Causes Of Fires & Deaths In The Home

Do you know the cause of almost 17,000 fires and nearly 50 deaths every year?

The National Fire ProtectionAssociation says that in many of these cases, its lint.  Yes, that’s right, lint.  The leading factor contributing to ignition of these fires was failure to clean the lint.  It builds up in the dryer vents and begins backing up into the dryer causing overheating and eventually igniting. 

If you are like many busy people today, laundry is done in between many other chores and errands.  Some people find themselves putting clothes into the dryer and rushing out the door.  Often family pets are left at home without anybody realizing the hidden danger lurking inside of the dryer vent.  Don’t leave your family at risk.  Have your dryer vent cleaned. 

If you faithfully clean your lint trap, you may wonder why this is necessary.  Cleaning your lint trap every time you do a load of laundry isn’t enough.  It is recommended that you have your dryer vent cleaned at least once a year and more depending on certain factors like whether you have pets or wash a lot of fuzzy blankets and towels.

The better a dryer vent blows, the less lint builds up in it. Short vents blow better than long ones. Full size dryers blow better than smaller stack dryers or older dryers. Vents with a lot of turns and elbows blow worse and build up more lint.  Not only will cleaning your vent keep your home safe, but you’ll be improving the energy efficiency of your dryer too.

You’ve waited too long to clean your dryer vent if you can answer yes to any of these questions:

• Does it take longer to dry a load of towels than it used to?
• Does the top surface of the dryer get very hot when it is in use?
• Are you unaware of the last time your dryer vent was cleaned?
• Have you failed to have your dryer vent cleaned previously?

When your dryer runs at higher than designed temperatures, the life of your dryer decreases.  This can also lead to the heating element burning out or a fire could ignite as a result of overworked safety controls.  Don’t be one of the statistics.  Servco can have your dryer vent cleaned and have you worry free in no time.  Call Debbie at (541) 451-5090.

Hire Licensed Contractors!

When you want to do a project for your home and you realize you may need to hire someone to help you or to do the whole project, be sure you check out their qualifications on the Construction Contractors Board, or CCB website and make sure they are licensed and insured contractors.

In this economy, we all have resorted to cutting costs. There are many “Do-it-yourselfers” that are offering to help with odd jobs for money. Beware if you are having someone like this work on your property. In our industry, we are seeing the impact of these decisions for our customers. In one instance, an electrical problem was “fixed” by a handyman instead of an electrician. The wires were crossed to the water heater and it shorted out. The customer now had to replace the water heater. Another customer hired a person to work on the roof. No permit was taken out. The inspector caught the unauthorized work, so a fine was issued. And the roof leaked, causing damage to the carpet and drywall. Again, the amount of money saved was much less than the cost to repair the damage caused by shoddy, unlicensed work that was not inspected.

The CCB website, www.oregon.gov/ccb , where contractors are registered, both licensed and unlicensed. It is an excellent resource for checking on a contractor you have considered working with. They will let you know what licenses the contractor holds and how many complaints, if any, have been lodged against the contractor. It also shows whether the contractor has liability insurance, and workers compensation insurance. Hiring a contractor with insurance protects you in the event of a worker being injured on your property (falling or cutting themselves) and it protects you in the event something is damaged during the process of the work being done (for instance a tree trimmer accidently dropping a limb on a car).   

At Servco, we get permits when required. We welcome the inspectors to come to our job sites. We strive to develop a good working relationship with the inspectors in our area. We discuss changes to codes, how they will affect our work and when they are going to be implemented. This helps us to make sure that those changes are not a surprise to us or to our customers. We are also licensed, bonded and insured. This protects both our customers and us.

When The Power Is Out, GOT HEAT?

When a storm strikes without warning, you and your family are totally dependent on resources outside of your control to heat and light your home. Being independent enough to manage without electricity for a few days will give you a sense of security as well as allow you to relax and enjoy the company of the ones you love in an intimate, rustic setting. Call Servco to install a wood stove or a wood burning fireplace insert. Wood stoves & inserts are extremely simple and efficient, and will keep your entire home warm enough to be comfortable in. You can even cook or heat water on them. Transform that inefficient masonry fireplace with a wood burning insert and still enjoy the sights, sounds and scents of a wood burning fire. Enjoy the view through the large glass door.

This could be your living room! Give Servco a call today, (541)451-5090

 The Republic 1250i wood burning insert is clean, green and efficient. This wood burning insert can turn your old, inefficient open masonry fireplace into a great heat source for your home. The Republic 1250i insert is more than five times as efficient as an open fireplace and features a built-in convection chamber to circulate and distribute heat throughout your home. Republic inserts will provide your family with a reliable heat source - Even during power outages.

Servco Has Solar Water Heaters & Certified Technicians!

An ENERGY STAR qualified solar water heating system can cut your annual hot water costs in half, and is generally designed for use with an electric or gas back-up water heater.

Solar water heaters -- also called solar domestic hot water systems -- can be a cost-effective way to generate hot water for your home. They can be used in any climate, and the fuel they use -- sunshine -- is free.

Demonstrate your environmental leadership by voting with your wallet for renewable energy solutions. Purchase an ENERGY STAR qualified solar water heater for your home and enjoy these benefits:
Save money. By using sunshine to heat or preheat your water, you can cut your water heating bill in half. This means you can save $190 annually if you combine solar with a backup gas-storage water heater instead of using the gas water heater alone. If you have an electric tank water heater for back-up, you'll save about $250 each year on electricity bills. Large families with greater hot water needs can save even more.

 

 Invest in a better environment. Water heated by the sun just feels better. The purchase of a solar system can take about 10 years to pay for itself, but by taking advantage of Federal tax credits you can recoup the price premium more quickly. In the meantime, your investment will pay dividends for the environment. ENERGY STAR qualified solar water heaters can cut your carbon dioxide emissions in half. Installing a qualified solar water heater will reduce the load of your electric water heater by almost 2,500 kWh per year, preventing 4,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere annually. This is the equivalent of not driving your car for four months every year!


Long lifetime. The average life expectancy of qualified solar water heating systems is 20 years, much longer than standard gas or electric storage water heaters.

Call today for your free estimate! (541) 451-5090 or drop us an e-mail.
Lebanon Servco Inc. 1200 E Grant St. Lebanon, OR 97355 

Sunshine is free! Imagine using it to heat your water. ENERGY STAR qualified solar water heaters can cut your water heating bills in half and reduce your carbon footprint. Install a qualified solar water heater and start wearing your eco-consciousness on your roof!

Maintaining The Perfect Temperature

            Summer is still with us, but here in the great Northwest, especially in the Willamette Valley, its often short lived. This is the time you will want to spend outdoors enjoying whatever hobbies you like: hunting, fishing boating hiking, etc.   There are plenty of things to do in this beautiful state we live in.  It’s always nice after a long day outdoors in the hot summer heat to come inside to a nice cool house.

Air conditioning is a luxury that can be affordable to install.  With advances in technology, these systems can be very efficient to operate if installed and maintained properly.  There are many options to keep your home cool for the summer and warm in the winter, from geothermal units to ductless mini-split air-conditioners and heat pumps.  Our technology is advancing at a fast pace and these units are getting highly efficient, and that matters when the price of power seems to go up every year. If you decide to have an air conditioner or heat pump installed, be sure to ask about efficiency and what kind of warranty you are getting. There are many options.

If you already have an air conditioner, regular maintenance is the key to keeping it running properly.  Three basic things you can do as a homeowner to keep your system functioning properly are:

1)      Air filters: Change these regularly.  A plugged air filter will cause a restriction of airflow and can be the cause of many problems in the whole system if not cleaned or replaced on a regular basis.

2)      Your outdoor unit (That sometimes noisy piece of equipment sitting on the back side of the house): The coils of that unit need to be cleaned for it to operate at peak efficiency.  They can simply be washed with water or sprayed with a pressure washer to remove the debris that accumulates inside it.  A light cleanser can be used to remove more dirt.  The important thing is to improve airflow around the coils to allow them to work properly.

3)      The indoor unit: It also needs to be cleaned.  Vacuum the dust out of the unit and away from the gas valve or heat coils.

Remember to shut the unit down before cleaning it!  Don’t forget to call SERVCO at (541) 451-5090 if you have any questions or problems with your heating and cooling systems.  We are here to serve you!

Poor Air Quality Being Investigated

Poor Air Quality Being Investigated

Poor air quality causes a variety of problems for the human body. According to the EPA, these conditions range from eye, nose and throat irritation to headaches, dry cough, dry skin, nausea, and fatigue. Statistics for the last ten years show more than 3,000 people per year die of asthma related deaths(more than 8 people per day). Long-term contact with bad air has been proven to cause long-term damage to the body. The CDC has identified thousands of sick buildings throughout the United States, ranging from apartments to warehouses. These are buildings where many people become ill and the only link to the illness is the building.

In the workplace, sometimes indoor air quality can be questionable, and OSHA is beginning to look into what can be done to improve air quality to prevent some of the injuries being reported due to asthma or other air quality related diseases. These diseases are being called injuries if they could have been prevented by an employer.  Occupational asthma is the most commonly reported on-the-job injury in developed countries. There are over 200 identified allergens found commonly in workplace air. Limiting the quantity of these allergens in the air is important to reducing the impact on employees who suffer from Asthma.

The State of Oregon implemented a study to see how much fresh air is being provided to buildings and how that air is being provided. Schools and government offices were the buildings they had the most access to so that is where they started. They put CO2 detectors in rooms to see what happened throughout the day. Many room raise above acceptable limits in the afternoon when they have been filled to capacity for 6 hours or more. This could be why some people in these situations get very groggy in the afternoon, not life threatening but impacting body functions.

As a result of the preliminary findings of the study, Oregon Building Codes have adopted changes to bring fresh air into buildings. The Energy Trust is offering rebates for some commercial buildings to make these improvements. SERVCO is working with Energy Trust to make sure all of our commercial customers know about the new fresh air requirements and results of the studies done recently. 

Indoor air quality isn't just a concern at the workplace. 

Please click on all of the above links to learn more about poor indoor air quality and how it could affect you and your loved ones. If you have any questions, please contact Servco by e-mail or call us at (541) 451-5090.

One of America’s most serious environmental health problems

THE PROBLEM: Indoor air pollution is now considered by the EPA and Congress to be one of America’s most serious environmental health problems.Tightly sealed buildings and homes may be more energy efficient but can trap pollutants and microbes indoors causing allergies odors, mold, and illness.

THE SOLUTION: The Guardian Air Plug In by RGF has proven to drastically reduce odors, smoke, mold, fungi, VOCs (chemical odors) and bacteria found in many rooms. Airborne bacteria and mold reduction is normally in the 90+ percentile.

PROTECT YOUR LOVED ONES! Find out more at www.lebanonservco.com or give Dan a call at (541) 451-5090

  GOT DIRTY DUCTS?

The awful things that can get trapped in your home with indoor air pollution also lurk in your duct system. Don't forget to have those ducts cleaned. Save money on your whole home duct cleaning with sanitizer. Go here first:   www.lebanonservco.com

or call Debbie at Servco (541) 451-5090 to schedule a duct cleaning