Sunset Air Blog: Archive for November, 2013

Thanksgiving, 2013: The Presidential Turkey Pardon

Monday, November 25th, 2013

Thanksgiving began in 1621, but didn’t become a national holiday until 1863, when Abraham Lincoln declared it in hopes of bringing a divided nation together. We have many Thanksgiving traditions in this country, from turkey at the meal to the annual Cowboys and Lions games on television. But one of the most beloved is the annual Presidential turkey pardon, in which the U.S. President “pardons” a turkey to life in a petting zoo rather than ending up as someone’s main course. As we celebrate this Thanksgiving, we thought you’d like to know a little more about the history of this fascinating tradition.

Farmers have sent turkeys to the White House as far back as the 1800s, hoping to have the honor of providing the President’s annual meal. There have been scattered stories of individual turkeys being “pardoned” throughout that time, including one in which President Lincoln’s son Tad successfully convinced the president to spare a bird intended for the family’s Christmas dinner.

Starting in 1947, the National Turkey Federation became the official supplier of the President’s Thanksgiving birds. The White House arranged for an annual photo op that year with the President receiving the turkey in the Rose Garden. Sadly, there was no pardon as yet; those birds all ended up on the Presidential table.

The push for an official pardon picked up steam in 1963, when President Kennedy ask that the bird be spared just a few days before his assassination. President Nixon opted to send each of the birds he received to a nearby petting zoo after the photo op, though there was no formal pardon attached.

But it wasn’t until 1989 that the pardon became official. On November 14 of that year, President George H. W. Bush made the announcement, and sent the bird to a Virginia game preserve to live the rest of its life out in cranberry-and-stuffing-free bliss. Since then, every President has held an annual pardoning ceremony, with the lucky turkey spared the axe and sent off to live in peace. Since 2005, the pardoned birds have gone to Disneyland in Anaheim, California where they have lived as part of a petting zoo exhibit in Frontierland.

No matter what traditions you enjoy this holiday, or who you enjoy them with, all of us here wish you a peaceful and happy Thanksgiving weekend.

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What to Expect from Your Wood Stove Installation

Tuesday, November 19th, 2013

A wood stove is an eco-friendly and wonderfully romantic way to heat your home, saving you money on monthly heating costs without impacting the environment in the process. Here in Olympia, WA, heating with a wood stove makes a lot of sense. It appeals to the rugged individualism in our area: providing cheap warmth and a romantic atmosphere even when the power goes out. You should always rely on a professional to install a wood stove in your home – the process can be quite complicated and the stove itself probably weighs a great deal – but you can educate yourself so that you know the stages involved. Here’s what to expect from your wood stove installation in Olympia, WA.

Before the installation begins, you and your serviceman will need to determine the right location, which includes the sizing and placement of the chimney as well as the presence of any potentially challenging components in the nearby walls. Your service technician will also need to fill the proper paperwork and take care of similar red tape in order to ensure that the new wood stove is up to code.  Finally, he’ll need to deliver the stove itself, as well as any additional components and installation equipment.

Depending on the kind of home you have, your technician will need to ensure that the floor and surrounding area is protected from radiant heat: installing a foundation of stone or concrete if necessary. The same principles hold with anything near the path of the chimney. Once he adds the wood stove and safely installs the chimney, he’ll probably need to add other safety features, such as a smoke detector in the nearby area and perhaps a stovepipe thermometer as well. When installation is completed, he’ll double check everything and run a fire in the heater to ensure there are no problems such as a leak in the chimney.

If you live in Olympia, WA, heating with a wood stove may be an attractive option. Sunset Air is ready to help. We can tell you what to expect from your wood stove installation service, then perform the operation with courtesy and care. Pick up the phone and give us a call today!

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Common Problems with Your Hot Water Boiler

Tuesday, November 12th, 2013

Few home heating systems offer as many advantages as the good ol’ hot water boiler: long service lifespans, few repairs, even heat distribution, cleaner air, and quiet operation. But no boiler can work perfectly 100% of the time, and without repairs or maintenance, it might end up failing you on a particularly cold day.

However, you can get rid of this inconvenience quickly with a call to Sunset Air. We offer 24-hour emergency heating repair service Olympia, WA —no matter what it is.

Corrosion

Corrosion, particularly rust, is a main threat to your boiler. Corrosion is the chemical reaction that occurs when iron (or iron alloys) comes into contact with water and oxygen, resulting in the creation of iron oxides. Corrosion weakens metal until the point that it crumbles and flakes away. Even a small amount of corrosion on your boiler’s water tank can start leaks. If you spot corrosion, get professional work done before it spreads and requires replacing the entire tank.

High water pressure

Boilers have safety precautions in them to keep the internal water pressure steady: a pressure release valve and an expansion tank. However, if these malfunction, or if sediment and limescale start to infiltrate the tank, it could cause the boiler’s pressure to spike. High pressure means numerous leaks throughout the pipes attached to the boiler. An HVAC professional will have to identify the specific cause of the high pressure in order to repair it.

Leaking from loose connections

The two problems above can both lead to leaks, one of the worst issues you can encounter with a boiler. Another common source for leaking from a boiler can happen due to loose connections between the hot water tank and the lines. Sometimes this occurs because of poor initial installation and a bad soldering job. Aging boilers can also suffer from loose connections. Fixing this frequently involves extensive repair work, especially if the source of the problem was an amateur installation.

Your boiler can last many years without a major decline in its effectiveness… but only if you make sure that it gets regular maintenance and proper repairs. Sunset Air has served the South Puget Sound and Southwest Washington areas since 1976, so rely on our experience for your Olympia, WA heating repair needs.

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LEED Certified Cebula Hall at St. Martin’s University in Lacey, WA

Friday, November 1st, 2013

Sunset Air has recently completed the LEED administration of Cebula Hall at St. Martin’s University in Lacey, WA. This building was created for the university’s Engineering Department and has been accredited with the highest LEED rating in the United States and the third highest in the world! We are incredibly proud of this accomplishment. Our friends at ThurstonTalk have written an excellent article describing the building attributes as well as well as some background into Sunset Air’s LEED and ESCO certifications. Check out the article here.

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