Gas-powered furnaces are extremely efficient and reliable sources of heat. Some homeowners worry about the safety of these appliances, but the truth is that today’s are built with much better technology that significantly reduces the risk of gas leaks and similar problems. However, one component of your furnace that you do need to be aware of is the heat exchanger. Cracks along this component are a concern and require the immediate attention of a professional, such as any member of our team.

The heat exchanger’s role is to collect the hot combustion gas from the burner and transfer the heat to its metal walls, where it transfers to the current of air from the blower. This keeps fumes from the combustion gas away from the air that moves into the ventilation system, reducing your exposure to said fumes. Once the combustion gas cools, then it vents out of the heat exchange and safely up the exhaust flue, and out of your home.

Gas furnaces do not use water, but corrosion and rust can still occur. This is because they are a natural reaction between metal and combustion gas. When corrosion begins to form on an aging furnace, it’s usually a sign that it’s time to start thinking about a replacement. However, if your furnace is on the newer side, then you could have a problem with proper exhaust venting, which can cause corrosion on the exchanger—weakening it until it cracks.

What happens when your heat exchanger cracks? Well, it will start to leak combustion gas into the furnace cabinet, and this is where the danger lies when using a gas furnace. Carbon monoxide gas has a high toxicity and potential to make you and your family very ill. To be on the safe side, if you see any signs of corrosion on your furnace whatsoever, it is best to call in our professionals for inspection.

Is it just a coincidence, or was the script written? She was pretty enough to be a Beverly Hills model, but that was not ever in her plans. I met Daisy when she was barely six months old, precocious little thing with a jolly smile and big blue eyes. I remember seeing her face light up one day as I turned on a table lamp. Deciding to have some fun, I turned it off and back on a few times as she giggled with each event as though it was major. She was fascinated by this activity; she never got bored with this phenomenon that we all took for granted. It really was not that surprising to hear her first words at nine months of age when she pointed to a light that had been flicked on and said with certainty, “Ders de light!”

Most of us live our lives using up electricity without a thought, but then there are those like Daisy, who want to know everything about it. Light bulbs, surge protectors and electrical tools grabbed her attention faster than any toy. One day a local electrician in Beverly Hills spent the day adding some outdoor lighting and new electrical circuits, and even though she was only 3, she followed him around, mesmerized by his work. At age 5, all she wanted for Christmas was a kit that would allow her to build an electrical generator of her very own. When she was 8 years old, she had a sign on her bedroom door that read: DAISY: Electrician Beverly Hills CA.

When she needed to write an essay in Junior High, she jumped at the chance to tell everyone why you should not put metal objects in your microwave. She thoroughly covered how it could prevent the food from heating properly and it might also cause electrical sparks. Her next piece was an overview detailing the benefits of whole house surge protectors. She knew something that every Beverly Hills electrician knew, which was that when an electrical surge hits your home, those little surge protectors are nowhere near as effective. A whole house surge protector even protects cable and telephone lines. When it came to anything electrical, Daisy knew her stuff, including all about Thomas Edison’s influence over the world of electricity and another little known “electrical wizard,” Nikola Tesla, who is considered the “father of modern radio.” Those two were her idols.

Career day in high school gave her the opportunity to visit a company in Beverly Hills called The Electric Connection. A dream come true, she was able to accompany a real live Beverly Hills electrician as he did electrical bids for new recessed lighting, a smoke detector installation, an electrical spa hook up, a ceiling fan installation, an electrical panel upgrade, a house rewire and a lot of electrical troubleshooting. He was so impressed with her knowledge that at the end of the day, he gave her a commendation diploma, reminiscent of that sign on her door and confirming her position: Honorary Electrician, Beverly Hills.

Daisy went on to pursue her science interests in college, get her PHD in nuclear physics and work for a large corporation until just recently. Now she stays home teaching her two kids how to follow their passion, whatever it is. She still uses electricians in Beverly Hills, and looks forward to having a spark ignited between like minds as she carries on stimulating conversations concerning custom lighting or panel upgrades. She hires Beverly Hills electricians mostly for the conversation because one thing is for sure – she can do almost anything when it comes to electricity.

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The ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Award. Sea Gull Lighting’s focus remains on delivering on-trend, high quality lighting products with unparalleled customer service and best-in-class availability. For almost 100 years, they have built strong relationships and earned a reputation among channel partners, builders, contractors and homeowners to be among the very best. Sea Gull Lighting looks forward to the evolving business landscape, and with its continued commitment to serve, and to listen and learn from its valued customers, is poised for success as it soon enters its second century of operation.

One of the hardest parts of electrical work is accessibility. In some situations, adding a new outlet or replace old wiring can require nearly tearing your walls apart. There is a solution, however: Open building can make things easier by focusing on flexibility, ease of access and disentanglement of systems. If you’re building, renovating or putting an addition on your home, try incorporating open building principles to make it simple to change or upgrade your electrical system.

Total Flexibility

The big picture when it comes to open building is to keep the support structure of the house separate from the interior fill-out. This construction style also keeps wall spaces accessible and strives toward total flexibility. After all, chances are you'll have to replace one or more of your internal systems before you need to rebuild the whole house.

That means infill systems like your wiring are separated from others like plumbing and insulation so it's not difficult to access and remove them. So if you need to remove outdated wireing, add new circuits or upgrade your whole system to comply with local code, there's no need to gut your house. Instead, you remove some panels, install the electrical with no fuss and pop the panels back into place. No need to break through drywall or struggle with ducts and pipes that are in the way.

Rational Form of Design

The open building concept is being driven by the Open Prototype, a collaboration between MIT and Bensonwood Homes to build and test various models for open building principles.

“The simple act of disentangling the wiring from the structure and insulation layer allows you to upgrade, change, or replace a 20-year-lifespan electrical system when new technology arises without affecting a 300-year structure,” Bensonwood Homes founder Tedd Benson said to Ecobuilding Pulse. “Open Building provides a more rational form of design and construction that supports long-term sustainability for buildings with increased shell longevity, and more control and flexibility for the homeowner.”

The idea is to ensure that the home of today is ready to adapt to the needs of the tomorrow's homeowners. “We can’t predict what people will need and want in their living environment,” Benson said. “Open Building principles respond to occupants’ changing needs rather than force the occupants to conform to a preconceived design.