March 31, 2010 at 10:26 am
Filed under Indoor Air Quality, Other Services from Flame
Carbon Monoxide is colorless, odorless and tasteless. Unfortunately, it is also very dangerous. This substance can poison your body until the point of death. There are certain things that can cause too much carbon monoxide in the air, they are:
- Faulty Furnaces
- House Fires
- Wood burning stoves
- Heaters
- Electric Generators
- and more…
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can range from mild to severe-
| Concentration |
Symptoms |
| 35 ppm (0.0035%) |
Headache and dizziness within six to eight hours of constant exposure |
| 100 ppm (0.01%) |
Slight headache in two to three hours |
| 200 ppm (0.02%) |
Slight headache within two to three hours; loss of judgment |
| 400 ppm (0.04%) |
Frontal headache within one to two hours |
| 800 ppm (0.08%) |
Dizziness, nausea, and convulsions within 45 min; insensible within 2 hours |
| 1,600 ppm (0.16%) |
Headache, tachycardia, dizziness, and nausea within 20 min; death in less than 2 hours |
| 3,200 ppm (0.32%) |
Headache, dizziness and nausea in five to ten minutes. Death within 30 minutes. |
| 6,400 ppm (0.64%) |
Headache and dizziness in one to two minutes. Convulsions, respiratory arrest, and death in less than 20 minutes. |
| 12,800 ppm (1.28%) |
Unconsciousness after 2-3 breaths. Death in less than three minutes. |
It is very wise to have carbon monoxide detectors installed in your home in order to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. It is recommended that a detector be placed on each floor of the house, especially those where people sleep and where there are gas burning appliances such as water heaters and furnaces. Flame technicians can install these for you. They can also help to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning by giving you annual furnace inspections and therefore seeing if there is a problem or potential problem with your unit that could cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
Contact Flame if you have any questions about Carbon Monoxide, detectors or furnace inspections!
Check out this Video about Carbon Monoxide Poisoning!
*Table and info from Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
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March 29, 2010 at 11:45 am
Filed under HVAC for Dummies, Indoor Air Quality
It’s that time of year again: Spring Cleaning! When cleaning your home (or thinking about cleaning your home…) you should also think about cleaning your ducts. Duct cleaning helps to clean out and sanitize dust, mold, pollen and other small particles. Typically ducts should be cleaned every 3 to 5 years, however there are some reasons that they should be cleaned more frequently than that.
For example, if you have pets that shed excessively, if people in the house smoke, or if you are moving into a new house.
Flame Heating, Cooling and Electrical offers NADCA (National Air Duct Cleaners Association) certified technicians to inspect, clean and sanitize your ducts. They can also install UV Germicidal lights that kill irritants and that help to keep your ducts clean!
Questions? Contact Flame!
(Information found at http://ezinearticles.com/?Air-Duct-Cleaning—How-Often&id=82012)
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March 26, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Filed under HVAC for Dummies
Unlike certain things- wine, cheese…. furnaces do not get better with time. Though 14 or 20 may not seem like old ages to you, a furnace’s typical lifespan in only about that long, 14-20 years (if it is well maintained).
Hopefully this will get you thinking. Is your furnace too old? Have you not replaced it since your bought your house 15 years ago? Then it probably is. The good news is that furnaces are more energy efficient today than 15 years ago, so a new furnace will end up saving you more money on your heating bills.
Also remember than in someways 14-20 years may not seem like a long time, but it is still a fairly length investment. Though some really energy efficient furnaces may seem a little pricey, the savings it gives you could really add up during its lifespan.
So start thinking about how old your furnace may be…. Contact Flame with any Questions!
(Info taken from http://www.galttech.com/research/household-DIY-tools/replacing-a-furnace.php)
Like what you see? Check out this blog:
Size Does Matter: The Importance of Sizing Furnaces and Air Conditioners
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March 22, 2010 at 10:06 am
Filed under Indoor Air Quality
Spring is coming! (Finally!) With spring comes re-birth, warm weather, flip flops and also allergies. About 35 million Americans per year are affected by seasonal allergies. For the most part spring allergies are due to the increased amount of pollen from various plants floating in the air. If you are an allergy sufferer you know the symptoms: runny nose, itchy eyes and nose, coughing, sneezing etc…. Medicine can be very helpful with coping with allergies, but there are some non medicinal practices as well:
Photo Courtesty of WebMD
- Change your filters regularly! In order to reduce the amount of allergens in your home.
- Think about purchasing an air purifier, such as the Bryant Perfect Air Purifier
- Also, every couple of years you should get your ducts cleaned to reduce dust and other types of build-up inside the duct work of your home
- A UV Germicidal light will help to eliminate bacteria, mold and other things that may trigger allergies
- In the Spring-keep your doors and windows and closed to keep pollen out (even though it may be tempting to open them!)
- Dust and Vacuum regularly
For more information about Spring Allergies, check out what Web MD has to say. If you have any questions about duct cleaning, air purifiers, furnace filters or UV lights-contact Flame!
(Allergy information found at http://www.webmd.com/allergies/spring-allergies)
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March 17, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Filed under Competitive Advantage
Happy Birthday to Flame! Happy Birthday to Flame! Happy Birthday to Flame, Happy Birthday to Flame!
In celebration of Flame’s 62nd Birthday, you can get a furnace inspection for just $62! Taking up this offer is a great way to save money and prevent more reoccurring problems in the future.
Therefore, celebrate Flame’s birthday by getting your furnace checked out! Contact Flame for more details!
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March 1, 2010 at 10:49 am
Filed under Energy Efficiency & E3, HVAC for Dummies
A furnace is a furnace, right? The answer to that is no. It may surprise you to know that a heating and cooling unit must be properly sized to fit your home! The good news? Most of the time you do not have to figure out these calculations yourself. Companies such as Flame Heating, Cooling and Electrical have trained Comfort Consultants who know exactly how to figure out what kind of unit you need for your home!
You may be wondering exactly why this is so important. The “healthiness” and efficiency of your furnace or air conditioner depend upon it! A unit that is too small cannot supply enough air to fill your home, which reduces its efficiency and it also causes the unit to wear more quickly. A furnace or air conditioner that is too large may not seem like it has any cons but if it is too big, it will cycle on and off more frequently due to the fact that it has so much power it does not need to be constantly running, but cycling on and off often will also wear it down. Also, too big units can be noisy.
Therefore, when in doubt when looking into a new furnace or air conditioner-feel free to ask your Comfort Consultant about its size, because size does matter! Contact Flame with any questions and check out what Energy Star has to say on this matter!
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March 1, 2010 at 10:36 am
Filed under HVAC for Dummies
When trudging through the snow that is still sticking to the ground, it may seem a little early to begin thinking about air conditioning. However, there is a light at the end of this Winter tunnel (it is already March!) If you think you will be in the market for a new air conditioner this Summer-now is the time to start thinking about it!
Why? As far as heating and cooling goes, March is a slow season due to neither hot nor freezing temperatures (and Michigan’s unpredictability) therefore you have much more freedom with time when it comes to meetings with comfort consultants and installation times-you can pick a very very convenient time for you!
Also, when buying news shoes for a big event like a trip or marathon, it is best to have them before the big day to make sure they fit and that you like them. It will be less stressful for you to have your air conditioner before the “big day” meaning that day in June when the temperature hits 90!
Therefore-if you are considering getting a new air conditioner for Summer 2010, call and set up an appointment now-it can’t hurt! Contact Flame for any questions or to set up an appointment!
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