When Looking At Heating For Your Home Consider High Efficiency Gas Furnaces

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.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as electric heaters at http://www.fireplacesandelectricheaters.com

Home Heating-Furnaces to Space Heaters, Inspections are Important

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.

Linda Moore writes on a variety of subjects including home ownership, family matters, travel, personal enrichment, lowering your heating bills and home air purifiers

Got Trees? An Outdoor Wood Furnace Will Cut Your Energy Bills Down To Size

If you live in a suburban or rural area near a source of cheap wood, you could heat your home for the entire season for the cost of one month’s electric heat bill. An outdoor furnace requires less tending, eliminates respiratory problems caused by burning wood indoors, and keeps the wood burning mess outside.

There are a surprising number of outdoor furnace manufacturers with a wide range of styles and designs to accommodate different heating capacities and fuel sources. Some of these furnaces have the capacity (500k Btu) for commercial applications.

Burns Best makes a corn or wood pellet version. Taylor Waterstoves has a multi-fuel model that burns coal or wood. Hardy Manufacturing makes an all stainless steel furnace with a built in hot water exchanger.

One of the selling points of an outdoor furnace is the convenience of locating it near the wood fuel source. Since the water heated by the furnace is pumped to your home through insulated, underground piping, the furnace can be set up as close as 2 feet, or as much as 500 feet from your house.

All outdoor furnaces are designed to work with any existing heating system and can be thermostatically controlled. If you have a forced air system, you can use the existing duct work but you will need to install a water-to-air heat exchanger in your furnace. Your furnace is still available as a back up.

If you already have radiant floor heating, you would connect the underground feed from the outdoor furnace to the existing circulating pump.

For radiant baseboard heat, you can connect the piping directly to an existing boiler or install a water-to-water heat exchanger. By adding the water-to-water exchanger, you receive the added benefit of free hot water while the existing furnace functions as back up.

An outdoor boiler can even be used to heat your swimming pool, driveway, work shop, greenhouse, or multiple buildings.

The firebox designs vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but all are constructed from stainless or carbon steel. Although each manufacturer claims to be using a grade of stainless steel superior to the competition, they all agree that heat transfer efficiency is almost 3 times better with 16 gauge stainless steel than with 3/8" carbon steel. An all stainless steel firebox also resists rusting and burnout that occur in standard carbon steel.

Some fire boxes are large enough to accommodate a 30” diameter by 72” log. The problem I would have is getting a log that size into the firebox. Normally, outdoor furnaces are loaded twice a day. Burn times per load vary from 12 to 96 hours depending on what you’re heating, the outside temperature and how well your house is insulated.

One trait all outdoor furnaces have in common is versatility. What ever your heating needs are or the type of fuel you burn, it’s possible to design a system for any heating scheme you can imagine.

Alternative-Heating-Info.com offers a unique look into geothermal heating and cooling, radiant heating, solar heating systems and pellet burning stoves

One Fan to Fire Up the Furnace

 

We live in a high-speed world. We want every thing now. Sadly, the "I want it now" attitude does not working in the field of marketing. Marketing is all cafefully planned, that's why you must assume the position of the bard.

Bards of old traveled the world and weaved their musical webs to whomever would listen. If there were even one person, then the bard would cast his spell. And in the world of music you have to build your fan base one fan at a time.

I remember my first band. I hooked up to sing with this glam rock band a decade ago. We were about to play in the rec room of our dormitory. There were a dozen people and I was excited. It was my first opportunity to play on stage, when the drummer declared, "If there aren't more people, I'm not playing." I was devesated. It awoke me to something a number of bands have...arrogance. And it started me on the bardic path.

Since then, I've made every opportunity to play to individuals. I was down in San Marcos, Texas last year and my partner hadn't yet arrived. A couple came in looking to hear some "Irish" music. I played "An Irish Lullaby" for them. The woman was in tears by the time I ended. Her husband? A music writer for the local paper. Needless to say, we got a spectacular review of our first album!

You see, every person is important. And the more the each individual adores you, the more likely they'll tell their friends and bring them out to shows. And the sad thing is no matter how hard your try to bring a crowd, sometimes they don't come out. So make each show the best it can possibly be for the one or two people in the audience. They will appreciate it, buy your album and tell all their friends.

One devoted fan is worth a hundred casual listeners. And you never know. That one listener could be your ticket to success!

Bard Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards has helped 1000's of musicians make money with their musical groups through the Bards Crier Music Marketing and Promotion Ezine and the Texas Musicians' Texas Music Biz Tips. Now you can get personal advice by visiting http://www.bardscrier.com for FREE "how-to" music marketing assistance.

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