Page 14, Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, September il, 1996 Heating a home safelyý ]By the Insurance Bureaiu of Canada One of the costly realitiei of Canadian winters IE heating our homes. In Canada, furnaces, fireplaces and Wood stoves are ai] tested by the Canadian Standardé Association before being sold. However, once. heating devices have been installed, it's up te the homeowner to follow a regular maintenance schedule te ensure continued safe operation. Furnaces should be serviced annually - a recommendation of which many home owners are not aware. An annual furnace check-up will keep the furnace operating efficiently -- savmng you money and preventing breakdowns, in the middle of a cold night. It wiIl also reduce the risk of carbon monoidde poisoning; te reduce this risk even fiirther, instali a carbon monoide sensor. The homeowner should also get te "kcnow" their furnace. The filter needs te be changed regularly. Watch out for things like rusted and loose Parts, or other signs of deterioration such as water stains or leakage. Notify a service technician of any problems 1imrnediateIy. Natural' gas furnaces require checks of the outside gas meter and pressure regulator. Ice build-up or drifting snow can interfere with the regulator, interrupting gas service and shutting down the furnace. Flammable substances- including paints and other u household and gardenini chemicals should neyer lx s8 stored in the furnace room. se Woodsteves offer their owz n challenges, beginning witl 5the purvhaser's expectations ofa the steve. Don't buy a Ssteve desianed for back-uw iwarmth when it's fuli: intended as the principal 9 source of heat. And pay close attention te propez iinstallation. Along with- government regulations, each steve has !ts own specific regulations for clearance from walls and ceiling. A certified steve wiil list the clearances on a nameplato on the back of the steve. Once safelY installed, oerefree operation depends a great deal on what's burned in the steve, and this goes for fireplaces, too. Choose wood that's'been aplit, dried and 0seasoned' for six te 12 montha. Creosote - a tar-like substance - builds up in the flue and chimney more quickly, creating a fire hazard, when unseasoned Wood is used. Even under normal operations,' creosote builde UP and should be removed. during an annual chimney cleaning and inspection. If you burn more that three te four cordo ai wood per year in the wood steve, a once-per- year check-up and cleaning isn't enough - twice is much Iiyour>steve Or fireplaoeis operating properly, smoke should be carried upward and out af your home by the chimney. If not there may be inadequate venting, a The tide is turning and our prices are at an ail time low, so hurry ove r and Save before these great deals get swept away! e SELF CLEANING CANISTER * 30 Pt. HÃ"0-SEe -ONIOFF SWfTCH e4 ATTACHMENTS Hwy 2 < VACUUMS FOR LESSI' 1w2 SHWY401, AJAX.PICKERING 29 HARWODAV, ., MOBILE 375 KInqston Rd. (between Hwy 2 &,401 )1 'on H"y 2 a Rougemont) 428»1659w 509-3622l 'I WE'RE MOWING DOWN the competition by offering $100 for your aid worn-out mower when you buy a Tara® Super Recycler" Mower or $50 for a Recycler® Mower! We ve aiso trimmed $150 off our aiready iow Tara Wheei Horse' Lawn Tractor prices! e WE'RE BLOW1NG AWAY customers with our special iow price of $99 for a Taro Super Biower Vac®! Ask o joecil finncing- WE'RE TNROVWING ASIDE our officiai, efrred monthly pymen tsl* price book. a-nd. offeriýng terrific présec s on sovings of $100 on Tara 2-st ge now hro ersand $50 on si n l-sta ge m ode s. NURRY! SALE ENDSSPTME15 1996- IF SUPPLIES LW.i i!2. &C SALLE NG iINE SALES * SERVICE,* PARTS [11 227,Taunton Rd.. .263-8469. 436-1386 19blockage ln -the chimney, dr le an unsuflicientîy hot fire (i.e.' as a result of burning'green' n Wood). If the problems h persist a professional needs a te diagnose and correct the R Problems because. they are poften a sympten of a IY potentially dangerous il situation. ie However you heat Your rhome, proper maintenance of yourfurnace, Wood steve and bt firePlaceis the key toa safe ,sand cozy winter. ENERGY-SAVNGS, Home Heating sDid you know that a one-quarter-inch gap along the bottom of a door is like having, a gaping nine-square-inch hole ini Your wall? Keep heat inside by weather stripping around doors and caulkcing around windows. * Install - an ---energy- saving- thermostat that allows you to turn. the heat down at night and time it te automaticalîy -turn back up again in the morning. *ý Insulate your attic te prevent heatingl'lsfro gôingthroughï the roof. a Talk 'te your Consumers OGas -author- ized dealer about zone heating, using .you r natural gas, fireplace te supplement your home heating. Sourcoe Consizmer ua