Carbon Monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America, killing approximately 1,500 people annually, and causing 10,000 more to seek emergency medical care. Because CO poisoning can resemble other common illnesses, it's important to recognize the symptoms and seek medical attention if you think you or a family member has been sickened by carbon monoxide.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may include:

• Headache

• Dizziness

• Weakness

• Upset stomach or vomiting

• Chest pain

• Confusion

These symptoms are often mistaken for the flu, which can be dangerous.

Installing Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Proper placement of a CO detector is important. If you only have one carbon monoxide detector, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends that it be near the sleeping area, where it will wake you if you are asleep. We recommend having a CO detector on every level of your home directly above or beside fuel-burning appliances to alert you as soon as possible of a CO leak.

How Do Carbon Monoxide Detectors Work?

CO detectors use various technologies, such as electrochemical sensors or metal oxide semiconductors, to measure CO levels in the air. When the gas concentration reaches a dangerous level, the detector sounds an alarm, alerting you to the danger.

Optimal Placement of CO Detectors

For maximum effectiveness, CO detectors should be installed:

• On every level of your home, including the basement
• Near sleeping areas to ensure alarms can be heard
• At least 15 feet away from heating or cooking appliances to avoid false alarms

How Can You Prevent Carbon Monoxide From Accumulating In Your Home?

An annual heating system tune-up is essential to maintaining the safety and reliability of your gas furnace. Your technician will clean and check the furnace burners and test for the presence of carbon monoxide.

Carbon monoxide can be produced from any fuel-burning appliance. Common sources in homes include:

• Gas or wood-burning fireplaces
• Gas kitchen ranges
• Furnaces and boilers
• Gas water heaters
• Automobiles running in attached garages

All fuel burning appliances should be checked to ensure they are properly vented to the outside of the house.

As with smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors should be tested regularaly to ensure that the alarm is functioning.

The Smart Thermostat Has Arrived

Mobile technology has connected virtually every aspect of our lives and put a world of information at our fingertips. As our homes are becoming more and more connected, the thermostat is also become more hi-tech and capable. But how do the new smart thermostats work, and are they a good investment that will save you money?

Traditional thermostats adjust the indoor air temperature by working as a simple control input for a home's heating and cooling system. You simply set the temperature and the device keeps your home within that range near the thermostat's physical location.

With the arrival of programmable thermostats homeowners could tailor the temperature of their home by programming the thermostat to turn on and off based on the day and time when the house would be occupied. This meant the heating or cooling system could be off when you were away from home.

Today's "smart" thermostats take the programmable thermostats to the next level by learning a household's routine and allowing homeowners to monitor and change the temperature remotely using mobile applications. They can also provide real time feedback on energy consumption, weather forecasts and even adapt the temperature based on conditions like humidity levels.

The Nest Thermostat

One of the first smart thermostats to market was The Nest thermostat. It combines sleek design with a bright full color display to provide homeowners with useful information, combined with convenient remote apps designed to help cut energy consumption. The Nest is a learning thermostat that senses if a home is occupied, whether the air is suddenly getting humid, and other factors that allow it to custom tailor the indoor environment.

Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat

Honeywell's Smart Thermostat offers convenience and style, letting you monitor your home's temperature and the weather. It features:

• Simple set-up that adjusts temperatures to fit your daily life. Onscreen Help" button answers questions as you go
• Know about extreme indoor temperatures. Stay up-to-date on local weather conditions.
• Smart Response gives you the right temperature at the right time
• Choose a color scheme that blends with your home's decor or adds contrast
• Free app with no monthly fee
• Simple set-up with one touch weather and smart alerts

Fall Heating Maintenance Tips

Before the cold weather sets in and the snow begins to fall, early October is a good time to ensure your home's heating system is ready for the long Colorado winter ahead. The experts at Grand Lake Plumbing and Heating recommend that homeowners perform some simple fall heating maintenance tasks to ensure that heating systems operate reliably and safely all winter long.

1. Replace Furnace Air Filters
One of the simplest ways to keep your furnace running at peak efficiency is to ensure that you change your air filter regularly. Your furnace will breathe easier, and so will you!

2. Check Your Thermostat Settings
If you have a programmable thermostat, check the timer function to ensure it's set to turn on and off at the proper time. A properly set thermostat will keep you comfortable and

3. Cleaning Your Furnace
Clean around your furnace and check that there is nothing obstructing the vents around the blower compartment. Have Grand Lake Plumbing and Heating perform a comprehensive heating system tune-up. We will perform a check for carbon monoxide and ensure your furnace is in good working order.

4. Air Vents
Check your home's supply and return air vents to ensure there are no obstructions and that the air is flowing freely.

5. Insulation
Consider adding more insulation to your attic in order to increase the efficiency of your heating and cooling system. Weather stripping is another relatively inexpensive way to keep the cold weather at bay this winter.

Check Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

 By law all homes in Colorado must have working smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors. Test your alarms monthly and ensure that fresh batteries are installed regularly.

 

Hot Room, Cold Room - Tips For Achieving Even Temperatures In Your Home

In a typical house it's not unusual to have temperature differences of several degrees from room to room. Attics, basements and additions usually have the greatest air temperature differences. When one room is uncomfortably hot or cold there are several factors to consider.

Ensure You Have Enough Insulation

In a cold climate like Colorado, proper insulation is essential. The recommended R-value for attics is 43, and an R-value of 21 for walls

Seal Air Leaks Around Windows and Doors

Proper weather sealing will eliminate drafts and heat loss. It will also help your furnace and air conditioner work more efficiently.

Check Your Air Delivery System

One of the most common problems we see in home heating and cooling systems that are not working well are air ducts that are not properly sized to move air throughout the home. To check for potential problems Grand Lake Plumbing can perform an air delivery analysis to determine if air is reaching all areas of your home.

Seal Air Duct Leaks

Sealing the gaps and joints in your air ducts will allow your furnace and air conditioner to work more efficiently and ensure all the air reaches all areas of your home

It inevitably happens with every old furnace, you wake up on a freezing Colorado winter morning and your bedroom is ice cold. You turn the thermostat up, but there's nothing but silence. Your furnace has stopped working. If you're lucky, it's a simple, inexpensive fix. But if the furnace is getting up in years and needs extensive repairs, how do you decide if the advantages of installing a new furnace is a better solution than repairing the old unit and hoping it lasts through another long winter?

How long will a gas furnace last?

A recent study by the National Association of Home Builders found that gas furnaces last an average of 15 to 20 years. So consider the age of the unit when deciding whether to repair or replace. When a furnace is installed most technicians will write the year the equipment was installed right on the unit. You can also look for a metal identification plate, usually on the inside of chamber door (be sure the unit is off and cool before checking inside). Record the model and serial number, then call the manufacturer’s customer service number to obtain the date of manufacture

How Much Is Your Old Furnace Costing You?

If the furnace is beyond three-quarters of its life expectancy and repairing it would cost a 1/3 or more of the amount of a new furnace, it may be more economical to replace the unit.

Comparing Energy Savings With A New Furnace

In these days of high fuel costs, it's important to consider is the efficiency of the old furnace versus a newer unit. A standard measure of fuel efficiency is the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency number (AFUE). AFUE measures the percentage of the fuel that’s converted to heat rather than being lost through inefficiency.

If the furnace is 20 or more years old, its AFUE is probably about 70. New furnaces will have an AFUE of at least 80%, which means you’ll burn 10% less fuel, that's 10% savings of your heating bill. High efficiency furnaces go as high a 95% AFUE , which could save you 25% on your heating bill.

Should You Upgrade To A Programmable Thermostat?

While it is one of the most basic components of heating and cooling systems, the thermostat is an essential components in air conditioners and heaters. In recent years, programmable thermostats have become popular, and many homeowners and business professionals have decided to make the switch from traditional thermostats to programmable ones. Here are a few of the benefits of programmable thermostats and why it may be time to have one installed.

More Control

While some traditional thermostats offer features that make them more controllable, only programmable thermostats can truly offer the power needed to achieve the perfect settings. For example, a digital thermostat can be programmed to increase the temperature while away from the home or office, and then automatically decreases the temperature so the home or office will be cool and comfortable upon returning. By enabling operators to set the temperature however they wish, programmable thermostats are great for those who want to tweak their temperature settings as finely as possible.

Cost Savings

The upgrade to a programmable thermostat will cost money, but operators will be able to recoup their expenses in a short period of time. The temperature does not always need to be set at a particular number, and having programmatic features enables homeowners and business owners to use significantly less energy. Whether the goal is to save money or to reduce the unit's impact on the environment, programmable thermostats can go a long way toward reducing energy consumption.

Convenience

Many programmable thermostats have interfaces designed to allow them to be accessed from remote locations. Most can be accessed over the Internet, and some can even be tweaked from smartphones. This convenience allows operators to save trips to the home or office or to change their heating or cooling if plans change. For those who operate heating and cooling systems in commercial and industrial environments, this may be the greatest advantage of programmable thermostats.

Even if your current thermostat is operating well, you may wish to make the switch to take advantage of all that programmable thermostats have to offer. Call your local heating and air company to talk about having a programmable thermostat installed for your home or business.

Inside your home, frozen pipes can be downright dangerous! Don't take a chance and wait for the problem to fix itself.

Water expands when it freezes (and pipes don't) so a frozen pipe can lead to a broken pipe, resulting in thousands of dollars in damage.
Call Grand Lake Plumbing & Heating and avoid the mess and expense frozen pipes can cause. We'll fix it right and show you how to keep it from happening again.

Colorado winters can be harsh and we all depend on our furnace or boiler to  keep us warm and comfortable. Most of us don’t give our heating system a second thought . . . until it stops working.
No heat? Call Grand Lake Plumbing & Heating. We’ll respond quickly. Our skilled technicians will arrive with all the tools, materials and experience to service, tune up, or repair your furnace/boiler. Our technicians are expertly trained and service all makes and models.

 

Inside your home, frozen pipes can be downright dangerous! Don't take a chance and wait for the problem to fix itself.

Water expands when it freezes (and pipes don't) so a frozen pipe can lead to a broken pipe, resulting in thousands of dollars in damage.
Call Grand Lake Plumbing & Heating and avoid the mess and expense frozen pipes can cause. We'll fix it right and show you how to keep it from happening again.

Colorado winters can be harsh and we all depend on our furnace or boiler to  keep us warm and comfortable. Most of us don’t give our heating system a second thought . . . until it stops working.
No heat? Call Grand Lake Plumbing & Heating. We’ll respond quickly. Our skilled technicians will arrive with all the tools, materials and experience to service, tune up, or repair your furnace/boiler. Our technicians are expertly trained and service all makes and models.