Uncooked rice often contains the bacteria Bacillus cereus. These bacteria can form protective spores that survive the cooking process and if the rice is cooled slowly (and left between 5 Â°C and 60 Â°C for a long time), these bacteria spores can germinate, grow and produce a toxin (poison) that causes vomiting.
Obviously the colder a climate is, the more a furnace is required to run, and the shorter its life expectancy. With our relatively mild climate here in Seattle and the rest of the Puget Sound, the average life expectancy for a gas furnace is 15 to 20 years if well maintained, properly installed, and properly sized.
How old is your furnace? A good place to start is to compare your oil or natural gas furnace age to the national average. The average life expectancy of furnaces in homes today is between 16 and 20 years. If your furnace is close to this age or older, you should begin shopping.