Kingsport -239-3147                   Johnson City-282-4983

Bristol, TN-423-764-0126        Abingdon, VA-276-628-3975

A SuperTune will:

• Energy Savings: Properly maintained heating and cooling equipment keeps more energy dollars in your pocket
• Increased Equipment Life: The #1 reason for system failure is dirt!  Properly maintained equipment lasts longer.
• Can correct some health risks.  The air filter catches dust, dander, bacteria and viruses and other particles.
• Peace of Mind: Your system is safety-checked, it’s saving you money, and it’s working correctly.  If it’s not, you know who to call!

Spring SuperTune includes:

1. Inspect and test thermostat
2. Inspect Evaporator Coil
3. Install chlorine tablet
4. Dust return air grid/ cover, check seal
5. Tighten Electrical Connections
6. Test blower motor amp draw and capacitor
7. Inspect belts for cracks and glazing
8. Vacuum Inside Air Handler Cabinet
9. Clean and Flush condensate drain, pan and condensate pump (if applicable)
10. Inspect and Change Out Filters (Customer provides filters)
11. Inspect condenser Coil
12. Inspect contactor for arcing and voltage drop
13. Test compressor amp draw and fan motor amp draw
14. Test and Check Control Circuits
15. Test refrigerant pressures and temperature
16. Visually Inspect Duct-work for leaks

Let Leinbach Services Inc. care for all your heating and air conditioning needs. It’s a bargain at $89.00, regular price is $178.00.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is launching an online Bed Bug Information Clearinghouse. It contains peer-reviewed bed bug outreach materials from a variety of different sources such as governments, universities and extension services. Stemming from a top recommendation from EPA’s Second Annual National Bed Bug Summit, the Bed Bug Information Clearinghouse is a collaborative effort between EPA and partners in the Federal Bed Bug Workgroup.

The goal of the Bed Bug Information Clearinghouse is to provide a “one-stop” location for communities throughout the country to exchange information and outreach materials on the control, detection and prevention of bed bugs. This will help communities conserve resources and provide improved effectiveness and accuracy of community outreach materials. The Clearinghouse is searchable based on:
• Audience – such as Hotels, Health Centers, Housing Authorities, Schools, Shelters, Residential Consumers, etc.
• Topic – Detection, Prevention, Non-chemical Control, Management, Pesticides
• Type of product – Outreach Materials such as Factsheets, Brochures, Websites, etc.

The Clearinghouse will include information in English and other languages as available. Some of the current information focuses on identifying and treating bed bug infestations in various types of situations. In addition, there is information on several different types of treatments such the use of heat to kill bed bugs.

While there is no quick fix for bed bug infestations, having accurate information about bed bug control will help keep the public from over-applying or misusing pesticides. There are a variety of non-chemical approaches for controlling, detecting and preventing bed bugs that have been shown to be effective, including:
• Checking for bed bugs on luggage and clothing when returning from a trip
• Looking for bed bugs or signs of an infestation on second-hand items, such as a sofa or bed, before bringing the item into your home
• Reducing clutter where bed bugs can hide
• Using a protective cover that encases mattresses and box springs

A more informed public is a better partner in the control, detection and prevention of bed bugs. With the help of community advocates distributing outreach materials from the Clearinghouse to the public, EPA hopes that this will lead to increased prevention as well as a reduction in infestations.

Visit the Bed Bug Information Clearinghouse. For more information on bed bugs, visit http://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/.

by Ed Grabianowski

Introduction to How Air Purifiers Work

YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images
Japan’s Sanrio displays the company’s air purifier shaped as character Hello Kitty.

Americans spend an estimated $250 million annually on air purifiers for their homes, with asthma and allergy sufferers responsible for most of the sales [ref]. But scientific studies and testing reveal that many purifiers aren’t effective at all, and some may be causing harm.

The notion of purifying air has merit, however. The air inside the typical home is generally dirtier than the air outside, because a house can be a source of air contaminants. Moisture can lead to the development of mold and mold spores. Forced-air heating and cooling systems circulate dust particles and bacteria throughout the house. Pets shed fur and give off dander, while smokers pump toxins into the air. Pollen and other outdoor allergens can blow in through open doors and windows (or through a window or door screen) and become caught in carpet or upholstery.

Related Topics 10 Everyday Dangerous Things in Your Home Is insulation dangerous? How can ozone be both good and bad?

The end result is that the average house tends to concentrate contaminants in greater quantities than the outdoors. This concentration isn’t usually too harmful for a healthy person, but children and people with allergies and respiratory difficulties can experience ill effects. Reducing the level of contaminants can help alleviate some of these problems and using an air purifier is one way to do it.

In the next section, we’ll look at the five basic types of air purifiers available on the market today.

Types of Air Purifiers

Image courtesy Consumer Guide Products
A grill-style air cleaner that uses a filter.

Filters
Some air purifiers clean the air by passing it through a filter that removes particles. These are sometimes called air cleaners. In households, these filters are usually part of the heating or cooling system. A filter housing is installed between the air return duct and the furnace. The filter cartridge slides into this housing, so all air flowing into the furnace is filtered. Not only does this remove contaminants from the air, it prevents damage to the furnace due to dust and dirt build-up. Filters can also be placed into the air return vents in each room of a house. Typical materials include foam, cotton, fiberglass or synthetic fibers. In part, the density of the filter material limits the size of the particles that pass through — very dense filters have smaller gaps, allowing it to catch very small particles. Pleated filters work best because of the increased surface area for catching particles. However, filters are capable of catching particles even smaller than the smallest gaps in the filter material. Air filters can be expensive, and you have to replace them to keep them functioning properly (some filters are washable). They also restrict air flow through the system, causing a drop in overall efficiency.

HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters meet a Department of Energy standard for removing particles from the air. The filter can consist of any material as long as it meets this standard — penetration of less than 0.03 percent of particles 0.3 micrometers in size or larger [ref]. The filter must also allow a specific amount of air to flow through, which varies by the size of the filter. The ULPA (Ultra-Low Penetration Air) standard is even stricter. In addition to their familiar household uses cleaning air of allergens and dust particles, advanced HEPA filters are used by the nuclear power industry.

Image courtesy Amazon
An ozone generator.

Ionizing Purifiers
These air purifiers use a method called corona discharge to create charged molecules called ions. Most atoms in the air have a neutral charge — they have the same number of negatively-charged electrons as positively-charged protons. The corona discharge is a small but intense electrical field. Molecules passing through it will pick up an additional electron, giving the molecule a negative charge, or it may have an electron knocked off of it, giving it a positive charge. Larger particles in the air, such as dust or other contaminants, are more likely to be ionized because they make larger targets for the electrons as they pass through the corona discharge.

Once a particle is charged, it will be attracted to anything with the opposite charge. Two metal plates within the purifier are charged (one negative, one positive) to attract these particles. Also, particles in the air will be drawn to each other if they have opposite charges. As the particles clump together, they get heavier and eventually they settle out of the air.

Ozone Generators
An ozone generator works much like an ionizing purifier, but it is designed to alter molecules of oxygen and turn them into ozone, a molecule made up of three oxygen atoms. Oxygen in the atmosphere exists as dioxygen, a molecule made up of two oxygen atoms. When these molecules are exposed to a corona discharge or UV light, some of the dioxygen molecules split into separate oxygen atoms (free oxygen). While most of this oxygen recombines into dioxygen, some of the atoms form ozone.

Image courtesy Consumer Guide Products
An air purifier that uses UV light.

Manufacturers of these devices claim that the ozone deodorizes and disinfects the air. Many also claim other health benefits from the presence of ozone. However, there is strong evidence that ozone does not accomplish air purification. Ozone is also known to be a toxic gas. It is not a very stable molecule — it reacts readily with other chemicals that may be in the air, forming new compounds that can be more dangerous than the ozone itself. Ozone also oxidizes metals and causes corrosion. The same process that creates ozone also creates nitrogen oxides, leading to further reactions with compounds present in the air and with ozone itself.

Adsorbents
Many purifiers incorporate an adsorbent material to take care of odors, fumes and chemicals in the air. Adsorption (not absorption) is the process of one substance being trapped on the surface of another substance. The most common adsorbent is activated charcoal, which is extremely porous and has many microscopic “nooks and crannies” to trap passing molecules. Larger particles are simply stuck in the many pores in the charcoal. Electrostatic attraction draws some substances into the pores. Certain substances react chemically with the charcoal and bond to it. The high surface area of the charcoal gives it lots of bonding places. The process used to make the charcoal can affect which compounds it is better at adsorbing.

UV Light
Ultraviolet radiation renders certain micro-organisms sterile (and harmless). Some air purifiers feature a UV light that bathes the air as it passes through, eliminating the potential harm of airborne bacteria and viruses.

Industrial Air Purifiers

Industries often use air purifiers that are far more powerful (and expensive) than consumer models. A company may use them because the manufacturing process requires a contaminant-free environment, or it might pull contaminants out of the air before the factory expels them so it can meet environmental standards. The Class One cleanrooms at Intel have one dust particle per cubic foot. A massive air circulation and filtration system completely changes over the air in the room 10 times per minute. Other companies use scrubbers, high-density filters, mist collectors and extraction units to decontaminate the air leaving their facilities. These devices can cost tens of thousands of dollars (a cleanroom facility like Intel’s probably costs millions), so they aren’t suitable for home use.

­Air Purifier Criticism

Ionizing and ozone air purifiers have come under fire from consumer groups, consumer review magazines and even the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Two claims are at the heart of the controversy: that these types of air purifiers are not effective at removing contaminants from the air and that ozone generators could harm people.

Stephen Chernin/Getty Images
Consumer Reports magazine reported that Sharper Image’s Ionic Breeze Quadra Silent Air Purifier, and four other similar machines, fail to significantly clean the air and release potentially unhealthy levels of ozone.

In 2002 and 2003, Consumer Reports tested several different air purifiers, including Sharper Image’s Ionic Breeze. Independent researchers checked and verified the tests. Consumer Reports found that ionizing air purifiers like the Ionic Breeze created “almost no measurable reduction in airborne particles” [ref]. Sharper Image sued Consumer Reports. The magazine later conducted further tests in response to Sharper Image’s complaints and still found the Ionic Breeze to be ineffective. Sharper Image’s lawsuit against Consumer Reports was thrown out, and the company was forced to pay more than half a million dollars to cover Consumer Reports’ legal fees.

Image courtesy Amazon
An ionizing air “washer.”

The EPA has also released information warning the public about air purifiers that generate ozone. Because the manufacturers are not making specific medical claims about these devices, they do not need Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. In fact, there really is no government oversight over consumer air purifiers other than the HEPA standard, so any manufacturer claiming that such a device is “government approved” or “government certified” is misleading consumers. However, concerns about the generation of ozone in people’s homes have led the EPA to conduct studies on the subject.

All ionizing purifiers generate some ozone, but ozone generators are specifically designed to release the gas, and in much larger quantities than ionizing purifiers. The EPA states, “Relatively low amounts [of ozone] can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath, and, throat irritation. Ozone may also worsen chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and compromise the ability of the body to fight respiratory infections” [ref]. Their studies indicated that even when used according to manufacturer instructions, many ozone-generating purifiers created ozone concentrations in a house in excess of public health limits. They also found that ozone as used in a household air purifier “has little potential to remove indoor air contaminants.” They also noted that ozone has a tendency to react with chemicals and form by-products that are potentially even more dangerous.

The EPA’s final recommendation on the matter: “The public is advised to use proven methods of controlling indoor air pollution.” Ozone generators are not among the proven methods listed on its site.

­Cleaning the Air

If ozone generators and ionizing purifiers have questionable efficacy at cleaning air, what can be done to remove contaminants from our homes? There are three basic steps, in order of usefulness:

1. Get rid of the source of the contaminants. If the problem is cigarette smoke, smoke outside. If mold is causing problems, identify the moldy areas and clean them up. Severe cases may require extensive work to get at mold within walls, but if the mold is left in place, the problem will only get worse. When pet dander is a problem, the pet could be limited to certain areas of the house and kept off furniture. Good hygiene along with regular cleaning and vacuuming will remove a great deal of dust and limit opportunities for mold growth. Using special plastic bags on mattresses and box springs can also keep down allergy-causing contaminants.
   
   Image courtesy Andrea Booher/FEMA
   Mold growing on household walls should be cleaned thoroughly and as soon as possible to avoid illness.
2. Dilute the air in your house. In other words, open the windows. The air outside probably contains fewer contaminants than what is inside (unless you live downwind from a coal plant). Allowing fresh air inside will sweep away some contaminants.
3. Clean the air with an effective filter system.

The next logical question, of course, is “how do you know which air cleaners are effective?” Fortunately, there is an industry standard that makes it easy to compare air cleaners. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) assigns a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) to air cleaners. AHAM runs a standard test to see how well an air cleaner removes certain contaminants from a volume of air. An air cleaner bearing the AHAM seal will have three CADR numbers listed: one for tobacco smoke, one for pollen and one for dust. A higher number indicates a greater ability to clean air, with maximums of 450 for pollen and smoke and 400 for dust [ref]. AHAM recommends using an air cleaner with a CADR number at least two-thirds the area of the room

From the CADR Web site: “For example, a 10-foot by 12-foot room — 120 square feet — would require an air cleaner with a tobacco smoke CADR of at least 80. If your room size is smaller, the unit will simply clean the air more often or faster. If you have ceilings higher than 8 feet, you’ll want an air cleaner rated for a larger room.”

Lots More Information

Kingsport  423-239-3147                              Johnson City-282-4983

Bristol- 423-764-0126                                 Abingdon, VA-276-628-3975

1-Plant a Garden-even if you just have a sunny windowsill, you can have a garden. I
recently learned that lettuces do well in pots, so get out there & get your hands dirty! The Washington County Extension office in Jonesborough offers a ton of resources & they have knowledgeable staff to answer your questions.

2-Raise Chickens-Yes! Johnson City recently decided to allow hens within the city limits, so now’s the time to try your hand at bird-raising. I recommend talking with an experienced chicken-owner, but there are lots of books out there at our local libraries.

3-Start a compost pile-Even if you don’t garden, a compost pile is a great way to “go green”. So much of our landfill waste is kitchen waste, yard waste (like grass clippings) and compostable paper. Reduce your footprint on this earth by turning this back into soil, right in your own back yard! Again, the Extension office & the Library have great resources about composting!

4-Buy a travel mug.  According to Renee Loux, in her book “Easy Green Living”, Americans threw away 14.4 billion paper coffee cups in 2005.  This is a significant source of waste!

5-Learn to cook at home.  This decreases your carbon footprint, because you aren’t using a vehicle to get to the restaraunt, it saves money for other good things, and you can buy organic, and you KNOW what’s in your food!

6-Shop at local farmers’ markets.  We are fortunate in this area to have several great markets.  Johnson City, and Jonesborough markets have been going strong for years.  One just opened at ETSU, and there’s a new one beginning in Blountville.  There are also wonderful treasures to be found at roadside stands.

7-Buy directly from the farmer, when you can.  It’s important to know where our food comes from.  The Cows are Out Dairy delivers here at the studio on Mondays.  She brings raw milk and grass-fed beef.  To learn more, visit them on facebook.

8-Re-use-look for little things that mght have another use.  You never know until you change your thinking.  I recently saved a mixed-nut container from the trash, and it’s now used for nuts & washers in the basement!  Our grandparents knew the value of “Waste not, Want not!”

9-Buy from the bulk bins.  Even if you just need a small amount, less packaging means less waste.

10-Learn to preserve foods.  This is quickly becoming one of my favorites.  Freezing food is the easiest method, but pickling, canning, freezing & even cellaring are great fun.  My favorite resource is the Ball Blue Book of Canning & Preserving, which you can usually find cheaply this time of year. Posted by Jennifer at 11:31 AM

Mountain Yoga

1. Make sure they have highly trained professionals.  At Cook, we have Cook University-where we go through several classes on different aspects of pest control.  We take classes on all insect behavior habits and we learn how to control them (Know your enemy)  We are all certified and licensed by the state of TN.
2. They use the most up to date technology of the times.( this means methods of application of the products we use.
3. They are willing to guarantee their work.
4. Must have honesty and integrity (pricing)
5. Use the latest and greenest products and the ones that are the most appropriate for the job at hand. We use products that treat specific concerns, they will not harm animals, people, or other pests when applied correctly.
6. Will be on time and ready to do the job
7. Are able to customize (tailor) the pest control program to the customer’s specific needs.  No two customers have the exact same situation and concerns, therefore our pest control programs fit their specific needs.
8. A company that does what the say they will do.
9. If any concerns arise, a company that will respond quickly and solve the problem.
10. Will give you a complimentary inspection before they give you a quote.
11. Uses IPM(Integrated Pest Management) method to pest control Inspect/Identify/Treatment/ Satiation/Exclusion

Cook Pest Control is

• The largest family owned pest control company in the southwest
• We are winners of the National Torch award for business ethics
• We are winners of the Presidential Green Award for our products

Cook Pest Control website

Kingsport-423-239-3147               Johnson City-423-282-4983

Bristol-423-764-0126                    Abingdon, VA 276-628-3975

If you can please refer us to others, we can reduce our ad expenses, which keep our prices lower for you. Plus, you’ll get a nice gift when they become a customer.

To say thanks for sending customers to us:

• For Seven customers, we will send you a gift certificate for two people to enjoy a three night Carnival Cruise in the Bahamas. * **

• For Five customers you will get  an iPad 2 (dual core),*

• For Two customers you will receive a Kindle Fire.*

We can’t wait to welcome your friends to the Leinbach Services family!

We promise not to hound your friends, or call them to interrupt dinner. We only want to quietly email them a note offering our services and a discount since they’re a referral. That’s all.

Here’s how – Three Quick Ways:

1. Ask them to call us, and use your name as who referred them.

2. Or put YOUR name on a card and hand it to a friend in need!

3. Email their contact information to jim@leinbachservices.com.

Kingsport-423-239-3147                  Johnson City-423-282-4983

Bristol, TN-423-764-0126 Abingdon, VA-276-628-3975

*The referral/friend must use our services before you will receive your gift.

** Cruise is a Fall cruise.  You will have a inside cabin interior 4A.  The last 2 weeks of December are blackouts and can not be booked. The price includes all Government taxes, fees and shipboard gratuities.

Spring can be an unpredictable time of year, with warm, summer-like conditions one day and snow the next. It’s easy to get lulled into a false sense of security that the weather will remain hospitable when – WHAM! – a freak cold snap hits and reminds you that winter only ended a few weeks ago.

Much like Indian summer – a period of unseasonable warmth in the middle of autumn – these periods of springtime cold have a name. Actually, they have several names. The “little winters” in the middle of spring are called variously Dogwood Winter, Blackberry Winter, Locust Winter, Whippoorwill Winter, Redbud Winter, and a few other regional variations.

Though predictable, the climb from cold of winter to the warmth of summer and back again is not completely smooth. Small “blips” in the overall pattern reveal noticeable fluctuations that can be observed from year to year. These blips are called singularities in weather lingo. For a singularity to be recognized, it has occur during at least 50% of years. Indian Summer is long-established singularity. Dogwood Winter is another.

But why is it called Dogwood Winter, or any of those other names, for that matter? Today, we keep track of the passing of the year with a calendar. If you want to know when the last frost of the year is likely to be, you can simply look up the date in your Farmers’ Almanac. Our ancestors, though, didn’t have calendars to consult. Instead, they relied on the signs of nature around them.

Dogwood Winter usually falls during late April or early May, right around the time the dogwood trees start blooming in many regions. Farmers knew it wasn’t safe to plant their crops until after the dogwoods bloomed.

Likewise, it takes a few days of cold weather to stimulate blackberry canes to start growing, which is why Blackberry Winter is another popular term for this weather phenomenon. Locust trees and redbud trees are also seen as harbingers of a spring cold spell. Which name you choose depends on which kind of tree is most abundant in your neck of the woods.

One largely forgotten term for a patch of cold during the springtime is Linsey-Woolsey Britches Winter. “Linsey-Woolsey britches” is an old a nickname for long johns, usually spun from a combination of linen and wool. This end-of-spring cold snap marked the day when the Linsey-Woolsey britches could be packed away for the season.

No matter what you call it, if you have a garden – or even if you just plan on packing away those winter sweaters – you’ll do well to remember that Dogwood Winter could still be waiting to catch optimistic sun lovers unprepared!
by Jaime McLeod | Monday, April 25th, 2011 | From: Weather
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/weather/2011/04/25/what-is-dogwood-winter/

In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed into law that the second
Sunday in May  is to be Mother’s Day. A day to celebrate all the
hard work that our mothers have done for their families and society.
The first Mother’s Day was celebrated in Philadelphia on May 10,
1908.

Other countries celebrate Mother’s Day at different times.

In the U.K., flowers and gifts were traditionally brought to mothers on Mothering Sunday, which  falls on the 4th Sunday in Lent.

In Greece, the Orthodox celebration of the presentation of Jesus Christ to the temple on 2 February is Mother’s Day.

Bolivia uses  May 27th as Mother’s Day. It is the date of a battle where women participated the Battle of Coronilla.

Mother’s Day in most Arab countries is celebrated on 21 March. It was introduced in Egypt by journalist Mustafa Amin in his book (Smiling America) 1943.  It was first celebrated on 21 March 1956.

• February 12 – Norway
• March 3 – Georgia
• March 8 – Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Laos, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Vietnam.

http://www.mothersdaycentral.com/when/