Thank you Argus-Champion!

Pick up your copy of the last Argus-Champion weekly issue. The newspaper is unfortunately ending its 185 years of service w/ this week's issue.

www.arguschampion.com/ac

Town of Sunapee wind turbine upcoming meeting.

For those interested in local alternative energy sources, whether you live in Sunapee or not, this meeting may be of interest to you. Here is a copy of the meeting announcement from the Town of Sunapee:

PLANNING BOARD AND
ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT
TOWN OF SUNAPEE, NH. 03782
The initial meeting of the Wind Turbine Committee will be held on Thursday, August 21, 2008 at 6:00 at the Town Offices Meeting Room.
AGENDA
Correspondence with Town Attorney
Preliminary comments from participants.
Election of Committee Chair and Secretary
Development of committee charge
Work plan and schedule for the committee
Schedule for future meetings

MJH is now OSHA 10-HR certified.

The MJH managers & technicians spent the day this past Saturday becoming OSHA 10-HR certified. As of July 1st in the State of NH, all employees on a NH jobsite w/ an overall project cost of @ least $100K must carry the OSHA 10-HR certificate card or will be asked to leave the site & will be fined if he/she returns to the site w/out the card.

MJH thanks Lonnie Wade & his assistant from Catamount Safety for conducting an enjoyable & more importantly educational certification.

http://www.catamountsafety.com/

Customer to be featured on TV w/ Jay Leno.

Hanover, NH-based Hypertherm, plasma cutting machine firm MJH performs mechanical service & contract work for will be featured on the ION network in its "World's Greatest" show w/ an episode titled "Maximum Performance." Jay Leno will also be featured as he uses a Hypertherm metal cutting machine in his garage.

http://www.hypertherm.com/

The myth w/ higher SEER.

Many folks feel that by installing higher SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio (or rating)) equipment they will automatically see higher efficiency & lower utility costs. This could not be further from the truth if the system is not sized, designed, installed & maintained properly. An ideally installed 10-12 SEER system is more efficient than an oversized, poorly installed & never maintained 15-21 SEER system.

Systems need to per sized per each application, have proper ductwork design & installation, & be routinely serviced. Without those components, there is no efficient system.

MJ Hayward to be OSHA certified.

MJH's technicians will be 10-hr OSHA certified this coming weekend in a continuing effort to build on its safety awareness & abide by the new July 1st New Hampshire ruling. As of July 1st, all construction workers on a NH project where its entire cost is @ least $100K need to carry the 10-hr OSHA certified card. Not abiding by this ruling can result in being removed from the project & fines.

Flourescent bulb proper disposal.

The NH Dept of Environmental Svcs (DES) is collecting compact flourescent bulbs (CLFs). CFLs save in energy use & carbon emissions, they contain mercury & need to be properly disposed. Please visit the DES website for more info:

www.des.state.nh.us/factsheets/co/co-1919.htm

The Argus-Champion will be missed.

We read in today's West Lebanon, NH-based Valley News issue that the Argus-Champion will be shut down by the this month due to monthly financial losses. The long running local media institution will be missed. The Argus' weekly circulation is about 4,500.

www.arguschampion.com/ac/

National heating production cost averages.

According to consumerreports.org, the national cost average to produce one million British Thermal Units (btus) of heat using wood pellets is $14.39, $15.83 using solid wood, $5.35 using coal, $19.62 using natural gas, $22.59 using oil, $27.77 using propane & $30.82 using electric baseboard.

Winter '08-'09 safety concern.

Many folks will potentially burn wood this coming winter due to the dramatic increase in fuel costs. If you are one of those folks, please be sure to have your chimney, fireplace & woodstove inspected & cleaned. We seem to witness in the news more & more NH & VT residential fires.

Ten-year fuel & electricity cost comparison.

Associated General Contractors of NH just released a fuel & electricity ten-yr comparison (Nov. '98 - June '07) depicting the dramatic fuel cost increase:

Energy Type 1998 2008 % increase Ave. annual % increase

Heating Oil 0.784/gal 4.535/gal 478.44 47.84
Propane 1.088/gal 3.261/gal 199.72 19.97
Kerosene 1.025/gal 4.968/gal 384.68 38.47
Electricity 0.134/kW 0.1555/kW 16.01 1.60
Regular Gas 1.016/gal 3.924/gal 286.22 28.62
Diesel 1.507/gal 4,782/gal 217.32 21.73

Residential heating & a/c projects.

MJH is currently under contract for @ least ten separate new & existing residential heating, a/c & ductwork cleaning projects for homes ranging from 2,000 sq' to 12,000 sq'. Systems range from baseboard & radiant heat to ductless & ducted a/c. The 12,000 sq' project is a indoor climate sensitive VT log home to be completed in 2009.

Veteran's Affairs steam piping retrofit.

MJH will soon be performing a steam piping retrofit project for the White River Jct, VT Veteran's Affairs beneath its mail room. MJH & the VA have had a longstanding relationship relative to service & installation work.

South Royalton, VT School Lab renovation.

MJH has recently been awarded the hvac & plumbing portions of the fast track South Royalton, VT School Lab renovations project w/ All Seasons Construction of Springfield, VT. The project begins w/in three wks & is projected to be completed by early September. The scope of the work includes a new fume hood w/ lime stone neutralizing basin, laboratory LP gas outlets & sink faucets, LP gas piping, wall-mounted unit ventilator & intake & exhaust room ventilation.

http://allseasonsconst.com/

Custom sheet metal fabrication.

Whether it is a kitchen hood, backsplash or any other custom fabricated metal, we can produce it for you. Our office houses a fully equipped custom sheet metal fabrication & welding shop. We work w/ galvanized sheet metal, stainless steel, copper, cold rolled steel & others. Residential, commercial, industrial or institutional - we can do it. Please contact John Chaloux (john@mjhayward.com) or Justin Hayward (justin@mjhayward.com) or call 603.298.6981 or 603.526.6331.

We install central vacuum systems & kitchen hoods too.

Our full service electrical department can service & install all makes & models when it comes to central vacuum & kitchen hoods systems. We can also custom fabricate a hood system for you from any desired metal type: stainless steel, galvanized, cold rolled steel & copper.

Please contact John Chaloux (john@mjhayward.com) or Justin Hayward (justin@mjhayward.com) or call 603.298.6981 or 603.526.6331.

Panasonic offers quiet & efficient bathroom exhaust fans.

Whether it be a residential or commercial application, bathroom exhaust systems are very important in the removal of moisture. Although it is often times typical, excessive noise from a bathroom fan is not necessary. Panasonic offers a great line of low sone bathroom exhaust fans that we have been installing for a number of years now. Ensure your fan is ducted to an outside wall & not just into the attic dumping moisture onto your insulation.

www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electronics/learn/Building-Products/Ventilation-Systems

The importance of planned maintenance on your heating & air conditioning systems.

This is the time of year when you will mostly likely feel the effects of not having your hvac systems routinely maintained. The hot & humid weather will put much pressure onto a system if its has not had its restricted filters replaced or washed, electrical connections & refrigerant pressures checked & any oil or grease necessary on the motors.

Dirty filters restrict air flow & apply pressure against the fan motors which will increase your utility bills & destroy the motor. Loose electrical connections can stop the operation of the condenser fan motor & could destroy the most expensive component - the compressor - the heart of the system. Low refrigerant levels will not produce the needed air conditioning your space requires.

Like your vehicle requires routine oil changes & maintenance, so too does your hvac system. Similar maintenance goes for the heating months. Bitter cold weather will also bring out the flaws in your system @ the most inopportune time due to lack of routine maintenance.

Contact our service manager Bruce Battis @ bruce@mjhayward.com or call 603.298.6981 or 603526.6331 for a scheduled maintenance or estimate.

Thermostat settings & efficiency.

Everyone's comfort level differs from one another. Most preferred air conditioning temperatures range from 70-74 F. The thermostat should never be set below 68 F as the freezing up of the air conditioning coil while most likely occur.

Also, as the outdoor ambient temperature rises, do not necessarily expect the indoor temperature to maintain more than a 15-20 F difference. This means that if the outdoor temperature is 95 F, expect the indoor temperature to range 75-80 F. We design the systems per the industry ASHRAE standard of 15-20 F temperature difference. Many systems may handle more of a temperature difference depending on the design & customer preference during the design phase.

The installation of programmable thermostats is a wise choice for energy efficiency. It is not necessary to keep your thermostat set to 70-72 F all day long while you are away from work to maintain a dehumidified & relatively cool house. You can set the daily program to ramp up the set temperature when you leave for work or wherever & have the setting drop within one-hour prior to arriving back home.

Also, it is recommended to keep the air conditioning system operating. If you shut the air conditioner down for the entire day while you are away, it will work that much harder @ the end of the day to remove the humidity & heat from inside your home. Similar to starting your vehicle, when the air conditioning system has to be started back up, that is when it uses the most energy & work. Setting the programmable thermostat is the preferred energy usage savings method.

A/C project @ the legendary Norwich, VT Dan & Whit's Store.

Dan & Whit's Store recently signed us on to perform six air conditioning system installations for them in the upcoming weeks. Dan & Whit's has been a customer of MJH's for @ least ten years. Checkout its website:

http://www.danandwhits.com/

Hydrate often this week!

This week is to be very hot & humid. Be safe by hydrating every 15-20 minutes & seek shade when possible.

Happy 4th of July!

All of us @ MJH wish you a happy & healthy July 4th!

Recent construction pricing report from AGC/VT.

MJH proudly belongs to the Vermont chapter of the Associated General Contractors that recently reported the following construction increases by June/July of '08 in its monthly newsletter (our heating & a/c manufacturer's are reporting on average a 5% increase by July '08 on equipment due to metal increases):

• Nails up 30%.
• Vinyl siding up 10%.
• Styrofoam up 10% by 07/01/08.
• Polyisocyanurate up 10% by 07/01/08.
• Housewraps up 8% by 07/01/08.
• Sill seal up 4% by 07/01/08.
• Plaster board up 12% by 06/16/08.
• Joint treatment up 4% by 06/16/08.
• Owens Corning, IKO & Certainteed insulation up 10% by 07/01/08.
• Steel studs up 10% by 07/01/08.

...and just to knock us down a bit more while we're all trying to get back up, syndicated news analysts reported yesterday that vehicle fuel could rise up to $7.00/gal by year's end.

www.agcvt.org

H. S. Tarm of Lyme, NH provides lower utility bills w/ its boilers.

Our heating salesmen are often asked about pellet & wood-fired boilers. Are they a fuel efficient option? Do they work well? Does MJH install them? We reply "yes" on all accounts. H. S. Tarm of Lyme, NH has proven itself w/ its dependable & efficient pellet & wood-fired boilers. Whether you purchase directly or have MJH supply the boiler, H. S. Tarm's products are quality options to high fossil fuel bills.

http://www.woodboilers.com/