When cooler temperatures hit closer to home, medics at Harris County Emergency Corps (HCEC) have a heightened awareness of the potential for patients with carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning mimics other illnesses and can sometimes be difficult to diagnose. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 400 Americans die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and/or death. The most common symptoms are dizziness, headache, weakness, nausea, vomiting, confusion and chest pain. Leakages in heating systems, gas ranges, portable heaters, burning charcoal or wood, engines, stoves, lanterns and fumes produced by cars and trucks produce carbon monoxide. When enclosed in a confined space such as a house or garage, carbon monoxide can become lethal for people and animals.

According to the CDC, carbon monoxide poisoning can be prevented by taking several steps:

Heating systems, water heaters and any other gas, oil, or coal burning appliances should be serviced by a qualified technician every year.

Do not use portable flameless chemical heaters indoors. Although these heaters dont have a flame, they burn gas and can cause carbon monoxide to build up inside homes, cabins or campers.

If you smell an odor from your gas refrigerators cooling unit have an expert service it. An odor from the cooling unit of your gas refrigerator can mean you have a defect in the cooling unit and could be releasing carbon monoxide.

When purchasing gas equipment, buy only equipment carrying the seal of a national testing agency, such as the CSA Group.

Install a battery-operated or battery back-up carbon monoxide detector in your home and check or replace the battery when you change the time on your clocks each spring and fall.

Have a mechanic check the exhaust system of your car every year. A small leak in your cars exhaust system can lead to a buildup of carbon monoxide inside the car.

Never run a car or truck inside the garage with the garage door shut. Carbon monoxide can build up quickly while your car or truck is running in a closed garage.

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Stay safe and prevent carbon monoxide poisoning

Officials are optimistic about the Somerset School Department receiving the lions share of $1.6 million in energy-efficient project funding as part of an April 1 settlement between the former owner of Brayton Point and the federal government.

My understanding is the school department had done everything they were supposed to do and, therefore, they would be rewarded with the whole $1.6 million, state Rep. Patricia Haddad, D-Somerset, said Monday night.

She said Fall River did not apply for its share.

Well have an announcement right after the first of the year. I feel very optimistic, said Somerset School Committee Vice Chairman Jamison Souza, who said hes been working closely with Haddad for months.

Were going to receive more than we originally planned strictly through the school department, he said.

Among project criteria are energy efficiency and renewable energy, Haddad said.

The Board of Selectmen are scheduled to talk about the issue at Wednesdays 6 p.m. meeting at Town Hall after Chairman Donald Setters asked Town Administrator Dennis Luttrell last week for an update on the settlement funds.

The April 1 settlement between Dominion owner of Brayton Point until this year and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been widely known.

As part of a 2010 court agreement over three Dominion power plants found to be in violation of 2010 federal clean air standards, the Virginia-based Dominion agreed to about $13 million in payments, including $9.8 million in federal mitigation projects and a $3.4 million civil penalties, including the $1.6 million for Somerset and Fall River to share.

In late August, school officials announced they submitted several energy recovery and energy control system projects to a Dominion manager, Alice Prior.

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Officials say Somerset schools in line to receive all of $1.6 million from Brayton Point settlement

California is raising the bar next year on energy efficiency in new homes and commercial buildings.

Developers will have to ensure roofs can support solar panels, install windows that let in sunlight while reducing heat gain, and add whole-house fans under the more stringent building codes.

The improvements could add a couple thousand dollars to the cost of a home, but could save homeowners nearly three times that in energy bills over 30 years, the state estimates.

The goal by 2020 is for new buildings to use no more energy during the year than they can generate through the use of energy-saving features and solar panels.

Most homebuilders in Fresno already meet or exceed current energy standards and they continue to upgrade the energy-saving features of their homes in anticipation of the 2020 goal.

Meeting next year's code won't be difficult for most Valley homebuilders. For many it's about logistics and planning, not redesigning their homes.

"The code is always in the back of our mind," said Brandon De Young, vice president of operations at De Young Properties. "We're already exceeding current code so clearly we're not in it to just meet code. We want to try and get to the future ahead of time and be comfortable with it already."

Standards hit delay

The California Energy Commission first implemented energy-efficiency standards in 1978 to make buildings more comfortable, to lower energy costs and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The standards are updated every few years to allow for new technology and construction methods to be considered in the design of new buildings.

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Valley builders prepare for new state energy-efficiency codes next year

Highly insulating triple-pane windows keep a house snug and cozy, but it takes two decades or more for the windows to pay off financially based on utility-bill savings, according to a report by energy efficiency experts at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

The findings are being presented Dec. 4, 2013 by PNNL research engineer Sarah Widder at the Buildings XII Conference in Clearwater Beach, Fla. The meeting is sponsored by ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers).

The report by Widder and senior staff engineer Graham Parker is based on a study at PNNL's Lab Homes, a pair of identical manufactured homes used to study energy efficiency. Researchers replace one item at a time in one home, such as the windows or the water heater, then compare the performance of the homes.

For this study, the PNNL team studied the effect of replacing aluminum-frame double-pane windows, which are common in homes across the country, with newer, triple-pane windows, also known as highly insulating windows. The team found that the newer windows slash energy use in the home by 12.2 percent. But because of the cost of the highly insulating windows, it would take anywhere from 23 to 55 years for the reduced energy cost to make up for the increased expense.

"A savings of 12 percent on whole-house energy consumption is substantial, especially when you're talking about changing a relatively small percentage of a home's envelope," said Parker, a founder of the Lab Homes project. "But the windows are expensive."

The team notes that there are many other factors to consider in addition to money when deciding whether to install highly insulating windows.

"Comfort is also important," said Parker. "The windows cut down dramatically on cold air radiating from the windows and they reduce temperature variations in the home, where some areas will be much warmer or cooler than others. They also nearly eliminate the formation of condensation on the inside of the window which can lead to mold growth and unhealthy indoor air. It's hard to put a dollar value on comfort and health."

The PNNL team found an added value during summer months: The newer windows, which have low-emissivity (low-e) coatings that reduce internal solar heat gain, slashed energy consumption by almost 25 percent during peak cooling times on hot summer afternoons. That benefit is passed along to utilities as less demand on the overall electricity grid at times when demand and price are highest, Widder said.

Lab homes - an energy laboratory in a home environment Each of the lab homes is about 1,500 square feet and is equipped with more than three dozen sensors which hang from the ceiling or are attached to windows, walls, and other areas throughout the home. The sensors record information on temperature, humidity, and the amount of sunlight entering through windows. Instruments outside the homes record temperature, humidity, wind speed, rainfall, barometric pressure, and wind direction.

The house has 196 square feet of windows, including two large sliding glass patio doors and eight other windows.

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Highly insulating windows are very energy efficient, though expensive

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Governing board, staff and clients of the Graham County Rehabilitation Center celebrate receiving a $30,000 grant from the United Way. The money will be used to install a heating and cooling system in the GCRC facility on Main Street in Safford.

Posted: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 12:00 am

GCRC gets United Way grant Contributed article Eastern Arizona Courier |

SAFFORD The United Way Grant Committee awarded $30,000 to Graham County Rehabilitation Center, which will be used to install a heating and cooling system in the new GCRC retail space in historic Downtown Safford.

This additional space enables GCRC to provide more opportunities for group-supported employment for adults with developmental disabilities. It will also provide additional employment opportunities for after-school and Saturday work for high school students with developmental disabilities enrolled in transition from school-to-work programs.

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TERRE HAUTE Crews from a Wabash Valley heating and cooling business traveled in two different directions one went north and the other south during the early, cold Saturday hours with one mission for the day: to bring warmth to two Terre Haute homes this season.

The technicians at Paitson Bros Heating and Air Conditioning and a representative from its furnace supplier, Lennox Industries, volunteered their time and talents to help keep two families safe and warm this winter.

As part of Operation Warm Christmas, Paitson Bros and Lennox Industries have partnered to provide two families in need with a brand new Lennox heating system. Lennox Industries supplied a high efficiency gas furnace to one home and an electric air handler to the other. Paitson Bros supplied the labor, thermostat, gas pipe and other necessary equipment for installation.

All free of charge to the families.

Paitson Bros General Manager Ethan Rayburn said this is the companys and the employees way of giving back to the community.

Our guys [are] skilled at putting in furnaces. One way we can contribute and give back to Terre Haute is to do furnace work, he said.

Especially during the holidays.

This is the time of year when we are receiving a gift. Its our way of giving a gift back, Rayburn said.

And this gift was substantial.

The retail value of the gas furnace installed at one of the homes was about $4,500, Rayburn said. The electric one cost about $3,000.

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Operation Warm Christmas: Giving warmth

home section Interior Design Housekeeping Entertaining Home Improvement Gardening & Plants Landscaping eHow Home & Garden Home Repair & Maintenance Heating & Cooling Repair How to Estimate the Cost to Install Heating & Cooling in My House

Lauren Farrelly

Lauren Farrelly has been writing and producing for television since 2003. She has experience covering sports, business news and general news events for CNBC, ESPN and Bleacher Report. Farrelly has a BA in broadcast journalism from Arizona State University.

Understanding how to estimate the cost of installing heating and cooling units in your home, will give you a better estimate of how much you will need to spend per month on your heat/cooling bills, and also the cost for the unit(s) themselves. By knowing various specifications of your home, you will be able to come up with a precise estimate of how much all of this will cost for your family.

Take measurements to find the exact square footage of your home. If you are unsure, measure each room in your home length by width and multiply. For instance, a 10x10 foot room is 100 square feet. Once you measure all the rooms, hallways and living spaces, add all of these totals up and write them down in your notepad.

Next, find out what type of insulation is already installed in your home, and how old it is. Some insulation types can hold in heat and cool air better than others. Knowing what material has been used will be able to tell you how well the heat or cool air can stay in your home without escaping. This is important for estimating your monthly bills to heat or cool your home.

See if your duct work has already been run. If your home uses forced hot air for heating (you have vents installed throughout the home either on the lower portion of the wall, or on the floor), the duct work is already run - saving you money on installation costs. If no duct work has been run in the home, new vents and duct work will need to be run which can cost between $1000 and $3000 depending on the size of your home.

Finally, research various prices for heating and cooling units that fit the size of your home, and perhaps how many units you may need. See the Resources Link for various sites that list the costs for units. Write down the estimates for these costs in your notepad. In general, they will cost between $1200-$2500 depending on the size and output.

Research various heating and cooling installation companies in your area. Before calling, know all of the above details and have several of them come to your home to provide an estimate. The installer will be adding charges for the installation and labor. Knowing what the overall cost is of each of the products needed for the job, you will be able to use this as a negotiating tool.

Currently, you can also get a tax rebate of $1500 for installing an energy efficient unit. Also check for special deals through various manufacturers and sales for specific units.

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How to Estimate the Cost to Install Heating & Cooling in My ...

In 1904 our founder, Frank Fischer, started our familys company with the motto, "Do a good job at a fair price and treat people right." Those are simple words, but we try to live up to that every day. At Design Aire, we realize that you are the most important aspect of our service business. In every facet of our company, we illustrate that We Care about Our Customers. Whether you need an emergency repair, would like to take advantage of the benefits of our planned maintenance agreements, want a new high efficiency furnace or air conditioner installation, or are interested in the potential energy savings of a geothermal system, you will get the same great service from Design Aire. That is our commitment to you. If you are ever not 100% satisfied with the customer service we have provided, please contact our President.

You are the key to the growth of our heating and air conditioning company, and we treat you as such. We believe that if you are perfectly pleased with your service or installation from us, you will tell your family and friends about Design Aire when they need a recommendation. That simple concept has worked for four generations and has earned us the title of "Best Heating and Cooling Company" from readers of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and multiple Angies List Super Service Awards.

Heating and Air Conditioning Service for your Home

Design Aires reputation as the best HVAC Company in the St. Louis Metropolitan area is the result of our dedication to customer satisfaction and unparalleled technical excellence. Design Aire service technicians have an average of over 26 years of experience in the industry. They receive continuing professional education courses each year so you can be assured that your technician is not only experienced but also expertly trained. In addition, our representatives are background-checked and drug-tested so you can feel comfortable with Design Aire in your home. Our technicians are qualified to provide service on your furnace, air conditioner, boiler, heat pump, ductless mini-split, and geothermal heat pump systems. Contact us or give us a call today (314) 739-1600 to schedule your service appointment.

Routine Maintenance for your Home

Investing in a Design Aire maintenance plan saves you money by improving the efficiency of your furnace and air conditioner, and extending the life of your system. Planned maintenance also provides peace of mind that your homes heating and air conditioning equipment is operating safely. Design Aire offers competitively-priced maintenance plans on conventional furnace and air conditioner systems as well as boilers, heat pumps, and geothermal systems. In addition to a Union rebate, our planned maintenance customers receive discounts on parts and labor for other heating and air conditioning services Design Aire provides. Contact us to find out more about our maintenance agreements.

Design Aire Heating and Air Conditioning Service for the St. Louis Metro Area

We are proud to say that our company has provided heating and cooling installation and service for over 100,000 homes in St. Louis, St. Charles, and the surrounding areas. That is a great deal of trust area families have placed in Design Aire, and we do not take it lightly. Our goal is to make every customer so happy with their service from Design Aire that they feel compelled to tell their family, friends, and neighbors about us.

We service and install systems throughout St. Louis and St. Charles including Ballwin, Chesterfield, Clayton, Creve Coeur, Des Peres, Ellisville, Florissant, Kirkwood, Ladue, Maryland Heights, O'Fallon, St. Peters, Webster Groves, Weldon Spring, and Wildwood. Our service area also extends to parts of Jefferson County, Franklin County, Madison County, St. Clair County, and Monroe County. Contact Design Aire today to schedule a repair or to get an estimate on replacing your HVAC equipment.

Whether you need service, maintenance, or installation, we look forward to showing you how Design Aire is different. We're glad you found us, and you will be too.

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You may be familiar with the ENERGY STAR label on energy efficient heating and cooling equipment, but did you know there are also Quality Installation (QI) guidelines to help ensure that heating and cooling equipment is installed properly? Nearly half of all heating and cooling equipment in U.S. homes never performs to its advertised capacity and efficiency due to incorrect installation, which means homeowners pay higher operating costs over the life of the equipment.

The ENERGY STAR QI program helps homeowners identify contractors who install heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment to the QI guidelines. By purchasing high efficiency equipment and having it properly installed, a homeowner can lower their energy bills, increase comfort in their home, and extend the useful life of their equipment.

The ENERGY STAR QI program requires a local sponsor, such as an electric or gas utility. For more information on ENERGY STAR QI program in your area, contact your local sponsor. But even if your utility does not yet offer an ENERGY STAR QI program, you may be able to find local contractors who follow some of the Quality Installation procedures. Use the Bid Comparison Checklist (350KB) to help find the right contractor for you.

When your new heating and cooling equipment is installed to meet ENERGY STAR Quality Installation Guidelines, you avoid common installation problems that can reduce the efficiency of your home. These improvements to efficiency can reduce your heating and cooling costs by as much as 30%.

ENERGY STAR Quality Installation Guidelines, are based on the Air Conditioning Contractors of America's (ACCA) HVAC Quality Installation Specification, and is recognized as an American National Standard. These industry best practices help ensure that your new equipment is:

Whether you are installing a new system or replacing existing heating and cooling equipment, installing equipment properly is essential to getting the best performance.

Estimated savings potential with QI ranges from 18% to 36% for air conditioners and heat pumps and 11% to 18% for furnaces.

The charts below show the losses in typical residential HVAC systems. Quality installations help deliver the equipment's full potential.

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ENERGY STAR Quality Installation : ENERGY STAR

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Bert Markgraf is a freelance writer with a strong science and engineering background. He started writing technical papers while working as an engineer in the 1980s. More recently, after starting his own business in IT, he helped organize an online community for which he wrote and edited articles as managing editor, business and economics. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from McGill University.

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The installation of geothermal heating and cooling requires an interior heat pump and outside piping to collect the heat. For water source heat pumps, water from a well is piped to the heat pump and then injected into a second well or spilled into a creek or ditch. For ground source heat pumps, a water-based antifreeze mixture is pumped through pipes buried in the ground and circulated through the heat pump. Both types of heat pump require more ducting for forced-air heating than conventional furnaces.

Calculate the size of heat pump required. If you are replacing an existing furnace, it will have a Btu rating. If it is a new installation, a survey of the heat requirements of the house must be carried out. The heat pump will have either a Btu rating or it will have a coefficient of performance (COP) and an energy input in Btu. Multiply the energy input by the COP to get the heat output. Match the heat requirements of the house as closely as possible, taking into consideration that the heat requirements of a new house increase as insulation sags and door and window seals age.

Choose a ground source or water source heat pump by looking at the possibility of drilling wells or digging long, 6-foot-deep ditches in your area. Water source heat pumps require a well which will yield about 5 gallons per minute but a second well is often required to absorb this amount of water. Wells take up little space but are usually the more expensive option.

Ground source heat pumps use pipes buried deep in the ground as a heat source. Vertical shafts as for a well are an option if there is little space and no water. The least expensive solution is usually to bury piping 6 feet deep in the ground but this requires about half an acre of land and ground which can be excavated. One of these solutions will be the least expensive and most appropriate for your project.

Drill the well or vertical shafts or bury the ground source piping as per the heat pump manufacturer's instructions. Water source heat pumps have fewer specific requirements for the water circulating in and out of the heat pump but make sure the required volume is available. The water hardness is also important to minimize scaling.

The requirements for the ground source heat pump are more particular. Manufacturers will usually specify the water based mixture, the size and type of pipe, the spacing, the depth at which it must be buried and the back-fill procedure. Most home owners use qualified installers to carry out this work.

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Geothermal Heating & Cooling Installation | eHow