Alpine Climate Control, Inc.
Your home and small business service specialist.
Happy New Year from Alpine!

Well the cold weather has definitely hit and winter has begun.  Our heating systems are working their hardest this time of year and safety always comes to my mind.  I encourage every homeowner that has fuel burning appliances in their home to also have a carbon monoxide detector.  Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of the combustion process, it is a colorless and odorless gas that may cause headaches, drowsiness and death.  When your gas appliances work correctly the carbon monoxide is carried outside in the flue.  Here are situations where we find carbon monoxide in the home.
  1. Furnace heat exchangers that are rusted / cracked
  2. Metal flues that are rusted / disconnected / improperly sloped
  3. Lack of combustion air.  Several years ago, my sister in law and her husband remodeled their home in Denver and installed new kitchen equipment, they love to cook.  She passed out in her home from carbon monoxide poisoning and had to be taken to the hospital.  She recovered but it scared us all.  What happened is her new range hood exhausted a large amount of air from the home when it was in operation and they did not have adequate combustion air in their mechanical room.  So the range hood pulled air into the home threw the furnace and water heater flues, then when the water heater and furnace turned on all the flue gases came into the home.  This is called back drafting.
These are very real situations that happen every winter.  A carbon monoxide detector is cheap insurance that will provide you piece of mind.  Our newsletter special this month is on our carbon monoxide detector.  So cross that off your list then focus on enjoying the holidays with family and friends! 

Bob Gates
Heating Your Garage or Shop

In the winter it is nice to have a shop to work in and it is even better when it is comfortable.  There are a number of different types of heaters that can be used to heat your garage or shop.  This month I want to review your options and provide some pro's and con's. 

Unit Heaters - These hanging heaters utilize a fan to move and heat the air.  There are models for natural gas or propane as well as electric models.  Unit heaters are less expensive than radiant heaters and are available in sealed combustion models.  These are great for garages or warehouses where you want to maintain a constant temperature.  www.lennox.com/products/heating-cooling/garage-heaters 

Radiant Tube Heaters - These gas fired heaters heat a long tube that is surrounded by reflectors.  Radiant heaters heat objects like the sun.  So they warm the concrete floor, tools and you.  This provides a few advantages; the space is heated quicker and by heating the objects it is more comfortable and if you need to open the shop door the heat recovers quickly because the heat is in the objects not just the air.  These heaters are more expensive than unit heaters and can take more time to install.  They are available in sealed combustion models.  Ceiling height is important for clearances above what it heats, so that needs to be checked out.  These are great for shops that you work in because they are more comfortable.   www.reznorhvac.com/en/na/gas-radiant

Pellet Stoves - If you don't have or want to use gas and you don't need the space to be heated 24/7 then a pellet stove can be an option for smaller shops.  They can vent out the side wall or the roof and can run for hours without needing tending.  It can take hours to get the shop heated from scratch and pellet stoves will require cleaning.  A stove will need to be installed on a pedestal so it is at least 18" off the floor.  http://enviro.com/products/catalogue/?f=Pellet&t=FS 

Wood Stoves - Same concept as pellet stoves but larger models can heat a bigger shop.  It will require more tending and the flue needs to go through the roof.  www.lopistoves.com/productselect.aspx?fuel=wood-stove 

Infloor Heating - if you building a new shop, infloor is an option.  This works by circulating hot water threw tubing in the concrete floor.  This is radiant heat so it heats objects and is very comfortable to work in.  It's disadvantage is that it is slow to respond so it is best for a space you intend to keep a constant temperature. 

Sealed Combustion - if you have a wood working shop and create a lot of sawdust, you will want a sealed combustion heater.  These heaters do not have an open flame.

Well, I hope that helps.  We are happy to discuss or look at your shop and there is no charge for our consultations and quotes.
Click to make an appointment for a free proposal on new heating equipment.
January SPECIALS

$25 Carbon Monoxide Detector
 

Staff Pick - Favorite Activity in the Sheridan Area
Scott Campbell joined Alpine in 2012 as an installer. Scott graduated from the Lennox Build-a-Tech program later that year, and has been serving customers as a technician ever since.

Scott loves to snow machine and snowboard in the Bighorns, and can't wait for Antelope Butte to reopen! 

If you enjoy snowboarding like Scott, you can still enjoy this activity practically in your own backyard at Meadowlark Ski Lodge. For information on times, conditions, rentals, and more, check out Meadowlark's website.

Additionally, if you want to try out snow machining there are a couple of great places in the Bighorns that offer snow machine rentals: