10) Not replacing batteries: This first one is kind of a lay-up. Lets begin with it before we delve further into scary potential issues of HVAC equipment. Here I am referring to power to the thermostat. Most of them out there today are some form of digital and programmable styles which have illuminated screens displaying information such as mode, time and temperature. The display might be hooked up by C (common wire) directly to your furnace. Other thermostats require two AA batteries. If battery operated, some units signal when power is low, others do not. If you cannot remember the last time you have changed batteries, go ahead and do it now.

9) Power outages: As we move through the seasons we are up against constant weather changes. In short time we are often transi-tioning from nasty thunderstorms to poten-tial deep freezes. That can mean unwelcome power outages. During those events we neednt worry if we are lucky enough to have on demand stand-by power from a back-up generator. If not, there are a few things to keep in mind. Dont use propane or gas powered space heaters indoors. Do not heat your house with your oven. If you do make a fire in your fireplace, ensure the flue is drafting properly. Go a step further and crack open a window ever so slightly near the fireplace to help with the drafting if yours does not have its own fresh air vent. After the return of primary power, if youre still experiencing problems, check that no circuit breakers were tripped by the restoration surges which often occur.

8) Humidity levels: Low humidity levels during extreme weather are not only bad for

Important & Unique Dates:1st World Vegetarian Day

2nd National Custodial Worker Day3rd Techies Day4th National Golf Day

Oktoberfest in Germany ends5th World Teachers Day

Do Something Nice Day9th Leif Erikson Day

Fire Prevention Day12th Columbus Day14th Emergency Nurses Day16th Bosss Day17th Sweetest Day18th No Beard Day19th Evaluate Your Life Day20th Brandied Fruit Day21st Babbling Day24th Make a Difference Day25th Mother-In-Law Day27th National Tell a Story Day

Navy Day29th National Frankenstein Day30th National Candy Corn Day31st Halloween

Monthly Awareness: Adopt a Shelter Dog Month Breast Cancer Awareness Month Domestic Violence Awareness Month Lupus Awareness Month National Diabetes Month Computer Learning Month National Pizza Month National Vegetarian Month American Pharmacist Month

The Top 10 Things Looking to Haunt Your HVAC Equipment this October

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your wood floors and furniture, but for your overall health as well. The dry air can cause irritated noses, sinuses, sore throats and those annoying static shocks. It is important to introduce humidity to our indoor environment as heating space sucks humidity right out of the air. Thanks to advancements in humid-ifiers there are solutions to virtually every individual situation. To add humidity to your environment, just ask us!

If you already have humidifier(s) here are a few quick tips. Make sure you have a new pad installed (with well or hard water, maybe twice per heating season) and that water feed lines and drains are clear. Start by setting your units dial to 35%. You may have to adjust up or down as the winter rolls along. For example: if you start to see water build up on the bottom inside of your windows, turn the humidifier down a bit.

7) Poor indoor air quality issues: Believe it or not, we are not far off from buttoning down the hatches trying to keep out the bitter cold air. The fix to do so will haunt us when weve made our indoor environment five times more polluted than outside. Seriously. It is time to let that sink in so that you can do what is needed to combat this problem.

Lets look at the fix-it basics. First and foremost, ensure you maintain clean filtration systems. Be sure you are not venting bath fans and clothes dryers INSIDE your space; especially into attics and crawl spaces as they are ideal environments for mold to grow and thrive. Last but not least, try to seal off holes and cracks into those spaces such breaches not only allow energy loss, but enable the entry of water. As always, we are happy to help you decide the best filtration options for your envi-ronment. We hate mold!

6) Extreme Temperatures: Sorry. But once again, Im mentioning impending cold air. According to the Farmers Almanac, our area is in store for being smack dab in the middle of the Jet stream. Unfortunately, this means snow and frigid cold. Extended heating

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This round of contest coupons are already flying out the door! Everyone who sends us their raving fan testimonial or refers us to friends and family are already being entered into the next drawing. To enter, simply refer us to a friend/relative/neighbor. Be sure that anyone you pass along to us communicates that YOU were involved in the referral. For further assurance of your entry, send us a note with the name of the referred. You can also enter the drawing by submitting a testimonial of how happy you are with our work. Either way, it takes only a few minutes to enter. You can just drop us a line at: info@corcoranheating.com. One ticket is given for each testimonial or referral; ten tickets for every raving fan video. You determine your odds of winning, as there is no limit to entry tickets - plus - every referral nets YOU a gift as well!

Contest Corner

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use and more demand on your HVAC equip-ment will be required. Youre really going to need to enter this heating season having your system checked out and serviced. The small, upfront investment will not only pay for itself, but can help you save money and prevent po-tential disasters. Those always seem to come at the most inopportune time.

5) Higher operational costs: While not TRYING to keep harping on the negative, I do know that natural gas prices are NOT predict-ed to be on the decline. In fact, as we turn into heating season, natural gas prices will be on their way up. These higher costs are further exacerbated by equipment that is not operat-ing in proper tune. That includes not burning gas efficiently, parts working harder than they need to, or airflow issues causing equipment problems. All of these things can be evaluated and cost savings implemented during your performance based evaluation. Questions? Just ask our technician.

4) Not inspecting flue pipes and chim-neys: You cant assume your chimneys and flue pipes are inspected during routine maintenance as only 1% of HVAC contractors out there do this. Yes, the one percent figure is correct. The other 99% are willing to make sure your furnace works, but NOT that it is exhausting dangerous fumes from your home.

This exact scenario played out for us last year. We got a call that a homeowners furnace would not STAY on. Their furnace was maintained, but when this problem presented shortly afterwards, they were unable to get the contractor back for follow up service and de-cided to give us a try. After checking the usual causes for the interruption of heat, Paul found the system was not drafting properly. Because all of our technicians inspect the flue pipes, he

found that the problem was a birds nest which had been built up there. (See the picture below of what Paul discovered during the course of his normal flue venting inspection). No one will know how long it was there just be aware that birds LIKE nice, warm places to build their homes and unless someone is looking..well. the situation had the potential of GOING UNDETECTED. And if it had, it could have caused some very serious, even fatal, consequences for that homes occupants.

3) Skipping a Combustion Optimiza-tion: Unfortunately, this step will haunt you and be just as dangerous as #4. A combustion optimization test allows us to unleash the full potential of your equipment and complete sys-tems efficient performance. However, again, it is only performed by 1% of contractors in the industry. Why is that? Quite frankly, I assume because this test is not mandatory, requires competence, and a fairly expensive meter! At Corcoran Heating and Air Conditioning - one of the 1% - the safety of those who depend on us (and pay us for) maintaining and servicing their equipment comes first. Therefore, once we learned how important combustion opti-mization was, it became mandatory for us that all of our techs got certified to perform testing of it. It is our obligation to ensure we give you every advantage we can in keeping you safe and not wasting your money. We want you to have confidence in your equipment and its performance for as long as possible.

If you are using us for maintenance or have a service need this upcoming season, do

not worry. We pledge to perform each and every crucial step on each and every visit. If you would like more information about this SPECIFIC test, or just want to watch it being performed, just ask!

2) Skipping a performance based sys-tem check-up: Sorry, I am sorry to continue to harp on this point. Not. Its simply too crucial to ignore. Our comprehensive annu-al visit ensures your equipment will operate safely, efficiently all winter long. There are too many steps and variables to list here. If you would like more information about specifics or wish to download a pdf version, check out http://corcoranheating.com/services.mainte-nance-programs/.

1) Neglecting to change or maintain your filtration system: Ignoring this super simple step is the Number One reason for needing a service call, and the primary reason for shortening your equipments life. It is sad when something which costs little to attend to can cause so much in expense and frustration. Be sure to understand what type of filter you have to buy and how often to replace it.

Basic Filter Maintenance Guide:

1 Fiberglass filters should be changed every 30-60 days depending on the number of pets and amount of hardwood you have in your home. 5 Media and Spacegaurd filters should be replaced every 3-6 months, again depending on the same variables. Electronic air cleaners should be cleaned every 1-3 months for best cell operation and overall system life.

Be sure to find out from the technician which of the above you have, and have him reiterate how often you need to maintain it.

Cream Cupcakes

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Record: 0-3 W L

4th vs Raiders 12:00pm11th @ Chiefs 12:00pm

18th @ Lions 12:00pm25th Bye Week

Total:

Record: 93-65 W L

1st @ Reds2nd-4th @ Brewers

7th Wild Card 7:00pmTotal:

Record: 74-84 W L

1st vs Royals2nd-4th vs Tigers

Golfing.....Total:

Ingredients: - Mango-Peach

1 pkg. (2-layer size) spice cake mix

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 container (16 oz.) ready-to-spread cream cheese frosting

1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

Hey everyone, believe it or not it has been 5 years now since Murphy was brought into our house. It is always nice to take a second to recognize that October is National Adopt A Dog Month, and that is exactly how we got Murphy. After the sudden loss of another pet, my parents met Murphy living in a foster house with 5 other dogs looking for permanent homes. When they took him for a walk, they knew he would be a perfect addition to our house. And yes, they were right. If you have ever considered bringing a

A D0GS W0RLD

Cooking Corner :

Directions: Heat oven to 350F. Prepare cake

batter as directed on package. Add dry pudding mix and pumpkin; beat 2 min. Spoon into 24 paper-lined muffin cups.

Beat cream cheese in medium bowl with mixer until creamy. Add sugar; mix well. Blend in egg. Spoon over batter in muffin cups.

Bake 18 to 21 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

Spoon frosting into medium bowl. Add COOL WHIP; whisk until blended. Spread onto cupcakes; drizzle with caramel topping.

http://www.kraftrecipes.com

Caramel-PumpkinSPORTS CORNER

dog into your home make sure you at least consider the adop-tion route. Most dogs here were just dealt a bad hand, and their need for adoption is no fault of their own. There are plenty of places out there looking to link the right families with the right pets, so why not do a quick search. Most places have very affordable options and pets may be, housebroken and neutered. Just a thought, talk soon! - Franklin

Record: 0-0 W L

7th vs Rangers 7:009th @ Islanders 6:30

10th vs Islanders 7:3014th @ Flyers 7:0015th @ Capitals 6:0017th vs Columbus 7:30

22nd vs Panthers 7:3024th vs Lightning 7:3026th vs Ducks 7:3029th @ Jets 7:0030th @ Wild 7:00

Total:

Cream Cupcakes

Toms Two Cents

PG. 1

x The Top 10 Things Looking to Haunt Your HVAC This Season...

x Unique Holidays & Monthly AwarenessPG. 2

x Dogs World - Note From Franklin x Sudoku Break x Contest Corner

PG. 3

x Sports Corner x Cooking Corner: Caramel-Pumpkin

Cream Cupcakes

In This Issue:

2137 Hammond Dr.,Schaumburg, IL 60173info@corcoranheating.comCorcoranHeating.com(847) 397-5888

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In honor of Evaluating Your Life Day on October 19th, I thought it best to continue my non yapping Toms Two Cents, and instead sharing a fun story I came across. So sit back and enjoy...A Story to Reflect:

A father, well-to-do and want-ing his son to see what it was like to be poor, left him in the mountains with a farmer and his family. A few days later, the son was picked up and quizzed by the father during the ride home.

Well, the father asked the son, what did you think of the experience?

Good, replied the son with an eye to the distance.

What did you learn? Insisted the father.

The son replied:

1. We have a dog and they have four.2. In our garden we have a pool with

water that comes out in the middle. They have a river of crystal water which stretches without end through a beautiful landscape.

3. We import lanterns from the east to light our garden. Their evening hours are filled with the twilight of the setting sun, and followed by the soft shine of the moon and the stars.

4. Our yard ends at the fence. Theirs meets the horizon.

5. I learned we buy our food. They plant and harvest most of theirs.

6. For music, we hear CDs; theirs is a perpetual symphony of birds, frogs, toads, and other animals.

7. We cook on electric or gas stoves. Ev-erything they eat has that added taste of firewood and smoke.

8. To protect ourselves, we live sur-rounded by walls, connected to alarms. They live with doors open, protected by the friendship of their neighbors.

9. We live connected to the computer, to the TV, to cell phones. They are con-

nected to nature; the sun, the skies, the waters, the green of the moun-tains, the animals, each other, and especially to their gods.

The son then paused for a moment, and went on: Thank you, father, for teach-ing me how poor we are. Every day, we are poor in spirit and of appreciation of nature. We care about have, have, have and have more instead of worrying about BEING. - TOM