Winter is here and we are all spending more time indoors. Since windows and doors are sealed against the cold, the danger of carbon monoxide exposure is higher.  Here are some tips about the dangers of carbon monoxide and some ideas to reduce the risk.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas that can make you ill, or even kill you, before you realize it’s there.  Low levels of carbon monoxide exposure can cause flu-like symptoms including headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue and disorientation.  Higher levels of CO can lead to impaired vision, headaches, dizziness, nausea, confusion, diminished coordination, and flu-like symptoms. The effects vary with a person’s age, general health, and level of exposure. A very high CO concentration can be fatal because it can block oxygen intake in the blood.

The CO gas can come from many places, including kerosene or gas space heaters, leaking or back-drafting chimneys or furnaces, a wood stove or fireplace, generators and other gasoline-powered equipment, and auto exhaust fumes.

The very best way to cut your risk of CO exposure is to remove any gas-powered or combustion equipment (like kerosene heaters and wood stoves) from your home. However, if you must use any of these devices, always be sure to have proper ventilation and follow the manufacturer’s instructions exactly.  Here are a few more helpful tips:

• Never use a generator indoors.
• Keep the flue open when you use your fireplace.
• Choose a wood stove that’s the proper size for your home and one that conforms to EPA emission standards. Be sure any doors or vents are tightly fitted.
• Do not idle your car inside the garage, even if the door is open.
• Hire a professional technician to inspect, clean, and tune your home’s HVAC system at least once a year.

We’d be glad to check your heating system to be sure it isn’t leaking CO into your home.  We are experts at this type of work, so give us a call at 317-297-1622 or click on our quote request form.  Remember: Be wiser, call Kaiser!

The Dangers of Carbon Monoxide! T.A. Kaiser T.A. Kaiser - Heating and Air Inc.

Natural gas is an odorless gas, but because of the associated danger of gas explosions, utility companies have added noxious compounds to the gas mixture.  It is these compounds that people actually smell.  

Many homes have natural gas lines that feed their furnace, water heater, or other appliances.  If you have natural gas service in your home or office and you ever smell it, you should take immediate action.   Call your local gas company to come out to check the source of the leak. 

All gas companies have a hotline number for this type of emergency.  The hotline for Citizens Gas in Indianapolis is 924-3311. For other companies, it is usually located somewhere on your monthly bill.   You should have the appropriate hotline number available in a prominent place, such as near the phone, or maybe even saved among your cell phone favorites.    When you need to know that number, you may not have time to search for it.

Safety Tip – What to do if you Smell Gas? T.A. Kaiser T.A. Kaiser - Heating and Air Inc.

Sadly, it happens, and it happens too often to too many people.   It never fails, on the coldest day of the year, we get emergency calls from shivering families who urgently need our help.  

This winter has been warmer than usual, but cold weather may still be coming.  Will you be calling us soon with an emergency situation on a cold day?  We hope not, but this short video made by Fox 59 that might  help you avoid that situation.  Click here to take a look at it and think about your own HVAC system. 

If it hasn’t been checked and serviced lately, we can do that for you, at a convenient time of your choosing — and it won’t be an emergency to you!  Remember, these are normally the coldest months in this area, so someone is going to be making those calls before long. 

Let us help you to protect your home and family from cold and damp.  Give us a call at 317-297-1622, or click on our service request form .  Then you can rest easy.

Will Your Furnace Quit on an Icy Cold Day? T.A. Kaiser T.A. Kaiser - Heating and Air Inc.

We are participating in the Indianapolis Home Show this week, so stop by and see us.  We are offering Show-Specials to everyone who comes by, so if you are thinking of having something done to your HVAC system, take us up on one of our offers. 

We are also giving away a CharBroil Six-Burner Gas Grill with Side Burner & Searing Burner to one lucky winner.  Maybe it will be you!   Stop by and say hello, then register to win.   Below are photos of the grill and our booth.   See you at the Home Show.

Here are the specs on the grill:

• 65,000 BTU stainless steel tube burners and searing burner
• 10,000 BTU flush lidded sideburner
• 650 sq. in. porcelain coated cast iron grilling surface
• 250 sq. in. swingaway warming rack
• Stainless steel lid, control panel and doors
• Black side shelves with towel bar and tool hooks
• Appliance-style cart with storage and gas tank tray
• Electronic ignition
• Temperature gauge
• 4 Casters / 2 locking

Visit us at the Indianapolis Home Show! T.A. Kaiser T.A. Kaiser - Heating and Air Inc.

Many older homes and offices were built with a manual thermostat that allows you to set a desired temperature, then it will cycle the furnace on and off to keep the temperature close to that preset level. In order to save money, you can set back the thermostat at night, but then you have to wake up to a cold house and set it up again, then wait for the furnace to heat the whole house. Most people don’t like to be in charge of resetting it all the time, so they can purchase and install an automatic (Programmable) thermostat that will reset itself based on a schedule (Program) that covers each day of the week. If you don’t already have one or if you have an older model, you should consider a simple upgrade to install a newer one.

Because you can program the heat (or cooling) level in advance, your comfort level will improve. For instance, if everyone is gone to work or school between 8AM and 4PM in the winter, you can program it to set back the temp to save wasted energy all day, and then to anticipate your return by raising the home’s temperature at 3:45 so it’s warm when you get there. There is no need to walk in and set the temperature, then wait for the furnace to catch up.

After the initial setup is completed, a programmable thermostat will perform all the setbacks and setups for you. Most of these types of thermostats are configured for a number of temperature changes daily (often this is 4 per day), and allow for different schedules on weekends. Families who can arrange for the setback to be 8 hours or more, such as overnight, or when they are gone during the day, will see the most savings.  An important consideration for those who have a heat pump, you need a thermostat specially designed for use with that type of system. Otherwise, the heat pump may use lots of additional electricity by causing the emergency strip heaters to warm the house instead of the heat pump.

The installation of a programmable thermostat is not difficult, but you must read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your safety and to assure that you don’t damage your heating and cooling equipment. The installation may be easy, or it might be moderately difficult, depending on what type of thermostat is being replaced. Also, it can be tricky to program the device properly, and each model is slightly different. If you set it up incorrectly, you won’t get the desired results.

If you would like assistance with this project, contact us for a free estimate, or call us at 317-297-1622. We’ll be glad to advise you on the best way to improve your comfort and to cut costs.   Additional information can be found at this link created by the US Dept of Energy.

Programmable Thermostats can Boost Comfort and Cut Costs T.A. Kaiser T.A. Kaiser - Heating and Air Inc.

One of the best, simplest, and lowest costing ways to save energy is by adding weatherstripping.  Most homeowners can do it themselves, or have a handy neighbor or family member who can add it for them.   With a few dollars worth of materials, a couple of basic tools (a knife or scissors, a hammer and measuring tape) and a little bit of time, you can make a big difference in your own comfort and save a lot of money on energy.  It just takes a little effort.

The best place to look for wasted energy is the openings in your home, such as doors, windows, pipes, and electrical/cable outlets.  There are often air leaks around them that let cold air in or warm air out.  Get started by running your hand around each opening to see if you feel any cold air.  If you don’t feel any, move on to the next opening.  If you do feel cold air, try to figure out why the air is coming in.  Sometimes you can see light through the crack with your eyes, but other times the gaps will be too small to see.  When you do find gaps, you need to fill the gap with a proper insulating material to stop the cold air invasion.  Here are some common types of material along with typical uses for them:

• Adhesive foam strips can be used where two surfaces come together.  Use  this where the foam will be compressed, such as at the top or bottom of a sliding window, or where a door closes.
• V-shaped vinyl strips can be stuck onto window or door frames.  Stick one side of the V (with the opening pointing outside) to the top and sides of wood door/window frame. When you close the door or window, the other side of the strip will fold in against the stuck side so that air can’t pass through the V-shape.  The V will open and close as the window or door is opened or closed.
• Rolls of felt can but cut to length, then stapled or brad-nailed. These provide a good seal where two hard surfaces, such as wood and metal, come together unevenly.
• A string of foam can be pressed into cracks, but these work best when the door or window does not need to be opened.  They will fall out and have to be redone unless they are attached somehow.
• A can of expanding foam can be used to seal holes around pipes or electrical wiring where it enters the home.
• If cold air comes in the bottom of a door, attach a sweep to the bottom of the door to block the draft.  These cost in the range of $5-$20 depending on material used.

For even bigger savings, professionals can locate energy-depleting leaks that may be hidden in your home’s ductwork.  You can contact us via our request form, or you can call us at 317-297-1622.

Additional information can be found at this web page, created by the US Dept of Energy.

Low Cost Energy Savings – Add Weatherstripping T.A. Kaiser T.A. Kaiser - Heating and Air Inc.