Firms donate furnace to family
2/8/2008
The Republican - February 8, 2008
SPRINGFIELD - An area furnace installation company and a furnace supply company are donating a furnace to a family and installing it after the family's furnace cracked, releasing carbon monoxide fumes into their home.
Antonio Polk, his wife and daughter were treated for carbon monoxide fumes after the Fire Department determined that their home at 195 Arnold St. had a cracked heat exchanger Tuesday night which was releasing exhaust fumes into the cellar instead of out the chimney.
Michael J. Marcil, a salesman for Berkshire Service Experts of West Springfield, said the family had no way to finance a new furnace and he persuade his company and their supplier, John Stone Supply of Springfield, to donate a new furnace and installation.
The installation is worth about $3,000 and the furnace is worth $2,000, said Schley Warren, general manager of Berkshire Services Experts.
Marcil said he felt empathy for the family because he lost his own house a year ago when he changed jobs and could not meet the mortgage payments.
A lot of people are living closer to the financial edge than they like to think, Marcil said.