carry water up from the stream or lake and heat it over the fire before getting into it.  There are a lot of other things that we enjoy that involve hot water, for example drinking hot chocolate and tea or sitting in a hot tub.

I am aware from personal experience that it is not enjoyable when the hot water runs out during the middle of your shower.  Unfortunately, this tends to happen frequently.  However, with a tankless hot water heater this has a very minimal chance of occuring.  Regular hot water heaters are filled with hot water and if it is all used before the cold water can be heated up, then you have a cold shower.  Contrary to this, tankless hot water heaters heat your water on demand!

These tankless heaters have many benefits.  Such as:

• Energy Efficient-because the heater only heats the water when it is needed, energy is not being wasted on heating water that is not necessary at the moment.
• Money Saving-by being energy efficient and heating less water, you can save money!
• Clean Water-Sometimes rust can build up on the inside of your hot water tank, but tankless water heaters do not have that problem
• Hot Water is Always Available-warm water should always be at your fingertips and you can use more than one thing at a time, for example a shower and a dishwasher!

Hot Water is a luxury that we have come to enjoy, and tankless hot water heaters have given us a new ways of doing so.  If you think that this may be a good option for you-you can call Flame to find out more information or schedule a consultation.

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I love Summer storms.  I think that the lightning is incredible to watch and I enjoy being warm inside while the storm takes place outside.  There are some parts of storms that are not enjoyable however.  For example, power surges that can come from lightning.  If strong enough, these power surges can damage many of your electronic devices such as televisions, computers and stereos.

Electrical surges can occur for many reasons, though a main reason is when lightning strikes near your home and follows a power line into your house.  What this surge does is causes your voltage to raise way above the regular 120-volt and it fries your electronics.  If you are a woman who has ever traveled to Europe, you are probably aware of what a higher voltage of power can do to your hair dryer (if you do not have the correct converter), imagine what a higher voltage could do to your flat screen T.V.!

Flame Heating, Cooling and Electrical offers Whole House Surge Protection which can protect all your appliances from this power surge.  This protection comes in the form of a box type object that is attached to your electrical panel.  If a power surge comes in, this box will “suck up” all the extra power which will save your computer, T.V., and hair dryer among many other items.

The Whole House Surge Protection costs about $285, and it is a little less expensive for Flame’s Gold Plan Members.  We know that Michigan can be hit with some big storms and with the Whole House Surge Protection, you can sit and enjoy the storms without having to worry about your electronics.

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Many remember Hurricane Katrina and the disastrous floods that it created in New Orleans.  Thankfully, being in Michigan, most of us do not have to worry about flooding on that level.  However, our homes can still flood due to those Summer storms that we are beginning to have.

If you have ever had a flood in your basement, you know how much damage it can cause and how expensive that can be!  Often basements have televisions and furniture that can be harmed as well as items that are being stored.  This can create a mess both literally and financially!  Having a water alarm installed can help to prevent this problem.  These alarms are located near the sump pump or hot water heater and will go off (making a sound) to make you aware of water in your home.

Water alarms can detect both big and small leaks so that you can hopefully fix a problem before it gets out of hand.  If you have a basement that is prone to flooding, this is probably a good idea for you!  You can call Flame for more details about this water alarm, or feel free to leave a comment with your question!

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Dogs can be a blessing and a joy to have in the home.  If you have a dog or if you’ve seen the movie, “Marley & Me” you are aware of the cute and funny things that dogs can do.  However, sometimes “man’s best friend” does things that aren’t always as cute.  For example, eating the steak off the dining room table.  Though you may not be aware of it, there is another important “un-cute” action that dogs can sometimes do.  Dogs can urinate on your air conditioner!

It is not difficult for this to happen because often air conditioning units are located in yards where dogs are let out to do their business.  The dog’s urine eats away at the metal on the unit.  It can erode the coil that contains the refrigerant that helps to make the air cool in your home.  This causes the coil to leak which means that your air conditioner will not work properly.

Though it may seem difficult to combat this problem, there is some ways that you can deter your furry friend from messing up your air conditioner.  One idea is planting bushes around the air conditioner to make it harder to get at.  You could also try to spray some odor sprays to deter your canine from urinating on it.  Also, if building a new home and if possible-you could place the unit on a side of the home where a dog cannot get to.

If this happens, try not to be too mad at your dog-they still do plenty of cute and funny things!

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A complicated explanation involving principles of physics is normally not what someone wants to hear when asking how something works.  Unfortunately, that is what you often get when asking about products such as an electrical stand by generator.  This blog is going to attempt to explain the inner workings of a generator while trying to limit the use of words such as “potential energy” and “kinetic energy.” 

Basically a generator takes mechanical energy and turns it into electrical energy.   In order to help visualize mechanical energy, think of pedaling a bike.  (Some generators can be powered this way, but most likely if you invest in one for your home you will probably find and choose one that does not have to be man powered).  A generator that will be used in your home will probably be an engine generator which is more often referred to as simply generator.  An engine generator uses an engine to start the generator.

Not all generators are equipped with these, but most standby generators in private homes come with automatic transfer switches.  These are switches that can automatically sense when the power goes out in your home and they connect the power from the generator right to your home.  You don’t even have to do anything!  Unfortunately, there still is a couple second delay before that happens-so your clocks will be probably still blink “12:00.” 

If you want more in depth information about generators, feel free to pick the brains of those at Flame Heating, Cooling and Electrical (Contact Flame).  I hope this blog wasn’t too painful for those of you that do not enjoy science!   

Other Interesting Blogs:

• Stand-by Generators vs. Portable Generators
• Central Air Conditioning Information
• Forced-Air Furnaces

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Last year, I wrote about what to do if your air conditioner will not turn on.  As we are nearing Memorial Day Weekend, you are probably looking forward to picnics and days off of work and school.  However, we are also coming close to turning our air conditioners on.  This blog is here to remind you of what to do if for some unfortunate reason your air conditioner does not turn on.

Check the Thermostat:  This is obvious, though it easy to forget.  If your thermostat is not set at a cool enough temperature it will not work.  (Your thermostat also may need to be set to “cool”).  This is a simple fix for a problem

Check the Electrical Panel:  It is possible that the breaker for the air conditioner could not be switched to “on.”  In order to remedy this, make sure the switch is all the way off and then switch it to “on.”  The fuse could possibly be blown also.  If this doesn’t work, there is sometimes a disconnect box right near the air conditioning unit.  The fuses in this could be blown and new fuses may be necessary.  Remember to make sure that these fuses are off before checking them!

Check the Filters:  You should clean and/or change your filters fairly regularly because if they are dirty they restrict air flow which causes your unit to not work well or not work at all.  Also, you should be aware that your air conditioner and furnace may use the same filters.  Therefore, even if you do not think your filters need to be checked because you haven’t used your air conditioner in a while, you should still check because your furnace might have made them dirty.

I hope that these tips help, and mostly I hope that your air conditioner turns on with no problem!  If your unit still is not working properly after trying these steps, call a certified technician like those at Flame Heating, Cooling and Electrical and they will be able to help you out! 

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Though you may not be able to believe it, Mother’s Day is right around the corner.  Though flowers and gifts are on your mind, don’t forget about Flame’s Frankenmuth Contest!  If you were entered in the contest (by booking a sales or service all online and having someone come out to your house before April 30), you will be finding out if you are a winner soon!

The winner will be announced in May and they will receive a $400 gift certificate to the Bavarian Inn along with $100 spending cash!  This could be the present you could even give your mother!  Good luck and be sure to keep a look out for more Flame specials!

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ACCA or Air Conditioning Contractors of America is a group of “over 4,000 air conditioning contractors who work together to improve our industry, promote good practices, and keep homes and buildings safe, clean and comfortable.”

Flame Furnace has been a member of this group since 1992!  Over 17 years, Wow!  ACCA helps with training and it also brings different contractors together so that more comfortable and healthier systems can be brought to you and your home.

Recently, Gary Marowske, President of Flame Heating, Cooling and Electrical has become a member of the ACCA board of directors.  This is an honor and a tribute to Flame’s quality service.  This is just further proof that Flame should be your place for all your heating and cooling needs!

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Due to the growing number of employees, Flame has recently added a new training/conference room to its offices.   The room is equipped with chairs and tables as well as a coffee maker (for early mornings ).  Also, in order to present new information to the company more efficiently, the room has a projector suspended from the ceiling and drop down screens that one can present on.

This room will help to better train and inform the people who will be helping you in your home!  If you have any interest in seeing this new space, call Flame today or feel free to stop by.

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