Carbon Monoxide Testing: Why It’s Important

December 5th, 2016

Do you use natural gas in your home? Whether you use it for powering appliances in the kitchen, running a furnace, or both, it’s important that you test your home for the presence of harmful levels of carbon monoxide (CO). Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of the incomplete combustion of natural gas (as well as other fuels, but the principle concern in homes comes from natural gas) and it can leak from malfunctioning appliances or become backed up into a home if it isn’t properly vented.

Even homes that don’t rely on natural gas can have CO problems if they have an attached garage: fumes from vehicles can easily enter the living spaces. Other CO sources include kerosene heaters and poorly vented fireplaces.

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Have Your Heating System Tuned-Up—It’s Still Not Too Late!

November 28th, 2016

Thanksgiving is over—and the winter holiday decorations are already up while shopping ads flood the airwaves. It may not be “officially” winter yet, but the season is almost here. And that means the cold weather is almost here as well.

But if you haven’t already arranged for an inspection and tune-up for your home heating system, don’t despair! There’s still time—and you shouldn’t skip it, since it’s the best way to see that your heating system works for many years to come.

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Some Fun Facts about Thanksgiving

November 21st, 2016

Thanksgiving means many different things to many people. For some, it’s a great day for football. For others, it means Twilight Zone and Mystery Science Theater 3000 marathons. And plenty of people love it just for the food and the company. And why not have all of those together?

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Warnings about Carbon Monoxide This Winter

November 14th, 2016

This is an important warning we like to post before the start of each winter season. When the cold weather arrives, you’ll start to use your furnace on a regular basis to keep your household toasty warm. Chances are high that you have a natural gas furnace, which is the most popular type of residential heating system in North America. There are a number of good reasons for this:

  • Natural gas is less expensive a fuel source than electricity.
  • It’s convenient, piped right into your home.
  • It burns cleanly, with few harmful emissions.
  • Gas-powered furnaces can provide powerful levels of heat.

But there’s one downside to using natural gas for heat, and it’s the potential for carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

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Are You Looking for Commercial Kitchen Repairs?

November 7th, 2016

The kitchen in a home has a complex set of plumbing pipes and various fixtures. Any kitchen plumbing concern needs to be addressed by licensed plumbers with the best tools.

Now, imagine a commercial kitchen. Unlike a residential kitchen, a commercial kitchen must work for hours at a time, often from early morning until late in the evening. And it needs to service an enormous number of people with a variety of different types of food that must be grilled, baked, fried, deep fried, or cooked with special equipment like a pizza oven. On top of all that food preparation, the kitchen must handle immense disposal of food waste.

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Upgrade Your Business’s Heating with Smart Thermostats

October 31st, 2016

If you own or operate a business, you probably pay special attention to your energy bills during the winter. A heating system, whether a commercial furnace, boiler, or heat pump, has to put in a good deal of work to overcome the chilly outdoor temperatures and keep employees and clientele happy. That comfort comes at a price… but it may be a higher price than it needs to be.

There are many large-scale upgrades you can make to your company’s heating system, but sometimes the simplest change will make a huge difference. We suggest that you look into upgrading your thermostats if they’re older than 10 years, and put in smart thermostats.

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Why Fall Heating Inspections and Tune-Ups Are So Important

October 24th, 2016

A service that we strongly push for during this time of the year is the professional inspection and tune-up of residential heating systems. When you arrange for regular heating maintenance through our Proactive Service Agreement, one of our skilled technicians will come to your house each fall and see that your furnace or other heater is fully inspected, cleaned, and adjusted. (Here’s more details about what happens during maintenance.)

We don’t just recommend that homeowners do this. It’s essential to have it done each year! Here are some of the reasons why:

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Upgrade Your HVAC System for Winter with an ERV

October 17th, 2016

The most important part of preparing a home for the coming winter is to schedule regular maintenance for the heating system. (Our Proactive Service Agreement is an easy way to have maintenance done each fall, as well as maintenance for the air conditioner in the spring.) But there are some upgrades you can make to your HVAC system that will provide even better heating performance, comfort, and energy efficiency this winter. One of these upgrades that we install is an ERV.

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Why Timing Is Everything with Heating Repair

October 10th, 2016

Although you probably haven’t needed to turn your home heating system on yet this season—we’re experiencing a hot-to-warm fall so far—it won’t be long until it will be putting in regular work. We hope that you’ve already arranged for a maintenance visit from one of our heating professionals to see that your heater is ready for the job. (If you haven’t, it’s certainly not too late to sign our Proactive Service Agreement!)

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What You Can Expect from Heating Maintenance

October 3rd, 2016

Now that it’s October, we strongly recommend you arrange for a heating maintenance visit from one of our professionals as soon as you can. As November closes in, you can expect HVAC professionals to get busy, so now is an excellent time to take advantage of a slower period and have this vital job ticked off your “to-do” list.

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