What should YOU do to get ready for the coming winter heating season?

There's alot of confusion about how to prepare for the winter season. We hope this newsletter edition will shed some light and simplify the process and help you prepare.

Get Familiar with Your Thermostat Again. You might not have looked at it lately. Review how to set the thermostat to the most economical settings. The most economical operation of your system comes from setting the thermostat properly. Set the thermostat at the lowest winter setting at which you are comfortable. A typical setting is 68 degrees for winter heating.

Avoid Excess Use of Exhaust Fans - Excessive use of kitchen or bathroom exhaust fans will make your system work harder. This will increase energy consumption and costs. Keep costs in check by making wise use of exhaust fans.

Use Direct Sunlight - Let the sun in during the winter. Direct sunlight reduces the load on your heating system. Open window shades to increase direct sunlight and lower the heating load.

Keep Vents Unobstructed - Arrange your furniture and curtains so that all output vents and intake grilles are free from obstruction. This will reduce the heating load on your system, resulting in more economical operation.

Keep Heat Away From the Thermostat - Make sure that no heat-generating appliances are near your thermostat. These include lamps, TV`s, stereo and computer equipment.

Weatherize your home - Warm air can leak out of your home during the Winter and waste a substantial portion of your energy dollars. One of the quickest dollar-saving tasks you can do is caulk, seal and weather strip all seams, cracks and openings to the outside. You can save a significant amount on your energy bill by reducing the air leaks in your home.

After you've accomplished these things: Why not give us a call to schedule a yearly furnace tune up. We'll check out your furnace to make sure it won't miss a beat during the winter months. Our furnace tune up includes:

Cleaning and adjusting the burner, ignition assembly and heat exchanger. Monitoring the flue draft, measure and detect dangerous carbon monoxide. Tighten all electrical connections. Measure volts/amps for optimum settings. Fully test the starting capabilities and safety controls. We also measure temperature differences and check your thermostat.

And best of all, you'll receive a $20 discount on any single maintenance visit, just for mentioning this newsletter and code IT103. Be sure to ask us about our yearly preventative maintenance plans too.

Until next time,

The Best,

Lisa Averill-Latimer
President
Nortek Environmental Inc.