Monday, August 31, 2009

What is NATE Certification

What is NATE Certification?

Why is it important?

What does it mean to me?

How do I know if a technician is NATE certified?

The Answer Guide



One way is NATE certification.

A Few Facts





Why is NATE Certification important?


How do I know if a technician is NATE Certified?

© 2003 Service Roundtable

Sunday, August 30, 2009

A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home



petrei dishes with moldMold Basics

  • Why is mold growing in my home?
  • Can mold cause health problems?
  • How do I get rid of mold?

Mold Cleanup

  • Who should do the cleanup?

Mold Cleanup Guidelines

What to Wear When Cleaning Moldy Areas


Moisture and Mold Prevention and Control Tips

  • Actions that will help to reduce humidity
  • Actions that will help prevent condensation
  • Testing or sampling for mold

Hidden Mold

  • Cleanup and Biocides

Additional Resources

Mold Basics

  • The key to mold control is moisture control.

Why is mold growing in my home?


Can mold cause health problems?


How do I get rid of mold?


Mold Cleanup

Who should do the cleanup?



Mold Cleanup Guidelines

Tips and techniques




What to Wear when Cleaning Moldy Areas


How Do I Know When the Remediation or Cleanup is Finished?



Moisture & Mold Prevention and Control Tips

  • Clean and repair roof gutters regularly.

Actions that will help to reduce humidity:



Actions that will help prevent condensation:

  • Reduce the humidity (see above).
  • Increase air temperature.

Testing or Sampling for Mold


Hidden Mold

Suspicion of Hidden Mold


Investigating hidden mold problems


Cleanup and Biocides



Additional Resources


Back to previous page.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Dryer Fire Fact Sheet

Dryer Fire Fact Sheet

Statistics and Implications

  • Dryer exhaust fires now surpass creosote (chimney) fires in frequency on a national level. In 1998, the most recent statistics available, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that over 15,600 dryer fires occurred killing 20 people, injuring 370 more and causing over $75.4 million in property damage. According to the CPSC, in most of these cases the culprit was lint getting into the machine’s heating element, sparking and fueling a fire. In response to this growing trend, many dryer manufacturers now employ a device that shuts the appliance down when airflow is obstructed. However, these safeguards are subject to wear and have been known to fail. Not surprisingly, some fire departments and insurance companies now require that dryer vents be inspected and cleaned regularly.
  • With gas dryers, there is also concern of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Since lint and flue gases use the same avenue of exit from the house, a blocked vent can cause CO fumes to back up into the house. These fumes are colorless and odorless and they can be fatal. Low-level CO poisoning mimics flu symptoms (without the fever): headache, weakness, nausea, disorientation and deep fatigue. At higher levels, occupants can fall asleep, lapse into a coma and die.

Anatomy of a Dryer Fire

Dryer fires usually start beneath the dryer when the motor overheats. Overheating is caused by a build-up of lint in the duct that increases the drying time and blocks the flow of air, just like cholesterol in your arteries can build up and block the flow of blood to your heart. Naturally, any lint that has collected under the dryer will burn and the draft from the dryer will pull that fire up into the duct. Since the duct is coated or even blocked with lint, many times a house fire results. Other contributing conditions may include failure of the thermostat and limit switches in the dryer, lint inside the dryer, a missing or damaged lint screen, a crushed hose behind the dryer, or a bird’s nest or other debris blocking the vent.

Higher Risk Situations

  • Residential dryer vent lengths may not have an equivalent length greater than 25 feet. Five additional feet for each 90-degree bend must be added to the actual physical length to compute the vent’s equivalent length. This will determine the vent’s actual resistance to the airflow.
  • Homes with larger families or where dryers are used heavily are at greater risk.
  • Flexible plastic duct is no longer code-approved for clothes dryers. It is normally one of the first things burning lint will ignite, having been shown to flame in as little as 12 seconds. Lower cost and high flexibility often make it attractive to unadvised homeowners installing their own machines.
  • Flexible duct made of thin foil is not recommended for clothes dryers. It’s tendency to "kink" and stop airflow makes it dangerous to use.

Warning Signs

  • Dryer is still producing heat, but taking longer and longer to dry clothes, especially towels and jeans.
  • Outdoor flapper on vent hood doesn't open when dryer is on.

Additional Benefits to Dryer Vent Cleaning

  • Allows your dryer to operate more efficiently, using less energy and saving you money.
  • Protects your dryer from excess wear and premature death.
  • Helps clothes dry faster—a time savings for busy families.
  • Reduces excess household dust and humidity
  • Helps preserve clothing, as the life of many fabrics is damaged by excessive high heat.

Inspection Frequency

Most vents need cleaning every two to three years. Some dryer vents need attention more often. If it is the first time that a dryer vent has been cleaned, having it re-checked again in a year can help to make a reasonable judgment. Determining factors include:

  • How heavily the dryer is used
  • How long the vent is and the materials used. Shorter vents usually blow better.
  • The age and type of dryer used. Full size dryers blow better than smaller stack dryers or older dryers
  • The design of the vent. Those with a lot of turns and elbows blow worse and build up more lint.

Overheated Clothes Dryers Can Cause Fires

Consumer Product Safety Alert



U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Keeping Minnesota State Fair Cold...

Oh no... Summer's almost over? Not yet, the Minnesota State Fair is typically a hot and busy week. Comfort Matters Heating and Cooling, Inc was able to help keep one of the food stands cold.

Midway Food Company from Winchester, Texas area has a food stand called the Midway Grill and it gets pretty hot working over a grill at the fair. Well only a couple weeks away their air conditioning stopped working on their custom built portable 18,000 pound kitchen. The trailer was out in Montana at a fair when Comfort Matters got the call that they were heading to Minnesota for the fair and needed to get the cooling fixed. Comfort Matters found a Trane rooftop air conditioner in Laramie Wyoming that would work. So within days before the fair the trailer was delivered to Comfort Matters office in Hanover, MN.

"This became a very interesting and custom installation" said Corey Hickmann (owner of Comfort Matters Heating and Cooling, Inc.) We brought in Crystal Welding to help custom build the aluminum frame and ducting so we could mount the new Trane unit on the Roof. Even though it decided to rain most of the day slowing down the work, the new cooling system was up and running the next day and ready for delivery to the fair. The Minnesota State Fair is the largest fair in the country for daily attendance and it is very important to the Midway Grill to have a successful event.

So if you are out at the fair try a burger and fries at the Midway Grill, and if you miss it there it will be heading to Utah, Texas, and a few other stops before the year is over.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

How to select a contractor.

There are many things to consider when selecting a contractor. This blog is around heating and cooling contractors, but the same principle applies if you are buying a furnace, deck, roof, kitchen, or a basement remodel.

  • Check references: I can not stress this enough. If you are spending $2500 or $10,000 you must check the contractor references. A new furnace or a/c should last 20 years. But even more important is in Minnesota for example you will spend $26,000 over those 20 years on average to heat and cool your home. So ask for testimonials. If the contractor surveys there customers ask to see the surveys. If you want to make the best choice ask to talk to customer they have done work for. Make sure they will call you back on Saturday when it is -20 or 95 degrees outside if your heating or cooling doesn't work.
  • Ask for copy of liability insurance certificate: Check to see what there coverage is. You want at minimum $1 million dollars coverage. Then if you really want to be safe call there insurance company to confirm there premiums are paid in full. To many companies can show a certificate but may not be late on payments. If something happens you the homeowner are responsible. If the contractor is not willing to give you this info "walk away".
  • Confirm they have a current State Bond: In Minnesota for example contractors are required to have a state bond to help protect the homeowner in case the contractor goes out of business.
  • Get Permits: Ask for copy of the local permit at time of installation. Note: some cities do not require permits so you can't in those cases. But call your city hall to confirm that is true.
  • Back ground screened employees: Does the company criminally screen there employees. The people installing your new furnace or A/C have access to your home, make sure they are safe.
  • Does the company work from home: Confirm they actually work from a office. Some contractors may office from home and do great work. But the majority of bad contractors also work from home. Don't base decision on this but it will help.

Don't worry about the brand of furnace or A/C you buy. If it is a Carrier, Goodman, Amana, Trane, Bryant, Chevy, Ford, or BMW it does not matter as much as who installs it. What matters is how well trained the installers are, will they be there for you if it fails, and will it save you money on your energy bills for the next 2 or 20 years. (BTW: no Chevy, Ford, or BMW don't make furnace and A/C)

The upfront cost of the installation will be determined by factors I listed above. Just because someone offers a lower installation you are not saving money. I have learned that lesson over the years. When the cost is lower the odds say something is missing.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Will 2-stage furnace save me money?

Will a 2-stage gas furnace save me money?

Well this is kind of a loaded question. For example I am going to use a 95% efficient gas furnace. The brand does not matter. If you buy a Trane, Bryant, Carrier, Goodman, or Lennox there is not a measurable amount of difference. The bigger difference will be by what company installs it. Majority of furnaces installed are 1-stage. Which means when the house gets cold 100% of the heat comes on. The problem is if it isn't very cold out the furnace may only run for 5 or 10 minutes then shut off. A furnace needs to run at least 10 minutes before you can even get it up to 95% efficient. When if first comes on it will be maybe 50%, then 60%, and keep going up as it runs longer until it reaches peak efficiency. It is like a car, if you drive stop and go traffic your gas mileage is low, but if you go on the highway for 60 miles and don't stop your gas mileage goes up.

So if your furnace turns on and off to often you will not ever get to save money because the furnace doesn't get to peak efficiency. So back to the installing company. If they install a furnace that is to large for your home it will turn on and off to many times during the day cost you money and making your gas company lots of money. So a very common problem is if the installing company selects a furnace that is to large it will run on low stage to often wasting energy. So it is possible to put in a new more efficient furnace but have it not save you any money.

Today we have 1-stage, 2-stage, 3-stage, and modulating furnaces. The advantage of multi stage furnaces is better comfort in the home. If the furnace runs longer it will get the temperature more even in your rooms. Plus the longer the furnace runs and less on/off cycles reliability does go up. So multi stage may help the furnace last longer which will save you money. But you may not be saving what you should be. Depending on model's the first stage (low heat) could be only 70-85% efficient, compared to high heat when it could be 95% efficient. A properly installed 1-stage or multi stage furnace will give you far better long term results. As time goes on gas will keep going up. A well installed furnace could last your 15-20 years. So why over pay each month on your gas bill. Be very careful on selecting your installing contractor because that can save you $1,000's of dollars over the next 15-20 years.

So the moral of the story is "just because your new furnace is 2-STAGE, that does not mean it will save you more money".

Friday, August 7, 2009

How to size a geothermal heating system.

Geothermal heating systems and not much different than standard air source heat pump system. The main difference is geothermal uses the earth to add or remove heat from your home instead of the outside air. With geo the ground will vary from 30-75 degrees typically depending on season. Air source heat pumps need to deal with air temps ranging from -30 to 110 degrees depending if heating or cooling your home.

The big difference with air source heat pump is they can't provide enough heat from the home once outdoor temp gets below 20 degrees. So you need some sort of extra heat whether it be natural gas, oil, LP, or electric heat. Geothermal systems can be designed to heat your home to what ever outdoor temp you want.

Here is the catch to be careful of. If you are converting your current heating system to geothermal the duct work was designed for something else. For example purpose I am going to compare an average gas or oil heat. Now electric heat system won't be much different.


Gas heat systems can provide higher temperature heat in the duct system with less air flow. So when a home is designed for gas the average home needs 1000-1400 CFM. (CFM= cubic feet per minute of air) A home that has a duct system for 1000 CFM with gas heat may now need a 4 ton geothermal heating system. Average design is 400 CFM/ton of geo. So a 4ton geo will need 1600 CFM. The problem is over 50% of home duct systems are undersized in the first place. An educated HVAC company will be able to test your home and see what you can do. Below is a typical solution that way to many heating companies do wrong.

Home needs a 4ton geo which is 1600 CFM but home has duct system only good enough for 1000 CFM. A common answer is to select a 3 ton geo system with gas back up heat. The 3 ton geo will need 1200 CFm. Usually some minor modification can be made to the duct system to handle 1200 CFM. Now when you get to the dead of winter in January when it is -10 and colder for a week straight the geo may not be able to keep up so you will need to use the gas furnace a little. But by going from a 4ton to a 3ton geo you will save about $2,500 just in well drilling. Plus you don't have to tear your home apart making the duct system large enough for a 4ton system. So by going to a 3ton you may save $3500, 4000, maybe 5000. Yes the 3ton may cost an extra $200 per year to heat your home, but it could take you 20 years to equal the $4000 savings.

So in short you maybe able to install a 3ton geo and have a 10 year pay back or a 4ton geo and have a 30 year pay back.

Now these examples above are very general and will vary by area you live or type of home. Point to be aware of bigger definitely is not better when it comes to geo. Now with the 30% federal tax credit geo is cheaper than ever to install and pay back is a lot faster. But don't let a poorly educated installation company steer you the wrong way.