Heating Your Home - Why You Need A Furnace Tune Up

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.

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An Overview of High Efficiency Furnace Filters

High efficiency furnace filters are no doubt effective, but since they can lead to substantial increases in your electricity bills, you just can't afford to install them as part of your centralized heating and cooling system. However, you also can't just ignore the associated benefits. By taking the time to install a higher quality furnace filter, you will be able to realize the full potential of these filters and also realize the most cost-effective manner.

How to Select the Best High Efficiency Furnace Filter

Since quality varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, it's recommended that you consider a few things before you actually buy a furnace filter. To select the best, compare the protection levels that are usually explained in the product information. The protection levels are expressed in microns, which basically represent the size of air particles that the filter is capable of filtering out. This simply means you should consider only those furnace filters that have the smallest micron ratings, preferably those having 0.1 microns or less. These would be enough to filter out around 99.97 percent of all microscopic particles that might be present in the air.

Shortly after you install a furnace filter, you will start feeling a lot better because the air that you breathe will be free from a wide variety of contaminants. You can then be rest assured, the air around you is completely free from dust mites, pet dander, pollen particles and mold spores. All of which can easily create health problems for you and your family.

Another thing to consider prior to investing in a furnace filter is finding out the size of your room. This is important because certain furnace filters are effective only over a specific predetermined area. For example, say your room is 350 square feet, you will have to look for a filter that has the appropriate capability. The best thing to do is to opt for a furnace filter having a slightly higher configuration. Considering the above example, the filter should have the capacity to clean air over a 450 square foot room.

Last but not the least, you should never forget to take proper care of your furnace filter because its effectiveness depends a lot on how well you follow the maintenance guidelines outlined by the manufacturer. Also, keep changing your filters regularly, preferably every 3 to 6 months because even the best high efficiency furnace filters have a limited workable life.

Bill Whitworth writes furnace filter and other home environment health related articles for Web Products, Inc. A popular Internet destination for furnace filters, air filters, replacement filters, and custom filters. Helping customers improve their home air quality since 1997.

How To Make A Beautiful Rosary Bracelet With Premium Furnace Glass Beads

We all have a vice. Mine happens to be this habit of buying every pretty bead I see. My very favorite beads are the blown furnace cane glass beads...particularly from US artists Mingo & Asho and David Christensen. They are positively stunning! I have now found a way to use the chub style furnace beads to make a rosary bracelet.

If you are not familiar with a rosary bracelet, or how to pray with a rosary bracelet, it consists of 11 beads, rather than the traditional 59 of a full rosary. The singled out bead is the Our Father bead, and the other 10 are for the decade of Hail Mary prayers. A rosary bracelet is a convenient way to carry your rosary with you, and is also an excellent conversation starter to share your faith.

To make an easy and beautiful furnace glass rosary bracelet you will need the following supplies:

10 FURNACE GLASS CHUBS

1 LARGE FURNACE GLASS CHUB

28* 4mm SWAROVSKI CRYSTALS

1 BUTTON CLASP

1 SMALL CRUCIFIX (with jump or split ring for hanging)

1 SMALL MIRACULOUS MEDAL (also with jump or split ring) (OR SAINT MEDAL OF CHOICE) 2 SILVER CRIMP BEADS

SOFTFLEX BEADING WIRE, MEDIUM STRENGTH

CRIMPING PLIERS

SCISSORS

*May vary depending on size of chubs and size of bracelet you are making.

Directions: Decide the length of your bracelet, and trim your beading wire, leaving enough for tying off at end. Add male end of clasp and secure with crimp bead. String in this order: 3 crystals, large furnace chub, 2 crystals, crucifix, 1 crystal, medal, 1 crystal, chub, 2 crystals, chub, 2 crystals chub...repeat this until you string last chub. String 3 crystals (or more if you need a bit longer). Add female end of clasp and secure with crimp bead.

Please visit my website for a picture of a finished bracelet, and links for bead supplies, magazines, and business software to help you make money with your bead projects.

Have a wonderful day!

Sheri Hill is a stay at home mother of three and a self-proclaimed bead enthusiast. Having recently joined the Catholic Church at he age of 41, she loves to share her faith with others.

Add On Wood Furnace – Are You Adding Heat or Headaches?

On the face of it, the addition of an Add On Wood Furnace to your existing furnace sounds like a great idea. If you cut, split and season your own firewood, you already know how much money you're saving over your propane poor neighbor.

Installing a wood furnace also tames the unavoidable messiness of burning wood by moving it to the basement.

Best of all, you can purchase a basic add on wood furnace for less than an inexpensive pellet stove.

However, the complex installation of an add on wood furnace goes a long way towards canceling out the benefits. When you install an add on furnace you not only have two furnaces; you now have two thermostats, two blowers, two plenums and two chimneys. Not to mention the connecting ductwork and dampers.

You don't have to be a home heating expert to imagine all the possible scenarios for failure.

As with any other type of furnace, the warranty and building codes requires installation by a licensed HVAC professional.

But this requirement alone doesn't necessarily guarantee your add on furnace will be installed for maximum efficiency. Simply because someone's been installing gas furnaces for 30 years doesn't mean their first attempt at installing an add on wood furnace will be a complete success.

Another problem that wood furnace manufacturers never address is a convenient way to store and transport a winter's worth of firewood without making hundreds of trips up and down the basement stairs.

Finding the least expensive way to heat your home will always involve trade-offs. As with an add on wood furnace, buying the cheapest appliance to burn the cheapest fuel is not without its drawbacks.

Improve your home with Alternative Heating

The Benefits of Owning a Wood and Coal Burning Furnace

Americans love having options. Options allow us to select the outcome of a particular situation. An option may be a small as what to have for lunch or as large as how to heat a home. Americans looking to heat their homes have a number of home heating options and that is something that is very pleasing for many.

With the high cost of gas there are many individuals who automatically eliminate it as a home heating method. With gas eliminated that leaves coal, wood, and electricity. There are a number of benefits to heating your home with electricity, but there are also benefits to heating your home with wood or coal. For this reason, there are many homeowners who make the decision to purchase a wood furnace or a coal furnace. What if there was an option that would allow you to have both? That option is what is known as a wood and coal burning furnace.

A wood and coal burning furnace is a combination of each individual furnace. Many times the furnace is used as a wood furnace, but there is always the option of using the coal.

Most wood and coal burning furnace owners use the coal only as a secondary backup. If coal is never used in a wood and coal burning furnace it is still nice to have the option to use it if need be.

Having a choice may be the greatest benefit of owning a wood and coal burning furnace, but there are additional benefits. Another one of the most popular benefits of owning a wood and coal burning furnace is the money that could be saved. Using wood and even coal to heat your home is often drastically cheaper than the cost of heating a home with gas. A wood and coal burning furnace can provide cheap home heating for houses of all sizes.

Another benefit of owning a wood and coal burning furnace is the safety that it provides. Since wood and coal burning furnaces are outdoor furnaces they are likely to reduce the risk of a house fire. It is possible for an outdoor furnace to be installed close to the home, but it is often safer when it is a small distance away. The chances of a fire occurring in an outdoor furnace is slim, but if one should occur it can’t spread to the home if it is not right next to it.

As you can see, there are a large number of benefits to owning a wood and coal burning furnace. In fact, the above mentioned benefits are just a few of the many. If you are interested in learning the additional benefits of owning a wood and coal burning furnace then you should get browsing. Simply by reviewing product descriptions and pictures you should be able to see why there are an unlimited number of benefits to owning a wood and coal burning furnace.

Erik Holden
Get a great deal on a wood and coal burning furnace