Who doesn’t like to save money?  It doesn’t really matter where the money is saved, spending less always feels good. Of course, it doesn’t feel good to be cold inside your home, so saving money by turning down the thermostat might not be a trade you want to make.

But what if you could bring down your heating bills without being uncomfortable along the way? That just might be possible, and this page will explain how to do it. If you need any help with your Burlington furnace along the way, be sure to connect with the Berico team to schedule an appointment.

 

Seal Cracks Carefully

One thing you certainly don’t want to be doing during the winter is paying to heat the outdoors. That might sound silly, but it’s exactly what you’ll be doing if there are cracks or gaps in your home that need to be closed up. Space around windows and doors can allow the heated air that your HVAC system is creating to go directly outside, where it will be lost forever. So, take some time to seal things up using weatherstripping or caulking. A minor investment of time and money can go a long way toward saving you on energy costs while improving the performance of your system at the same time.

 

Use a Programmable Thermostat

Another costly mistake is heating your house while you aren’t at home to enjoy it. It’s easy to forget to change the thermostat setting when you leave the house for the day, or when you go to bed and don’t need it to be as warm. These problems can be solved with a programmable thermostat, or a smart thermostat. Putting a bit of technology on your side will help you cut down on energy use without losing any comfort.

 

Keep Up On Maintenance

There is no way that a furnace that is clogged up with dust is going to operate at peak efficiency. The same can be said for a furnace that has worn-out parts, or parts that are loose. So, having your furnace maintained regularly – once per year should be sufficient – will keep it in proper working order and can bring down the amount of energy that it uses while running.

 

Use Natural Heat to Your Advantage

There are plenty of nice days during the winter months in the Greensboro area. When the temperature does climb during the winter, be sure to take full advantage. Open up the windows to invite that warmed air inside and give your furnace a little bit of a break.

 

Get Ready for Winter Now

It’s always best to be ready for winter before it arrives, rather than trying to play catch-up later. So, if you need any type of heating repair work completed, or if you are planning a furnace installation project, call Berico right away to chat. With a friendly team of experts and excellent pricing, you’ll be in good hands on every job.

It’s a wonderful luxury to have a generator available on your Greensboro property. When the power goes out after a storm, you won’t be stuck in the dark if you have a generator that can be fired up at a moment’s notice.

As you shop for a generator, you’ll quickly notice that there are two main types on the market today – whole-house generators and portable generators. This page will break down the differences and help you make the right choice for your needs.

If you decide to go ahead with whole house generator installation, the team at Berico is the right partner for the job. Call today to schedule your appointment or get more information.

 

Why Portable Generators Fall Short

While portable generators may seem like a convenient and affordable option, it’s important to understand their limitations, especially when compared to a whole-house generator. Portable generators run on gas and must be manually started. They are not designed to power an entire house. Instead, they can only handle a few select appliances at a time, often requiring extension cords to connect them. This limited capacity means you may have to choose between keeping your refrigerator running or powering a few lights, but not both.

On the other hand, a whole-house generator offers a permanent and reliable solution. It’s installed by professionals, connects directly to your home’s electrical system, and runs on a continuous fuel supply like natural gas or propane. Most importantly, a whole-house generator automatically turns on the moment it detects a power outage, so you don’t have to do anything. It can power your entire home—including your HVAC system, lights, and appliances—allowing you to continue your daily life without interruption.

 

Whole-House Generators Have So Much More to Offer

There is a use case for a portable generator. But they should not be mistaken as a replacement for a whole-house generator. These two things are simply not the same. A portable model can keep a couple of things running for a while in an emergency. A whole-house generator can keep your entire home running indefinitely.

Yes, there is a larger upfront expense with a whole-house model. But those costs can be seen as an investment in your home. You’ll be adding something that is going to serve you well and stand the test of time for years to come. Anytime the weather turns ugly, or when the power goes out for seemingly no reason at all, you’ll always have a backup option in place. And, you won’t even have to lift a finger – the generator senses the loss of power and just jumps into action.

 

Berico is Ready to Serve You

Have you decided that adding a Generac generator to your property is the right upgrade for your needs? That’s a great choice, and Berico is ready to get started on the project. Generac is one of the leading generator companies, and you’ll be left with a reliable system that can jump into action anytime the grid is down. Start now to be ready for the next storm!

In fleet management, no detail is too small to consider. Since every decision you make has consequences that impact the entire fleet, you want to do your homework and get every maintenance choice just right.

Even something as basic as changes in temperature can impact engine oil performance. This page will look at how the local weather conditions in North Carolina impact how oil should be managed in fleet vehicles.

If you need to work with a motor oil delivery service to keep your fleet running all year long, turn to the experts at Berico today to get started.

 

The Impact of Cold Weather on Oil Performance

It’s true that North Carolina doesn’t experience the coldest of winters. The northern states have it worse, to be sure, but cold temperatures can still move in and impact the performance of your engine oil.

In cold conditions, oil thickens and doesn’t circulate as well through the engine during the startup phase. It will also take longer for the oil to reach key engine parts, meaning wear and tear within the engine is increased. Basically, engine oil doesn’t work as well in cold weather and isn’t able to perform its job quite as effectively.

 

Hot Weather Has Its Own Challenges

What North Carolina manages to avoid in terms of cold weather, it more than makes up for in the frequency of hot weather. Summers here can be quite warm, and hot temperatures have an impact on oil performance, as well.

As you might expect, the effect of hot weather on oil is the opposite of what cold weather does. The oil will thin out as the temperatures rise, meaning it won’t be able to protect your engine quite as effectively. There is also accelerated oxidation of the oil in hot weather, causing it to have a reduced effective lifespan.

 

Tips for Managing Oil in Changing Weather

There are a few steps you can take to manage your oil properly while weather conditions move up and down throughout the year.

• Follow OEM Guidelines. It’s important to know the guidelines for your vehicles in terms of what oils are suggested based on given conditions. Following those recommendations will help you get optimal results and avoid premature wear.
• Schedule Seasonal Changes. The oil that works well for your engines in the summer months may not be the same one that serves you properly during the winter. Switching between a couple of different oils based on the time of year might be the best way to manage your fleet.
• Use Oil Analysis. Periodic oil sampling and testing can highlight how the oil is being impacted by temperatures, and you can make adjustments to your plan accordingly.

 

Reliable, Affordable Service from Berico

The Berico name is one that has been trusted in and around Greensboro for generations, and for good reason. Whether it’s oil reclamation service, the delivery of bulk lubricants, or any of the other services provided by this trusted brand, Berico always exceeds expectations. Place a phone call today and see what you have been missing.

As an air conditioning unit ages, it is naturally going to lose some of its efficiency. This is just the reality for all types of equipment, as wear and tear prevents machinery from working as well as it did when it was new.

 

Does that mean you have to resign yourself to getting poor performance from your old AC unit? Not necessarily. The tips in this article can help you improve the results you get and save money on your utility bills along the way.

 

If you need help with any type of Greensboro HVAC project, the team at Berico is ready to jump into action. Take a moment to get in touch today and learn more.

 

Replace the Air Filters

This is the obvious starting point. The air filter that serves your system is going to gradually get dirty and clogged as the system runs. Swapping that filter out regularly – or cleaning it, if it’s a reusable filter – is a great way to improve the efficiency of the air conditioner.

 

Efficiency drops when the filter is dirty due to restricted airflow. You want as much air as possible to freely run through the system while it is on. If you are using an old, clogged filter, not as much air will get through, and efficiency – as well as overall performance – will drop.

 

Keep the Outdoor Unit Free and Clear

Just as the indoor part of your air conditioner needs plenty of airflow to perform, so too does the outdoor unit. With that in mind, keep the outdoor unit free from any leaves, branches, or anything else that might restrict how air moves. As a good rule of thumb, keep all of your plants trimmed back at least two to three feet away from the perimeter of the unit at all times.

 

Upgrade to a Programmable Thermostat

It’s hard to run your AC system efficiently when using an old-style, traditional thermostat. If you have to manually adjust the temperature up and down throughout the day, you’ll inevitably leave it on a setting that isn’t ideal for the situation at hand.

 

Switching to a programmable thermostat is a big upgrade for a modest cost. This type of thermostat will allow you to set different schedules for different days of the week, ensuring the AC runs when it is needed and rests when it isn’t. You might be surprised to find just how much energy you can save by making this simple change.

 

Upgrade Your AC Performance Today

There are many options available to get better performance out of your air conditioner. In some cases, AC repair in Greensboro NC will be called for, as a small fix could prove to make a big difference. In other cases, you might simply need to replace your system, in which case, it will be AC installation that is required. Whatever the case, Berico is the best option in the Greensboro area for any of these projects. Call now!

When the conditions are just right, a plumbing system can last for many years without having significant problems of any kind. Of course, things aren’t always just right, and issues with the quality of your water supply can wreak havoc. Specifically, hard water presents plenty of problems, and this article will discuss those so you can understand how to fight back properly.

If damage from hard water has led to the need for Greensboro plumbing repair, call the team at Berico today. Berico offers a long list of plumbing services and will be able to solve any issues that you are facing.

 

What is Hard Water?

The term “hard water” is used to describe water that has a high level of dissolved minerals. These minerals can be many things, but it is usually calcium and magnesium that are the primary offenders. While there is nothing dangerous about hard water in terms of your health, the story is very different when it comes to your plumbing system. Over time, the minerals in the water will accumulate on your plumbing components and can cause major problems.

 

The Impact of Scale Buildup

Over the course of a day or two, you wouldn’t notice anything different when monitoring the condition of your plumbing system when hard water is present. Given enough time, however, the mineral deposits are going to start to add up. Slowly, the interior of a pipe will narrow as a result of minerals collecting on the surface. This will start to reduce water flow, and you’ll notice a decline in the performance of your plumbing. It’s even possible for the buildup in an older pipe to get so bad that the water can’t flow at all anymore.

 

Problems with Soap

Have you ever noticed that the water in your house doesn’t seem to create a nice foamy lather when you mix it with soap? Hard water is likely to blame here, as well. With hard water, soap will usually turn into a sticky residue known as soap scum. This makes it difficult to clean things properly, and a film from the scum will also accumulate over time in pipes and drains.

 

How to Deal with the Problem

Having a water softener installed is the best way to deal with hard water. This is a device that is designed to pull excess minerals out of your water supply before they can do damage to your plumbing system. If you suspect that hard water is an issue for your home and your plumbing, call in a professional to have the water tested as a first step.

 

Put Expert Help on Your Side

Hard water can cause problems, but it’s nothing that the best plumber Greensboro has to offer can’t handle. Take a moment to make your first appointment with the Berico team today, and you’ll have a Greensboro plumber that will always work with your best interests in mind.