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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1996-10-23, Page 7FALL HOM F T 11 P R O V F. M FNT Times -Advocate, October 23, 1996 Page 7 Is your hearth ready for winter? As the chilly winter evenings approach, you may be looking forward to spending some time basking in the cozy glow of your fireplace or stove. But wait—is your hearth ready for winter? Is your chimney dirty or partly blocked? Is the chimney flashing cracked and leaking? Did your stove spend the summer in a damp basement? Are the door gaskets frayed, loose or packed? Are the fan blades full of dust and lint? Although your system may have none of these problems, you'll never know until it is checked. You don't want to have a problem in mid -winter when you depend on it most for heating and enjoyment. There's no doubt about it, your system will work better and be more reliable after its annual servicing, not to mention providing some peace of mind. There are options of course. You could buy all the necessary tools and learn to do the servicing yourself. Some people don't mind getting black from head to toe or climbing up onto roofs. But if you're like most people, you'll hire a professional chimney sweep or a technician from a specialty hearth retail store to do the service for you. A chimney sweep does much more than sweep the chimney. Did you know, for example, that some chimney deposits won't sweep out? And that a qualified sweep will never just walk away leaving a potential problem in your chimney? For example, the winter frost works away at gaps in the chimney bricks and mortar -every year there is a little more deterioration. During the annual chimney servicing, the chimney sweep will seal the cracks and make the minor adjustments that will save you the cost of major repairs. Fireplaces and stoves have parts that deteriorate too. They get hot (it's their job) and over time the intemal components like baffles, air tubes and even fire bricks can wear out from the stress. The heat also makes gaskets stiff and adhesives brittle. Replacing the gaskets on doors and glass panels is not a big job, but an important one. Good seals will provide for better performance, especially for the newer high tech stoves and fireplaces. Although the new pellet stoves are more trouble-free than ever, they too need regular maintenance to ensure that the fuel auger is clear. the exhaust vent is clean, the drive motors are lubricated and combustion controls are properly adjusted. Natural gas and propane stoves and fireplaces are entirely automatic, but their gasket seals, fans, burners, exhaust vents and flame controls also need periodic service. Most importantly, if the performance or behavior of your pellet or gas appliance changes—it doesn't start, the glass soots up, or the flame looks odd—call your service professional immediately. Be secure in the knowledge that your hearth is ready to keep you warm and cozy this winter. Have it professionally serviced soon. For more information or a list of service professionals near you, call the Hearth Products Association of Canada at (416) 626-6568 or Wood Energy Technology Transfer Inc. at (416) 695-1676. Help yourself and help the environment If you're a homeowner you can do well by doing good, and in the process do yourself and the Earth'a favour. Here's how: By reducing the energy you use for home heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting, you not only cut your utility bill—you also help reduce the need for power generation. That means less burning of fossil fuels, burning that contributes to air pollution and the generation of green house gases. There are plenty of things you can do to cut your home energy use. Here are a few ideas to get you started. 1. Insulate your home. If you keep the cold out in winter and the heat out in summer, your furnace and air conditioner won't have to work so hard. Insulating walls and attics and weather stripping around doors and windows can make a significant difference in your utility bills, and keep you more comfortable, too. Your local utility may even offer low-interest loans to help pay for the work. 2. Wash or replace filters. Wash or replace the filters on your heating and cooling system at least four times a year. Pulling air through a clogged, dirty filter makes your system work harder and use more energy. Replacing throw -away filters with washable, reusable filters cuts down on waste going into landfills. 3. Get a checkup: Just like your car's engine, your heating and cooling equipment needs an occasional tune-up to operate at peak efficiency. Have your system checked by a heating and cooling contractor annually. 4. Install a programmable thermostat. Do you always remember to adjust your thermostat to save energy when you're sleeping or away from home? If not, let a programmable thermostat remember for you. A programmable thermostat can cut energy bills by as much as 30 percent, depending on your home's construction and geographic location. 5.Kill the lights. Put timers or photocell controls on outdoor lighting to avoid wasting energy. inside, use dimmer switches to control lighting in areas where you need bright light only occasionally. When dialed down to "dim," your lights will use only about 50 percent as much energy as they do "undimmed." After a hard day in a cold world A recent survey has found that now more than ever Canadians love the romance of a fire. A glowing hearth can add beauty and warmth to a room, making it come alive. The new clean burning wood, pellet and gas appliances are better than ever. it's As Easy As Pushing A Button! Not so long ago one fireplace in a home was a luxury, especially considering the cost of hearth construction, chimney placement and the effort required to harvest wood. Today with a modern gas or iSropane fireplace a click of a remote can create a beautiful fire at a surprisingly affordable price. No muss, no fuss, just the fascination of a glowing hearth and the warmth of a fire, New burners, controls and decorative logs make it difficult to tell whether a fire is gas or wood. Warm Your Hearth With A Traditional Wood Fire If you prefer the traditional wood fire, new clean burning appliances provide for greater efficiency, have "stay clean" glass doors with air Wash designs and come in almost every size, style and colour. There are masonry site -built fireplaces, factory built fireplaces and for those looking to upgrade existing fireplaces, an exciting range of fireplace inserts that provide the perfect balance between aesthetics and efficiency. Pellets Provide Refined Warmth A decade of design advancement has produced attractive clean burning pellet stoves, inserts and most recently, barbecues. These appliances are quiet, easy to maintain and are complete with A thermostats for even heat. The fuel pellets are made of compressed wood by-products which are bagged and easily placed in the built-in fuel storage at the back of the appliance. Fire Works, That's Its Job! More than 500 specialty retailers from coast to coast offer a myriad of products to delight the senses and underscore the message that fire works. Protecting your investment You've just completed your new kitchen or bathroom, perhaps spending thousands of dollars on new faucets, sinks and appliances. Now what can you do to protect the appearance and life of those products against soap scum, hard water spots, lime curd and other aesthetically unappealing and potentially damaging residues of hard water? A great percentage of Canadian homes are supplied with hard water, which is defined as water that contains significant levels of dissolved calcium and magnesium. This means no one is guaranteed immunity from hard water—even if you live in the city. Hard water buildup can take its toll on everything from glassware to sinks and faucets to major appliances, possibly decreasing their life and detracting from their appearance. And while it's frustrating to deal with soap scum in the sink or that bathtub ring, it's even tougher to tolerate the higher utility and repair bills that result from lime curd and related hard Guidelines offer simple steps Whether you have a wax or surface finish, wood flooring is easy to care for and maintain. A finish protects wood flooring from wear, dirt and moisture. For A Wax Finish -Dust, Buff, Wax: • Dust, mop, or vacuum regularly. • Buff to restore shine. • When buffing no longer restores shine, apply a cleaner and liquid wax specifically for wood floors. Apply the wax evenly, allow the floor to dry and buff to the desired luster. Proper Care For A Surface Finish -Dust, Clean, Recoat: • Dust, mop, or vacuum regularly. •Clean with a manufacturer's recommend cleaner. •When cleaning no longer restores shine, recoat the floor with a surface finish. The frequency of recoating depends on the amount of traffic. water buildup inside appliances and plumbing. Above and beyond the costly repair bills and shortened life of your appliances, consider the extra time and effort it takes you to scrub away soap scum and hard water spots. To avoid this hassle and expense and to ensure a newer looking bathroom, kitchen and even laundry room, many homeowners choose to remove troublesome hardness minerals with a home water conditioner. There are many options on the market today, including everything from manually operated conditioners to fully automatic systems. Topping the popularity list because of their ease of use and high efficiency are demand initiated regeneration (D1R) systems, which actually meter water usage. Studies show that DIRs can be twice as efficient as alternative time -metered systems. Twin resin tank DIR units are also available from leading water treatment equipment manufacturers. Because these systems automatically switch from tank to tank as they exhaust, they provide softened water 24 hours a day (something that single tank systems can't claim). Some DIR units offer the additional advantage of non -electric operation and a more efficient regeneration cycle. Because they don't operate on electricity, these units are not susceptible to power outages. And, they use sot water when regenerating, which provides better overall cleaning of the unit and extend, its service life. Regardless of the make or model, third party certification is important. For example, units that are CSA approved are more likely to perform as claimed—because they've been put to the test by someone other than the nmufacturer. You've already made a sizable investment in your home. You can protect that investment by introducing softer water into your life. SUNWORTHY 111111L'A'/ SELECTED WALLPAPER BOOKS 40/OFF CHECK THE BARGAINS IN OUR CLEARANCE CENTRE EXETER DECOR CENTRE 15 Gidley St. E. 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