Page 8 - January - March, 2019 CityLine

Cleaner-Running Natural Gas Winter Home Maintenance
Trucks Help Keep Air Clean by Mary Dickson, Chief Building Official
Even though we are in the midst of winter, it is never too
late to do routine maintenance to make your home safer and
more comfortable!
Heaters and furnaces. Change your air filters! They get dirty
quickly from dust and pets. Clogged or dirty filters put a strain
on your system and are less efficient. Consider installing a
programmable thermostat. Programming it to be cooler at night
and when you're not at home will save you money. APS offers
several rebates for upgrading thermostats!
Tip: Reverse the direction of your ceiling fans. Set the fans to turn
clockwise to push the warm air down.
Fireplaces. For homes with older wood-burning fireplaces, before
you light up that first log, make sure your fireplace and chimney
are clean and critter free. A professional chimney sweep can clean
out soot and other debris that can catch fire. Keep your home's
warm air from escaping out the chimney when you're not using it
by keeping the flue fully closed.
Waste Management of Arizona
(WM) has opened its new
Compressed Natural Gas
(CNG) fueling station
located in Goodyear along
Interstate-10. The new station now supplies fuel to an expanded
fleet of cleaner-running WM CNG trash collection trucks serving
residents and businesses in Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Buckeye
and the west valley. If you have an older gas-burning fireplace, the damper should be welded

“WM is committed to running more environmentally sound operations open to prevent the build-up of gas vapors. Installing glass fireplace
that help keep our community cleaner, quieter, and safer,” said Gabriel doors or adding a chimney balloon or inflatable blocker will block cold
Hernandez, WM of Arizona district manager at the Goodyear site. air from coming down the chimney and keep in the warm air.
“This site is the third CNG fueling station WM has opened in Arizona. We are Weather seal doors and windows. Gaps around windows and doors
pleased to be a community partner providing superior customer service as well can make it difficult to keep your house warm in winter. Caulk around
as operating collection trucks that have a minimal impact on the environment.” windows and install weather stripping around doors as needed. This
Of the company’s total $9 million investment in the Goodyear is a minor and inexpensive task that can help save on heating costs.
project, construction and infrastructure of the CNG station Consider upgrading to dual-pane windows and insulated doors to
equated to $5 million. The remaining $4 million investment has boost the energy efficiency of your home. There are state tax rebates
been dedicated to upgrading the fleet with the purchase of 16 new for upgrading to more efficient windows and doors.
CNG trucks. Cleaner running CNG trucks now constitute 45 Life safety. These life safety items are inexpensive, easy to install
percent of the fleet dedicated to servicing Litchfield Park and west and they do save lives! Test your smoke detectors. Change the
valley residential and commercial customers and there are plans batteries annually on the older detectors. If they are more than
to continue to grow the local CNG fleet in the future. 10 years old (dates are on the back), replace all the units. Install a
WM’s fleet of CNG trucks are powered by engines that emit carbon monoxide detector if your home has gas appliances or an
nearly zero particulate emissions, cut greenhouse gas emissions, attached garage. And, don’t overlook the value of a working, fully
save diesel fuel, and run significantly quieter. To further conserve charged fire extinguisher.
fuel and reduce emissions, the engines of these CNG trucks are
designed to automatically turn off after five minutes of idling. The Wizard of Oz
WM plans to christen the station and its expanded fleet of You’re invited to attend A Little Drama’s production of The Wizard
CNG trucks at a Grand Opening celebration to be held on of Oz on Saturday, April 6, 2019, at the Litchfield Elementary
Wednesday, February 20, 2019, at 10:30am at the WM’s site located School, 255 W. Wigwam Boulevard. Tickets are available the
at 18605 W. McDowell Road, Goodyear, Arizona. The event will evening of the play. Adult tickets are $5, young students that are
be open to the public. able to sit on the floor are admitted free. Doors open at 6pm.

8 | Jan-Mar 2019 Issue litchfi eld-park.org