Welcome to the Flame Furnace Blog

Perhaps filters are the last things on your mind right now.  You may be shopping furiously for last minute school supplies and clothes.  However, it is incredibly important to NOT forget about your filters. Why? For health, money and energy reasons.

Filters help to stop certain particles like dust, bacteria, pet dander etc… that could contaminate the air re-entering your home.  This keeps your air cleaner and more pure and will help you to stay healthy, especially if you have allergies or during cold/flu season.  A clogged filter may not be as effective at doing this, running you the risk of more health issues.

Secondly, a clogged, dirty filter, will not let your heated or air conditioned air pass easily into your home.  Therefore, your heating and/or cooling unit has to work HARDER to put out the same amount of air.  This wastes both energy and money.  A regular filter should be changed every month or so, and you can do it yourself and pick up a new filter at your local hardware store.  If you are interested in keeping you air even cleaner, you could look into electronic air purifiers or UV germicidal lights that kill/eliminate things like bacteria, mold and fungi.

As you can see, in the midst of all this back to school busy-ness, it is still important for your home and your family members if your filter is changed!

Contact Flame for more information!

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As we move into Fall (though it doesn’t seem like it with these hot temperatures, does it?)  Flame is also moving into a new phase of its life.  Flame will be offering emergency service 24 hours of the day, 7 days a week.  (Yes, even Sundays).  This does not mean that Flame will have an answering machine that you can leave a message on 24 hours of the day, it means that there will be a technician prepared and ready to come to your home whenever you call.  Though that may not seem that important now that the temperature is so warm, because if your a/c goes out at 2 a.m., you can plug in a fan, you may be appreciating this service come November when temperatures are chillier and you are short on blankets.

If you are concerned about Flame Heating, Cooling and Electrical operating on a Sunday, please know that  it is only being done to help customers in need.  Also, don’t worry–you don’t HAVE to call at obscure hours of the day, your service requests and emergencies will still be taken during normal operating hours, 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. as well.  If you have any more questions about this new policy, feel free to contact Flame!

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Living in Michigan means lakes every where you go, Bettermade Chips, the Mackinac Bridge, Faygo Pop and of course, unpredictable weather.  In this day and age it may seem as if we are above the effects of weather with our buildings, air conditioning and heating but unfortunately, that is not always true.  Flame Team Members are all Michiganders and know how Michigan’s weather can often be incredibly inconvenient.  We understand and respect the power of weather, and though we cannot overcome it, we can help to ease its effects for you.  Here is how:

Insanely Hot Temperatures:

Oh Michigan.  It’s starting to be the end of summer, yet these temperatures are still sizzling in the 90’s.  This makes it difficult and unpleasant to be outside.  Flame offers an obvious solution:  Air Conditioning and Air Conditioning Inspections.  An A/C can cool down your home, whether it be only a little bit or a lot a bit, making these steamy August days comfortable and enjoyable.  Air Conditioning inspections check out your a/c to see if there are any problems.  That way when you really want the cool air, it will work just fine!

Summer Storms:

I love a good summer storm, with dark clouds and cracks of lightning.  Sometimes they lose their fun when the power goes out for a long time.  You have to worry about food spoiling, you can’t watch TV or use your computer, and there may even be an increased risk of house fire due to using more candles.  A whole home automatic standby generator can troubleshoot this problem.  It switches on automatically when your power goes out, and depending on the size of the generator and the size of your home you can most likely run everything normally.  (Having the power go out during insanely hot temperatures is even worse).

Brr… coldness:

As mentioned earlier, Michigan’s weather can change and be different all the time.  Some springs and summers (and obviously winters) are cold and chilly.  That’s why Flame offers furnaces, furnace inspections and radiant heat to help save you from frostbite.  The furnace’s warm air will make your home liveable, while a furnace inspection makes sure it works properly.  Radiant heat can be used as an alternative heating source in your home by heating underneath your floor or in your walls OR it can be a defense against snow as it can be used to heat your driveway and melt snow.

Unfortunately, Flame has not yet come up with a way to keep you from getting wet outside when it’s raining, but they’ve tried to help in all other aspects.  If you have any questions about any of these forms of weather defense, contact Flame!

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I don’t know about you, but I really dislike chemistry.  I appreciate all that it has done for me, and I really enjoyed the “Fire Fridays” we had in my high school chemistry class, but chemistry was not and is not my thing.  Perhaps that’s why I have never quite understood refrigerants in air conditioning. No not refrigerators, but refrigerants.  I feel as if there is someone out there like me who probably does not quite get it either.  So, I did some research and I am going to try to give you just a little information about it.

Freon or Chlorofluorcarbon (CFC) is a refrigerant that was invented in 1928 and has been used for refrigerators, air conditioners, aerosols etc….  Freon was great at the beginning of the 20th century, because it was non-toxic and non-flammable.  It wasn’t until later that it was discovered that it harmed the ozone.

If a freon leak is detected, the good news is that as it is non-toxic, it is not that dangerous.  However, if you have heart problems you should be more concerned.  If you notice a leak, it is best to get it fixed as soon as possible and to open windows and move to an area with fresh air while you wait.

As I mentioned, Freon or R-22 is one of the items that is working on depleting the ozone.  Therefore, it is being slowly and gradually phased out and replaced by other, safer, refrigerants such as R-410A (Puron).  Unlike Freon, Puron is not harmful to the ozone and that is not the only reason that it is swiftly becoming the best choice of refrigerant for new systems.  R-22 is being limited and so most likely its price will raise continuously.  As of this year, 2010, no new equipment can be produced that uses R-22.

Refrigerants are needed for your air conditioner.  If you are concerned that you are low, or if you have detected a leak, contact Flame.  Also, feel free to contact Flame if you are interested in a new Puron using system.  For more info:  Flame FAQs

Works Cited: www.puron.com Wikipedia:  The Free Encyclopedia, Chlorofluorocarbon Environment, Health and Safety Online:  Freon Exposure and Your Health and About.com:  Inventors, Freon

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Air Conditioners, shmair conditioners.  Back in my day we didn’t even have air conditioning.  At least that’s what my parents have often said.  But the reality is that most homes have some form of air conditioning and central air conditioning is becoming commonplace.  We have come to expect cool air when we walk inside a building, and we expect that it will continuously be there when we want it to.  So what factors should you consider when you are thinking of buying an air conditioner. Purchasing an air conditioner is a big deal, not only due to the expense but also because it is expected to keep you, your family and your home at comfortable temperatures even on the hottest of days.

Due to the fact that this purchase is such as “big deal,” I’ve come up with a few factors that you should consider when looking into an air conditioner.

Company

It is important to choose the right heating and cooling company for your new air conditioner and its installation because they are the people who will be with you every step of the way.  Most heating and cooling companies only carry certain brands of air conditioner or furnaces, therefore you may want to look into what brands that the company sells and whether or not those are good makes.  Also, see if you can find reviews about the company you are working with or ask around and see if anybody you know has used them to find out whether or not they are a good, reputable company.  It is good to see how qualified a company’s technicians are. If somebody is installing a large unit inside and outside your home, you want to make sure that they know what they are doing.  You could ask how long a technician has been doing this type of work or you could see what kinds of certifications they hold.  NATE (North American Technician Excellence) is one of the highest certifications an HVAC technician can hold.  Along these lines, it is good to know about all a company’s employees. When buying an air conditioner you will be working with more than just the installer.  You will speak on the phone with somebody to set up an appointment and you will meet with a consultant to decide what kind of air conditioner would be right for you.  When interacting with these employees, see if they are polite and courteous and you can always ask and see whether or not all of the employees are drug tested.

Size

Size is incredibly important when investing in an air conditioner.  They only reason that I’d say that the company is a little more important is because it is the company who will help you discover the correct size and you want to be sure that you are dealing with people you can trust when it comes to the size of your air conditioner.  Why is size so important?  Well, think of Goldilocks, she wasn’t happy until she found something that was “just right” and not too big or small.  An air conditioner that is too big for your home is wasteful, because you do not need to be cooling enough air for a 8 bedroom house, when yours is 4 bedrooms.  If you are a bit frugal, you may be tempted to purchase a smaller air conditioner (lower bills, and my kids don’t need cool air in their bedrooms, right?) but don’t be fooled.  A small air conditioner could actually end up costing you more and wasting energy because it may still try to work to cool down your whole home, but it will have to work much harder and expend more energy than one that is meant for your size of home.

Efficiency

This is the age of green living, organic foods and energy efficiency.  It is time to jump on that band wagon with your air conditioner because not only is it better for the earth, it is also better for you.  You can find the efficiency level of an air conditioner by looking at their SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) number.  A higher number means that it is more efficient.  20 is one of the highest SEER ratings, and the US government now requires that air conditioners be manufactured with a SEER rating of 13 or above.  Unfortunately, oftentimes, the higher the SEER number, the higher the price of the air conditioner.  However, you will save much more money on your utility bills.

I know that during a heat wave, I sure count on my air conditioner and the cool air and comfort that it delivers me.  Even though our grandparents may scoff at us for how much it is used nowadays, it typically is a part of our lives (at least every once in a while) and hence, you should not take the buying of one lightly.  I hope that these tips have helped you and happy hunting!

If you have any questions or want more information about various air conditioners or the process of buying one, feel free to contact or schedule an appointment with Flame Heating, Cooling and Electrical and we will be more than happy to help you.

Some Information found at:

Wikipedia:  The Free Encyclopedia:  Seasonal energy efficiency ratio

Bryant:  Central Air Conditioners

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So you want to cut back on your expenses this summer.  Who doesn’t?  How are you going to accomplish this: no vacations, riding your bike to work, less dinners out?  These are all good ways to save some money however, by just doing this we are stepping around the big, money eating elephant in the room:  the air conditioner.

Air conditioning is great and has become a standard feature in most cars and homes.  However, running your unit full blast can cause your bill to be a little more expensive than you wanted it to be.  If you completely shut it off, you would have some more cash in your pocket, yet that is often not the optimal approach for summer.  Therefore, here are some ways to save money AND still cool down your home with a beloved air conditioner.

• Increase the insulation in your home. This is great because it will help your home in both the summer and the winter by keep hot and cold air inside or outside where you want it during each season.  This is especially good in the attic.
• Buy a More Energy Efficient Air Conditioner. At first glance this tip could seem like the exact opposite of saving money…an energy efficient air conditioner will save you money in the end.  When shopping,  check the SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) number, the higher the number, the more efficient it is!  All new A/C’s have a SEER of 13 and up.
• Turn it off at certain times. This does not mean you have to suffer all summer long without your air conditioner, just turn it off when you know that nobody will be using it.  For example, if you go away for a weekend, or even if everyone is out of the house for a couple of hours.
• Keep the temperature high. Just because you have central air conditioning does not mean that you need to make your home fit for penguins.  Turn the thermostat up a few degrees-the home will still feel cool and your bill will be less.

As you can see, you don’t have to turn off your a/c permanently to save some money this summer.  Plus, if you are doing all that biking to and from work, you’re gonna want a cool house to come home to!  Contact Flame Heating, Cooling and Electrical for more info!

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