Barron Heating Green Team

2011-05-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

2011-02-08T10:29:00.000-08:00

-ELITE
THE EMME CORE

"The Emme Core has more levels of control and reporting than any other control and is the only control we sell to incorporate Energy Reporting. Super sized display and deep control capabilites; the Emme is a techno-geek's dream come true!"

Get Emme User's Guide

The Core touch-screen display is the foundation of Emme's home energy management system. Out of the box it functions as a programable thermostat, but by adding Emme components, such as +Sensors or +Energy, you can increase it's capabilities. The Core is WiFi enabled to make connecting to the internet easy. It's industry leading 7-inch, color screen is bold and bright. Touch navigation gives you effortless control.

click pic to enlarge

Large, easy-to-read, 7-inch, color touch-screen display

Built-in, fully functional programmable thermostat

Wi-Fi enabled, manage your home from any computer or smartphone with a web browser

Easy-to-understand heating and cooling energy use reports

Displays date, time, current weather conditions and a five-day forecast

Get a Tax Break for Going Geothermal

2011-02-08T08:17:00.000-08:00

BACK TO GEOTHERMAL START PAGE

Government
Tax Credits

30% of the cost of Geothermal System, including installation costs, may be offset by government tax credits under terms of the U.S. Emergency Stabilization Act of 2008.

Additional GEO tax credits and incentives

Electric utilities, including PSE and SNO PUD#1 are giving the customer a $1500 incentive for this type of installation!

2011-02-07T11:15:00.000-08:00

WHY SOLAR?

STEPS TO SOLAR INSTALL

WATCH HOW SOLAR WORKS

TAX CREDITS AND INCENTIVES

SUMMARY - Lennox Industries, a provider of customized home heating, cooling and indoor air quality products, has introduced the patent pending SunSource Home Energy System – a new solar-powered central heating and cooling system that reduces overall household electricity consumption without the costs associated with traditional solar installations.

The new SunSource Home Energy System harnesses solar energy from the sun to reduce the electricity consumed by a residential heat pump or air conditioner, and it is also able to use that solar power to operate other devices in the home that consume electricity, such as lighting and appliances, when the heating and cooling system is not running.

In addition, if the SunSource system generates more power than is used by the home, that power will be sent back to the utility company, which may entitle the homeowner to a credit on their utility bill.

According to the US Department of Energy, the typical US household pays $2,200 a year on utility bills, and the bulk of those energy costs – between 50% and 60% – comes from heating and cooling the home.

The SunSource Home Energy System is composed of: a solar-ready Lennox air conditioner or heat pump that has been specially enhanced to serve as the platform for this new home energy system, a Lennox solar subpanel that provides the connection between utility-interactive solar power system and the HVAC unit, one to 15 roof-mounted solar modules that harness clean energy from the sun and use it to run the home's central heating and cooling system and other appliances, a communications system that allows homeowners to monitor each solar module's operation and energy production online, as well as other environmental benefits such as the amount of carbon offset.

The new Lennox SunSource Home Energy System is available with several products from the Dave Lennox Signature Collection, which is the company's line of premium heating and cooling products.

Summary of key features of the Lennox SunSource Home Energy System include: uses renewable energy to reduce a home's ongoing utility costs, helps protect the environment by generating and using renewable energy, allows homeowners to monitor information online related to the power generated by the solar modules in real time and on a historical basis, as well as ongoing environmental benefits like the amount of carbon offset by the solar energy production, solar modules.

In addition, it can be installed when outdoor heating and cooling system is installed or at a later date, and solar modules are expandable, based on the homeowners desires, with one to 15 modules per outdoor unit being installed on the home's roof at once or over time.

Why Solar?

2011-02-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

BACK SOLAR START PAGE

It’s a choice with many benefits

Homeowners across the globe are seeing the solar light. The reasons vary for each person, though they mainly come down to the following:

It’s free.

Solar-energy systems allow you to capture free sunlight and convert it into usable power in your home.

It’s clean.

Solar energy can be used to heat and cool your home, but it has almost no impact on the global climate. By comparison, electricity generated by power plants produces carbon dioxide emissions that scientists say pose serious threats to the environment.

It’s infinitely renewable.

While nonrenewable energy sources like oil, gas and coal are becoming increasingly scarce, the sun’s energy is limitless. Wherever sunlight shines, electricity can be generated.

It can reduce your utility costs.

Having a system that creates solar energy means you use less electricity from your utility company, and that can contribute to lower heating and cooling costs. This is significant, especially when you consider 56% of energy use in a typical U.S. home comes from heating and cooling*. To find out how much you can save by harnessing energy from the sun, use our solar calculator.

It comes with incentives.

The U.S. federal government and WA state provide credits for renewable-energy systems.

It increases your energy self-reliance.

The more sunlight harnessed by the system, the less electricity you need from your utility supplier.

It can also increase your home’s value.

An investment in a solar-energy system may improve the value of your home, thanks to its ability to lower the cost of heating and cooling. Surveys conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development have shown that home values rise an average of $20 for every $1 reduction in annual utility bills.

It’s extremely reliable.

The sun has been around for billions of years and is likely to burn on for billions more to come. And when you consider how a trusted name like Lennox is putting it to economical use in the home, it’s easy to see solar energy’s future is bright.

*U.S. Department of Energy statistics

Steps to Solar

2011-02-07T11:13:00.000-08:00

BACK SOLAR START PAGE
A simple guide for getting started with solar.

Are you ready to get started on the path to real energy savings? The following steps will help you prepare for installation of a SunSource® Home Energy System.

Step 1 – CONTACT ME for a consultation.

I can to help determine whether your home meets all the requirements for installation of a SunSource Home Energy System.

Step 2 – See if your roof gets enough sun.

A southern exposure is best, and your roof should be relatively free of shade from trees or structures such as chimneys.

Step 3 – Determine whether your roof is big enough.

Each solar module requires about 15 square feet of rooftop surface area. The number of modules you want installed determines how much space you need. I will help you with the calculations.

Step 4 – Investigate possible building restrictions in your neighborhood.

If you belong to a Homeowners’ Association (HOA), you might be required to submit your solar installation plans for approval ahead of time.

Step 5 – Upgrade your Internet service if necessary.

An always-on Internet connection with broadband router is required to take advantage of the SunSource system’s web-based performance monitoring service, but NOT required to run system.

Step 6 – Check for proper utility service and electrical wiring.

I will check the grid power supplied by your local utility company and also inspect your home's distribution panel to make sure all required specifications are in order.

Step 7 - Find out if your local utility company has solar-friendly programs and policies in place.

Ask whether your utility company has a net-metering program that will allow you to receive credit for at least a portion of the electricity your SunSource system generates.

Step 8 – Watch your utility bills shrink, right along with your carbon footprint.

Once your SunSource Home Energy System is installed, the money-saving and environmental benefits begin!

See Solar at Work in Your Home

2011-02-07T11:12:00.001-08:00

BACK SOLAR START PAGE

Learn how the SunSource® Home Energy System works to cut your utility costs.

The SunSource® Home Energy System uses free, abundant solar energy to generate electricity for heating and cooling your home. It can even provide enough electricity to power your lights and appliances and more. The SunSource system is expandable, affordable and remarkably uncomplicated.

The Solar House

CLICK PICTURE TO ENLARGE

Play SunSource Video
See how the SunSource System works.
Watch video

Condensing Unit – Select air conditioners and heat pumps from the Dave Lennox Signature® Collection can be modified with a simple upgrade to serve as the platform for the SunSource Home Energy System. (not required, SunSource system can be installed as "stand alone")

ENERGY STAR® qualified - SunSource® condensing units meet or exceed EPA guidelines for energy efficiency. When combined with solar modules in a complete Home Energy System, they can reduce your heating and cooling bills by up to half.

Solar Modules – As few as one or as many as 15 solar modules can be added at the time of installation or in the future. These modules convert solar energy into usable electrical power for your home.

Communication Module – Uses your broadband Internet connection to send performance information for each solar module to a third-party website where you can see how your SunSource system is working.

Performance-Monitoring Website – Gives you 24/7 access to real-time data showing system status, energy production, and environmental benefits, including carbon offsets. Monitoring service is provided free for five years.

Get a Tax Break for Going Solar

2011-02-07T11:12:00.000-08:00

BACK SOLAR START PAGE
Government Tax Credits

30% of the cost of SunSource solar modules, including installation costs, may be offset by government tax credits under terms of the U.S. Emergency Stabilization Act of 2008.

You may also receive a tax credit of up to $300 for the solar-ready heat pump or air conditioner that’s at the heart of the SunSource system.

Additional solar tax credits and incentives

Earn $250 per/yr on 6 panels and Costco Members receive $1000 Cash Back!

2011-02-07T08:26:00.000-08:00

-ELITE
THE UtimateAir
RecouperAerator (ERV)

"There is not a single house or family that cannot benefit from having an ERV installed. I will always stand by the fact that fresh air is key to Indoor Air Quality, the problem is that most homes bring in fresh air with out any control. The Recouperaetor ERV allows you to bring in fresh air and exhaust stale air while losing minimal energy. Probably the most important feature to the Recouperator is it's ability to sense and adjust to indoor air pressure, making it able to keep your house at a neutral pressure in relation to the outside; keeping your money inside and the cold outside!" -Wes

FAQ: General Questions

FAQ: Performance

FAQ: Installation

EPA - Balanced Ventilation

Install with...Everything.

RecoupAerator is a whole-house Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) that exchanges the stale air of an average-sized home with clean fresh air about once every two hours. It provides both ventilation and filtration, capturing pollens and mold spores before fresh air is released in to the home. This makes the RecoupAerator uniquely suited for asthmatics and allergy sufferers. RecoupAerator also removes the many contaminants created from inside the home.

The RecoupAerator controls temperature and humidity in such way that it keeps mold spores and dust mites from surviving and multiplying. The 200DX also features a wide variety of external indoor air quality control devices including EconoCool and frost prevention, making it the smartest unit around.

Another important feature of RecoupAerator is that the air stream is automatically balanced so you never have to worry about making seasonal adjustments.

How it works

"Variable

Speed

Blower!"

RecoupAerator is connected to the duct work of your HVAC system. Equipped with two fans, one fan draws fresh air into the building while the other pushes stale air out. As the two air streams cross, they pass through the patented heat exchanger that transfers both heat and moisture from one air stream to another. In other words, the heat from the air being exhausted is transferred to the fresh inbound air.

As outside air enters RecoupAerator, it’s also forced through a MERV 12 filter to capture incoming contaminants. After passing through the patented heat exchanger, the warmed or cooled fresh air is distributed through the house through the existing HVAC duct work. About 95% of the heat energy from the outbound stale air is transferred to the incoming air flow. This creates incoming air temperature closer to the temperature already inside the home, therefore requiring less energy to condition the new air. This process is why RecoupAerator is the least expensive ERV to own and operate.

Primary Benefits

Delivers a continuous flow of clean, fresh, healthy air
Saves energy by recovering 95% of heat energy
Automatically balances air flow and pressure
Reduces cold air drafts
Maintains consistent humidity settings
Lowest Cost-of-Ownership
Lowest Electrical Footprint
Exhausts pollutants out to improve Indoor Air Quality
Reduces wear and tear on HVAC system – extends service life
Reduces usage of A/C system – saves energy
Easiest whole-house ERV to install and maintain

Standard Features

The 200DX is the ONLY system available with all these standard features:

Self-balancing – air flow and pressure are automatically balanced
Pressure Guard™ – senses and adjusts for changes in indoor air pressure
EconoCool™ – brings in cool filtered night air in summer – A/C unit required less often
Brushless motor technology – performs as quietly and efficiently as possible
MERV 12 filtration – filters particles as small as 3.5 microns
Filter Alert – automatically signals you when it’s time for a filter change
Self-adjusting fan speed – fluid range of speed to perfectly matches air flow requirements, not just one or two speeds
Dehumidistat – automatically balances humidity to control mold growth and keep the environment comfortable

2011-02-04T16:49:00.001-08:00

-DELUXE

THE MERV 16 MEDIA FILTER

"Pleated or extended surface filters with a MERV rating of 14-16 are very efficient at removing small to large airborne particles. Filters with a MERV between 14-16 are likely to match the effectiveness of true HEPA filters at controlling most airborne indoor particles." -EPA

#1 rated professionally installed, whole-home filtration system as ranked by Consumer Reports
Provides whole-home filtration for optimal home comfort and air quality, with no additional energy costs
MERV 16 Precision Pleat™ media filter (MERV 16/CADR 1900)
Hospital inpatient care/general surgery level filtration
Removes OVER 95% of particles ranging in size down to 0.3 micron
Removes OVER 90% of bio aerosols and microorganisms down to 0.01 micron
Effective filtration to protect the HVAC equipment
It would take at least six of the top-rated portable room air cleaners to equal the performance of one Healthy Climate® 16 Media Air Cleaner†
No cleaning required
Cartridge slides out for quick and easy replacement
Cartridge lasts up to one year. As with any filtration product, replacement life cycle depends on the individual conditions and needs of your home
Compatible with any HVAC system—no additional power source needed
No ozone emissions, a known lung irritant
5-Year Limited Warranty on covered components

Life Span: 12 Months
CADR (clean air delivery rate): 1900
Cost: $140

Summary - "Rated #1 by Consumer Reports for Best Value on built-in filtration, this filter packs a punch that few others can even come close to mustering. Not only does it capture particulate, but bio aerosols and microorganisms too. Value and Efficiency...sounds like a perfect match for Barron Heating." -Wes

2011-02-04T16:49:00.000-08:00

-PREMIUM
THE AIR PURIFIER

Lennox PureAir System

DEMO

"Pure Air in 3 easy steps. First, the MERV 16 5" filter captures particles and bioaerisols as small as .01 micron, removing them from the airstream-contaminants that standard filtration simply cannot stop. Second, as the odor and chemical-vapor-filled airstream flows over the UVA lamps, the airstream is exposed to the catalyst surface (titanium dioxide coated metal filter). Third, the light energy and water vapor in the air activate the catalyst, which generates hydroxyl radicals. These hydroxyl radicals attack the carbon components of the odors and chemical vapors, breaking them down to CO2 and water."

Only single indoor air quality system to attack all three classes of contaminants: small, breathable particles; airborne mold spores, bacteria and viruses; and odors/chemical vapors.
Hospital inpatient care/general surgery level filtration
Removes OVER 95% of particles ranging in size down to 0.3 micron
Removes OVER 90% of bio aerosols and microorganisms down to 0.01 micron
Destroys VOCs including vapors from cleaning supplies, solvents, cooking and pets.
No cleaning required
Cartridge slides out for quick and easy replacement
Cartridge lasts up to one year. As with any filtration product, replacement life cycle depends on the individual conditions and needs of your home
Compatible with any HVAC system—no additional power source needed
No ozone emissions, a known lung irritant
5-Year Limited Warranty on covered components

Life Span: 12 Months
CADR (clean air delivery rate): 1900
Cost: $200

Summary - "The mother of all air cleaners, the PureAir is hands down the highest efficiency unit out on the market today. In your home, the real threat is the unseen and if you have serious medical grade allergies, you need to be able to escape from the elements that make you sick. Alot of times this can be associated with the chemicals and odors in the home; making the PureAir the perfect fit. Best of all, you get the same great award winning MERV 16 filter you read about above with the added punch of the PCO (photocatalytic oxidation) system." -Wes

Infinity Air Purification System

DEMO

The Infinity Purifier is 3rd Party tested to effectively capture and kill these types of Bacteria, Virus and Fungi: Anthrax Surrogate (97%), Tuberculosis Surrogate (99.9%), Staphlococcus Aureaus (100%), Serratia Marcescens (100%), Pseudomonas Aerunginosa (99.9%), Measles (99.9%), Small Pox (99.9%), SARS (99.9%), Influenza Wild Type A (99%), Human Influenza (99%), Avien Influenza (99.99%), Human Cold Virus Surrogate (99.99%), Aspergillus Versicolor (99%). WOW!

Industry-exclusive air purification technology
Does not Snap, Crackle or Pop like conventional Electronic Air Cleaners
MERV 15 Media filter
Removes and OVER 95% of particles ranging in size down to 0.3 micron
Removes and Destroys OVER 90% of bio aerosols ranging in size down to 0.01 micron
Hospital inpatient care/general surgery level filtration
Whole-home purification works with your existing heating and cooling system
5-Year Limited Warranty on covered components

Life Span: 12 Months
CADR (clean air delivery rate): 1900
Cost: $110-$150 (Varies by Size)

Summary - "The Infinity Purifier is the system for Bioaerisols, nothing survives; period." -Wes

2011-02-04T16:48:00.000-08:00

-PREFERRED
THE 4" MEDIA FILTER CABINET

"Pleated or extended surface filters with a MERV rating of 5-13 are reasonably efficient at removing small to large airborne particles. Filters with a MERV between 10-13 are likely to be nearly as effective as true HEPA filters at controlling most airborne indoor particles." -EPA

Provides whole-home filtration for optimal home comfort and air quality, with no additional energy costs
MERV 10 media filter (MERV 10/CADR 520)
Removes up to 85% of particles such as dust, dirt, and mold spores down to 3 microns
No cleaning required
Cartridge slides out for quick and easy replacement
Cartridge lasts up to one year. As with any filtration product, replacement life cycle depends on the individual conditions and needs of your home
Compatible with any HVAC system—no additional power source needed
No ozone emissions, a known lung irritant
5-Year Limited Warranty on covered components

Life Span: 12 Months
CADR (clean air delivery rate): 520
Cost: $40

Summary - "This filter is the beefier cousin of the Standard Furnace Filter and performs like a champ at a great value. It is able to capture what you can see and then some, but the really small stuff has a tendency to slip through the cracks." -Wes

2011-02-04T16:47:00.000-08:00

-STANDARD

THE 1"-2" PLEATED FILTER

"Flat or panel air filters with a MERV of 1 to 4 are commonly used in residential systems. For the most part, these filters are used to protect the HVAC equipment from the buildup of unwanted materials on the surfaces of fan motors and heating or cooling coils, and not for direct indoor air quality reasons. The have low efficiency on smaller air borne particles and medium efficiency on larger particles." -EPA

Life Span: 3-6 Months
Cost: $6-$12

Summary - "This filter is good for collecting larger dust particles. It is the minimum and is designed more to protect the furnace and its components than it is to clean the air in your home. These filters are usually mounted at the furnace or in the grille in your hallway, etc." - Wes

7 Reasons to Purchase a Central Vaccuum

2011-02-03T12:59:00.000-08:00

Central Vacuums can be installed in any existing home without the inconvenience of knocking down or damaging any of your walls. And did you know that the installation will take just one day?

Less Noise:

Cleaning your home or workspace with a central vacuum system can be a life-changing experience. Loud, life-depleting noise is no longer a part of vacuuming. Gone are the days when the user is lost in a pool of motor whining noise. You are now free to socialize while working. One major benefit is that central vacuum units are located away from the living area. Their motor noise is masked by the natural layout of the home, making it possible to do other things while you vacuum such as talk on the phone, watch TV, and listen to music.

Ease of Use & Versatility:

Homeowners will appreciate the ease and versatility a central vacuum provides, because no other vacuuming system lets you clean every nook and cranny of the house, including the garage, so fast and effectively!

Some of the tools are so unique and amazing to use, you'll wonder how you were able to clean without them. Take VacPan for example: Sweep dust, dirt, and other objects right up to your wall and watch them disappear all the way to your central vacuum unit - no more bending over with a broom and dustpan. And, there’s that handy hose. With a central vacuum hose, instead of a common upright design, you can get ANYWHERE. The hose’s light weight and flexibility allow access into the highest reaches and the narrowest areas. It's so easy that 80% of men say they vacuum more often because of it.

Power & Deep Cleaning:

Central vacuum units have powerful motors that are up to ten times stronger than regular uprights or hand-helds. Central vacuums clean deep down into the carpet grabbing dust, pet dander, mites, allergy causing particles, and other unwanted filth, helping you save your flooring and improving your family's health.

Coupled with powerful electric cleaning brush heads, central vacuums clean deeper than other common home vacuums. It digs through carpet, picking up everything in its path. Say good-bye to that old upright kicking up the dirt, and making it dusty in the room. Central vacuums completely remove the lifted dirt and dust from the living space, making it cleaner, fresher, & easier to breathe.

Sick of Their Portable Vacuum:

Some central vacuum customers made the switch because they were tired of their inefficient portable vacuum cleaner. We've all experienced them. Sometimes the room smells worse and is dustier AFTER a regular vacuum has done its "job." And it is a real challenge to haul those things up and down stairs. Plus, when you have to fit them under and between furniture, you might as well forget about it. Have you ever had a friend or relative lift a chair or move a table just so you could get the vacuum under there?

The best central vacuum brushes are approximately three inches tall and lay down flat so you can get all the carpet under a bed, for instance. There is NO substitute for a central vacuum system.

Great for Garages & Cars:

Another benefit central vacuum owners notice is they can easily use them in their garages. The long hose makes it easy to get into every area of a garage, car, truck, van, boat, or RV.

When you take your car to the car wash, you typically drive up to the vacuum section before you get out. Have you ever noticed what type of vacuums they are using? That's right, they use a central vacuum system. Now you can vacuum your car in the comfort of your home.

If your garage is a big craft area, with a wood-shop for example, a central vac system is a perfect way to clean up when you are done. It is more efficient than broom sweeping which is inefficient and messy..

Allergy Relief:

A major benefit that central vacuum owners don't realize, until they've owned a system, is how much cleaner the air is in their own home. Allergy sufferers always notice a reduction in their symptoms after using a central vac system. Central vacuums pick up allergy causing dust and remove them from the living area, unlike common portable vacuums.

Modern science has proven that central vacuums relieve allergy symptoms in the home. No upright vacuum in the world can promise the same results, because they do not filter the dust to the outside of the living environment.

Cost Saving & Value Added:

Installing a central vacuum adds instant value to your real estate. In addition to the instant bump in value, central systems are more durable and longer lasting than common home vacuums. You'll spend less time and money replacing inexpensive vacuums and more time living, while enjoying the high quality of a central vacuum system.

We all know the short lifespan associated with most upright and handheld vacuums. Central vacuum systems are built to last. Many of our customers go over 10 years before they even think about replacing their central vacuum accessories or requiring maintenance. How many times have you replaced your vacuum in 10 years?

Central Vacuum Systems

2011-02-03T12:58:00.000-08:00

"Ladies, having Wes as my husband I am privileged to have a lot of things installed in our home to "try out". If I have anything to do with it, and I pretty much get what I want (wink), there will never be a home we live in without 4 things: A/C, Tankless Water Heater, Air Purifier and a Central Vacuum Cleaner! For one, Wes does all the vacuuming now because he says he likes to hear the stuff get sucked up and rattle down the hose (men are so easy), but it just makes such a huge improvement in the air quality during and after vacuuming. It also has so much suction that nothing gets by it, plus we have pretty long carpet. Oh, and I love the kitchen Vac Pan thingy!" - Andrea Diskin

Honeywell Elite 2-Stage
Built-In Central Vacuum

Warranty
5 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor

Promotion

FREE Car Kit and VacPan
with Every Complete System
(includes install)

Superior Cleaning Perfomance

New high powered air watt motor have up to 25% more cleaning power. This means it will remove more dust and allergens from the living area.

Superior Filtration

All models continue to feature self-cleaning Triumph HEPA filtration.

Quiet Operation

Patented sound-reducing technology paired with an improved muffler make the new Honeywell power units quieter than ever before

A Completely Re-designed Honeywell Cleaning Set

New hoses provide superior air flow and cleaning power
New handle design provides comfort grip and full swivel control
Single touch button adjusts the wand to 5 positions
Single touch quick release attachement conversion
Multitude of tools for upholstery, floors, crevices and much more
14-inch wide deep cleaning brush with dual edge cleaning
Quilted hose sock to assure protection for walls & furniture

Promotion:

FREE Car Kit and VacPan with Every Complete System (includes install)

2011-01-26T08:07:00.000-08:00

-DELUXE COMMUNICATING
THE SINGLE STAGE HEAT PUMP

"These models do everything their big brothers do, just without the ability to stage down the compressor. Super quiet, communicating and on the highest end of engineering, the Deluxe category has tremendous value." - Wes

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Carrier Performance Series
(Infinity Communicating)
View A/C Model

Puron Refrigerant
Scroll Compressor
Silencer System II
Powder Coated Galvanized Steel
Heavy Duty Louvered Coil Guard
Infinity Communicating +smart diagnostics

BROCHURE

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor

Rebates:

Tax Credit, PSE

Promotion:

Carrier Cool Choices Rebates on NOW
Get up to $650 CASH BACK

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Coleman Echelon Series (coming soon)
(Echelon Communicating)

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 10 Year Labor

Rebates:

Tax Credit, PSE

Promotion:

All Coleman Systems qualify for

12 Months Same As Cash Financing

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Lennox Signature Series
(iComfort Communicating)
View A/C Model

Puron Refrigerant
Scroll Compressor
SUPER Quiet!
"Silent Comfort" Fan Grille and Blade
Powder Coated Galvanized Steel
Smart Hinge Full Louvered Coil Guard
Sun Source Solar Ready
iComfort Communicating +smart diagnostics

BROCHURE

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor

Rebates:

Tax Credit, PSE

Promotion:

Costco Members! Receive up to $1000 Cash Back, when you purchase a qualifying Lennox System!

2011-01-05T16:03:00.000-08:00

-PREMIUM
THE COMMUNICATING THERMOSTAT

"Hands down if you want the best in control, comfort and technology; the proprietary communicating thermostat is the thing to beat. Just the fact that these do their own equipment diagnostics makes them worth the jump, but throw in the level of control that they bring and ease of use and it becomes an easy decision.

Please note that while other pages have bullet points listed per brand, these systems have so many features that links to the extensive brochures are provided instead." - Wes

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Carrier Infinity Series
Carrier Cool Choices Rebates on NOW
Get up to $1250 CASH BACK

"Carrier has a good habit of being first on a lot of things. One of those was coming out with the first communicating system, The Infinity System. If you are looking for a high end stat that is proven itself through the test of time, then this is the best there is. PS, this thermostat has a secret feature that is so good I will only tell you in person, but trust me, it is something none of the others can do."
- Wes

DEMO

Warranty:
10 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor

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Coleman Echelon Series

"Coleman always waits to see where the market lands and then combines all the most awesome things about everyone else's stuff into their offering. I mean take a look at the 8T Echelon Heat Pump, that thing is a marvel! Well, they did it again with this stat. Just a beautiful, easy to use interface; I love it. " - Wes

DEMO

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 10 Year Labor

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Lennox iComfort Series

Costco Members! Receive up to $1000 Cash Back, when you purchase a qualifying Lennox System!

"Lennox takes the cake for the biggest, baddest color display. It might as well be an iPad Junior on the wall. They also have more diagnostic codes built in than anyone else. Every time I go back and visit this thermostat after it is installed, I am always impressed. Not as flashy as the Coleman, but I think its simplistic design is a win for Lennox. " - Wes

DEMO

Warranty:

5 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor

2011-01-05T16:02:00.001-08:00

-DELUXE
THE SMART THERMOSTAT

"Whoa Nelly! These stats don't belong to any furnace brand, but are chock full of features and benefits. Things like self updating, wi-fi, wireless control of accessories, it goes on and on. Please, please take a look at the brochures too." - Wes

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Honeywell Prestige IAQ Series

BROCHURE

RedLink Wireless Control of Accessories
Fully Programmable (including fan)
Effortless Menu Driven Programming
Vacation Scheduling
HD Color Touchscreen Display
Reminders (filters, etc.)
Multiple HOLD Options
Time Display
Outdoor Temp Display
Humidity Display

Warranty:
5 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor

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Ecobee Wi-Fi Smart Stat

BROCHURE

Remote Access (wi-fi)
Self Updating (wi-fi)
Control from Mobile Device (wi-fi)
Fully Programmable (including fan)
Effortless Menu Driven Programming
Vacation Scheduling
HD Color Touchscreen Display
Reminders (filters, etc.)
Multiple HOLD Options
Time Display
Outdoor Temp Display
Humidity Display

Warranty:
5 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor

2011-01-05T16:02:00.000-08:00

-PREFERRED

THE DIGITAL THERMOSTAT

"Giving you a little bit of fancy like touch screen and sharp display, these deluxe models take it up a notch without going crazy." - Wes

--------------------------------------------------------------

Honeywell VisionPRO Series

BROCHURE

Fully Programmable (including fan)
Effortless Menu Driven Programming
Large Touchscreen Display
Reminders (batteries, filters, etc.)
Multiple HOLD Options
Time Display
Battery Backup
Outdoor Temp Display (IAQ model only)

Warranty:
5 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor

--------------------------------------------------------------

Carrier Edge Series

BROCHURE

Fully Programmable
Effortless Menu Driven Programming
Thin Design
Large VERY-lit Display
Reminders (filters, etc.)
Multiple HOLD Options
Time Display
Humidity Settings (IAQ model only)
Outdoor Temp Display (IAQ model only)

Warranty:
10 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor

2011-01-05T16:01:00.000-08:00

-STANDARD

THE DIGITAL THERMOSTAT

"I am not sure what the word is for this set of thermostats, but functional sounds good. Unless you have a real desire to get something super fancy, these standard stats will do the trick on most all standard equipment." - Wes

--------------------------------------------------------------

Honeywell FocusPRO Series (6000)

BROCHURE

5-1-1 Programmable (Weekdays-Sat-Sun)
Simple, Pull-Out Instruction Tab
Large, Backlit Display Screen
Battery Backup

Warranty:
5 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor

--------------------------------------------------------------

Honeywell FocusPRO Series (5000)

BROCHURE

NON Programmable
Large, Backlit Display Screen
Battery Backup

Warranty:
5 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor

Barron Duct Cleaning

2011-01-04T15:23:00.000-08:00

Barron is proud to offer the highest quality Air Duct and Furnace Cleaning Services that can be found. With State-of-the-Art equipment and technologies, we will clean your existing ductwork and furnace. With Allergies and Respitory Issues at their highest levels ever - our crews are working overtime to help our customers "breathe easier". While doing a thorough job in cleaning and sanitizing your duct work should not be quick or inexpensive - when compared with the costs of continued treatment of chronic allergies or asthma issues - the improvement experienced after a proper cleaning and indoor air quality assessment can be found to be a wise investment, indeed.

* NADCA (National Air Duct Cleaners Association
* CVI (Certified Ventilation Inspector)
* ASCS (Air System Cleaning Specialist)

Duct Cleaning Video

DON'T GET SCAMMED

After more than a decade of doing our best to educate the public about the benefits and true value of comprehensive Air Duct Cleaning - Chris Hansen of Dateline finally exposes some of the Bait & Switch Advertising that has been perpetrated on customers all over the country - including in our area. Take a few minutes and watch what far too many Whatcom, Skagit and Island County customers have experienced in their homes.

Chris Hansen Dateline Duct Cleaning Video Part 1 of 3

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Chris Hansen Dateline Duct Cleaning Video Part 2 of 3

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Chris Hansen Dateline Duct Cleaning Video Part 3 of 3

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Duct Sealing DIY Center for More Efficient Homes and Lower Bills (DSDCMEHLB)

2011-01-04T15:11:00.000-08:00

FACT: Studies show a 1" square hole in your ducting can equal as much energy loss as a 20" square hole in your house. (translation: one duct disconnected = one window open 24/7)

Here at Green Team Headquarters, we have a personal belief that empowering the homeowner not only saves you money on labor intensive tasks, but is the RIGHT thing to do. Duct sealing takes little to no skill what-so-ever; it is time, well, to be fair, IN a crawlspace or attic and since these are often somewhat hostile places to be in; here is a good rule to live by.

Take baby-steps. No one is ever going to enjoy a good frolic in a crawlspace, so take this project in small chunks and allow yourself to make progress with out proclaiming, "I will never go under the house again!". If you do this your chance of success goes up exponentially.

Below we have listed a number of resources for you to get started. Keep in mind that we can also do all this for you.

Crawlspace Survival Guide
(Audio)

-Written by Wes Diskin, Barron Heating

WSU Energy Video Walk Through

- Duct Sealing for Comfort, Energy and Indoor Air Quality (16:45)

Energy Star Guide (.pdf)

Do-It-Yourself Guide to Sealing and Insulating with ENERGY STAR

2011-01-04T12:46:00.000-08:00

-ELITE
THE DUCTLESS HEAT PUMP

W/ MODULATING COMPRESSOR

Frequent Questions
HomeownerGuide.pdf

"A new day is dawning. Ductless Heat Pumps and the technology they use will soon become the main new form of heating in both new construction and retrofit projects. This part of our business grows 2x every year and has been described by most users as 'heating magic'. They just simply do an amazing job at heating and cooling a home, and the efficiency is second only to Geo-thermal Systems.

Super High Efficiency with no duct loss
Inverter Driven variable speed compressors
Precise compressor speed to match needs
Zone control for precise comfort
Uber Quiet Operation
Designed to run longer to improve dehumidification
Easier Install (no ducts!)
Wired and Wireless remotes
Air Filtration built into every head
Awesome, Awesome, Awesome

click to enlarge diagram

Daikin Multi Systems

"One of the things I love about Daikin is that they are extremely flexible as far as the head combinations and types of systems that are available. Solid warranty and some of the best cold weather BTU outputs. I am very close to only selling this brand because of everything it brings to the table without any compromises."

Warranty:

5 Year Parts and
7 Year Compressor

Rebates:

Tax Credit, Utilities

Info: Brochure

Fujitsu Single Systems

"Fujitsu is a major player in the ductless market and has always been our go-to company for single head applications. Highest Efficiency and Highest Heat Output at sub temps makes a 'Fuji' a no brainer."

Warranty:

5 Year Parts and 7 Year Compressor

Rebates:

Tax Credit, Utilities

Info: Brochure

2011-01-04T10:57:00.000-08:00

-PREMIUM COMMUNICATING
THE 2-STAGE HEAT PUMP

"When you want quiet, efficiency, comfort and dependability; these heat pumps deliver. 2-Stage operation takes your comfort to a whole new level and the efficiency of these models will blow your high utility bills into tiny, itsy bitsy pieces! " - Wes

--------------------------------------------------------------

Carrier Performance Series
(Infinity Communicating)
View A/C Model

Puron Refrigerant
Scroll Compressor
Silencer System II
Powder Coated Galvanized Steel
Heavy Duty Louvered Coil Guard
Infinity Communicating +smart diagnostics

BROCHURE

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor

Rebates:

Tax Credit, PSE

Promotion:

Carrier Cool Choices Rebates on NOW
Get up to $1250 CASH BACK

--------------------------------------------------------------

Coleman Echelon Series

(Echelon Communicating)
View A/C Model

Puron Refrigerant
Scroll Compressor
Whisper Drive System
"Dog House" Compressor Compartment
Powder Coated Galvanized Steel
Heavy Duty Louvered Coil Guard
On Board Diagnostics

BROCHURE

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 10 Year Labor

Rebates:

Tax Credit, PSE

Promotion:

All Coleman Systems qualify for

12 Months Same As Cash Financing

--------------------------------------------------------------

Lennox Signature Series
(iComfort Communicating)
View A/C Model

Puron Refrigerant
Scroll Compressor
"Silent Comfort" Fan Grille and Blade
Powder Coated Galvanized Steel
Smart Hinge Full Louvered Coil Guard
Sun Source Solar Ready
iComfort Communicating +smart diagnostics

BROCHURE

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor

Rebates:

Tax Credit, PSE

Promotion:

Costco Members! Receive up to $1000 Cash Back, when you purchase a qualifying Lennox System!

2011-01-04T10:56:00.000-08:00

-PREFERRED

THE SINGLE STAGE HEAT PUMP

"If noise IS an issue, you want something basic, but you just don't see yourself buying bottom end, then look no further. These three heat pumps offer tremendous value to you as a consumer." - Wes

--------------------------------------------------------------

Carrier Performance Series
View A/C Model

Puron Refrigerant
Scroll Compressor
Silencer System II
Powder Coated Galvanized Steel
Heavy Duty Louvered Coil Guard
Inifinity Control Board +smart diagnostics

BROCHURE

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor

Rebates:

Tax Credit, PSE

Promotion:

Carrier Cool Choices Rebates on NOW
Get up to $1250 CASH BACK

--------------------------------------------------------------

Coleman Echelon Series

View A/C Model

Puron Refrigerant
Scroll Compressor
Aerodynamic Top
Powder Coated Galvanized Steel
Heavy Duty Louvered Coil Guard
On Board Diagnostics

BROCHURE

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 10 Year Labor

Rebates:

Tax Credit, PSE

Promotion:

All Coleman Systems qualify for

12 Months Same As Cash Financing

--------------------------------------------------------------

Lennox Elite Series
View A/C Model

Puron Refrigerant
Scroll Compressor
Powder Coated Galvanized Steel
Smart Hinge Full Louvered Coil Guard
On Board Diagnostics

BROCHURE

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor

Rebates:

Tax Credit, PSE

Promotion:

Costco Members! Receive up to $1000 Cash Back, when you purchase a qualifying Lennox System!

2011-01-04T10:55:00.000-08:00

-STANDARD
THE SINGLE STAGE HEAT PUMP

"If noise is not an issue and you just need to save money on your heating and cooling; you can't get much more bare bones than these three." - Wes

--------------------------------------------------------------

Carrier Base Series
View A/C Model

Puron Refrigerant
Scroll Compressor
Aerodynamic Top
Powder Coated Galvanized Steel
Heavy Duty Wire Coil Guard
On Board Diagnostics

BROCHURE

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor

Rebates:

Tax Credit, PSE

Promotion:

Carrier Cool Choices Rebates on NOW
Get up to $1250 CASH BACK

--------------------------------------------------------------

Coleman Comforteer Series

View A/C Model

Puron Refrigerant
Scroll Compressor
Aerodynamic Top
Powder Coated Galvanized Steel
Heavy Duty Wire Coil Guard ("minimum" - wes)
On Board Diagnostics

BROCHURE

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 10 Year Labor

Rebates:

Tax Credit, Cascade Natural Gas

Promotion:

All Coleman Systems qualify for

12 Months Same As Cash Financing

--------------------------------------------------------------

Lennox Merit Series
View A/C Model

Puron Refrigerant
Scroll Compressor
Powder Coated Galvanized Steel
Full Louvered Coil Guard
On Board Diagnostics

BROCHURE

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor

Rebates:

Tax Credit,PSE

Promotion:

Costco Members! Receive up to $1000 Cash Back, when you purchase a qualifying Lennox System!

2011-01-03T11:50:00.000-08:00

-PREMIUM
THE MULTI-STAGE GAS FURNACE

W/ VARIABLE SPEED FAN MOTOR

"Comfort issues? Air Quality Issues? Efficiency Issues? Noise Issues? Look no further than the All-in-one Multi! Peaking at 97-98%, these furnaces have all received the double thumbs up from everyone who has bought one. Whether your heating system drives you crazy or you just want to be one step ahead for the next 20 years, this furnace satisfies every time." - Wes

--------------------------------------------

Carrier 97% Efficient Infinity Series

35%-100% BTU Modulation
Sealed Combustion System
Surpentuff Steel Heat Exchangers
Pilot-free Hot Surface Ignition
Variable Speed ECM Blower
Communicating Infinity Control +smart diagnostics

59MN7

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor,

Lifetime Heat Exchanger

Rebates:

Tax Credit, Cascade Natural Gas

Promotion:

Carrier Cool Choices Rebates on NOW
Get up to $1250 CASH BACK

-------------------------------------------------

Coleman 98% Efficient Echelon Series

View 80% Efficient Model

35%-100% BTU Modulation
Sealed Combustion System
Aluminized Steel Heat Exchangers
Pilot-free Hot Surface Ignition
Variable Speed ECM Blower
On Board Diagnostics

CP9C

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 10 Year Labor,

Lifetime Heat Exchanger

Rebates:

Tax Credit, Cascade Natural Gas

Promotion:

All Coleman Systems qualify for

12 Months Same As Cash Financing

--------------------------------------------------------

Lennox 98% Efficient Signature Series

35%-100% BTU Modulation
Sealed Combustion System
ArmorTuf Steel Heat Exchangers
Pilot-free Hot Surface Ignition
Variable Speed ECM Blower
Communicating iComfort Control +smart diagnostics

SLP98V

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor,

Lifetime Heat Exchanger

Rebates:

Tax Credit, Cascade Natural Gas

Promotion:

Costco Members! Receive up to $1000 Cash Back, when you purchase a qualifying Lennox System!

2011-01-03T11:49:00.000-08:00

-DELUXE
THE 2-STAGE GAS FURNACE

W/ VARIABLE SPEED FAN MOTOR

"This furnace used to be the top dog until Multi-Stage furnaces came along. However, that doesn't mean that it is without value. If your leaning heavier on the value of the Variable Speed and less on the Staging, this is the furnace for you." - Wes

--------------------------------------------

Carrier 96% Efficient Infinity Series

View 80% Efficient Model

60%/100% BTU Staging
Sealed Combustion System
Surpentuff Steel Heat Exchangers
Pilot-free Hot Surface Ignition
Variable Speed ECM Blower
On Board Diagnostics

59TN6

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor,

Lifetime Heat Exchanger

Rebates:

Tax Credit, Cascade Natural Gas

Promotion:

Carrier Cool Choices Rebates on NOW
Get up to $1250 CASH BACK

-------------------------------------------------

Coleman 95% Efficient LX Series

View 80% Efficient Model

60%/100% BTU Staging
Sealed Combustion System
Aluminized Steel Heat Exchangers
Pilot-free Hot Surface Ignition
Variable Speed ECM Blower
On Board Diagnostics

TM9V

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 10 Year Labor,

Lifetime Heat Exchanger

Rebates:

Tax Credit, Cascade Natural Gas

Promotion:

All Coleman Systems qualify for

12 Months Same As Cash Financing

--------------------------------------------------------

Lennox 95% Efficient Elite Series

View 80% Efficient Model

70%/100% BTU Staging
Sealed Combustion System
ArmorTuf Steel Heat Exchangers
Pilot-free Hot Surface Ignition
Variable Speed ECM Blower
On Board Diagnostics

G61V

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor,

Lifetime Heat Exchanger

Rebates:

Tax Credit, Cascade Natural Gas

Promotion:

Costco Members! Receive up to $1000 Cash Back, when you purchase a qualifying Lennox System!

2011-01-03T11:48:00.000-08:00

-PREFERRED
THE 2-STAGE GAS FURNACE

"Longing for something a little bit better than the base line, but don't see yourself taking the upgrades too far? Well, these furnace may be just what you are looking for! They have the ability to decrease their heat output when the full blast is not needed, providing you with better comfort and lower noise levels." - Wes

--------------------------------------------

Carrier 96% Efficient Performance Series

View 80% Efficient Model

60%/100% BTU Staging
Sealed Combustion System
Surpentuff Steel Heat Exchangers
Pilot-free Hot Surface Ignition
Multi Speed ECM Blower
On Board Diagnostics

59TN6

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor,

Lifetime Heat Exchanger

Rebates:

Cascade Natural Gas

Promotion:

Carrier Cool Choices Rebates on NOW
Get up to $1250 CASH BACK

-------------------------------------------------

Coleman 95% Efficient LX Series

View 80% Efficient Model

60%/100% BTU Staging
Sealed Combustion System
Aluminized Steel Heat Exchangers
Pilot-free Hot Surface Ignition
Multi Speed PSC Blower
On Board Diagnostics

TM9T

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 10 Year Labor,

Lifetime Heat Exchanger

Rebates:

Tax Credit, Cascade Natural Gas

Promotion:

All Coleman Systems qualify for

12 Months Same As Cash Financing

--------------------------------------------------------

Lennox 95% Efficient Elite Series

View 80% Efficient Model

70%/100% BTU Staging
Sealed Combustion System
ArmorTuf Steel Heat Exchangers
Pilot-free Hot Surface Ignition
Multi Speed PSC Blower
On Board Diagnostics

G61

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor,

Lifetime Heat Exchanger

Rebates:

Tax Credit, Cascade Natural Gas

Promotion:

Costco Members! Receive up to $1000 Cash Back, when you purchase a qualifying Lennox System!

2011-01-03T11:47:00.000-08:00

-STANDARD
THE SINGLE STAGE GAS FURNACE

"While some would say that this furnace type is old and done, I would rather say that even though it is limited, a properly sized single stage furnace still has it's place among a customers options. When assessing a customers needs and wants, one thing is certain, the need is HEAT. When that is all you need and want, well, this furnace fits you pretty good!" - Wes

--------------------------------------------

Carrier 95% Efficient Comfort Series

View 80% Efficient Model

Sealed Combustion System
Stainless Steel Heat Exchangers
Pilot-free Hot Surface Ignition
Multi Speed Blower
On Board Diagnostics

59SP5

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor,
Lifetime Heat Exchanger

Rebates:

Tax Credit, Cascade Natural Gas

Promotion:

Carrier Cool Choices Rebates on NOW
Get up to $1250 CASH BACK

-------------------------------------------------

Coleman 95% Efficient Comforteer Series

View 80% Efficient Model

Sealed Combustion System
Stainless Steel Heat Exchangers
Pilot-free Hot Surface Ignition
Multi Speed Blower
On Board Diagnostics

TG9S

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 10 Year Labor,
Lifetime Heat Exchanger

Rebates:

Tax Credit, Cascade Natural Gas

Promotion:

All Coleman Systems qualify for

12 Months Same As Cash Financing

--------------------------------------------------------

Lennox 92% Efficient Elite Series

View 80% Efficient Model

Sealed Combustion System
ArmorTuf Steel Heat Exchangers
Pilot-free Hot Surface Ignition
Multi Speed Blower
On Board Diagnostics

EL195

Warranty:

10 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor,
Lifetime Heat Exchanger

Rebates:

Cascade Natural Gas

Promotion:

Costco Members! Receive up to $1000 Cash Back, when you purchase a qualifying Lennox System!

What does staging mean on a Furnace or Heat Pump?

2010-11-29T10:07:00.000-08:00

Mostly I find that when I get to a customer’s house this is the one thing that requires the most explaining. Not because it is complicated, but because it is the hardest to put into words and for the customer to visualize.

Furnaces come in 4 different staging types; Single Stage, Two Stage, Three Stage and Multi- Stage or also known as Modulating. Heat Pumps come in 2 different staging types; Single Stage and Two Stage. Your needs and wants should determine which level you belong at. It is not rare for me to recommend just a Single Stage furnace or Heat Pump, so never let someone tell you that you can’t be happy with something simple. The difference is how comfortable you need or want to be.

Here is a simple analogy that makes it easy to understand staging. I will start with this question; how comfortable would you be in a car that can only go 60 mph? Most would answer, "Uncomfortable". The reason being that if you are in a 25 mph zone you would have to floor the pedal in very short cycles in order to get the car to go 25 mph. This exact same concept works in your home. Ever noticed that when your house just needs “25 mph” of heat it comes on in very short cycles in order to keep your home at the temperature you need? When the furnace comes on do you get a little too hot and then a little too cold and then a little too hot and so on and so forth? If you answered yes, then you would be a good candidate for staging.

Staging allows the furnace to come on at lower BTU settings in order to match the heat your house requires more accurately. For instance, a Two Stage furnace can heat at 42 mph and 60 mph, a Three Stage can heat at 24 mph, 36 mph and 60 mph and a Multi (Modulating) Furnace can heat anywhere from 21 mph to 60 mph making it the most comfortable furnace for those who keep their homes at constant temperatures. Which of these types is the best value for you really depends on the answers to about 20 questions, so just know that when I come to your house we will go over this.

The second most common question I am asked is, “Does staging make your furnace more efficient?” Here is a simple question; if you take two cars that both get 35 mpg and place in one a teenage driver (single stage furnace) and in another a professional driver (3-stage or multi-stage furnace), which one will actually get better gas mileage? Well, the professional driver of course! That driver is going to be better at acceleration, braking and taking corners, etc. It is not going to be drastic savings but it will be savings. Also, what do you think the wear and tear on that car driven by the professional is going to be compared to the teenager? Much less by far and for all the same reasons as the gains in what I call "operation efficiency".

Having covered how staging makes you more comfortable and the furnace more efficient and reliable, I am often still asked, “So what is the difference?” In response to that question, here is my last wonderful analogy and only some of you will be able to relate to it. Here it goes. It is very hard to explain something you have never experienced. However, the night and day difference between your life without a staging furnace and your life with a staging furnace can be summed up in 4 words: Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Like I said, for some of you a light bulb just went off in your minds and you have no further questions. For the rest of you who have never used this miracle sponge and have no clue what I am talking about; go to the store, get one, use it, then know that the difference between the common yellow sponge and the Magic Eraser is about the spread between your single stage furnace and your new "Magic" furnace. ;)

Indoor Air Quality Page

2010-07-20T14:37:00.001-07:00

Here are links to all the articles below!

The Down and Dirty on Air Cleaners

Indoor Air and How It Effects Our Daily Lives

Asthma Causes and Triggers

Preventing Sinusitus

Biological Pollutents in Your Home

Combustion Appliances and Indoor Air Pollution

INDOOR AIR AND HOW IT AFFECTS OUR DAILY LIVES

2010-07-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

"Crazy, crazy stuff! I am going back to my bubble now..." - Wes

• 9 out of 10 breaths we draw are likely drawn indoors; at school, the workplace, restaurants, movie theaters and home.

• The average person breathes in 50,000 pollution particles a day, and takes 20,000 breaths a day.

• Poor indoor air quality can cause or contribute to the development of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. It can also cause headaches, dry eyes, nasal congestion, nausea and fatigue.

• In today’s world, we inhale toxins on a regular basis and it’s almost impossible to eliminate. What you inhale has an immediate and profound effect on such things as appetite, digestion, moods, depression, anxiety, irritability and sleep. Reducing the toxins that you breathe can have a very profound and dramatic impact on your health.

• According to the State of Massachusetts Study, 1989, “50% of all illness is due to poor indoor air quality.”

CHILDREN – WHO ARE WE HURTING THE MOST?

• Children spend more than 90% of their time indoors, in the home (especially with the lure of personal computers and video games), school, hockey arenas and shopping malls.

• Children are most susceptible to indoor air pollution as their small bodies and undeveloped immune systems are less able to effectively cope. Also, children’s lungs are still developing and they have a higher metabolic rate, which means they require more oxygen. They breathe 3 times faster than do adults and so they tend to absorb 3 times more pollutants and toxic vapors than adults, according to the US National Center for Health Statistics.

For children and adults, this all translates immune deficiency, lowered IQ rates, headaches, depression, anxiety, inability to concentrate, attention deficit hyperactivity, shortness of breath, joint pain, sexual problems, memory loss and cancer.

• According to the Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Institute, until a child is approximately 13 months old, they have virtually no ability to fight the biological and neurological effects of toxic chemicals. A child’s immune system is not fully developed until they are approximately 12 years old.

• According to the Canadian Institute of Child health (published The Health of Canada’s Children 2000), Canadian children are exposed daily to a toxic soup of chemicals in their water, air and food, and that exposure may explain the dramatic rise in childhood cancers, asthma, sudden infant death syndrome and behavioral problems.

The chronic, low-level exposure to pesticides, smog, food additives and other chemicals could also create a host of public-health problems for coming generations, including limiting the ability of prospective parents to conceive.

The report states there has been a 25% increase rate of childhood caners in the past 25 years, all believed to be influenced by exposure to environmental contaminants. Asthma is now the leading cause of hospital admissions in Canada, and the most frequent trigger for an attack is air pollution.

• The US National Cancer Institute states that “Child brain and nervous system cancers have increased 26% overall – in children under 5 years old, brain cancer rose 53% and leukemia is up 18%.”

• Pollutants including lead, mercury, pesticides, PCB’s and dioxins can reduce intelligence and slow central nervous system development in fetuses.

• A Canadian study conducted on hyperactivity disorder, among 20,000 children nationwide, found 11% of children have been diagnosed with the disorder, compared with less than 3%, 20 years ago. Some research has pegged the level among US children at 17%.

• According to The Learning Disabilities Association of America, 12 million children under the age of 18 suffer from learning disabilities and behavior disorders such as hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder.

• ADD/ADHD is epidemic in schools today. Behavioral problems have long been linked to exposure to toxic chemicals and mold. Use of Ritalin has skyrocketed since 1990.

• Bristol University’s Children of the 90”s Project, conducted a study on 7000 pregnant mothers and followed their children to the age of 8. The team concluded that “children whose mothers made frequent use of chemical-based domestic products during pregnancy were more likely to wheeze persistently throughout early childhood, independent of many other factors.” Domestic chemicals included: disinfectant, bleach, aerosols, air fresheners, carpet cleaner, paint or varnish, white spirit, pesticide and paint stripper. The Bristol team suggested that the chemical formaldehyde could be the common factor.

• Parents who keep a spotless house may be triggering an asthma attack. According to Australian researchers, who conducted a smaller sample study than Bristol, toddlers exposed to fumes from solvents and cleaning products at home are most at risk. Polishes, room fresheners and new carpets were some of the triggers. Children exposed to the highest levels of volatile organic compounds were 4 times more likely to have asthma. Benzene which is used to make rubbers, dyes and detergents, and is also a component of gasoline, has been linked to cancers.

• Researchers from Brock University in St. Catherine’s, Ontario, tracked dozens of southern Ontario school kids aged 10 and 11, and found that athletic kids who get outside and engage in rigorous physical activity are generally healthier and get sick less often. Youngsters who don’t get outside much have higher incidences of upper respiratory tract infections.

VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS – JUST CHEMICALS AND MORE CHEMICALS

• The growth of synthetic chemicals after the 1950’s has been phenomenal. US production alone increases tenfold in each decade. By the 1980’s, 4 million new chemicals had been recorded, of which 60,000 were in common use, with around 1000 being added to this every year. Today there are about 72,000 synthetic chemicals being produced.

• An average home now probably stores more chemicals than a chemistry lab at the turn of the century, about 62,000 chemicals – most of them in the kitchen and bathroom.

• Less than 2% of synthetic chemicals have been tested for toxicity, mutagenic, carcinogenic or birth defects. The majority of chemicals have never been tested for long term effects.

• The Center of Bio Environmental Research found that “of the 70,000 chemical compounds, only 25% have been tested – and they were tested individually, not in combination with other chemicals.” They also stated that “chemicals do not occur individually in our body, they occur in combinations.” “Tiny amounts of only 2 toxic chemicals at the same time are 1000 times more dangerous than 1 of them alone.”

• The Hazardous Products Act requires that manufacturers list only certain volatile organic compounds in their products.

• Labeling laws protect Big Business. They do not protect the consumer.

• The New York Poison Control Centre reported that 85% of product warning labels were inadequate or incorrect for identifying a poison and for first aid instructions.

• Pesticides only have to include active ingredients on the labels, even though the inert (inactive) ingredients may account for 99%, many of which are toxic and poisonous.

• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) must be available for any chemical product used in the workplace (in Canada). The air within a home is not considered a legal environment, whereas the air in the workplace and outdoors is.

• Chemicals can evaporate right through a container that isn’t properly sealed.

• Chemicals get into our body through inhalation, ingestion and absorption. According to the American Lung Association, we breathe in the vapors, airborne volatile organic compounds or VOC’s. Some products release contaminants into the air right away; others do so gradually over a long period of time. Some stay in the air up to a year.

• Damage to organs caused by environmental chemicals frequently cannot be repaired or corrected once the injury has occurred. Prevention is therefore essential – Herbert L. Needleman, M.D. and Philip J. Landrigan, M.D., “Raising Children Toxic Free”.

• Chemicals are attracted and stored in fatty tissues. The brain is a prime target for destruction due to its high fat content and very rich blood supply.

• Chemicals become more active from higher temperatures. The ideal temperature within the home should be between 68° and 72°.

• The Canada Mortgage & Housing Corp (CMHC) reports that houses are sealed so tight for energy efficiency that they cannot offgass chemicals. The chemicals have nowhere to go, so they build up within the home.

• An Environmental Protection Agency EPA study stated the toxic chemicals in household cleaners are 3 times more likely to cause cancer than outdoor air. The EPA also conducted a 15 year study that showed American homes have chemical levels 70 times higher than outside. The number of chemicals used inside the home has more than doubled since 1950.

• Since 1960, cancer rates have almost doubled. Cancer is the #1 cause of death for children. Since 1982, there has been a 26% increase in breast cancer. Breast cancer is the #1 cause of death for women between the ages of 35 and 54 years. Laundry detergents, household cleaners and pesticides are the primary suspects.

• There has been a call from the US/Canadian Commission to ban bleach in North America. Bleach is being linked to the rising rates of breast cancer in women, reproductive problems in men, and learning and behavioral problems in children.

• Research has found that women who work in the home are at a 54% higher risk of developing cancer than women who work outside the home.

• In children, the risk of leukemia and brain tumours increases dramatically in households using home and garden pesticides, herbicides and insecticides.

• Indoor air of an average Canadian home on a cleaning day can be hundreds, even thousands of times more contaminated than the outdoor air in the most polluted of cities.

• Steam from dryer vents is considered extremely toxic, because of the chemicals from dryer sheets and residue from laundry soap and bleach.

• Chemicals used to dry clean clothing are very dangerous and can cause cancer. Dry cleaned clothes should be hung outside for at least 3 days. Dry-cleaning chemicals are the same cancer causing chemicals that are found in mothballs.

• Volatile Organic Compounds are off-gassed from new furniture, often lacquered with formaldehyde, particleboard paneling or shelving, stuffed furniture (often coated with a stain treatment) and even carpeting.

• Volatile Organic Compounds are emitted from air fresheners, bleach products, household cleaning products, deodorizers, dishwashing detergents, disinfectants, dry cleaned clothing, fabric softeners, laundry detergents, furniture polishes, metal polishes, oven cleaners, glues, paints, solvents, mineral deposit removers, pesticides, garden chemicals, personal care products and more.

• There are approximately 9000 Volatile Organic Compounds found in recently sprayed perfume – similar to numbers found in butane. Toluene, a chemical in almost all fragrances, is believed to trigger asthma attacks and other side effects.

• Formaldehyde, phenol, benzene, toluene, xylene are found in common household cleaners, cosmetics, beverages, fabrics and cigarette smoke. These chemicals are cancer causing and toxic to the immune system.

• Products containing formaldehyde can cause allergies, asthma, cancer and immune deficiency diseases.

• Products such as “Lysol” contain phenols and dioxin (Agent Orange), which are dangerous chemicals. Lysol commercials in the past have show a mother spraying the baby’s diaper pail right in the infant’s diaper pail right in the infant’s bedroom. What a way to start a life!

• In 1970, NTA’s were banned from use in products. However, in 1980, Proctor & Gamble lobbied to bring back the use of NTA’s. NTA’s cause the sudsing action. More suds mean less clean and more toxic danger. Studies conducted on toothpaste showed that the suds were the same suds found in laundry soap. This part really doesn’t apply to indoor air quality, but I thought you might want to read it.

• The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has found more than 2500 chemicals in cosmetics that are toxic, cause tumors, reproductive complications, biological mutations and skin and eye irritations.

• Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, circulatory disorders, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, depression and hormonal problems are diseases commonly related to chemical exposure.

• Aerosols and air fresheners contain dozens of volatile organic compounds such as xylene, ketones and aldehydes. The University of Bristol found that pregnant women who used aerosols and air fresheners most days, suffered 25% more headaches than those who used them less than once a week. The frequent users also experienced a 19% increase in postnatal depression.

• A study in Edinburgh found that babies under 6 months old who were exposed to air fresheners on most days, had 30% more ear infections than those exposed once a week, plus they had a 22% increase with diarrhea.

• Use of aerosols can cause dizziness.

• The use of aerosol cleaning products at least once a week can lead to asthma symptoms in adults. In an international study of 3500 men and women aged 20 to 44, the more often a person used the aerosol product, the more they experienced breathing difficulties.

• Air fresheners contain deadly, poisonous chemicals. Would you consider opening the can and drinking the air freshener? You wouldn’t, so why would you want to breathe it? Read the label, they even tell you how poisonous the ingredients are. The poison that you spray in the air kills all of the receptors in the nose so that you cannot smell the offending odor anymore. So therefore, air fresheners don’t eliminate odors, they desensitize the nerves in your nose, so you cannot smell!

• According to the American Lung Association, carpets emit volatile organic compounds, as do products that accompany carpet installation such as adhesives and padding. Symptoms include eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, skin irritations, shortness of breath or cough, and fatigue. On the other hand, carpet can act as a sink for chemical and biological pollutants including pesticides, dust mites, and fungi. Carpets, drapes, bedding and stuffed animals are all dust magnets. A 6 year old pillow can get 1/10 of its weight from mites and mite droppings.

FLAME RETARDANTS IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD DUST AND FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN

• Flame retardants have saved lives and property. However, flame retardant chemicals are quickly contaminating our bodies as they have made their way into our food supply, breast milk and are found throughout our homes in the form of dust.

• Flame retardants are called PBDE’s or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, a class of about 25 industrial chemicals that are spayed on commercial goods to prevent or slow the rate at which they will ignite. There’s no escaping them. They’re in our sofas, beds, carpets, curtains, televisions, computers, cell phones and our household dust.

• According to Barbara Thorpe of the Clean Production Action, consumers are unknowingly bathed in brominated flame retardants in their homes and outside. As these chemicals degrade, they leach out of the products they are sprayed on and turn into dust that sticks to surfaces. That dust is inhaled and accumulates in our bodies.

• The US based National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) conducted a study of household grit, fluff and grime. They found that dust bunnies or rec-room tumbleweeds have high concentrations of the carcinogenic compound, PBDE’s. The researchers analyzed floor dust and dryer lint in 17 US homes and found PBDE’s in every sample. These researchers suggest that we may be inhaling trace amounts through loose household particles.

• Professor Miriam Diamond, an environmental scientist at the University of Toronto, found that indoor air contains 10 to 20 times the levels of PBDE’s compared to outdoor air. She found that 2/3’s of adults’ body burden appears to be coming from dust. As for toddlers, who are low to the ground and in closer contact with the carpets/sofas and ground dust, 90% of their body levels are coming from house dust. Did anyone consider our pets – dogs/cats? They’re ingesting/inhaling it too!

• Scientists are concerned because animal studies show that these chemicals build-up in our bodies and affect brain development, behavior and reproductive hormones

• Studies have shown that flame retardants are chemically similar to cancer causing PCB’s, which were banned in the 1970’s.

• Industry representatives/manufacturers say that the results of the animal studies don’t apply to humans. According to Peter O’Toole of the Bromine Science and Environmental Forum, a group that represents these manufacturers of flame retardants, “None of these flame retardants has ever shown a tangible effect to human health or the environment.”

• According to Dr. Linda Bernbaum of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, about 5% of humans tested are showing levels scientists are considering worrisome.

• An investigation conducted by the Canadian Television Network (CTV) and The Globe & Mail Newspaper, tested 12 common foods and found all to contain flame retardants – cheese, butter, eggs, milk, chocolate ice cream, pork chops, medium and extra lean ground beef, ground turkey, Ocean Pacific Salmon. The highest levels were in farmed Atlantic Salmon and farmed Rainbow Trout.

• Scientists think flame retardants are ending up in our food through industrial sewage that becomes fertilizer for crops and animal feed.

• Dr. Arnold Schecter, a University of Texas Health Science Center environmental sciences professor, conducted a study on the problem, and published it in the Environmental Health Perspectives. “When we tested blood from over 30 years ago, we could find no PBDE’s. Blood collected now has some of the highest levels ever found. Schecter tested breast milk samples from 47 Dallas and Austin women, and he found an alarmingly high amount of the chemical. “What it means for the health of nursing children and their mothers is unknown….. It is certainly undesirable to have these toxic chemicals in our food supply.”

• Health Canada has been tracking PBDE levels for 8 years. Health Canada conducted a study from breast milk collected from Canadian mothers and found they contained the second highest levels of PBDE’s in the world, after the US. Health Canada also takes the stand that the levels of PBDE’s detected do not pose a risk to human health.

• Environmentalists disagree. According to consumer advocate Beverly Thorpe of Clean Production Action, “Compared to Europe our levels are 10 to 100 times higher and they are doubling every two to five years. So we are facing a chemical crisis.”

• Europe has taken steps to ban these most dangerous chemicals, yet similar action is not happening in Canada. European scientists rang the alarm on polybrominated diphenyl ethers a decade ago. Scientists in Sweden were the first to discover that flame retardants were unexpectedly migrating from products into the environment and into human breast milk. Two of the most toxic kinds of chemicals were phased out, first in Sweden, then in the rest of Europe.

• European scientists have found a third formulation which degrades into the two forms that have already been banned. This flame retardant is called Deca-BDE, which is still widely used in products sold in North America.

ASBESTOS – ANOTHER FIRE RETARDANT

• Asbestos is a mineral fiber that has been used in building materials for insulation and as a fire retardant. It is most commonly found in older homes, in pipe and furnace insulation materials, asbestos shingles, millboard, textured paints and other coating materials and floor tiles.

• Asbestos can become airborne when disturbed by cutting, sanding or other remodeling activities. Improper attempts to remove these materials can release asbestos fibers into the air in homes.

• The most dangerous asbestos fibers are too small to be visible. After they are inhaled, they can remain and accumulate in the lungs. Asbestos is known to cause lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis. Symptoms of these diseases do not show up until many years after initial exposure.

RADON – ANY HOME CAN HAVE IT, WHETHER NEW, OLD, WELL-SEALED OR DRAFTY

• The most common source of indoor radon is uranium in the soil or rock on which a home is build. As uranium naturally breaks down, it releases radon gas which is colorless, odorless and radioactive. Radon gas enters homes through dirt floors, cracks in concrete walls and floors, floor drains, and sumps. Radon can also be found in building materials.

• Many major health organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Lung Association, and the American Medical Association agree that radon causes thousands of preventable lung cancer deaths each year.

• The EPA estimates that radon causes about 14,000 deaths per year in the US, however, the number could range from 7,000 to 30,000 deaths per year.

• Smokers are at a higher risk of developing radon-induced lung cancer.

• Radon decay products, also called radon daughters or progeny, can be breathed into the lungs where they continue to release radiation as they further decay.

• In 1991, a national US radon survey concluded that the average indoor radon level in a home is 1.2 picocuries per liter (p/Ci/L) while the average outdoor level is 0.4 pCi/L.

MOLD – VERY FEW HOMES LIVE WITHOUT IT

• The ideal rate of humidity in the home is between 35% and 45%. Anything higher causes mold.

• Mold growth is encouraged in the standing water of humidifiers or dehumidifiers, water damaged materials or wet surfaces. Contaminated central air handling systems can also become breeding grounds for mold, mildew and other sources of biological contaminants, and can then distribute these contaminants throughout the home.

• Damp, moldy homes are becoming more of a problem, according to the Canada Mortgage & Housing Corp. Tighter homes make our indoor environments more prone to contamination by molds, spores, fungus and mildew. Tighter homes can keep moisture trapped. Use of more outside air for ventilation can also make a building mold-prone, if that outside air is moisture-laden. Sinks, toilets, tubs, soap dishes and floors are prime targets for mold. While some molds are benign, others are toxic. Mold can suppress the immune system. One can become immediately sensitized and develop allergies upon contact with large areas of mold growth.

• Different species of mold have different potential health effects. Pathogenic molds are those that can cause disease in humans. Toxigenic molds are those that contain potent poisons (mycotoxins), usually on the surface of the spores. The spores of the pathogenic and toxigenic molds can be harmful even after the mold colony has stopped growing.

• When spores are airborne or the fungal mass is disturbed, an occupant with pre-existing allergies to molds will react with running nose, eye and throat irritation, cough, etc. Prolonged exposure to mold in buildings may result in development of allergies in individuals who did not have allergies to mold before. Asthmatics are at risk of reacting to indoor mold with more frequent and severe attacks.

• Symptoms associated with toxigenic molds include headache, sore throat, cough, skin rash, flu-like symptoms, nosebleeds, fatigue, fever, etc.

• High exposures to stachybotrys chartarum have been implicated in several cases of infant deaths in homes.

• Moldy materials remain allergenic, infectious, or toxic even after the surfaces have dried and further growth has stopped.

TOBACCO SMOKE

• Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) or “second-hand smoke” is the mixture of smoke that comes from the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke exhaled by the smoker. It contains more than 4700 chemicals including cyanides and carbon monoxide. More than 40 of these chemical compounds are known to cause cancer in humans or animals and many are strong eye, nose and throat irritants.

• The chemicals linger past the burn, absorbed into drapes, linens, furniture and clothes.

• According to a study conducted by the EPA in 1992, second-hand smoke is responsible for 3000 lung cancer deaths each year in non-smoking adults (in US).

• Infants and young children who are exposed to tobacco smoke in the home have a higher risk of having lower respiratory tract infections (pneumonia and bronchitis) and are more likely to have symptoms of respiratory irritation like cough, excess phlegm, and wheeze. The EPA estimates that second hand smoke causes 150,000 to 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children under 18 months of age, resulting in 7500-15,000 hospitalizations/year in the US. These children may also have a build-up of fluid in the middle ear, which leads to ear infections. Older children may have slightly reduced lung function. It can also cause non-asthmatic children to develop asthma.

• The EPA estimates that between 200,000 and 1,000,000 asthmatic children have their condition made worse by exposure to second hand smoke each year.

• According to Dr. Kenneth Chapman, director of the Asthma Centre of the Toronto Hospital, new smoking trends are fueling the rise in asthma. Although many people have kicked the habit in recent decades, we have actually been losing the war against smoking in young women of child-bearing age. Studies suggest that children and fetuses exposed to cigarette smoke are more likely to develop asthma.

COMBUSTION BY-PRODUCTS FROM STOVES, HEATERS, FIREPLACES AND CHIMNEYS

• Unvented kerosene and gas space heaters, woodstoves, fireplaces and gas stoves can emit carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and particles. Unvented kerosene heaters may also generate acid aerosols. Combustion gases and particles also come from chimneys and flues that are improperly installed or maintained and cracked furnace heat exchangers. Pollutants from fireplaces and woodstoves with no dedicated outdoor air supply can be “back-drafted” from the chimney into the living space, mostly in weatherized homes.
• Babies who live in wood burning homes tend to have more respiratory illness.

• Particles from incompletely burned fuels, can lodge in the lungs and irritate or damage lung tissue. Many pollutants such as radon and benzoapyrene, which are cancer causing, attach to small particles that are inhaled and then carried deep into the lungs.

CANDLES – AND YOU THOUGHT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH YOUR HVAC SYSTEM

• Both scientific and anecdotal evidence is mounting that the flames of candles,
whether aromatic or unscented, release black soot into interior environments. They also can load the air with deep respirable particles that some compare to the particulate hazards of second-hand smoke.

• Candle burning and smokeless oil lamps often leave a trail of ghost images and
mysterious soot tracks on carpets, walls, ceilings and furniture.

• Candles can vary in their soot generation, as some can produce 100 times more soot than other varieties. A candle placed in an air draft can increase its soot production by a factor of 50.

• Soot production from certain candles can be significant and may cause indoor levels of airborne soot to exceed concentrations allowed in outside air by the Environmental Protection Agency.

• Candle sales in the US have increased 400% in the past seven years, to approximately $2 billion. A significant portion of the growth is in the aromatic candle market, which now amounts to an estimated $750 million annually.

LEAD – THINK BEFORE RENOVATING AN OLDER HOME

• The thrust for lead abatement in the US was primarily due to health concerns. It was recognized decades ago as a serious problem that affects children. (Research and documentation could fill a small library). In 1991, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services called lead the “number one environmental threat to the health of children in the United States.”

• Lead becomes airborne and enters the body when lead-based paint is removed by dry scraping, sanding or open flame burning. Airborne lead dust can also enter the home from outdoor sources including contaminated soil tracked inside, and use of lead in certain indoor activities like soldering and stained-glass making.

• At low levels, lead can affect the brain, central nervous system, blood cells and kidneys. At high levels, it can cause convulsions, coma and even death.

• The effects of lead exposure on fetuses and young children includes delays in physical and mental development, lower IQ levels, shortened attention spans, and increased behavioral problems. Fetuses, infants and children are more vulnerable to lead exposure than adults since lead is more easily absorbed into growing bodies and their tissues are more sensitive to lead’s damaging effects. Children also tend to get lead dust on their hands and put their fingers in their mouths.

• The young and the poor are more likely to get lead poisoning, as they have the least amount of protection. The older buildings that contain lead paint are usually inhabited by lower income families. Child occupants (especially those under the age of ten) are at the greatest risk, and are the most adversely affected by lead poisoning. In many municipalities, the demolition of buildings is allowed with now site assessment for hazardous materials.

• A US federal regulation requires real estate agents and owners of dwellings built before 1978, to disclose the property’s lead history and the health hazards related to lead.

• A rough gauge of how low a priority lead is in Canada, is reflected in the fact that Deleading magazine, the official publication of the US National Lead Abatement Council, is circulated to 8000+ readers per month in the United States, but less than twelve issues are sent to Canada.

HOUSEHOLD PETS – MAN’S BEST FRIENDS

• A study conducted in East & West Germany, by Dr. Erika von Mutius of the University Children’s Hospital in Munich, found that childhood asthma rates were very few for children living in a heavily polluted city of the former Communist block, than in a relatively cleaner city of the West.

• House pets, especially cats are major culprits to initiate asthma and allergy attacks. Cats have grown in popularity among urban dwellers, displacing dogs as man’s (or woman’s) best friend. There are now 66 million cats in US households, compared with 53 million dogs. The market for pet care is a $34 billion industry in the US.

• In Canada, the pet population is dominated by dogs and cats whose number reached over 10 million in 2004. Large dogs account for 2.3 million of the pet population. Research shows that 28.5% of households own at least one dog and 37.5% own a cat. A significant number owns both. According to Euromonitor International, pet food and pet care products will reach $2.2 billion by 2009 in Canada.

• Dr. Meyer Balter, director of the asthma education clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, has stated that an amazing amount of his patients sleep with a pet sitting on their face.

• Asthmatics don’t even need to live with a cat to suffer its ill effects, notes Dr. Malcolm Sears, a professor of medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. Cat dander easily clings to the clothing of cat owners, who can then spread it to other homes as well as offices and classrooms.

OUTDOOR AIR

• 5900 Canadians die annually from air pollution – the brownish or yellowish haze most evident on warm sunny days – according to a new study from Health Canada. Damaging fine particles of smog can be inhaled deeply into the lungs. The most vulnerable are kids, because their lungs are still developing and they breath in more air than adults; the elderly because of the compromised immune systems; asthmatics and others with lung disease’ and anyone with heart problems.

• According to the Ontario Medical Association’s report, “The Illness Costs of Air Pollution in Ontario” (2000), smog causes 1920 deaths per year, 9800 hospital admissions, 13,000 emergency room visits, 47 million lost work days. Approximate conservative cost estimate to the Ontario economy is $1 billion.

• As many as 5 million tons of latex particles wear off tires in the United States each year. The Denver Allergy Institute discovered that tiny black particles flake off from tires and are thrown into the air by motorists. The latex particles have been increasingly associated with many medical conditions such as asthma, skin rashes, etc. The heightened irritation might explain why asthma has become increasingly prevalent and severe since the use of radial tires, which flake off in smaller, more readily inhaled particles than previous tires.

ALLERGIES, ASTHMA & RESPIRATORY ILLNESS

• Poor air worsens conditions for those with allergies, asthma, lung disease and chronic infections. Studies have shown that pollution doesn’t actually cause asthma. It just makes a bad situation worse. People exposed to a lot of outdoor air pollution are more likely to suffer from other lung ailments, such as chronic bronchitis. True asthma initiators, which provoke an inflammatory condition in the lungs, tend to be some of same things that trigger allergies. And these allergens can be found indoors – at home and work.

• Lung disease claims close to 335,000 lives in America every year and is the third leading cause of death in the United States.

• Six million Canadians – one in 5 – have some form of respiratory illness.

• According to Asthma Society of Canada …. Asthma kills 500 Canadians every year.

• As many as 1 in 5 children have been diagnosed with asthma.

• According to Statistics Canada, National Population Health Survey 1998-1999, 12% of children and 8% of adults have asthma, which is approximately 2.5 million Canadians.

• More women than men have asthma – 8.5% of Canadian women, compared to 7.2% men. Women’s symptoms develop later in life.

• Almost twice as many women as men die from asthma, according to Statistics Canada.

• Asthma can start at any age. Boys usually start wheezing on the playground, while girls are more likely to come down with their first symptoms in their teens or early 20’s.

• According to a Canadian study published in the journal Chest in June 2007, giving antibiotics to infants is associated with the development of childhood asthma. Anita Kozyrsyj, lead author and associate professor at the University of Manitoba’s faculties of medicine and pharmacy, drew the link between antibiotic use in the first year of life and asthma by age 7. Her team found that a child’s chances of getting asthma increased depending on the amount and type of antibiotics a child was given. The risk of asthma at age 7 was increased 1 ½ times in children who had received more than four rounds of antibiotics.

• Nurses are twice as likely as the general population to develop occupational asthma, according to researchers in Spain. Nurses are exposed to sensitizing substances, respiratory allergens, and irritants including sterilizers and disinfectants.

• Other at-risk occupations for developing asthma include printing, woodworking, agriculture/forestry, and cleaning. Also, if a specific incident in an individual’s life has exposed them to asthma-causing irritants, such as a fire or chemical spill, that person will be three times more likely to develop asthma.

• Only 25-40% of asthmatics ever get diagnosed.

• Up to 70% of asthmatics also suffer from allergies, which can play a role in bringing on their symptoms.

• Since 1980, asthma has increased by 600%. The Canadian Lung Association has identified common household cleaners and cosmetics as triggers.

PRESCRIPTION & NON-PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

• According to Fortune Magazine, we are losing the war on cancer. The percentage of Americans dying of cancer today is the same as it was in 1970 and even 1950. Over $200 billion has been spent since 1971 trying to prevent and cure cancer. Yet today there is a higher chance of getting cancer than ever before in history, and you have the same chance of dying as you did in 1950.

• Americans spend over $2 trillion a year on healthcare, yet infant mortality is higher than 20 other developed countries. People in 30 other countries live longer than Americans, but Americans consume over half of all the drugs manufactured in the world.

• There are over 200,000 non-prescription drugs on the market and over 30,000 prescription medications. Doctors write over 3 billion prescriptions per year.

• The average American has over 30 different prescription and non-prescription drugs stored in their medicine cabinet.

• GlaxoSmithKline is the world’s largest producer of steroid puffers.

• Consumer choice for the asthma and allergy patient is basically steroids and more steroids, from mint flavored syrups, to antibiotics, shots, creams and puffers.

• Pfizer is the world’s largest pharmaceutical corporation, and also the world’s second largest corporation.

• According to J. Robinson, Prescription Games: Money, Ego and Power Inside the Global Pharmaceutical Industry: A CEO of a pharmaceutical giant observed in a shareholder’s meeting that “profits can only be harvested from chronic disease.”

2010-07-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

Here are links to all the articles below!

Video of Actual Heat Pumps and AC Running

The Mighty Heat Pump

Heat Pump Demo

Interpreting the Decibel Ratings of the Unit

Ozone Concerns

Q & A on Ozone Depletion

Heat Pump and Air Conditioning Terms and Definitions

*For all of you who are searching the internet to find how many square feet a certian protable air conditioner will cool with "X" BTUs, a generous rule of thumb is 25 BTUs per square foot. However, if this is an A/V Room or Server Room, you should get a professional involved. - Wes

2010-06-18T07:17:00.001-07:00

"I'd say we have a pretty good track record!" -Wes

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"We are beyond satisfied with the equipment that Barron heating not only carries and services but most importantly we are elated by the employees that represent, sell, install and service these items. I work in the customer service industry and would be proud to have Wes and Conde' as employees. They are your greatest asset. Please let them know how pleased we are with them and the services they provide. We will not hesitate to refer everyone we know to Barron heating for all of their heating/air conditioning needs. Wes, thank you again for the excellent service!" -Amy Ritz 360.319.3618

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