Start the New Year off Right

During the December holiday season we tend to get lost in hustle and bustle of the season.  But with December’s celebrations the New Year looms. The New Year is the perfect time to check a few things around your house.

 

The first thing you should check is your furnace filters. A clogged or dirty air filter is a detriment to your heating and air conditioning system and your health; therefore it’s well worth what little time it takes to make sure the filter is clean all year round. With a little planning and forethought, you can keep your HVAC system working as efficiently as possible while decreasing your electric bill, reducing allergy and asthma symptoms, and keeping you cool and comfortable during those hot summer days and warm and cozy all winter long.

 

The second thing is your smoke detector batteries. In standard type battery powered smoke alarms, the batteries need to be replaced at least once per year and the whole unit should be replaced every 8-10 years.

 

The last thing you should replace is your water filters on your tap water and in your refrigerator.  There are quite a few benefits to changing your water filter. Changing your water filter more frequently will help avoid cloudy ice, a funny-taste, unpleasant odor, discoloration and floating particles. It can also save you from expensive repairs to water fixtures, because ineffective filters allow sediment build-up causing fittings to break, fixtures to leak and reduced water pressure. Not changing your filter frequently enough can also result in “filtered” water containing more bacteria than the original water source. Water contaminants can be trapped in the filter, resulting in bacteria growth.

 

Have a safe and Joyous holiday season and remember, if you need emergency service during the season, our staff is here and waiting to help you. A Blessed Holiday and a Happy New Year  from our family to yours.

What is Energy Star?

Over the holidays many of you will receive new appliances for your home. One of the things you will see when you are shopping is the Energy Star Rating. We have many people ask us what this is, so we thought we would explain it to you.

 

ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.

 

ENERGY STAR products are the same or better than standard products, only they use less energy. To earn the ENERGY STAR, the appliance must meet strict energy efficiency criteria set by the US Environmental Protection Agency or the US Department of Energy. Since they use less energy, these products save you money on your electricity bill and help protect the environment by causing fewer harmful emissions from power plants. And you get the features and quality you expect.

Thankful and Here to Serve

What a year it has been in our country. A hard fought election, natural disasters and many facing personal hardships. However, we still have so much to be thankful for this holiday season. We know that each person and business has different things to be thankful for.  Family, friends, jobs and babies are all things we each have to rejoice in.

One of the things we are thankful for is You, our customer. Without you we would not have the business we have today. So, this holiday season we want to take a moment and say “Thank You”, and we trust that in the year to come we will have a chance to serve you.

Choosing a New Furnace

Choosing a new furnace is not like choosing a President.  In light of this week’s election, we would like to share with you how to “elect” a new furnace for your home. When replacing or installing a new furnace, it is important to consider the energy efficiency. The efficiency of a gas or oil furnace is determined by its AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) – the oil or gas furnace's efficiency in converting fuel to energy. The higher the AFUE, the more energy efficient the furnace is and the more money you can save on your heating bills.

For example, a gas furnace with an 80% AFUE rating means for every dollar spent on heat energy, 80 cents goes toward heating your home. Meanwhile, a gas or oil furnace with a 95% AFUE rating means that 95 cents of every $1.00 goes toward heating your home. Therefore, installing a furnace with a 95% AFUE is more energy efficient and wastes less energy than a new furnace with an 80% AFUE. Contact us today for your new energy efficient furnace!

Furnace Installation

If you need a new furnace installed, look no further than our furnace services! We will install your furnace correctly the first time causing minimal disruption to your home’s heating. If you’re not sure what you need, we can help you choose the best kind of furnace for your home.  We will have your new furnace up and running in no time! Call us today to set up your furnace installation appointment.

Furnace Service

If you’ve had your furnace for several years and it isn’t running well anymore, call us for a furnace service! We’ll come inspect your current furnace to see if a furnace replacement is the best option for your home. If it is, our furnace service experts will install it in no time so you can make your home comfortable again! If your furnace can be repaired, we will provide you with an estimate and complete the job to your satisfaction!

TACOMA POWER DUCTLESS HEAT PUMP CONSERVATION PROGRAM

NArrows heating is proud to patner with tacoma power on their

ductless heat pump rebate program.

DUCTLESS HEAT PUMPS:

Save energy; save money with a new ductless heat pump.

Tacoma Power offers rebates and loans to help you heat and cool your home with a ductless heat pump.

You can get an $800 rebate or a seven-year, zero-interest loantoward the cost of a ductless heat pump and basic installation. Income-qualified customers may be eligible for a grant that pays for the whole thing.

Why ductless? 
A ductless heat pump can replace, or significantly reduce the need for, electric baseboard and wall heaters. A ductless heat pump can help you in these ways:

1. Uses up to 50% less energy and operates at a fraction of the cost.
2. Doesn’t require a duct system, so your home needs only one for heating and cooling.
3. Distributes air evenly to keep the temperature uniform.
4. You may not need to use baseboard or wall heaters as often in outlying rooms, such as bedrooms, which will save money.
5. Participating contractors will ensure your heat pump is correctly installed and help with the paperwork.

Check out a ductless heat pump display in the Tacoma Public Utilities lobby or a working unit at the EnviroHouse, 3510 S. Mullen St., Tacoma.

ELIGIBILITY

You can participate in the ductless heat pump program if:

• You are a Tacoma Power customer.
• You install the ductless heat pump in a single-family home that is at least one year old. New construction, multi-family and manufactured homes are ineligible.
• The home has baseboard heating, Cadet/wall heaters or other electric heat system for primary heat. Homes with central forced air, hydronic or ducted heat pump system are ineligible.

Download the program form for additional requirements. Call (253) 502-8377 for more info.

HOW IT WORKS

Learn how a ductless heat pump works.

Save More Spend Less

It's easy to get shocked with a big energy bill during the cold winter months. There are a number of steps that can be taken to help keep those costs down to improve heating efficiency. Although some steps may require the assistance of us here at Narrow’s, many others can be done easily and quickly by any do-it-yourselfer.

Your home's heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system is the most obvious place to start, since this is probably the largest power draw, and the greatest source of energy loss as well. Get your HVAC systems serviced regularly and change the filters on your heating unit. A dirty filter can dramatically decrease heating efficiency, yet it only costs a few dollars and takes only a few minutes to replace. Our experts here can help you in determining what filter you may need. Feel free to call us!

Sealing your duct system is also an easy way to save energy. A duct system that has leaks will take in unheated air and blow it into your home. Seal the leaks with duct mastic, instead of duct tape. The attic is also a common source of drafts, so you should make sure to seal the air spaces in the attic. Holes or tunnels for plumbing or wiring, if left open, may cause cold air to move inside the walls throughout the entire house.

By doing these two things you can decrease the amount of energy you use and in turn decrease your costs! If you have questions please call us and we will help you in any way we can.

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