Flame Blog

New Efficiency Standards for Michigan Furnaces Coming May 1, 2013

FLAME — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:09:17 +0000

Starting May 1, 2013 all homes in Michigan will have new high efficiency standards for home furnaces. The Michigan Department of Energy has raised the efficiency standards from 80 percent to 90 percent. What this means is that most homeowners with older furnaces will not be able to vent their furnace into the chimney or stack when they’re replaced.

It’s important to know that older furnace venting systems will not have to be adjusted after May 1, 2013. Instead these standards only apply to newly-installed furnaces. Units that are installed after the date these standards take effect will mostly be vented with two 2″ or 3″ PVC pipes. FLAME Heating, Cooling, Plumbing and Electrical’s technicians stay well-versed in the latest standards and will walk you through the process of installation.

At FLAME we call that The FLAME Difference. Everyone here from the bottom up is dedicated to your satisfaction and will do whatever it takes to get the job done. If you have questions about these new heating standards for Michigan or any of our other services, don’t hesitate to give us a call today at (586) 582-1700!

Channel 4 Defenders Turn To FLAME’s Gary Marowske For Information on Freon

FLAME — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:00:41 +0000

Did you happen to catch Flame Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, & Electrical’s own Gary Marowske on Channel 4 news last weekend? They were covering a story about a problem in the south where kids are stealing Freon from air conditioners and inhaling it. Unfortunately, the problem has headed north and been reported in Ohio. Michigan could be next.

What kids don’t seem to understand is that inhaling Freon could kill them. “It’s odorless. It’s colorless, basically. It’s a form of Russian Roulette that’s silent,” said Louie Galasso with the Warren Police Department. “And a single huff is enough to actually kill you.”

And when The Defenders needed some expert information on Freon, the cost of it, and how to protect yourself from having it stolen, they stopped by for a chat with Gary. You can read the whole article here.

For any additional air-conditioning or Freon questions, please contact the courteous and knowledgeable staff at FLAME through our site or at (586) 582-1700. Find out for yourself why so many customers in Southeast Michigan are talking about the FLAME Difference!

Prevent Basement Floods: Use a Drain Snake

Kerri — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 17:18:24 +0000

Four score and seven years ago (and by that I mean like 5 years ago), I received a very frantic call from my mother telling me that the basement was flooding. Upon entering the house, I realized that she was not exaggerating. The basement looked to be under about a foot of water. Furniture, carpet, old pictures, vacuum cleaners etc… were all ruined. A few years later, one of my best friends received a similar call from her mother after heavy storms had shaken the area. Floods are both a financial and physical burden on homes and families.

Though floods can be consequence of various causes, one major one is clogged drains especially due to tree roots. Flame offers an inspection involving a “Drain Snake” that has a machine wire stretch all the way down to the bottom with a camera attached. This can check for root problems BEFORE the flood. The drain snake can also be used for smaller drains such as kitchen drains as well. If you are like me and you hate snakes, you can feel free to call it the drain worm, or even better the drain puppy.

http://www.ezimmerman.com/tips/root-clogged-sewer-pipes

In addition, if your home is prone to flooding and you have sump pump. You may also want to think about investing in a generator in case a large storm knocks your power and therefore your sump pump out. If you have any questions, or would like to schedule this inspection, please feel free to contact Flame!

Celebratory Deals (You Should Really Read This)

Kerri — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 17:25:18 +0000

Remember a few weeks ago when I casually mentioned that Flame had just won its 4th Bryant Gold Medal of Excellence? That Flame is one of two companies in the United States to have ever accomplished this? If you’re happy…then we are ecstatic. That is why Flame is celebrating by thanking our wonderful customers for all of April with:

http://www.co2partners.com/blog/2012/03/what-do-you-get-when-you-mix-a-celebration-with-a-meeting/

$79.50 Air Conditioner Inspection/Tune Up

I don’t know how many times I can discuss the importance of air conditioner inspections on this blog, but here I go again. Regular maintenance will help to lengthen the air conditioner’s life and make sure that it is running efficiently. Plus, you can find small problems and fix them before they become BIG problems.

$1,000 Savings (plus other rebates) on all 16 SEER Bryant Air Conditioners.

SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The higher the number, the more efficient (Bryant Website). If your air conditioner has a less than 16 SEER rating, now is the time to upgrade!

Come celebrate with us, contact Flame if you are interested in either of these deals.

Michigan Spring: Switching From Heat to Air Conditioning and Back Again…

Kerri — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 17:45:15 +0000

Usually I detest March. There were too many times when I had looked forward to its arrival as the end of winter and been brutally disappointed. This year however has been different. March has been a kind, welcoming friend encouraging me to get outside with its 80 degree days. I had heard of numerous amounts of people that had actually turned their air conditioning on in March. Thinking about that, it is important to know that you shouldn’t just jump the gun with turning your air conditioner on. You want to have at least 2 warm days before you do this. The oil in your compressor needs time to loosen up and if you don’t let that happen you will break the compressor. That would mean that you might need to wait even longer to have your a/c on.

As much as I have been loving this, I think we all know that this nice weather can’t last. I am simply waiting for Michigan to throw an April snowstorm at us to pay us back. This means, that before summer is here to stay at some point you will probably turn off your air conditioner and your furnace back on (and back on and off again). Be sure that when you do this, you wait a few minutes between turning off and one and starting the other. Otherwise the circuit board could fry…uh oh.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2008/mar/28/acallforposterpoems

If you have already made one of these mistakes and need service, please feel free to contact Flame or also contact to schedule inspections or ask any questions. Enjoy the nice weather while you can, I am just praying we don’t have a “white Easter.”