A military family from the Illinois suburb of Markham had to hotwire their furnace several times a day this winter, until they heard about Heat for Heroes, a program helping Chicago families of active duty troops stay warm, free of charge.

Working through Operation Homefront of Illinois, Support Sergeant Thomas Allen of the National Guard requested services from Heat for Heroes, and now his family enjoys a safe warm house.

“We are happy the Allen family now has a properly operating furnace that gives them the regulated heat they need,” said Stephen Lamb, Executive Vice President of Mechanical Contractors Association (MCA) of Chicago. “Helping families like the Allen’s is what Heat for Heroes is all about.” Heat for Heroes is sponsored by MCA of Chicago and their member service contractors, as well as Pipefitters Local Union 597 (LU 597).
  
When the furnace died in one of the coldest months of 2009, and the temperature was dropping drastically, Sergeant Allen and his family found themselves faced with a crisis. In his household of seven, including five children under age 10, warmth was a vital necessity, but their budget could not handle a new furnace. 
 
“Sometimes you just do what has to be done,” Allen said. He was able to locate a used furnace on short notice, but this created a new set of problems. The furnace was not the right size and it did not come with professional installation. Allen had no choice but to install the furnace himself at 3 a.m., as the temperature in his home approached freezing. Turning off the gas, he jerry-rigged the furnace into position, having no electrical training or experience. Once installed, the only way it would fire up was to hotwire it. Every time he wanted to warm the house, Thomas touched two low-voltage wires together to create a spark.

“I tried to regulate it as best as I could,” he said, “revolving the temperature of the house around the needs of my children. So I attempted to have it warm in the morning, when they came home from school and before their bedtime.”

According to Dan Bulley, Senior Vice President of MCA of Chicago, “Not only were the bare wires dangerous, but that method of regulating the heat can put extra wear and tear on the furnace. Also, those extreme temperature swings actually cost more in fuel costs.”
 
When MCA of Chicago received the call about the Allen family from Operation Homefront of Illinois, they deployed one of their local contractors to assess and repair the furnace as quickly as possible.

The contractor assigned, Southwest Town Mechanical, found the furnace was not connected to the thermostat, nor did it have an on/off switch for regulation and emergency shut-off.

“Exposed electrical wires near a furnace were quite a surprise to see,” said Gerry Grilec, president of Southwest Town, “but we connected the thermostat and repaired the furnace quickly and safely.”
 
Grilec said the repairs to the Allen family’s furnace would have cost them more than $700, but they were honored to provide this free service to a military family. The technician called to the Allen’s home was also happy to do the work since he is a military veteran who had recently finished his term in the Air Force.

Read more about Heat for Heroes and MCA of Chicago at www.mca.org.