Voting in the Maxwell Community Building on the Collins Maxwell Bond Issue. (Roger Riley photo)

MAXWELL, Iowa- Voters are going to the polls in Collins and Maxwell Tuesday to decide on a $7,950,000 bond vote to make improvements to the High School-Middle School Building in Maxwell.

The money would be used to install a security entrance, two new science classrooms, an addition to the cafeteria, and updates to the heating and cooling, including the installation of a geothermal system.

Were trying to focus on all corners of the building, said Jason Ellingson, who is Supt. of Schools in the Collins Maxwell District. we feel this is a really solid option for us to be thinking about doing the right thing for our students as well as our community,

The original structure is a 1931 building. Updates were done in 1954, 1976, and 1995. Every 20 years the district has supported growth, and improvements to the complex here. said Ellingson.

One of the components of the building improvement is security. A new entrance will provide a greater sense of security for anyone who has to come into the building, said Ellingson.

Were looking at revamping our heating systems as well as putting in air conditioning. said Ellingson. The school will also install a geothermal system to help reduce operating expenses.

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Collins-Maxwell Voters Decide $7.9 Million Bond Issue

News Release: Duke Energy December 2, 2014

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Before you deck the halls and transform your home into a festival of lights, calculate how your twinkling holiday displays will affect your winter energy bills.

Lighting displays are part of the timeless holiday decorating tradition, said Alex Glenn, state president, Duke Energy Florida. However, elaborate lighting displays can add significant costs to your energy bill. Estimate your energy costs before decorating and incorporate efficient, budget-friendly lighting options to save money during the holiday season.

Customers can estimate lighting costs using the holiday lighting energy calculator on Duke Energys website: http://www.duke-energy.com/lightscalculator.

Users can identify the type of lights, the number of 100-bulb strands and how many hours the lights will be used per day to estimate the energy cost per day and per month. Based on your selections, you can receive energy-efficient tips and options.

For example, six 100-bulb sets of large, incandescent bulbs (600 bulbs total) plugged in six hours every evening can add as much as $80 to a monthly power bill.

By comparison, six 100-bulb sets of similarly styled light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs would increase a monthly power bill by only about $7. Using six 100-bulb sets of mini-LED bulbs would increase a monthly power bill by only $1.

Winter efficiency reminders

Duke Energy is also offering tips for customers to reduce their winter heating bills.

The thermostat can be the biggest contributor of high winter bills, said Glenn. We encourage customers to select the lowest comfortable setting when theyre home, then lower the temperature a degree or two when they leave.

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Duke Energy Offers Holiday Lighting Energy Calculator, Other Winter Tips

An efficient HVAC system is important to the comfort of your family throughout the seasons of the year, because this climate control device is responsible for Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning your home. Learn the basic facts about essential components of your HVAC system andfind out the role each one plays in keeping the household and its members warm in winter and cool in summer.

1. Thermostat. The thermostat is usually the most visible part of your HVAC system. Set on a prominent, easily accessible wall, it may be either programmed in advance or set manually to keep the home at a desired temperature. When the ambient temperature becomes too cold or too hot, the thermostat will trigger the heat exchanger or the evaporator coil-condensing unit combo to begin circulating warmed or cooled air as needed.

2. Furnace. The furnace is the key component of your HVAC system. It's also the largest, requiring substantial space -- typically in the cellar, your finished basement, the attic, or a special closet designed for that purpose. Its function is to heat a supply of air which is to be distributed to various rooms of your home via the HVAC. This heating process is accomplished using one of four possible heat sources -- combustion (burning natural gas, oil, coal, or propane), electric resistance, heat pump, or solar energy collected on site.

3. Heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is found inside your furnace unit's housing. This component switches on when the furnace is activated by thermostat to produce warmer temperatures in winter. The heat exchanger pulls in cool air, heats it, and circulates the resulting heated air via your ducts and out through the vents.

4. Evaporator coil. The evaporator coil has an opposite role to the heat exchanger; it acts to cool the air when your thermostat is set to lower temperatures in summer. Located in a metal enclosure on the furnace's exterior, to the top or side, the evaporator coil works similarly to an automobile radiator to produce cool air, which is then circulated through the ductwork.

5. Condensing unit. The condensing unit is connected to the evaporator coil. This unit is installed by HVAC contractors on the outside of your home and filled with refrigerant gas. When the refrigerant has been cooled to a liquid by heat exchange with the exterior air, the condensing unit pumps the liquid to the evaporator coil to be evaporated into a gas once more.

6. Refrigerant lines. The refrigerant lines carry a refrigerant substance to the condensing unit vaporized in the form of a gas, and return it to the evaporator coil in liquid form. These "lines" are actually narrow tubes manufactured from a durable heat- and cold- resistant metal such as copper or aluminum.

7. Ductwork. Ductwork refers to the system of ducts that transports air warmed or cooled by the system to the various areas of your home. Ducts are commonly made of lightweight aluminum, which is easy for HVAC contractors to install. However, they may also be manufactured from steel, flexible plastic, polyurethane, fiberglass, or fabric.

8. Vents. The vents are the rectangular outlets which transfer the heated or cooled air from the duct system into the individual rooms of your home. Made of high- and low-temperature safe metal, the vents are located on or near the ceiling and are usually fronted with angled slats. These slats direct the treated air downward to where people are using the room; often they may be manually controlled or even closed, to control the amount of heating or cooling and the area of the room to which it will be directed.

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Know Your HVAC System Components and How They Work

By Andy Brown Published 5:55pm Friday, November 21, 2014

The Demopolis City Board of Education approved a change order Monday night for a project to install geothermal air conditioning units at Demopolis High School.

The change order resulted from a need to move 36 of the projects 176 wells across the street from the school.

We had to move the last 36 wells across the street, Superintendent Al Griffin said. Will there be a slight expense for us, Im not sure. Thats to be determined. I did ask (MidSouth Geothermal) to tell us in a fair estimate what they thought it cost them and they said about $6,900. Weve got to review the contract and look at was there room on the original set of plans for the last 36 wells.

Geothermal heating and cooling systems take advantage of the stable temperature underground using a piping system, commonly referred to as a loop. Water circulates in the loop to exchange heat between a building, the ground source heat pump, and the earth, providing heating and cooling at high efficiencies.

The project at Demopolis High School requires multiple loop fields to be dug for piping.

Griffin said at least 140 of the 176 wells needed to house the piping have already been dig by MidSouth Geothermal.

They can only use one rig across the road, but I feel certain that by the end of next week all the wells will be dug, Griffin said.

Griffin said all the equipment has been assembled by Hydro-Temp and waiting to be shipped.

The project is being funded through a QZAB grant the system was approved for last year.

Link:
Demopolis BOE approves change to HVAC project

Winters abrupt arrival with record cold this month also brought along an even less welcome event: an outbreak of house fires.

Fire department officials report the number is not particularly higher than usual this year. However, the cluster of fires in St. Joseph and the region reminds us how quickly an ordinary day can turn tragic.

Investigators have found a common cause among several fires in St. Joseph they occurred in older structures in which the electrical system was overloaded. Homes built 100 years ago, or even 50 years ago, were not designed to accommodate the pull of modern heating and cooling systems, as well as appliances and electronics.

An old adage holds true here: If in doubt about your homes wiring, have it checked out.

Research and experience also prove that moving to a newer house is not a foolproof way to escape the threat of fire. Because of the materials used in construction, newer homes often burn at a much faster rate than older structures. Synthetic materials both in the house itself and in the furnishings are more flammable.

Regardless of the age of your home or the type of wiring, two steps every homeowner and renter should take:

Install a smoke detector.

Keep it up to date.

St. Joseph Fire Inspector Steve Henrichson points out all smoke detectors can get dusty and batteries will run down on those not directly wired into the house current. Consider this a holiday-time reminder to check those batteries. Also, the National Fire Protection Association recommends replacing all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.

Winter will be with us for several months and these steps are worth it to keep your family safe from fire.

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Wiring looms as threat

TOPEKA, Kansas (WIBW) -- The historic Jayhawk Theatre is one of the only heirloom theatres still standing in Topeka, and volunteers are working hard to ensure future generations can make memories inside it like they did.

"I mean, this was the place to be at one time!"

Quite some time has passed since Lonnie Williams paid 25 cents for a movie ticket and spent the entire day downtown at the Jayhawk Theatre, a 90-year-old Topeka relic that holds many of his memories.

"Back in the day when I was in 6th grade, black people couldn't sit on the main floor, so we had to sit in the balcony. I didn't know any better, so I just threw popcorn and poured pop down on everybody downstairs," Lonnie remembered with a laugh.

He said he never got in trouble, though.

"We were always on the move," he said.

Those were the days of a booming downtown culture in Topeka, where people would come from miles and miles to shop at Woolworths, go eat and of the many restaurants, or go to a show at one of the several theatres scattered about downtown. Those would be all-day excursions, and ones folks like Lonnie looked forward to.

The Jayhawk Theatre opened its doors in 1926, built by the Crosby Brothers Company. It was state-of-the-art for its time, as an extensive heating and cooling system was installed so that patrons could duck inside for 70-degree temperatures at all times. As many as 1,500 people could sit inside with a free-standing balcony that sat 650.

However, major developments outside of downtown Topeka would lead to the theatre's - and many other historic buildings' - demise.

The lights went dark at the Jayhawk Theatre over 30 years ago in 1976, back when life was completely different than today, but the organizers who are working hard to revitalize the gorgeous building say that capturing the spirit of family is what's going to bring that spark back.

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Back When Downtown Topeka Was 'The Place To Be' | Jayhawk Theatre Update

American Canyon homeowners and business owners can now make their properties more water and energy efficient through a property-tax based program already in effect throughout Napa County.

The HERO Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program allows residents to install new plumbing as well as heating and cooling systems, and pay off the costs through long-term property tax assessments.

The cities of American Canyon and St. Helena recently joined PACE, following the communities of Napa, Calistoga and Yountville. Napa County also is a member.

HERO will help American Canyon and St. Helena save water and energy and enable local homeowners to make immediate efficiency-improvements to their homes, Liza Gray, HERO Community Development Manager, said in a press release. Based on our experience in other communities, we also expect HERO to create local jobs by increasing demand for construction services.

Program participants can repay the assessments in as few as five years and as many as 20 years.

Interest is tax deductible.

HERO provides property owners with a variety of environmental and plumbing options to have installed. These range from high-efficiency toilets and faucets to drip irrigation systems to drought-tolerant landscaping.

More than 200 cities and counties in California have adopted HERO Programs representing about $375 million in financing.

Visit http://www.HEROProgram.com or call 855-HERO-411 for more information.

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American Canyon joins water, energy conservation program

Natural ventilation used to be the best way to allow fresh outdoor air to replace contaminated indoor air in a home. But because todays energy-efficient homes are air-sealed and built more tightly for heating and cooling control, its essential to have a mechanical ventilation strategy for todays homes.

To maintain a safe and comfortable indoor environment, we must now mechanically ensure that contaminantshumidity, odors, dust, pet dander, grease, mold, formaldehyde and other chemicalsare constantly removed from the building. A proper ventilation system maintains indoor air quality and reduces the probability of mold formation.

There are two general types of ventilation: local (or spot) and whole-house.

SPOT VENTILATION

Spot ventilation focuses on removing contaminants from a specific place at a specific time, such as the ventilating fan in a bathroom that helps eliminate steamy mirrors, foggy windows and stale odors. Architects, builders and designers should consider a number of factors when installing a bath fan for spot ventilation use.

The Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) recommends that fans should have airflow of roughly 1 cubic foot per minute (cfm) for every square foot of a bathroom area up to 100 ft. For bathrooms larger than this, HVI recommends a ventilation rate based on the fixtures present in the bathroom, with a basis of adding together 50 cfm for each traditional appliance (toilet, shower and so on) and 100 cfm for larger items such as a jetted tub. If additional showerheads are installed, additional or increased ventilation should also be installed. These are rules of thumbgenerally, more cfm will take care of issues faster.

The loudness of the fan is also important to consider. Sound levels in fans are measured in sones, with lower numbers being quieter. A typical builder-grade fan is 4.0 sones while any fan rated at 1 sone or less is very quiet (1 sone is roughly the equivalent sound of a quiet refrigerator in a quiet room).

The HVI recommends that a fan remain on for a minimum of 20 minutes after each use of the shower or bath. Using a timer can help ensure that the bath fan is on for the allotted time needed. For those of us who may be hesitant to turn on the fan for fear of forgetting to turn it off, timers are great alternatives. Another great substitute to a fan switch is a humidity-sensing fan, which automatically turns ON when humidity rises and then turns OFF when the humidity returns to normal. This is a great solution for a bathroom used by the kids, who are notorious for forgetting to turn on the fan. Some models that have the sensor incorporated right into the fan itself are particularly effective as they sense humidity at the ceiling, where it is the most concentrated, and are triggered by a change in humidity over time rather than a set humidity level. These fans are also adjustable in terms of sensitivity and time delay.

Bath fan/light combinations are another great option. A builder can complete two remodeling tasks, lighting and ventilation, with one unit, and homeowners are always eager for a product that can fix multiple household issues at once. Many of these bath fan/lights come in decorative models that blend with existing fixtures but are actually fully functional ventilation fans. On top of that, theyre very easy to install. A fan/light can be installed in the same footprint of the existing fan, which means you can use the original wiring and wall switch.

WHOLE-HOUSE VENTILATION

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Breathe Easy

St. Helena homeowners and business owners can now make their properties more water and energy efficient through a property-tax based program already in effect throughout Napa County.

The HERO Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program allows residents to install new plumbing as well as heating and cooling systems, and pay off the costs through long-term property tax assessments.

St. Helena and American Canyon recently joined PACE, following the communities of Napa, Calistoga and Yountville. Napa County also is a member.

HERO will help American Canyon and St. Helena save water and energy and enable local homeowners to make immediate efficiency-improvements to their homes, Liza Gray, HERO Community Development Manager, said in a news release. Based on our experience in other communities, we also expect HERO to create local jobs by increasing demand for construction services.

Program participants can repay the assessments in as few as five years and as many as 20 years.

Interest is tax deductible.

HERO provides property owners with a variety of environmental and plumbing options to have installed. These range from high-efficiency toilets and faucets to drip irrigation systems to drought-tolerant landscaping.

More than 200 cities and counties in California have adopted HERO Programs representing about $375 million in financing.

Visit HEROProgram.com or call 855-HERO-411 for information.

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St. Helena joins water, energy conservation program

Residential

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CHOOSING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT As manufacturers develop new products to keep us comfortable and conserve energy, Hillestad is right there to help you choose the right unit for your home. We not only help you conserve energy, but money as well. Some of our manufactures offer financing with unusually easy terms and a Hillestad representative can explain these terms to you. To learn more about our most popular furnaces and air conditioners, please visit our manufacturers page.

Commercial

QUALITY SERVICE Hillestad is known throughout southern Wisconsin as one of the most trusted and respected heating and cooling contractors. We take your business as seriously as our own. Hillestad will assist you from start to finish with expert design, planning and engineering all the way through to the completion of the project.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT Apartment complexes to office buildings, churches to schools. Hillestad can handle any size job. We specialize in heating and cooling rooftop systems and boiler replacement. HIllestad heating and cooling sells only products manufactured by the most trusted names in the industry. Products proven to be energy efficient, cost efficient and environmentally safe. Brands such as Bryant, Burnham, Carrier, Triangle Tube and Buderus.

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Hillestad Heating & Cooling Systems - HVAC Repair and ...