From the natural beauty that surrounds us to the friendly individuals that make up our community, living on the northern California coast comes with countless benefits, but as with all things in life, there are some negatives to. One that we constantly deal with is the wet and cold winters, and these last two have been noticeably more intense that the previous decade. Taking the edge off of a harsh winter with a warm home is one of the best comforts in life, yet it can be a challenge with some of Humboldt's older homes. For example, we see a ton of old floor furnaces (pictured on the right) in select areas of Eureka, Arcata, Ferndale and Blue Lake. They were a solid option when they first debuted but now serve as a reminder of the past. Being that they are not connected to a ducting system, they do not evenly warm up the house and they tend to be viewed as an eye sore in the middle of your hallway or family room. Given their age (and typical location away from the homes venting) they can also be a potential hazard by introducing fumes into the home where as more modern systems are designed to vent these fumes to the exterior of the home. Additionally these older systems are no where near as efficient as the newer models, and some of which are much more versatile than others. | 
