Do you want a heating and cooling system that keeps your home toasty warm in the winter and cool in the summer? Do you dream of a heating and cooling system that saves up to 50 percent on your utility bills? Do you want to decrease your carbon footprint? A Geothermal heating and cooling system can do all of this. In fact, thousands of homeowners across the country are reaping the benefits that an advanced HVAC offers. Continue reading to learn more about the numerous benefits that this type of system offers.

A geoexchange unit typically saves you up to 50 percent as compared to an oil or gas furnace or a heat pump system. A typical 2000 square foot home can be cooled or heated using a geoexchange unit for as little as a dollar a day. Additionally, geoexchange units can supplement a homes conventional water heater, which can save you as much as 30 percent of your water heating costs.

Geothermal systems only use a small amount of electricity to transfer heat to your home using the thermal heat from the ground. On average, this type of unit will produce four units of energy for every electrical unit needed to power the system. Even the best heating and cooling systems deliver less than one unit of energy for every unit of energy consumed. Homeowners typically receive a 30 to 70 percent savings compared to traditional systems. You can determine how much savings you will reap from a geothermal heating and cooling system by using the savings calculator.

Geothermal systems are listed as the most cost effective, environmentally friendly heating and cooling system by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Installing a geothermal system is equivalent to removing two cars from the road or planting 750 trees.

Geothermal systems cost more to install than a conventional system due to its buried loop system. Some homeowners consider the installation costs of this system to be too expensive. However, they fail to see the whole savings picture. Geothermal systems will net you lower utility bills and annual maintenance costs. The initial cost of a geothermal system can be financed through low interest financing options. The savings received from a geothermal system will easily cover the cost of this payment and give you extra money in your pocket. Within three to five years, the unit will have paid for itself in the savings your reap.

An added bonus of a geothermal system is the ability to produce some or all of the hot water you need at a much higher efficiency than a traditional water heater. When a geothermal system is properly installed, a simple connection will allow the system to deliver hot water to be stored in your hot water tank. Additionally, the heat that is removed from your home when the cooling cycle is run can be deposited into the water heater rather than the ground, providing you with free hot water.

Ordinary heating and cooling systems require routine maintenance of the furnace, air conditions and water heater. When a geothermal system is properly installed, little maintenance except for periodic inspection and filter changes are required. Because the geothermal unit is located indoors and out of the weather, the life expectancy of the equipment is prolonged. Most units will last more than 20 years when properly maintained.

Geothermal heating and cooling systems do not use fossil fuels like propane or natural gas, which means no combustion is needed. You will not need to worry about carbon monoxide, fumes, flames or odors with this system.

Installing the system is quite easy and there are numerous companies that can help you. Just ensure they have all the right training and safety gear to do so. Check to see if theyre wearing work clothes such as these from FROutlet and youll get an idea whether theyre suitable or not.

Geothermal system eliminate hot or cold blasts of air like a conventional system. It also helps to dehumidify the air during the warmer months, resulting in a cool, comfortable home.

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Pros of Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems - Blue & Green Tomorrow

Denver Business Journal

Metro Denver HVAC company ordered to temporarily shut down Denver Business Journal Any company, or even a homeowner, installing HVAC equipment in a residence needs a building permit from the local building department. The process includes an inspection by the building department to ensure safety. Coffman said her office also found ... and more »

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Metro Denver HVAC company ordered to temporarily shut down - Denver Business Journal

Computers generate heat when they are turned on. All the electric energy they receive eventually turns into heat: thats the rules of thermodynamics. And if you pack your IT load in tightly to save space, you have to get rid of that heat, or the whole thing will melt.

Thats a problem. But heat is not a bad thing in itself. We all use heat. Its been humanitys friend for millennia longer than the artificial brains we build in racks. We warm ourselves, we cook food, and enjoy the comfort of hot baths and showers.

Source: Nerdalize

In the data center, heat is a by-product. It is inevitably produced and it has to be removed. The drive to make data centers more efficient is a movement to get more computing out of a given amount of input energy. This means reducing the amount of heat produced if possible, as well as the amount of energy used in getting rid of it.

Even at the highest levels of efficiency imaginable, there is still heat to be expelled. Thats a problem - but some people want to see that problem as an opportunity. Why not treat that heat as a useful output? Why not harness it? The trouble was, data centers arent generally built amongst mass housing. They arent near to potential users of heat: so the heat has to be transported,

Most data centers are cooled by air, and air isnt great for transporting heat. By the time that hot air has been piped somewhere useful, its normally cooled down to a useless temperature. There are exceptions, such as the district heating systems available in some countries - for instance, Stockholm has one, which includes an H&M data center among its heat suppliers. But lets leave those for another time, because theres another, more radical idea for re-using the heat.

If you cant take the heat from the data center to the homes and offices where it could be used, why not take the data center into those places?

Microsoft coined the term data furnace in 2011, to describe a networked processor sitting in a home, providing heating and hot water while performing tasks sent to it by a service provider. A network of these systems could become a distributed data center. Its heat energy would be harnessed,

Its taken a cohort of enthusiastic start ups to begin to put this into practice, Cloud & Heat in Germany puts a rack in the basement of apartment blocks. Qarnot in France puts a heater on the walls of Parisian flats - inside it a processor does financial and image processing work, and the heat gets used in the building.

Edge processing could reconnect data centers with people, feeding our primal need for warmth

In Amsterdam, Nerdalize has a deal with a power utility to install similar units. Its just completed a successful pilot (see picture above). And back in France, Stimergy is heating a swimming pool while performing HPC calculations. These are small outfits, performing niche jobs. But so called edge resources, close to users and devices are necessary.

Edge facilities wont replace centralized data centers, running efficiently on renewable power. Qarnots business model accepts that - the company has had investment from French data center operator Data4 which offers Qarnot processing alongside its own. But its a mighty promising field, and it could lead to data centers reconnecting with people, as part of that resource moves into our homes and feeds our primal need: for friendly warmth.

A version of this article appeared on Verne Globalssite

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Turning heat into a friend - DatacenterDynamics

Q: How do I stop my wood-burning fireplace from smelling like smoke in humid weather? A faint smoke smell would be OK, but this is obnoxious. It seems worse when the air conditioner or even the washer and dryer are running. The smell wafts in from the chimney. We have a glass door installed, but it doesnt help.

A: Chimney smells stink up indoor air when the air pressure is lower indoors than out. Especially in a house built to be fairly airtight, this can happen when a dryer or other exhaust fan runs or if there are leaks in heating and air-conditioning ducts. To equalize the pressure, air moves down the chimney, into your house. Summer conditions add to the problem because the outdoor air is hot and humid, therefore heavier than drier, cooler indoor air.

In theory, closing the damper on your fireplace should stop the airflow where the air picks up the smell. But fireplace dampers often dont seal well. For a better seal, you could have a chimney sweep install a spring-loaded stainless-steel damper at the top of the flue. We called a company that estimated the job at $630.

Or, for $42.99 to $86.99, depending on the chimney width, you could install an inflatable device known as a Chimney Balloon, available at Amazon.com. It has mixed reviews, however, with some buyers reporting it punctures as easily as a water balloon. Filling a hefty plastic bag with insulation and stuffing that into the chimney opening at the base of the fireplace might work just as well and would cost less. Just be sure to remove it before you use the fireplace.

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If closing off the chimney doesnt stop the smell, call a heating and air-conditioning company to assess air balance in your home. It might help to pipe fresh air to combustion appliances, including the dryer if it is gas. Or you might benefit from a heat-recovery ventilator, which could introduce more fresh air in a way that its preheated or precooled so you dont waste energy. Sealing leaks in heating and air-conditioning ducts or balancing the system by adding more openings might also be part of the solution.

Q: Our KitchenAid Superba garbage disposal was installed in January 2011. For the past few months, it has failed to grind up and flush vegetable matter that it previously had no problem with. The blades rotate, chopping up the waste, but the waste does not exit the unit. I called the manufacturer for guidance. I was told to fill the disposal with ice to help with grinding. That helped some, but much of the waste remained in the disposal. Any ideas about why?

A: This is a three-fourths-horsepower model thats still sold. It has a five-year limited warranty that would cover a repair visit to your home if it were still in effect. But the warranty expired about 1 1/2 years ago, a sign that its probably time to replace the unit. The current cost is $279 at Lowes and perhaps even less from other retailers.

If youre reasonably handy, you could probably install a new unit yourself. KitchenAid provides installation instructions that appear straightforward. Lowes could install it for about $120, a spokesman said.

First, you might try repeating the ice trick a couple of times. Disposals sometimes work poorly because of a buildup of grease and other debris. Ice particles whip around in the mechanism and pick up the gunk, helping to clean it.

Also try another cleaning method that the manufacturer suggests in its care manual: With the unit off, place a stopper over the opening and fill the sink halfway with warm water. Mix one-fourth cup baking soda with water and dump it in. Turn on the disposal as you remove the stopper. If youre lucky, the force of the water, plus the bubbling action and grease-cutting properties of baking soda, will help restore the units performance, and eliminate any foul odors. After the sink drains, remove the sink baffle and clean it by hand or in the dishwasher. Replace it before you operate the disposal again.

Continued here:
Stop the fireplace smell from invading your home - The Oakland Press

When people think of smart thermostats, the Nest Learning Thermostatis what typically comes to mind. But shoppers at the hardware store now have choices as a lineup of lesser-known competitors have hit the shelf recently. When the time comes for you to buy a smart thermostat, dont overlook the Ecobee4. With an interesting array of features including a built-in speaker and mic to embed the Amazon Alexavoice assistant into your HVAC controller as well as great temperature control capabilities, this product is literally bringing the heat. Learn what it was like to live with in our Ecobee4 review.

Ecobees latest smart thermostat costs $249 and comes with one remote sensor, though there are more expensive bundles that come with more wireless satellites. You also can buy them separately. These sensors, which can measure temperature, humidity, occupancy, and proximity, may be the smartest thing about the Ecobee, and we highly recommend using more than one. Their ability to gather information in multiple rooms greatly adds to the accuracy and efficiency of this smart thermostat.

For us, installation of the Ecobee4 was relatively painless; thats partly because of our familiarity with the Ecobee3, which has a slightly different footprint on the wall but a similar wiring layout. Whether youre familiar with Ecobee products or not, this model is easy for most people to install.

There are two installation issues worth noting. First, when we originally got the Ecobee3, we opted to have a professional install it because our testing home is heated via an electric heat pump and a gas furnace. The heat pump has a reversing valve, which can complicate thermostat installs. In this instance, however, because the Ecobee3s wiring is similar to the Ecobee4s, we did the installation ourselves. Also, some peoples HVAC wiring may require them to install a Power Extender Kit, and the Ecobee4 comes with one included.

Installing the Ecobee4 included tripping the breaker for the heat pump and the furnace (which also cut the power to the thermostat), removing the old thermostat, and following the colored wire schematics to reinstall the Ecobee4s backplate. The smart thermostat also comes with a trim plate that can conceal any unsightly holes left behind by your previous thermostat. Once the backplate is wired, you simply snap the thermostat onto it, and the device begins to boot up. Software setup is quick and easy, and an app connection to Wi-Fi gets the new thermostat online.

The Ecobee4 is an Android and iOS-compatible thermostat with an integrated color LCD touch display. It has a refined, modern look, but it wouldnt be out of place in more traditional homes. The apps and the thermostats slick touchscreen interface work identically, which is nice, and theres a web dashboard for taking deeper dives on settings and system monitoring.

It has a refined, modern look, but it wouldnt be out of place in more traditional homes.

The big, new feature packed into the device is a microphone and speaker so the thermostat can access Amazons Alexa voice assistant. In repeat and prolonged testing (within earshot of an Amazon Echo speaker, no less), it did its job very well. Despite being situated in a hallway between the kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom, it heard every request sent its way and relayed the response with crisp, clear sound.

The Ecobee4 is a thermostat with a speaker stamped into its backside, but temper your expectations on cranking out high-quality-sounding music. For listening to podcasts, news updates, controlling smart home gear, or asking random questions, however, it works great with two exceptions. First, you cant change its wake word from Alexa (a bummer if youve got a family member with that name). The second is that the voice assistant, oddly, doesnt control the thermostat very well. This isnt necessarily Ecobees fault. These are early days for voice-controlled hardware in general, and asking Alexa to control the lights or other smart home devices is spotty and requires the user to know the exact string of words to ask and even then, theres no guarantees it will do the job. For instance, we can ask Alexa what the temperature is in the bedroom, and the Ecobee4 will link up with the remote sensor and relay the information without a hitch. But if we ask the same question about the kids room, the reply is Kids room doesnt support that.

The Ecobee4 is also Apple HomeKitcompatible, a feature that, in theory, we love. But the reality is that we only had our Ecobee3 connected to it for a matter of weeks before it somehow lost its connection to the home network. We honestly didnt bother connecting the Ecobee4 to it, because if it works as well as it used to (which is about how well the Alexa integration works) theres little point. However, its worth noting that Apple is making changes to HomeKit all the time, and maybe the Ecobee4s iOS compatibility will be a worthwhile feature down the line. We do like this thermostat for the ways that it is future-proofed, even if they dont work particularly well together now.

But the biggest flaw in voice controlling the thermostat is that when the system is off, weve never been able to turn on the cool air (or heat) with our voices. We dont understand why Ecobee or Apple or Amazon havent enabled this, but some of us live in a house with windows, and if the window is open, we dont want the AC on so off is the default position. Maybe someday, connected home sensors will be smart enough to block the cool air from coming on if a window is open, but we are not there yet.

Otherwise, since the Ecobee3 and Ecobee4s interface and systems are identical, we can say in the years that weve used an Ecobee, weve had few complaints. It would be great if the Ecobee4 gave us the ability look at our HVACs performance via the app a minor complaint. Also, theres limited schedule-building capabilities in the app compared to the website. This might seem a minor point, but for those who would like comfort settings tailored to their tastes its a drag to have to go to the website to set that up.

Whether youre using the Ecobee4s schedules or geofencing to regulate your homes heating and cooling, the smart thermostat does a good job of turning systems on or off without an issue, saving energy (and money) if you configure and use it properly. Likewise, as an Alexa-connected device, it hears and responds well, rarely missing a request despite that its microphone and speakers are neatly tucked between the thermostat and the wall.

But the smartest tech baked into this system is the Ecobee4s remote sensors. These battery-operated satellites let you measure the temperature in rooms around your home. From there, you can perform a variety of heating and cooling-related fixes. For example, an obvious use is averaging the temperatures of rooms throughout your home, a function that helps ensure that one area isnt draftier than another. Also, through a follow me feature, the Ecobee4 can adjust your homes temperature based on where you go (so no need to measure the spare bedroom, if youre not spending time there). These two tricks alone make the Ecobee4 a great thermostat for older homes that may not have multi-zoned heating and cooling. With a nod to the voice assistant shortcomings and an eye towards its future maturation, we recommend Ecobee4, even if its big selling point is a bit of a bust. Due largely to its ability to connect with remote sensors, the smart thermostat performs extremely well, offering users an array of features and configurations that can make homes feel warmer and perform better.

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Ecobee4 Smart Thermostat hands-on review - Digital Trends

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y., July 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Controlling the temperature of the home is an important part of daily comfort. Outdated and inefficient units can leave the home uncomfortable during the dog days of summer. T. Webber Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, a family owned and operated home services company serving the Hudson Valley, offers advice for homeowners to determine if a ductless air conditioning system would make a good fit for the home.

"We are often asked by homeowners if we think the ductless air conditioning system is right for their home or transforming their garages into a living space," said Tommy Webber, owner of T. Webber Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning. "There are many benefits to having a ductless mini-split system; it will not only save on energy costs, but it can assist with peace in the home when it comes to individual desired room temperature."

Webber offers the top five benefits of installing a ductless mini-split air conditioning system:

For Hudson Valley-area residents who would like more information on the ductless mini-split air conditioning systems, the professionals at T. Webber Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning are ready to assist. For more information visit http://twebber.com/ or call 1-845-265-1400.

About T. Webber Plumbing, Heating & Air ConditioningT. Webber Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning is a family owned and operated home services company serving the Hudson Valley area, including Dutchess, Putnam, Westchester, Orange and Ulster counties. A+ rated by the Better Business Bureau, T. Webber has been the company of choice for commercial and residential repairs and services for nearly 30 years. Tom Webber founded the company in 1989 with the vision to exceed customer expectations and provide exceptional service with integrity, competence and objectivity with every service call. T. Webber provides timely, same-day service for plumbing, heating, air conditioning, electrical, well system, water quality, bathroom remodeling, and sewer and septic repairs. For more information, call 1-845-265-1400 or visit http://twebber.com/.

MEDIA CONTACT: Heather RipleyRipley PR865-977-1973rel="nofollow">hripley@ripleypr.com

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/5-reasons-to-install-a-ductless-heating-and-cooling-system-300492257.html

SOURCE T. Webber Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning

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5 Reasons to Install a Ductless Heating and Cooling System - Markets Insider

July 28, 2017

iStock photo

As heat and humidity grip many parts of the nation, controlling the temperature of the home, be it a single or multi-family structure, is an important part of daily comfort. But outdated and inefficient units may leave thehome uncomfortable during the dog days of summer. The desire to keep cool can be lose tothe desire to avoid a huge utility bill next month.

But there may be a solution that lowers your energy bills while keeping homes comfortable.T. Webber Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, a family owned and operated home services company serving the Hudson Valley in New York, offers adviceto determine if a ductless air conditioning system would make a good fit.

Owner Tommy Webber offers the top five benefits of installing a ductless mini-split air conditioning system:

Topics: Architectural Firms, Automation and Controls, Building Owners and Managers, Construction Firms, Consulting - Green & Sustainable Strategies and Solutions, Energy Saving Products, HVAC - Heating & Cooling & Ventilation, Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), Interiors, Technology, Ventilation

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5 reasons to install a ductless heating, cooling system - Proud Green Building (press release) (registration) (blog)

Sacramento homebuilders are trying to deal with a severe shortage of construction workers by training high school students in summer internships. They want the teens and their parents to consider the possibility that a construction career might be a good alternative to college, though that can require some convincing.

Theres a negative stereotype about dirty jobs, said Rick Larkey, executive director of the North State Building Industry Foundation. The group is leading the effort to recruit 5,000 new workers over five years in Sacramento, Placer, Yolo and El Dorado counties. A big part of that is the outreach to high-school students through internships and after-school programs.

The foundations pitch on its website is that a four-year college degree isnt the guarantee of financial success it used to be. The American workforce is in desperate need of skilled technicians, and incomes for construction work can rival jobs requiring four-year degrees without the expense of college.

Were trying to give them an opportunity to have a successful and meaningful career that pays well, especially for those that like to work with their hands, Larkey said.

After last decades housing crash, thousands of Sacramento-area construction workers left the industry. Many retrained for new careers or moved away. Now that home construction is on the upswing, builders are finding they cant keep up with demand because they lack skilled laborers. Plumbers, electricians and many other tradespeople are in short supply.

The builders are looking to teenagers, such as Karina Records, to help fill those jobs.

Records, 17, spent part of Thursday morning in the attic of a half-built home learning to install heating and air conditioning ducts. She carefully stepped from rafter to rafter with the sun beating down on the roof above her on a 100-degree day.

My helmet is filled with sweat, she said as she climbed down a ladder to learn how to install a dryer vent. Despite the heat, she said she enjoyed the detailed work of connecting ducts and other tasks involved in heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, a field where skilled workers are in high demand.

Records is an incoming senior at Sheldon High School in the Vineyard area of Sacramento County, about 2 miles from the construction site where shes worked this summer. She and 14 or 15 high school juniors from the Elk Grove Unified School District made $10.50 an hour interning with national homebuilder Lennar at its subdivisions near Bradshaw Road and Gerber Road.

Under the instruction and guidance of Lennar mentors, the interns have gotten hands-on experience in nearly every step of home construction. They poured foundations, framed houses and put in plumbing. They hung cabinets, laid carpet and installed wiring. They painted homes, built fences and set up solar panels.

I try to expose them to everything we can so they can make choices, said Sandy Wills,senior construction manager with Lennar at its Vineyard location.

About 30 interns worked at Lennar job sites around the Sacramento region this summer. More than 30 others took part in Mayor Darrell Steinbergs Thousand Strong initiative, learning construction skills, or another program run through the Placer County Office of Education, the Building Industry Foundation reported.

The Lennar interns at the Vineyard project said their exposure to different trades was key to learning what work they found satisfying.

Nick Carlson, 17 and a Sheldon High student, said hed like to be an electrician. The work is challenging, and journeyman electricians make about $35 an hour, or $70,000 a year, he said. Carlson said he sees trade school as a potentially more direct route to a career than college.

A number of interns said they intended to go to college to pursue a degree in construction management or engineering before going back to work in the homebuilding industry. Others said they were still weighing their options but hadnt ruled out going right into a skilled trade.

Chris Rhodes, 17, said he learned about the construction internships as a student in Cosumnes Oaks High Schools Architectural Design and Engineering Academy. He said hell probably go to college to study mechanical engineering but liked knowing he had options.

Construction is a fast-growing industry, Rhodes said. If doors get closed to you, this door is always open.

Jason Kolvoord, 17, said he wants to work in construction for a while before going to college, and Miriam Bell, 17, said she plans to go to trade school but hasnt decided on a trade yet. Both teens attend Laguna Creek High School.

Lennars Sacramento-area vice president for operations, Jeff Panasiti, said there are plenty of jobs for interns who want them after graduation.

You guys are on the other side of the recession, Panasiti told a group of teens in a newly built garage. Seventy percent of construction workers lost their jobs and scattered. Now there are ample opportunities for new workers, he said. The skys the limit.

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Homebuilders want high school students for construction jobs - Sacramento Bee

Q: How do I stop my wood-burning fireplace from smelling like smoke in humid weather? A faint smoke smell would be OK, but this is obnoxious. It seems worse when the air conditioner or even the washer and dryer are running. The smell just wafts on in from the chimney. We have a glass door installed, but it doesnt help.

A: Chimney smells stink up indoor air when the air pressure is lower indoors than out. Especially in a house that was built to be fairly airtight, this can happen when a dryer or other exhaust fan runs or if there are leaks in heating and air-conditioning ducts. To equalize the pressure, air moves down the chimney, making your house stink. Summer conditions add to the problem because the outdoor air is hot and humid and therefore heavier than the drier, cooler indoor air.

In theory, closing the damper on your fireplace should stop the airflow where the air picks up the smell. But fireplace dampers often dont seal very well. For a better seal, you could have a chimney sweep install a spring-loaded stainless-steel damper at the top of the fireplace flue. We called a local company that estimated the job at $630.

Or, for $42.99 to $86.99, depending on the chimney width, you could install an inflatable device known as a Chimney Balloon, available at Amazon.com. It has mixed reviews, however, with some buyers reporting that it punctures easily. Filling a hefty plastic bag with insulation and stuffing that into the chimney opening at the base of the fireplace might work just as well and would surely cost less. Just be sure to remove the plug before you use the fireplace.

If closing off the chimney doesnt stop the smell, call a heating and air-conditioning company to assess air balance in your home. It might help to pipe fresh air directly to combustion appliances (which would include the dryer if yours is a gas model). Or you might benefit from a heat-recovery ventilator, which could introduce more fresh air but in a way that uses the temperature of indoor air to preheat or precool it so you dont waste energy. Sealing leaks in heating and air-conditioning ducts or balancing the system by adding more openings might also be part of the solution.

Q: Our KitchenAid Superba garbage disposal was installed in January 2011. For the past few months, it has failed to grind up and flush vegetable matter that it previously had no problem with. The blades rotate, chopping up the waste, but the waste does not exit the unit. I called the manufacturer for guidance. I was told to fill the disposal with ice to help with grinding. Although some relief was obtained, much of the waste remained in the disposal. Any ideas about why it is failing?

A: This is a three-fourths-horsepower model thats still sold. It has a five-year limited warranty that would cover a repair visit to your home if it were still in effect. But the warranty expired about 1 years ago, a sign that its probably time to replace the unit. The current cost is $279 at Lowes and perhaps even less from other retailers if you shop around online.

If youre reasonably handy, you could probably install a new unit yourself. KitchenAid provides installation instructions that appear straightforward. Lowes could install it for about $120, a local spokesman said.

You might try repeating the ice trick a couple of times. Disposals sometimes work poorly because of a buildup of grease and other debris. Ice particles whip around in the mechanism and pick up the gunk, helping to clean it.

Also try another cleaning method that the manufacturer suggests in its care manual: With the unit off, place a stopper over the opening and fill the sink halfway with warm water. Mix one-fourth cup baking soda with water and dump it in. Turn on the disposal as you remove the stopper. If youre lucky, the force of the water, plus the bubbling action and grease-cutting properties of baking soda, will help restore the units performance, as well as eliminate any foul odors. After the sink drains, remove the sink baffle and clean it by hand or in the dishwasher. Replace it before you operate the disposal again.

See original here:
How to stop fireplace smoke smells during summer - Daily Herald

The House of Bread soup kitchen fields a crowd every morning for breakfast, but Tuesday's group had a few new faces. And they came bearing gifts.

Workers from Marec Heating and Cooling and Neal Sign and Crane Service oversaw the installation of three new air conditioning units at House of Bread. The day shelter on Chestnut Street was full of hot air for nearly a month after burglars destroyed three of the industrial units, causing $30,000 worth of damage for scrap metal.

News headlines from the theft sparked an impromptu funding drive for House of Bread, which saw thousands in donations from various groups, according to Sister Theresa Fonti, the shelter's co-founder.

"It's a good feeling, getting so much support from the community," Fonti said Tuesday as a crane slowly lowered the shredded units onto a flatbed truck for disposal. "We're happy to be able to get our air back and continue our ministry."

The donated money helped close the funding gap for replacing the units about 80 percent of the cost was covered by the shelter's insurance policy.

And the new cooling system couldn't have come at a better time.

The two remaining air conditioners were working overtime, according to Matt Beard, the shelter's director. One blew a fuse last week, causing a brief panic in a kitchen that turns out about 200 meals a day for the city's homeless.

But the worrying is over. Now, Beard is focused on securing the units. He's already installed surveillance cameras on the building's roof and will be placing cages around the units to prevent similar thefts.

Meanwhile, city police are continuing their investigation into the thieves responsible.

Originally posted here:
New A/C Units Installed At House Of Bread After Burglars Struck Last Month - Hartford Courant