G71MPP Variable-Capacity Gas Furnace
A member of the Dave Lennox Signature® Collection, the G71MPP Variable-Capacity Gas Furnace is the quietest furnace you can buy and one of the most efficient too! Read More
Obama Health Care Plan
The Obama health plan is a bit of a departure from our normal topics, however it is rather relevant as most HVAC companies fall into the category of small business effected by this.
The new Health care reform will have a major impact to any small business or contractor, many of the items will give your employees some major benefit improvements with out hitting us which is great. That aside I wanted to take a closer look at the items most likely to effect our bottom line as a small business.
Breaking this out by year and what will go into effect that year.
2010
- Small businesses with less than 25 employees and average wages of less than $50,000 will qualify for a tax credit of up to 35% of the cost of the health care premiums for workers
- Children up to the age of 26 can remain on their parents’ health plan unless they have options through their own employer
- Health plans will not be permitted to exclude children under the age of 19 due to pre-existing medical conditions
- A temporary re-insurance program will be created to help offset the costs of health claims for employers that provide health benefits for retirees age 55 to 64.
2011
- Health plans in the individual and small group markets will be required to spend 80% of premium dollars on medical services. Plans in the large group market will be required to spend 85%.
- Employers will be required to report the value of health benefits on employee W-2 forms
2013
- Contributions to health care flexible spending accounts will be limited to $2,500 per year.
- A new 3.8% tax will be imposed on investment income for individuals with AGI in excess of $200,000 and couples with AGI in excess of $250,000
2014
- Health plans will be prohibited from imposing annual limits on benefits
- Health plans will be prohibited from denying coverage to adults for preexisting medical conditions and the state high-risk pools will be phased out as it will no longer be needed
- Small businesses with less than 25 employees and average wages of less than $50,000 will be able to qualify for a tax credit of up to 50% of the cost of the health care premiums
- People earning up to 133% of the federal poverty level ($29,327 for a family of four) will qualify for Medicaid
- People earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level ($88,200 for a family of four) will qualify for subsidies on a sliding scale to purchase health insurance through the newly created insurance exchanges
- Most U.S. citizens will be required to buy health insurance or pay a penalty, there are some exceptions
- Employers with more than 50 employees that do not offer health coverage will be fined if even one one employee uses tax credits to purchase an individual plan
Year 2018
- A 40% excise tax will be imposed on health insurance plans costing more that $10,200 for an individual or $27,500 for a family, not including vision and dental plans. Higher thresholds will be available for some high risk industries.
For the small business it’s really how you want to look at it. Yes we will have some extra costs, however for the first time we will be able to offer health plans like larger companies which might broaden the pool of folks interested in working for a smaller company.
get your heating ready for winter
as each day of summer gradually melts away, we are being dragged into the soon to be winter season. no matter how much we may wish that those cold days won’t come, they will, and we all need to be ready. the heating systems are a critical key to surviving the cold months. as a precaution, we need to perform certain checks and routine repair in order to ensure that our units will last throughout this icy season, and maybe save a little coin along the way.
testing the heating
in early fall, you should begin checks on your heating to make sure that it will effort come the first cold spell of winter. these are just a few easy measures that anyone can do on their own, even if you do not know much about heating and cooling appliances.
replace the air filter-
it is critical to swap out the air filter before the beginning of a new season. you should also get in the habit of checking it regularly (every 30-60 days) to make sure that it is not becoming clogged. a filthy air filter can cause dust and debris to back up into your system. it also prevents airflow which could even cause the unit to fail, or at the very least cost more to run because it is running less efficiently.
if you haven’t checked the filter yourself before, you may want to consult your manual for filter location or call your local heating, ventalation, and cooling business for advice on where to locate it inside the heating. when purchasing a replacement, the easiest way to ensure that you buy the right size is to take the old filter with you to a hardware store and ask for help in finding the correct filter for your unit.
review the thermostat-
depending on the type of thermostat that you own, this step could be different from person to person. as a general rule, if your thermostat runs on batteries, you should replace them. it is recommended that you change them at least once a annually even if they still have juice left in them. programmable thermostats have the ability to change temperature based on the time of day, and a well programmed thermostat can save you coin by running the unit less often. now would be a good time to adjust the program to fit your winter time line. for most people, this involves a lot more time spent indoors when compared to the summer season.
test co detectors-
carbon monoxide (co) is an odorless killer, and it can leak from your heating without any warning and escape into the air you breathe if there is a crack in the heat exchanger. there is normally a insulation between the household air and the co filled air created by the heating. but, this insulation can become cracked or damaged if the unit is old or poorly maintained. to prevent the worst from happening, it is necessary for you and your family’s protection to review the co monitors before using the heating.
test the furnace-
this is a very critical step in the process. many property owners wait to test the unit until the temperature is low enough to be in dyer need of functional heat. however, many of these people find themselves huddled under blankets waiting for a service technician because the unit doesn’t effort. by testing it early in the season, you decrease the risk of this happening to you when the temperatures are more severe.
go down, or up, to where the heating is located and make sure that the switch on the unit is in the “on” position. while you are down there, you can also review the fuses or circuit breaker. if one is blown or tripped, replace the broken fuse or flip the breaker back on. then, switch the unit to “heat” on the thermostat and raise the temperature a few degrees. allow the unit to run for a few hours. if there is a weird smell coming from the unit, do not immediately panic and call a technician unless it is a strong gas smell. chances are it is the smoke, dust, and any other airborne particles that have settled inside the heating that are being burned off from firing up the unit for the first time. the smell should go away in a few hours but may last until you have the unit skilled cleaned.
if the unit doesn’t seem to be working correctly, you still have time to have a serviceman out before it is time to use the unit everyday. if everything seems to be working properly the unit is almost ready for the heating season.
get a tune-up-
many people skip this step when preparing for winter, but a furnace tune- up and maintenance of is exactly what your system needs to run as efficiently as possible. dirt is a major problem for heating units. if not taken care of, it can build up on the major components, like the burners, blower wheel, and flame sensor, and prevent them from working properly. filthy units cost more to run, because it has to effort much harder and use more fuel to keep the house at the desired temperature. by having the unit cleaned and checked, you are not only saving yourself from costly repairs but also from high energy bills. this service, however, should only be preformed by a seasoned heating, ventalation, and cooling technician because this is the only way to know that the effort was done right. as a plus, many buisnesses offer a guarantee that the unit will cost you less to run then it has in previous years without tune-ups.
the steps may vary from business to business, but these are some of the main parts that should be covered in a seasoned tune-up:
- maintaning heating or boiler
- review chimney base
- maintaning and review pilots
- adjust pilot
- review thermocouple
- maintaning burners
- adjust burners
- review vent belts
- review amperage draw
- review heating filters
- review protection devices
- review heat anticipators
- review thermostat contacts
- review limit control
- inspect set on fire chamber
- review blower wheel
- review blower motor and lube
- review heating wiring
- review for set on fire air
- review warm water tank
- review gas valve operation
- test for gas leaks
- review humidifier
- review electrical connections
- inspect heat exchanger for leaks
- review motors and oil if necessary
- review any/all accessories
- review and secure all panels
- review thermostat and calibrate if necessary
if all has gone well, you should now have a fully functional and effective heating system. you can rest assured that this winter your house will be full of warmth and your wallet will be full of the extra cash you saved by being a proactive property owner.
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Furnaces
Designed to deliver reliable and economical warmth, Lennox® furnaces have efficiency ratings from 80% all the way up to 95% AFUE. And many are ENERGY STAR® qualified, which means they can significantly lower your utility bills, compared to conventional models. For optimal comfort and efficiency, a gas furnace can be combined with an electric heat pump in one dual-fuel system. Read More
Help for Home Owners
Do you own your own home? Well here is a helpful site when your working on your future home projects or looking to get better informed. The site covers a wide range of helpful tips and is great for anyone who owns their own home and are looking for tips and suggestions on how you can better maintain your house. This is the place to go. Read More
Air Conditioning
What you need to know about Air Conditioning your home as well as what you can do to keep it running efficiently all boiled down for you.When you look at a typical window air conditioning unit and your standard central air system at first blush they look completely different. To the lay person, your window unit is square and is perched in your window during the summer months and then put away, while a central AC system is this thing with a fan in it usually hidden somewhere around back. Really, that and the amount of air they can cool is about all that is different between these two systems.
- Both systems compress a gas which releases heat. The compressor and heat release happens outside the home.
- Next the gas moves into your home and is expanded which draws heat from your inside air and storing that energy in the gas which then travels back to the section of the AC system outside to repeat the process.
To keep your air conditioning system running effectively you need to check a handful of things.
- Is the filter inside your home clean. A dirty filter inside the home restricts the air flow building up a kind of insulation. The dirty filter then limits how much air gets exposed to the cooler air of your AC system making it work harder.
- Is the outside of the AC clean and free of obstructions? If not, your dealing with the same issues your dealing with inside your home with a dirty filter.
- Do you have enough gas in your system. If the gas is low inside your air conditioning system, then the gas won’t compress as easily making the system work harder to accomplish the same thing.
how mold can affect you, your house, and your hvac
mold is a dangerous microscopic organism that can have adverse affect on pretty much anything it touches. if allowed to grow freely, it could even take over your house! property owners need to be aware of the potential consequences of a mold problem.
mold and you
all of the results of mold exposure are bad, but i believe that its affects on your health are the worst of them all. mold can be taken into a person’s body through touching, breathing, or eating it. it targets the elderly, infants and children, and those who already have compromised immune systems. most of us come into contact with some amount of mold spores on a daily basis, but the levels are not usually high enough to do us any harm. however, once mold is allowed to grow in an environment it will show its ugly side effects in anyone. these symptoms include:
- itchy, watery eyes
- sneezing
- nasal congestion
- allergic reactions
- asthma attacks
- respiratory problems
most of those listed are similar to everyday allergies to pet dander and pollen, but some molds, like black mold, are even known to cause cancer.
mold and your house
all mold needs to grow in a house is a little water or condensation and a surface to grow on that will serve as its food source. what does mold eat? mold devours wood, among other things. but, it is this taste for wood that will eventually disintegrate your house to nothing. certain molds, like poria, have special abilities to take over entire walls and floors beyond the water source. so even if you only had a few inches of water in your basement, if you do not do everything necessary to prevent mold, you could be looking at a major problem.
mold and your heating, ventalation, and cooling
if you are not careful, your heating and cooling appliances could be helping a mold problem spread. the central air system takes air from each room through the return ducts and sucks it through the heating to be redistributed throughout the house. even with a good air filter, mold spores can still get through. instead of keeping the problem localized, you now have an entire house with the potential to be taken down by mold. the way to prevent this from happening to you is to shut down the systems and take care of the mold where you know it is actively growing in the house. once you are sure that the rooms are mold-free, you should then have a complete maintenance of of the heating, cooling system, and air ducts don’t by a seasoned and reputable heating, ventalation, and cooling business. you should only have nadca seasoned duct cleaners maintenance of the air ducts. this is the only certification that guarantees that the technician used the proper system to do a thorough maintenance of of the air ducts.
mold may be microscopic, but it has power to devastate you, your house, and your heating, ventalation, and cooling.
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get your boiler ready for winter
with winter encroaching on our summer fun as every day passes, now is the time to review the heating system and make sure that we are all prepared for the snow, sleet, and freezing temperatures that are soon to become our reality. if you have a boiler system, you have special steps that you must take to properly care for your type of system.
testing the boiler
maintaning out the boiler room-
no matter where your boiler is located in your house, the region should be kept impeccably maintaning. this room should not be used for space unless it happens to be fairly grand, and the boiler can have a good 4 feet of region between it and anything else. you should sweep out the region to keep any dust or debris away from the boiler vent or pilot luminous. dust can clog up these parts and cause system failure. if the pilot is blocked you are risking a gas leak. also by keeping the region clear, you will be able to see if there are any leaks in the tank while there is still time before a fire or explosion.
bleed the radiators-
over time, a boiler will have a buildup of air in the system. this is easily removed if you know how to bleed the radiators. you will need to locate the bleed valve and allow it to empty. once water begins to come out instead of air, the radiator has been successfully bled. if you have never done this before, i recommend that you have a skilled do it first and pay attention to the process so that you can repeat it as necessary throughout the season.
review the air pressure-
before winter hits and all through the season, you should periodically review the air pressures in the expansion tank. a healthy pressure should be anywhere between 12 and 15 pounds per square inch. if it is high you need to ease the pressure by turning the release valve. if high or low pressure problems continue, you should have a skilled boiler technician look at the system.
prevent pipe freezing-
when the temperature drops low enough outside, it is possible that your pipes will freeze. this is something that can destroy your heating system and cost hundreds in correction costs. so, it is critical to protect your house. the first thing to do would be to separate any pipes that carry water. in the case of a boiler that is a lot of the system. you can purchase pipe insulation at any hardware store, or you could use newspaper or plastic as a more economical option. also, the big mistake that is often made is leaving the house for a long period of time with the boiler turned off. the last thing you want to do is come house after a vacation and have to deal with a radiator that has exploded due to a pipe freeze. to prevent this, simply leave the unit running but keep it at a lower temperature.
test co detectors-
carbon monoxide (co) is an odorless killer, and it can escape from your boiler without any forewarning, and it can seep into the air you breathe if there is a crack in the heat exchanger. there is usually a insulation between the household air and the co filled air formed in the boiler. but, this insulation can become cracked or damaged if the unit is old or poorly cared for. to prevent the unthinkable from happening, it is imperative to you and your family’s protection to review the co monitors prior to operating the boiler.
review the thermostat-
based on the type of thermostat that you own, this step could vary from person to person. as a universal rule, if your thermostat runs on batteries, you should replace them. it is recommended that you change them at least once a annually even if they still have power left in them. programmable thermostats have the ability to adjust temperature based on the time of day. a well programmed thermostat can save you cash by running the unit less often. this is a good time to adjust the program to fit your winter calendar. for most people, this means a lot more time spent indoors when compared to the summer.
get a tune-up-
since filthy is no friend to your boiler system, it is critical that you have the unit checked and cleaned on a yearly basis. this will not only protect the unit from unwanted repairs but also help it to run as efficiently as possible. however, this is not something you should do on your own. you should hire a seasoned boiler technician to maintaning the unit. this way you can have the peace of mind that the effort was done right. many buisnesses also offer a guarantee that the unit will run more efficiently and therefore save you coin when compared to a system that hasn’t been cleaned. the steps may change from business to business, but these should be the main components of a seasoned boiler tune-up:
- inspect flue and diverter
- maintaning inside vestibule
- maintaning pilot assembly
- adjust pilot
- review thermocouple
- maintaning burners
- adjust burners
- review warm water tank
- review gas valve operation
- test for gas leaks
- review thermostat contacts
- review heat anticipator
- review protection devices
- oil circulating pump
- review limit control
- inspect heat exchanger for leaks
- inspect set on fire chamber
- review aqua stat
- review gauge or sight glass
- review expansion tank
- review and secure all panels
- review low water cut off
- review wiring
- review noise and vibration levels
- review for combustible materials around boiler
- review for set on fire air
- make final operations test and advise upgrades
once this has been completed and your boiler is as healthy as it can be, you are ready for the winter to begin. it is the little things you do now that prevent the big things from happening later.
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Air Conditioners
Want to feel cool and comfortable without feeling the pinch of high utility bills? A Lennox® air conditioner like the XC21 or award-winning XC15 more than delivers. These models are ENERGY STAR® qualified, which means they meet U.S. EPA guidelines for energy efficiency. Read More
fall heating maintenance
it may be warm outside right now, but in a matter of weeks the temperature will be falling along with the leaves. fall is on the way and it is time to get your heating ready for the upcoming winter season. performing your pre-season routine repair can save you coin and the hassle of mid- winter repairs.
here are a few things to keep in mind:
- replace your air filter- many people allow months and maybe even years to go by before changing the air filter in the heating. failing to do so can cause inadequate air movement, and it may even cause the heating to fail by preventing the unit from firing up when you call for heat.
- review the thermostat-a lot of the times your thermostat may trick you into thinking that there is a problem with the system. if the differential is improperly set, your unit may not be hitting the temperature that you want it to. also, if your thermostat runs on batteries, now would be a good time to change them. programmable thermostats are also a great idea to keep in mind for this winter. this type of thermostat allows you to adjust the temperature based on the time of day by presetting a program. this way you save energy during the hours when no one is house or when everyone is asleep.
- test the carbon monoxide (co) monitors- it is an imperative investment to make in your protection to replace or install co monitors in your house. they alert you when the levels of carbon monoxide (co) in your house are dangerously high. this is especially critical in the winter because heating system are one of the main causes of high levels of co in the house. it is odorless and will not be detected without these alarms present.
- time line a tune-up- a tune-up is a maintenance of and efficiency review for the unit. only a seasoned heating, ventalation, and cooling technician can perform this procedure correctly, but if completed, it can save you coin on your energy bills because the heating will be running as close to factory specifications as possible. a seasoned tune-up should include:
- maintaning heating
- review chimney base
- maintaning and review pilots
- adjust pilot
- review thermocouple
- maintaning burners
- adjust burners
- review vent belts
- review amperage draw
- review heating filters
- review protection devices
- review heat anticipators
- review thermostat contacts
- review limit control
- inspect set on fire chamber
- review blower wheel
- review blower motor and lube
- review heating wiring
- review for set on fire air
- review warm water tank
- review gas valve operation
- test for gas leaks
- review humidifier
- review electrical connections
- inspect heat exchanger for leaks
- review motors and oil if necessary
- review any/all accessories
- review and secure all panels
- review thermostat and calibrate if necessary
once you have performed all of these checks, you can rest assured that your heating is ready to take on the winter without fail.
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