Most people are blissfully unaware of what it means to have an effective furnace filter or what a furnace filter even does. Here is a small handful of tips which should not only explain what furnace filters are and how they work, but also how to best maintain your furnace filter for improved air quality and safety.
- The dust in your home is more than dust. It is composed of pollen, mold spores, plant spores, lint, bacteria, pet dander, skin cells and many other contaminants. Dusting, vacuuming, smoking or cooking indoors, can actually increase particulate concentrations. Can you imagine how much dust is currently flying about around you, without you even knowing it? This is what makes having an effective furnace filter so important.
- Dust particles are measured in microns, and range drastically in size from microscopic, to relatively large. The tiniest dust particles make up more than 99% of the debris floating around in the air inside your home. You can be inhaling a large amount of these particles on a daily basis, as they often bypass your respiratory system's defense mechanisms with little trouble. Learn more about how to keep your furnace filter clean at http://www.creativehomemaking.com/cleaning/furnace-air-filters.shtml.
- Breathing these particles can create a number of health effects, including coughing, asthma attacks, wheezing, cancer, decreased lung function, heart attacks and even premature death. This is all in addition to a wide variety of different allergic reactions.
- The best way to limit the source of these dust particles it to eliminate them, and one great way to accomplish that involves installing high efficiency furnace filters and air conditioning filters. High efficiency filters, like HEPA filters for example, are excellent for capturing a large amount of these particles, keeping them from contaminating the air that you are breathing on a constant basis.
- Proper filtration is the best way to remove dust, dirt and mold particles from the air. There are a number of different types of furnace filters that you can use to accomplish this. Many furnace filters are disposable but there are also variations that are reusable or refillable in nature. Furnace filters also come in a variety of different materials, including natural fibers, manmade fibers, metal and fiberglass. Get more information about furnace filters at http://energyboomer.typepad.com/energyboomer/2007/07/a-clean-filter-.html.
- The purpose of a furnace filter is to protect air-handling equipment, meaning that it is important that they are maintained or replaced exactly how the manufacturer recommends. If you do not maintain or replace them as recommended by the manufacturer then they can become dangerous by restricting airflow and causing fires, carbon monoxide leaks, or worse. Maintenance truly is key when it comes to getting the most out of your furnace filter. When filters become loaded with particles, there is less air flow capacity which cuts down on the efficiency of the filter and causes the rest of the machinery to work extra hard to operate.
- Make sure to keep the manufacturer's instructions handy so you always know how to maintain and repair your furnace filter and other important furnace equipment. These instructions will also show you where the furnace filter is located and will indicate how often you should have your furnace inspected by a licensed contractor.
- Look for the highest available efficiency filter that will work with your furnace. The best way to do this is to choose a furnace filter with a high MERV rating. The MERV rating will be listed on the packaging. A MERV rating of 11 or higher is recommended for the healthiest air quality in your home.
- If you have a family member with asthma or other respiratory problems, you may want to replace or maintain your furnace filter even more often to keep the air clean. There is no harm in over-maintaining or replacing more often than necessary.
Article Tags: filter, filters, furnace
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Food is the most important factor in burning off excess body fat.
You have heard eating more fruits and vegetables will contribute to greater loss of
body fat. Fruits and vegetables provides your body with more nutrients without all the excess empty calories which in many cases is stored as body fat.
If you are not exercising often and at a high level of intensity this is one way to keep your body fat levels in check.
Keeping your intake of lean meats in balance with your intake of starches will help to maintain balanced blood sugar levels keeping you in the fat burning zone.
The whole idea is to always burn fat even when at rest. Having high blood sugar is counter productive to fat burning.
Exercise is next, which elevates your heart rate and respiration which starts the process of activating the release of stored body fat to be used as fuel for much needed additional energy. This is a critical part of the fat burning process. If however, you are only burning sugar it will be very difficult to reduce your body fat levels. Your objective is to raise your heart rate just a little higher than when it is at rest and to keep it there for a minimum of twenty minutes and building up to one hour or more at a time. Try to do this this at least five times per week by walking, bike riding or any form of aerobic exercise that you enjoy.
Lean Muscles is the furnace that keeps your metabolism running on high. Whenever someone says their metabolism is slow it is usually someone who is not doing any strength training or only does the bare minimum. Increasing this metabolic furnace is a must to keep the body fat from escalating. Almost everyone can benefit by training with some basic bodybuilding principles. Performing muscle building exercises for all of the muscle groups on your body a minimum of two times per week, three or four is better depending on your experience and fitness level. If you are not strength training you are not doing all you can to achieve your fat loss goals.
Roy Gutierrez is a personal trainer located in Tampa Florida. He has been helping his personal training and weight loss coaching clients achieve their goals for more than fifteen years. Get a FREE subscription to his biweekly newsletter, available when you visit http://www.stayfitafterforty.com
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For those people who live in area's of the country that gets cold, it's time to think about your heating equipment. With the technology new furnaces have today there isn't much to do on them as far as setting them up for winter. In the old days (10 years ago and before) we were told to have our furnaces and boilers checked once a year. But now furnaces and boilers have electronics doing most of the work. There are only a couple of things that a service tech needs to do in today's furnaces and boilers as far as a "clean and check" goes.
The old days:
In the old days when a service man (politically correct term today is "service tech" this term started about 21 years ago) when out on a "clean and check," he had all kinds of things to do. First he pulled out all the burners and blew them out with co2, then he checked the heat exchanger for cracks using a mirror, then vacuumed up any dirt he found. He also changed the "thermocouple" (on a standing pilot, where the pilot flame burns all the time, the thermocouple tells the gas valve there is a pilot light, and it's ok to open, and start the heat sequence) on the "pilot light" and blew out the pilot light assembly to make sure it would burn clean and that the pilot flame was positioned correctly on the thermocouple, and on the burner pilot runner.
After that he pulled the blower, and if it was a belt drive blower, oiled the squirrel cage bearings, motor bearings, and checked the belt for cracks .
On a "direct drive blower" all he had to do was just oil the bearings on the motor.
Now all the burners are cleaned and the heat exchanger has been checked for cracks and everything is back in place, including the blower.On to the next step.
Now, if the service man was worth his salt, he checks the most important part of the furnace, the "limit switch". There's a limit switch in every; gas, oil, electric, or propane furnace, or boiler.
It's main function is to turn on the blower (usually 200') and shut it off (around 110 or 100' any cooler, and you would feel like there was a draft) and the most important job it has is to tell the "gas valve" to shut down the burners incase the blower fails. It keeps the furnace or boiler (boilers also have a "safety relief valve" like hot water heaters) from over heating and starting a fire.
What the better guys did was pull the blower wire off the limit switch and start the furnace burners. With the blower wire pulled off the limit switch, the blower can't start, and when the furnaces gets to about 200 degrees, the burners should shut off and not relight again until the furnaces cools and lowers it's temperature to about 140 degrees. Some guys just checked the limit switch by rotating the dial on the limit switch and blower settings until the burners shut off. I liked taking the wire off the limit switch and testing it that way because it was more real life working conditions in the event of blower failure.
One of the last things, and just as important as checking the limit switch, was to check the "flue pipe" to make sure it, or the chimney, hasn't been blocked by soot or birds.
It wasn't uncommon to find dead birds in the flue. Some even made it into people's basements. This doesn't happen anymore with the new furnaces.
And the very last thing that was done was to check for gas leaks.
Furnaces 10 years ago to the present:
Today's furnaces and boilers don't need the kind of attention from the service man like furnaces of the past did. On most modern furnaces all that needs to be checked is the "flame sensor". The furnaces of today pretty much watch themselves. The burners almost never get dirty now a days because they are working in a mostly closed (80 plus furnaces are not, but the 90's are) environment. The blower, gas valve, and all the safety controls (including the "limit switch" and "blower switch") are run by a circuit board. The blowers are all sealed now too. They don't even need to be oiled!
So how often do we want our furnaces and boilers checked?
That's a tough question. It all depends on the environment your furnace is running in. It your furnace or boiler is running in an environment that has a lot of dust or animal hair, then it mite be worth it to have your furnace checked once a year. If your furnace is running in a relatively clean environment, you can probably get away with 2 or 3 years of not having to have to spend the money to have a clean furnace checked.
Don't forget that these new furnaces shut down when they spot the slightest problem. Some tech guys feel the only real time for home owners to have their furnaces ( don't forget where're talking new furnaces not the old clunkers) checked, is when they don't start. They don't think the cost justifies what your getting in return.
But in the end, it's the choice of the home owner to decide how often they have their heating equipment checked.
Jerry Quatrano is the proud owner of Addison Services who has 30 years experience in the Heating and A/C industry, and still likes to talk about it, along with selling great products at his site at addisonservices.com
If you found this information helpful, please consider purchasing one of our great products.
Thanks
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Fall is here and winter is not far behind. It's time to think about how you're going to keep warm this winter without breaking the bank.
The main thing is to have your furnace checked and tuned. Whether electric, propane, gas or a heat pump.
Do this early before the cold spells hit. If you wait until your area's first arctic blast you may have to wait several weeks, yes weeks until there is a technician able come out to your home.
Your heating equipment has been sitting dormant for several months and by having your equipment tuned up before you actually need it you can save hundreds (yes hundreds) in unnecessary repair calls.
Many people that wait until the cold hits find that their equipment fails at the most crucial time. A tune up can prevent the failure of your equipment and catch many other problems which can result in expensive repairs.
Also having your furnace tuned up and checked before you use it could prevent things like a crack developing in your heat exchanger in a gas or propane furnace which results in carbon monoxide being pumped into your home. A dangerous occurrence that happens much too frequently due to furnace neglect.
A break in your electrical elements in your electrical furnace could cause a fire.
A leak in your heat pump could lead to a break down in your compressor and reversing valve which could destroy the most important and expensive parts of your unit.
Check Angie's list for reputable HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) companies in your area if you don't already have an HVAC company you're working with and trust.
About the Author
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In today's increasingly energy conscious society, one must consider the energy efficiency of every product they purchase. Whether it's your car's gas mileage or how much electricity your refrigerator uses, we've all become more aware of our energy usage.
There are two main reasons for this, and they're pretty obvious. One, inefficient energy use costs more money. It's safe to say we're all looking to lower our bills and switching to energy efficient appliances is a big step in that direction. The other reason to use high efficiency appliances is the understanding that many of our energy sources are finite. In other words, eventually we'll run out.
One of the biggest users of energy in our homes and workplaces are the heating units. Just like most other major household products, gas furnaces have become more efficient than ever before. Natural gas is an economical method for home heating and now you can find all sorts of high efficiency gas furnaces on the market.
High efficiency gas furnaces tend to cost more than conventional gas furnaces. This is for a couple reasons. They're not yet produced on the same scale as conventional furnaces so there are still cost factors to overcome which have to be passed on to the consumer. Secondly, high efficiency gas furnaces employ the latest technologies, which, as we all know, always kicks up the cost of a product. Innovation isn't free. However, keep in mind, that this is just an initial start-up cost. Sure, you may be laying down more money at the outset, but the money you'll save with a high efficiency gas furnace will soon make up the difference and even pay for itself in the end.
Investing in a high efficiency natural gas furnace is well worth it, and let's not forget the environment. An energy efficient furnace will use less fuel, which means using less natural resources, and which means releasing less greenhouse gases into our fragile atmosphere. That's a cost that can't be calculated in dollars.
These days, gas furnaces have stickers on them which gives their AFUE number. AFUE stands for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. A high efficiency natural gas furnace will have a AFUE number ranging from the high 80's to the high 90's. Furnaces with AFUE's below that range are considered medium efficiency. Such furnaces cost less but will also save you less in bills.
Another thing to look for when shopping for a high efficiency natural gas furnace is an Energy Star sticker. If it has an Energy Star label, that means its AFUE rating is in the 90's.
Remember, no matter how energy efficient your furnace is, you need to maintain it properly and keep it, along with your vents clean. A dirty or poorly maintained furnace will cause a drop in efficiency and increases in cost and fuel consumption.
There is plenty of helpful information available online and from your local furnace dealers. High efficiency natural gas furnaces may cost more at first, but the money you save and the benefit to the environment makes them a wise investment.
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How Many BTU?s Does Your Furnace Give You From Your Fuel Source?
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| Submitted By: MARVIN PIRILA |
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BTU?s measure heat units
The common measurement for heat is British Thermal Units (BTU?s), the amount of heat it takes to raise the temperature of one gallon of water 1 degree.
Heat loss is the amount of BTU?s required to heat the structure after deducting the heat that escapes through doors, windows, and roof.
BTU input is simply the number of BTU?s found in an energy source. For example:
- #1 fuel oil has about 125,000 BTU?s in a gallon
- #2 fuel oil has about 138,500 BTU?s in a gallon
- LP (propane) gas has 95,000 BTU?s in a gallon
Furnace efficiencies determine how much heat is captured in your home
BTU output is the efficiency in which your furnace captures these BTU?s when burnt. A gas or oil furnace less than 15 years old, connected to a chimney, is about 80% efficient. The other 20% of energy produced by the furnace goes out the chimney. Gas and oil furnaces must produce this amount of heat to take combustion bi-products out of the home.
A condensing gas furnace, with two or three-inch plastic pipe vents and forced draft fan is about 90% efficient.
The American Gas Association (AGA), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), or other accredited testing facilities certify these efficiencies. The Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and Department of Energy (DOE) accept these certified results.
Unfortunately, these same organizations do not rate wood furnaces and wood stoves for efficiency.
How efficient are wood furnaces?
Most solid fuel furnaces and stoves are about 30% efficient. Wood and all solid fuels such as coal, corn, and grain have the same 12,000 BTU?s per pound of energy. After deducting water content, heat values of woods have about 8,000 Btu?s of usable energy per pound. This lower efficiency is comprised of various factors:
Wood burns at different temperatures because of the different amounts of water in it. Wet wood burns at a lower temperature and is therefore less efficient because of incomplete combustion.
Forty percent (40%) of the energy in wood is unburned gas released as wood burns. This gas fails to ignite and release its energy because it starves for oxygen. To burn these gases, an injection of a controlled amount of air just above the flame is necessary. This action increases the efficiency of the appliance.
A lot of smoke out the chimney indicates that wood energy is being lost and loss of efficiency.
How does coal measure up?
Coal has virtually no air or water in it.
Coal will not burn unless you provide air to the fire chamber on a continuous basis. If you shut the air off to a coal, the fire will go out.
Coal remains at 12,000 Btu?s per pound because it contains no water.
How does Corn Measure up?
Corn has the same BTU?s per pound as wood. Dried corn with 12% moisture weighs about 56 pounds per bushel. It has about 8,000 usable BTU?s per pound (same as wood). A bushel of corn will provide about 44,800 BTU?s. If a corn furnace is 70% efficient, it will deliver about 31,360 BTU?s of heat into your home. The heat loss in an average 3-4 bedroom home with reasonable insulation is about 25-30,000 BTU?s per hour on a winter day. You can check your heat loss with a heating professional or utility company. It would take about 6 bushels a day to provide the same amount of heat as a gas or oil furnace.
Other Interesting Facts
- The EPA sponsored a meeting in Portland several years ago where it was determined that fireplaces were about 1% efficient.
- Wood pellets are generally very expensive compared to a wood log. There are about 8,000 BTU?s per pound of usable energy in either one.
- The answer to inefficient Wood furnaces is Central Heating using Multi-fuel or Combination Wood/Gas, Wood/Oil or Wood/Electric Furnace
Multi-fuel and combination fuel central heating furnaces come with optional air conditioning, electronic air cleaning, and/or humidifier. Two side-by-side thermostats control these furnaces. The homeowner can burn wood as a primary fuel, using the gas or oil burner to ignite. When the wood burns down, the gas or oil burner takes over to keep the home comfortable. The Yukon-Eagle brand furnace has a massive heat exchanger (firebox), a secondary air system that burns the smoke and unburned gases, and a large circulating blower. These furnace components make this furnace extremely efficient and use a fraction of the amount of wood of an outdoor boiler, other wood furnaces, stoves, or indoor boilers without these features. The Yukon-Eagle Multi-fuel wood is UL Listed (approved) to heat your home with wood or coal without electricity.
Yukon Eagle has been manufacturing and distributing wood furnaces for many years and is the industry leader in multi-fuel and wood burning furnaces. Located in Minnesota, where the winters can test a heating system, we have learned how to do it right.
Article Tags: btus, heat, wood
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What do you assume is the result if you neglect to keep your furnace filter clean? Do you think that your furnace will be able to run forever without problems using the same dirty filter year after year? What do you think will happen when your furnace filter becomes over saturated by dirt, pet hair, allergens and dust? You are looking at more than the fan simply refusing to run properly. A dirty furnace filter can be deadly, make you sick or worse, causing your home to go up in flames.
When either your furnace or air conditioning unit are not being maintained properly every six months or every year, dirt, dust and other debris can build up inside causing serious problems in the long run. Not only will you be paying more for heating if your heating unit has to struggle harder to heat the same amount of space but also run the risk of some pretty serious dangers are also involved with not properly responding to a dirty furnace filter. When your furnace and the motor in your air conditioner become clogged by dirt and debris, that air is what will be circulating through your home, rather than the clean, fresh air that you once enjoyed. Your family will be breathing in all these toxins that otherwise would have been sucked out of the air by a clean or new furnace filter. If you continue to breathe this bad air, there is the possibility you will become sick. So if your family is sick and the cause cannot be found, it might be time to replace your furnace filters and to restore the clear air in your home. Learn more about furnace filters at http://energyboomer.typepad.com/energyboomer/2007/07/a-clean-filter-.html.
After a few years worth of furnace filter neglect serious things can possibly happen. Your furnace may simply break down and you will be lucky if you could find a cheap replacement part. If your heat exchanger becomes warped or cracked from the unbearable heat build up within your furnace, noxious carbon monoxide fumes may leak into your home, not only making you sick but also potentially killing you and your entire family. Can you imagine all of this, simply because you could not be bothered to maintain your furnace filter?
Faulty furnaces have also been known to cause fires, all because the furnace filter wasn't clean, and air couldn't circulate properly through the furnace and throughout your home. Clean up after a fire is incredibly expensive, and there is no telling what damage you may in the process. What if your entire house goes up in flames? What is a pet, or a family member is trapped inside when it happens? Hopefully now changing out your furnace filters or buying filters that are permanent and only need to be cleaned seems like less of a trivial matter. You can save yourself a lot of stress, a lot of health problems and a whole lot of financial burden simply by keeping your furnace filters clean, or replacing them often. If there is any doubt, you can always contact a contractor who can check your furnace and clean your filters if need be. Get more information on how to keep your furnace filters clean by checking out http://www.creativehomemaking.com/cleaning/furnace-air-filters.shtml.
With so many reasons to keep up on your furnace maintenance, and no known reasons for why not to, you should take the next few moments to check out the state of your furnace filter to make sure that air is circulating properly through your home, that your heat exchanger is still in one healthy, solid piece, and that there is no risk or danger present that you could easily have avoided.
Article Tags: clean, filter, furnace
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Many people believe that there is only one purpose of a furnace filter or an air conditioning filter. And that is, to reduce dust is in the home. This may be a very important job for your furnace filter to take on but it?s not the only function your furnace filter has. The filter actually has another extremely important function that very few people are aware of. The other function that furnace filters are responsible for is not quite as apparent unless you are mechanically inclined or perhaps work in the HVAC field.
Furnace filters reduce how much dust is being collected on the machinery within the furnace. There are a number of primary components that need to run smoothly and effectively in order to make your furnace as effective as it can be. If dust should collect on these components, it can significantly reduce how efficient your furnace is, which will cause heating problems and other risks that need to be avoided.
Any dust that passes through your furnace filters rather than being caught will eventually be returned to your living space. This can pose problems to a person who suffers from allergies, as well as anyone else who has sensitivity to airborne pollutants and dust. What many people do not realize is that there are other important purposes that furnace filters serve in addition to simply catching these airborne pollutants and contaminants to keep them out of the air in your living space. Learn more about how to maintain your furnace filter at http://www.home-air-care.com/furnace.htm.
Not only are furnace filters designed to collect dust and other airborne particles to clear up the quality of your in-home oxygen, but they are also increase airflow properties within the furnace. If the airflow in the furnace is weak, it may overheat, which can cause problems over time. Nothing good comes from having poor airflow within your furnace because the airflow inside your furnace is directly responsible for keeping all of the parts in working order. By keeping the furnace cool, you can guarantee that parts will not overheat and cause problems.
In your furnace there is a piece of equipment known as a heat exchanger that is a vital element in keeping your furnace running properly. If the airflow in your furnace is restricted because your furnace filter is clogged, your furnace can overheat because the heat exchanger is pressed right up against the igniter in your furnace. If your heat exchanger is forced to heat up and cool down too often, it can warp and eventually crack. Broken heat exchangers can cause fires and carbon monoxide leaks.
So while one primary purpose of your furnace filter is to clean up the air in your home, it is by far not the only purpose that is serves. Your furnace filter is also responsible for promoting the efficiency of airflow within your furnace keeping your furnace running safely and effectively.
If your furnace filter is running effectively then you will likely not have to worry about safety issues or potential risks. Read about furnace filters and how to protect you and your family from indoor allergies at http://www.meredy.com/nursetips/allergytips.html.
Not only will an efficient furnace filter keep your air clean and breathable by removing dust, pollen and other allergens from the air but also keep your furnace operating at its peak efficiency at all times.
About the Author:
Bill Whitworth writes air quality articles for Web Products, Inc., the Internet?s premier supplier of furnace filters, air filters, replacement filters, and custom filters.
Article Tags: dust, filter, furnace
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Benefits For Using Electrostatic Furnace Filters
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Submitted By: Bill Whitworth  |
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With so many advancements being made in the world of air filtration and furnace filters, it is commonplace for consumers to wonder what the experts think about various new options for filtration. One such innovation that has recently become popular is the electrostatic furnace filters. Many duct cleaning technicians, for example, are quickly becoming strong advocates for the benefits associated with these electrostatic air filters.
Here is a summary on the most important benefits associated with owning and using electrostatic furnace filters.
Save Money: Electrostatic filters keep heating components and air conditioning coils from becoming coated by dust and dirt particles. Dirt and dust are the number one cause for failures in heating and cooling systems. Cleaner systems are also capable of operating in more efficient ways, which means that you can save a significant amount of money both in equipment repairs, and in energy consumption as well. Electrostatic furnace filters are permanent rather than disposable, meaning that you save money by not having to replace your filters every so often. Get more information about electrostatic furnace filters and how they can help prevent air born allergies by visiting http://www.catsofaustralia.com/allergy_to_cats.htm.
Allergy Relief: When exposure to allergens like dust, mold spores, animal danger and pollen are controlled by the electrostatic properties of these filters, then respiratory problems, allergies and asthma can all be significantly reduced.
Ease in Housekeeping: Thanks to the electrostatic media that is found on the furnace filter, as long as your furnace or your air conditioning unit is running, household dust will be easily collected and taken out of your reach. A welcomed benefit to housekeeping, your electrostatic furnace filter will make your home require far less frequent dusting than before.
Friendly to the Environment: Electrostatic furnace filters serve as a permanent lifetime filter, which means you no longer have to worry about buying or throwing away the disposable filters that used to be a chore of yours every single month. The environment will absolutely love you for this reason alone.
Easily maintained: Rather than having to replace your standard replaceable, throwaway filter, electrostatic furnace filters only need to be periodically cleaned in order to achieve the best furnace efficiency and filtration results. Cleaning the same filter once a month should be the much preferable choice over having to replace the same filter every month. Learn more about quality furnace filters for your home by going to http://www.meredy.com/nursetips/allergytips.html.
Keeping Your Filters Clean:
Keeping your duct system cleaned is an essential part of improving the air quality within your home. Adding a high performance furnace filter will provide a number of additional benefits. Electrostatic furnace filters are high performance efficiency furnace filters that provide a number of benefits, including the removal of dust, mold spores, animal dander and pollen just while the air is naturally circulating through your central system. Your entire family will benefit from clear and filtered air. Children and elderly family members are both quite susceptible to air pollution, and therefore will reap great benefits from the clean air that is provided by these electrostatic furnace filters.
Electrostatic furnace filters work based on static electricity rather than regular electricity. The filter media contains a negative charge along the entire surface, and the air passing through the system enhances this. Then the tiny air particles like dust, mold and pollen come along with a positive charge, allowing them to be attracted like a magnet to the filter media.
These are the particular culprits that have been polluting our indoor air for so long. Electrostatic furnace filters are designed specifically to attract these particles, trap them, and keep them away from the fresh clean air that you?re your body takes in thousands of times every day.
Article Tags: electrostatic, filters, furnace
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The thought of snow, cold and blowing winds lead to thoughts of warm blankets, furnaces and glowing fires. Home heating is a very important subject in most parts of the country, everything from furnaces to space heaters are used to keep the house toasty warm for our return from the "frozen tundra."
The heating sources that are used can lead to dire consequences if used improperly. Space heaters, for example are responsible for numerous house fires every year. The use of these devises for home heating requires responsibility and constant awareness of the safety issues they present. However, the use of space heaters can be a way to lower heating costs when the price of heating fuel rises by allowing you to use electricity instead.
When shopping for a space heater look for a model that stays cool to the touch and that has a wide base. These two options will make the heater safer to operate. Never use a space heater around a child, even if that child is asleep, the effect of a burn from the unit can be devastating. The chance of a child waking up and stumbling into the heater causing it to tip over and catch on fire is too great to risk.
When preparing your home heating plan for the winter season, it is not enough just to turn the furnace on and hope for the best, it needs to be serviced on a yearly basis to ensure its safety and reliability. Without this inspection, you could, literally be playing with fire.
The furnace inspection will consist of a visual inspection, cleaning of the furnace, detection of carbon monoxide (CO) as well as the checking the burner, ducts and pilot light. This is a short list of what an inspection consists of, but is a good indicator of what to expect when the licensed professional knocks on your door.
The visual portion of the inspection will help to detect any cracks that may exist in the heat exchanger. These cracks may result in the leakage of carbon monoxide fumes into the home. The flue will also be tested for the reason of detecting carbon monoxide (CO) gasses that may leak from the furnace. To be on the safe side, it is best to install a carbon monoxide (CO) detector in the main sleeping areas of the home to warn of a possible danger.
The inspectors will also be cleaning the furnace ducts of dust that has accumulated throughout the summer. Dust can be combustible therefore, it is necessary to remove it before starting the furnace. The burner and pilot light will also be inspected to ensure that they are working properly.
Follow these tips when heating your home this winter and sleep peacefully at night knowing that you have done you duty to protect your family, when they are snuggled in their beds as well.
About the Author
Linda Moore writes on a variety of subjects including home ownership, family matters, travel, personal enrichment, lowering your heating bills and
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