“Bring the Heat Day” Offers Free Furnace Inspection, Cleaning and Repair

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sept. 15, 2014

For more information, contact:

Dan Niederman, Program Manager, City of Bloomington Housing and Neighborhood Development Department, 349.3512, niedermd@bloomington.in.gov

"Bring the Heat Day" Offers Free Furnace Inspection, Cleaning and Repair

Bloomington, Ind. - The City of Bloomington's Housing and Neighborhood Development Department (HAND) is partnering with the Heating and Air Conditioning Alliance of Indiana (HACA) on Saturday, Oct. 11 from 8 a.m. to noon to support Bring the Heat Day in Monroe County. During this one-day, community service event, local heating and cooling professionals from several local companies will inspect, clean and service gas furnaces free of charge to benefit homeowners in need.

To be eligible for the program, the home must be owner-occupied, be in Monroe County and have a gas furnace. In addition, the homeowner must be available on Oct. 11 between 8 a.m. and noon. Applications for Bring the Heat are available in the HAND department at City Hall, 401 N. Morton St., Suite 130 and can be picked up or returned anytime during business hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. The deadline for turning in an application is Sept. 26.

The goal of Bring the Heat Day is to raise awareness for the life-saving importance of proper furnace maintenance. This is accomplished by assisting local households with a free furnace cleaning and tune-up to ensure their safety and warmth over the winter season. The program has also been successful in other communities in Indiana, inspecting hundreds of furnaces at no cost.

HACA and its members volunteer their technicians, trucks and other resources to conduct 50 furnace clean-and-checks in just a few hours. The volunteer technicians will clean dirt and debris, check for carbon monoxide issues, make necessary repairs and may even replace heating systems if beyond repair. This program does not receive any government funding but relies solely on volunteers for financial donations, labor, equipment and parts.

This program becomes just one of HAND's home repair programs; existing programs include Emergency Home Repair, Home Modifications for Accessible Living and Owner-Occupied Home Rehabilitation Loan Program. These all contribute to HAND's overall mission to preserve community character, promote affordable housing and encourage neighborhood vitality.

For more information, please contact Program Manager Dan Niederman at 349.3401.

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