Meet our newest employee!
Brian DaSilva – Installation Technician
Brian joined the Purl’s Sheet Metal in 2015 as an installation technician. He enjoys working with his co–workers and learning new things. Brian feels he has the opportunity to work with the best in the business! In his free time Brian enjoys working on his truck and playing guitar. He also enjoys spending his time with his girlfriend and his dogs. (Brian’s favorite movie is “The Sandlot”).
No matter how well you take care of your furnace, you will eventually have to replace it with a new one. Parts break down, wear out, and even go out of production. Eventually, the cost of repairing all of your furnace’s problems will outweigh that of a new furnace installation. The sooner you recognize that your furnace has reached the end of its service life, the more money you can save by replacing it. If you have any questions regarding whether you should repair or replace your furnace, call the skilled technicians at Purl’s Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning.
Let’s take a look at some of the indicators that you should have a new furnace installed.
Every system will occasionally run into problems that require professional repair. As a system ages, however, the frequency and cost of those repairs will increase. As wear and tear accumulates on the furnace, the individual parts of the system will begin to fail. Since each part wears out at a slightly different rate, this will eventually result in multiple parts failing in rapid succession.
Not all drops in heating efficiency are a sign that a furnace needs replacement. There are several different issues that could contribute to a loss of heating ability. However, a furnace that seems to be permanently handicapped, even after multiple repairs, is a sign that you should replace the furnace with a new one.
An older furnace doesn’t necessarily need replacement, but you need to take age into consideration when other symptoms, like those above, start to appear. If your furnace is older than its manufacturer’s estimate lifespan and experienced other performance issues, it’s a good idea to look into replacing it. If you have an older furnace and that is still performing fine, make sure you continue with regular professional maintenance and consult with your technician about when a replacement is cost-effective.
If you think you need a new furnace installation in the Madera area, call Purl’s Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning to schedule an appointment.
Many people may think of Valentine’s Day as a holiday essentially created by card and gift companies, but the truth is that the holiday has long-standing roots going back to the Roman Empire. The name “Lupercalia” has its origins in the word “lupus”, which means wolf, and the reason for this is that according to Roman pagan religion, the she-wolf Lupa nursed the two orphaned infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome.
The Festival
The Festival of Lupercalia spanned two days each February, from February 13th to 15th. The festival was about fertility and was led by Luperci priests, known as “brothers of the wolf”. The festival was serious with intention (fertility) but was executed as quite a romp for both the priests and citizens of Rome. The process was this: two male goats and a dog were sacrificed at the beginning of the festival by the priests; two young Luperci were then anointed with the blood from the animals, and the hides of the animals were cut into straps. As food and drink flowed, the male priests would run around the city wearing nothing but thongs made from the animal skins, and they also carried a strap from one of the sacrificed animals. The strap was used to strike the palms of Roman women waiting for the priests in the city, as it was believed that being hit with the strap could help with infertility issues and a safe, healthy labor for women who were pregnant.
The Transition to St. Valentine’s Day
The Christian influence of the holiday came around the 5th century. The Roman Empire was still strong, but Christianity was rapidly taking hold throughout the world. It is believed that to try and remove the paganism from the holiday, the deaths of two men, supposedly both named Valentine, were added into the mix. During the 3rd and 4th centuries, a law created by Claudius II forbade young men eligible for military service to marry, because Rome wanted a strong army. The two men named Valentine were priests, and married young couples in secret. Both were found out and executed on February 14th, although in separate years. The Church made Valentine a saint (they chose one), and Lupercalia became St. Valentine’s Day.
Here’s wishing you and your loved one a Happy Valentine’s Day!
Friday barbeques are a tradition at Purl’s Sheet Metal. Our team of employees, customers and invited guests enjoy the weekly Friday lunch at our Madera office. Every week there is something different on the menu. After searching for a BBQ smoker, we decided to fabricate our own. What started as a passion to create the best “smoked” meats for our weekly lunch, quickly turned into a prototype of the new barbeque smoker.
The food from our new smoker was so delicious, our employees and our customers started asking to order one for their personal use. After much testing and sampling of great meals, we came up with a well-designed prototype.
Each barbeque smoker body is custom fabricated in our sheet metal shop in Madera, CA. Each smoker contains a top vent, side vents, chrome plated steel cooking grill, meat hanging hooks, removable fire basket, and temperature gauge. It is assembled with care and precision in the USA in Madera, CA. We are proud to announce they are now available for purchase 
and special order. Options are available for special orders, so give us a call at Purl’s Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning for all the details.
