Comfort Zone. Smart Ways. The. Winter's Coming. We re all about heating, air conditioning and comfort! to be ready, safe, and save.

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1 The Comfort Zone Fall 2015 Vol. XXIX No.2 We re all about heating, air conditioning and comfort! Winter's Coming 7 to be ready, safe, and save. In this issue: Smart Ways How standby generators keep you warm, safe, and powered up A service plan delivers peace of mind and protection Test your furnace today and be ready when you need it Answers to the questions you ask us most Your home s electrical safety and performance checklist Isaac in our communities Our fall heating special and more coupon savings

2 Reduce ice dams and icicles Common causes: Poor ventilation and insulation in attic. Solutions: Have a trained professional examine your home s insulation R-values, air sealing efficiency, and ventilation. You can have this exam, and many more valuable tests, completed at no cost when you ask us for a free Isaac Home Energy Audit. Stop pipes from freezing and bursting Common causes: Cold air infiltration, pipes in unheated crawl spaces or basement areas. Solutions: Add pipe wrap from a home center or hardware store yourself; for a more complete review and problem discovery, have your heating contractor come in to investigate, find, and resolve issues Even the heating throughout your home Common causes: Lack of proper duct damper settings, poor duct design, cold air infiltration, covered vents. Solutions: A great place to start is with heating duct damper adjustments. Your ideal positions for winter and summer heating and A/C will likely be different. Use a magic marker to note winter and summer settings once, and you can make the switchover twice a year in minutes. Make sure your heating supply and return vents are open and not blocked by furniture, draperies, or other obstructions. A secondary heating source is sometimes necessary for problem rooms. Other problems can be related to insulation, air sealing, and air circulation. Feel free to ask us about products like zoning systems that even out the heating and cooling. Put an end to drafts Common causes: Poor air sealing, old and cracked weather stripping, windows not completely closed. Solutions: Examine the weather sealing around doors and windows. If old and diminished, effectiveness will be lost so replace it. Make sure all windows are closed and locked. Winter s Coming Preventing Problems: What you and the professionals can do right now. Only the heartiest skiers and roof shovelers hope for a repeat of last winter. Even if you are one of those, you ll still want to get your home ready to handle winter with warmth, safety, and comfort. Here s a list of seven things you or a professional heating contractor can complete to winterize your home and prevent the kinds of problems that were so prevalent last year Protect your air conditioning system Common causes: Snow and debris get into the outdoor unit of A/C systems. Solutions: Cover only the top of your outdoor compressor, not the sides. A piece of plywood cut to size works well. If you cover the sides, moisture will be retained and can corrode your system. Keep vents and flues free of snow and ice Common causes: Snow and ice clog intake and exhaust vents in winter. Solutions: Check weekly and after storm events and clear away any snow or ice. Important for any heating systems with through-the-wall venting. Ice or snow can impede airflow and cause the system to be less efficient or even shut down. Have your programmable thermostat ready for the heating season Common causes: Thermostat still set for summer and A/C or not operating automatically. Solutions: Change settings from cooling to heating, and adjust times and temps appropriately for the winter months. Finally, as we said, a no cost, no-obligation Isaac Home Energy Performance Whole House Audit takes a look at your entire home s energy use, from appliances to heating to insulation and beyond. It s comprehensive and free. (A $400 value at no cost to you as it is funded by New York State rebates.) And we ll give you a report showing what improvements you can make, what they would cost, and the payback/return on investment for each. Then you know what to do first to make life more comfortable and less expensive. Ask your local Isaac office for details. This Article compiled and written by: Domenic DeLeo, Home Energy Performance Manager. His team won the Department of Energy s Housing Innovation Award for Leadership in

3 Technology Simplified Standby Generators: An important part of your home energy system Why do you need a standby generator? Here are 10 important reasons why and advantages. 1 Power all or just a portion of your home during an outage choose selected circuits and equipment, or every electrical aspect 2 Today s smart generators sense when the power goes off and start up (and then shut off) automatically 3 Protect your home from frozen pipes and other issues while keeping your family comfortable and safe 4 Eliminate issues and hassles of using portable, manual-start generators 5 Generators are available that are powered by natural gas or propane 6 Guard against dangerous power surges when electricity goes off and on 7 Get fail-safe assurance for family members with critical life support equipment such as ventilators or oxygen generators 8 Never lose the contents of your refrigerator and freezer again 9 Safeguard your home when you re away from home 10 Eliminate sump pump worries and prevent a flooded basement A Service Plan Delivers peace of mind, protection, and savings! With Gold Seal protection from Isaac, the advantages quickly add up: Yearly precision tune-up, safety inspection, and cleaning 100% coverage of service call charges and most parts and labor No overtime charges 24/7 priority service With a Gold Seal plan, you guard against surprise expenses, know your furnace is running at peak efficiency, and have greater assurance that your family and home will be warm, comfortable, and safe this winter. Ask your local Isaac office about Gold Seal protection and other service plan options. Test Your Heating System Now! Each year, we receive many calls on the first really cold day for furnace problems. By testing your system now and ensuring that it is ready for winter, you can avoid chilly indoor temperatures and be completely ready for whatever cold weather is to come. And if your furnace doesn t respond or needs help, give your local Isaac office a call sooner rather than later. 2

4 Q A Q A Q A Q A 1. Do I really need to clean and tune my heating system every year? Short answer: yes. Reasons why: A lot can happen in one year deteriorating components, debris on burners, build-up in exhaust vents and flues, etc. Newer furnaces have sophisticated equipment that needs to be tuned regularly A precision tune-up, cleaning and safety inspection provides peace of mind and helps ensure safe operation for you and your family Your service tech can catch issues before they become costly problems Changing filters will improve efficiency, air flow, and reduce allergens When tuned properly, your system will operate at its highest efficiency to save money 2. How long will my equipment last? Water heaters: 9 to 11 years Furnaces: 16 to 18 years Central air: 15 to 18 years Of course, these are averages so longer (and shorter) useful equipment lives are possible. Proper maintenance of your systems will extend their life cycle and ensure efficient operation. 3. Why doesn t our heating or A/C system keep our entire house evenly warm or cool? There are common culprits here, and a home energy audit can provide definitive answers. (See page 1) Very often we find that, in forced air systems, the ductwork is not properly adjusted or insulated. There are dampers on ducts that can easily be adjusted, but your winter settings should probably be different than your summer ones. (See page 1 for more.) Improper insulation levels and air loss and infiltration also make some areas colder or warmer than others. 4. How do I know what system to buy? You can only know for sure when a knowledgeable HVAC professional visits your home, takes a thorough look, and asks you the right questions. You need an analysis that reviews your needs, house, and energy bills and considers all the key criteria. Your contractor should discuss: All the different options and solutions Pros and cons of each potential system Differences in cost and payback time frame Anticipated comfort levels and other key factors The size of your home including a heat loss/gain calculation that determines the necessary size of equipment To create the best, personalized solution for your home, your contractor needs all the right answers. This is how we approach every home comfort project at Isaac. Answers to your most common FAQs This Article compiled and written by: Joe Kruger, Isaac VP of Sales and Marketing, who has over 30 years experience in the heating and A/C industry. 3

5 Electrical safety and performance checklist he marter onsumer Electricity is serious stuff, of course. But there are a number of items you can check to ensure electrical safety at home. And other sensible projects that only a licensed electrician should tackle. Here are two checklists to review. YOUR home electrical safety checklist: Eliminate power strips There are two places to plug in on each outlet. That s a hint! Overloading can create electrical and fire hazards. When you must use an extension cord, make sure it s rated properly Extension cords have ratings for amps/watts. If you re running a 1,500-watt space heater, you don t want to use a cord that isn t rated for that purpose, as just one example. Make sure there isn t pressure on electrical cords Let s say you have a lamp cord that gets caught under the wheels of a bed frame. As the frame moves and pressure is put on and off, this cord can short out and could cause a fire. Don t set foot in a flooded basement There may be electrical current running through that water. If you step in and the water is acting as a ground, you could be shocked. Or worse. Close openings in breaker boxes Sometimes a circuit is removed and the space it occupied remains open. If any arcing occurs in the box, this opening adds more oxygen to the mix and can help a fire grow more quickly. You can buy plastic breaker inserts at a hardware store or home center and safely pop these in yourself. Call Dig Safely NY before undertaking any digging projects If you, or a contractor, are going to dig on your property, dial for Dig Safely NY. They will scan for and mark utility lines after you complete a request form. Website: digsafelyny.com. Call your local utility for downed lines and tree issues Just like your mother said, never touch a downed utility line. Or if you have tree branches that could fall or interfere with lines, call your local utility. Your home safety checklist for your ELECTRICIAN: Add outlets New homes usually have an outlet every six feet. An older home may have one outlet per room! It s a safer, inexpensive approach to add more. Update electrical service amperage 200-amp electrical service has been the standard for 20 years. Most insurance companies won t underwrite a home today with less than 100-amp service. Way back in the day, 60-amp service was the standard. If you haven t upgraded, you may be overloading circuits, causing breakers to activate, and creating safety issues. Make sure you have one main, modern panel box Sometimes small sub-panel boxes have been added to an electrical system. Often they are not installed properly, and simply grafted on to the existing service without adding greater capacity. This doesn t meet code and could cause a fire or electrical outage. Ensure that circuit breakers match demand You ll note 15- and 20-amp circuits on your board. Do they match up with the appliances and devices you have installed and plugged in? If your breakers are tripping, it s time to call the electrician. Fix any loose wires in panel boxes Over time, or when wires are improperly doubled up, wires in your panel box can come loose. Again, a potentially serious fire hazard can occur. HOME SERVICES FROM ISAAC ELECTRICAL As one of an array of home services, Isaac now offers licensed electrical service for your home, handling projects like the ones listed here and many others. Our electricians are experienced and we re always happy to provide an estimate. It s electrical service delivered with the quality you expect from Isaac. We are also now offering a FREE complete home electrical inspection. See the coupon page at the back for details. 4

6 We love and support the places where we work and live At Isaac, we believe in giving back to the communities where we live and work. Here are just a few recent great causes we are proud to have been part of and recognitions we wanted to share. Jim Isaac, former CEO of Isaac Heating & Air Conditioning Jim Isaac honored with 78th Annual Rochester Rotary Award James B. (Jim) Isaac, second-generation president of Isaac, was recently recognized with the oldest civic award given in Rochester: the Rochester Rotary Award. This 78th annual award commemorated Jim s 30+ years of dedicated service to Rotary, as well as the countless hours and monetary donations he has made to many worthy and non-profit causes in our community, including nearly three decades of hands-on service to Habitat for Humanity. The award could not have been given to a more deserving and humble man who lives to give. Isaac selected as a best company to work for in NYS The New York State Society of Human Resource Management named Isaac one of the Best Companies to Work for in the state in the large employer category. We were one of just 25 companies cited in the 250+ employee tier. The recognition is based on a survey of employee engagement and satisfaction, and we re proud that our people enjoy working here so much that we were awarded. Isaac receives BBB Torch Award for Marketplace Excellence The Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York has named Isaac a recipient of their Torch Award for Marketplace Excellence. The award recognizes businesses that demonstrate the highest standards of leadership, integrity, character, and commitment to ethical practices. This is the highest recognition given by the UBBB, and it is an honor to be chosen. 5

7 Seasona Savings Seasonal Savings from Isaac Free Home Electrical Inspection * Isaac Home Services offers complete residential electrical expertise by licensed electricians. We ll completely examine your home s electrical system for safety and performance and provide a detailed report and recommendations at NO COST with NO OBLIGATION. Call your local Isaac office today to make your appointment! *Certain terms and conditions apply. Please ask your local Isaac office for complete details. FREE Home Electrical Inspection Isaac Home Services offers complete residential electrical expertise by licensed electricians. We ll completely examine your home s electrical system for safety and performance and provide a detailed report and recommendations at NO COST with NO OBLIGATION. Call your local Isaac office to make your appointment. $150 OFF A Standby Generator Get protection and peace of mind. Get $150 off the standard installed price on any home standby generator. Prior sales excluded. Ask for complete details. *Certain terms and conditions apply. Please ask your local Isaac office for complete details. Coupon savings expires 12/31/2015 Coupon savings expires 12/31/2015 $250 OFF Attic Insulation and Air Sealing Save on energy costs and add comfort all year round. Save $250 on complete insulation/air sealing solution from Isaac. Prior sales excluded. Ask for complete details. $75 OFF Duct Cleaning with Sanitizing Breathe easier and help allergy sufferers now. Save $75 on Isaac duct cleaning with sanitizing. Prior sales excluded. Ask for complete details. Coupon savings expires 12/31/2015 Coupon savings expires 12/31/2015 6

8 50 Holleder Parkway Rochester, NY Isaac Makes It Easy to Save Big! High-Efficiency Furnace Just $99/month * The Isaac Makes It Easy Fall Furnace Offer keeps you warm and comfortable all winter long. Plus you ll save on energy costs now and for years to come, thanks to your new Rheem high-efficiency furnace. Just $99/mo. for 36 months NO interest charges Installation by Isaac s expert technicians Easy ordering, scheduling, and installation R95PA Standard 95% efficient gas furnace Call your local Isaac office today because this offer ends November 21, *Certain terms and conditions apply. Please ask your local Isaac office for complete details Since Locations To Serve You! 4 1 Rochester (585) Avon (585) Syracuse (315) Twin Tiers (607) Canandaigua (585) Dansville (585) Or visit us at IsaacHeating.com