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Furnace Safety
Many households have switched off the A/C and switched on the furnace as cooler temperatures are upon us. Here are a few furnace safety tips to get you through the winter.
- Clean or change furnace filters regularly.
- Check the furnaces' exhaust vent. Clear obstructions from the vent pipe.
- With the power off, inspect the blower motor. Tighten the belt if it moves more than an inch when you push it.
- Check air intake, especially in mobile homes where furnaces draw combustion air from beneath the home. Skirting should have four to six vents.
- Make sure your thermostat is in good working order.
- Never use your furnace closet for storage or drying clothes.
- Have a furnace maintenance person check and clean the flue pipe, fuel lines, safety controls and burner before each heating season.
'Tis the season for decorating, and you can be merry and bright while still being energy efficient. Consider the following benefits of LED Christmas lights.
LEDs (light-emitting diodes) are a special semiconductor diode used to conduct light.
- LEDs use up to 80% less energy than standard bulbs.
- LEDs last on average about 10 years - much longer than traditional bulbs. (Traditional bulbs last about 1,000 hours; CFLs about 10,000 hours; and LEDs last approximately 50,000 hours.
- LEDs emit less heat. They are cool to the touch and pose less of a fire risk.
- LEDs are more durable than traditional bulbs and are more resistant to vibration.
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- LEDs do not contain mercury.
Be mindful of safety when using holiday lights. For example, don't overload wall sockets. Be aware of power drains from extra appliances on common circuits. To balance the load, use several different sockets around the house to plug in multiple lights. Learn more about holiday safety.
FAQ
Q How much energy does it take to turn on a CFL compared to leaving it on?
A. Even when turned on and off frequently, a CFL uses less energy than its incandescent equivalent. While there is a brief surge in energy use when a CFL is turned on, with today's starting technology, that surge usually lasts about a tenth of a second and consumes about as much energy as five seconds of normal operation.
(Source EnergyStar.gov)
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