Despite being used regularly by millions of people, there remains a lot of confusion about propane and natural gas. Are they the same thing? If not, how are they different? You don’t need to be an expert on this topic as an average consumer, but it does help to understand the basics and know what you are ordering.

 

When you are ready to schedule a Burlington propane delivery, the easy choice for such service is Berico. As the top propane supplier Burlington has to offer, Berico brings together a friendly and experienced staff with great pricing for a combination that is hard to beat.

 

Getting Your Fuels Straight

The answer to the title question in this article of whether or not propane is a natural gas is somewhat a matter of semantics. Is propane a natural gas? Yes – it is a natural source of fuel that is harvested from the earth. Is it what people are referring to when they talk about “natural gas”? No – well, not exactly.

 

Natural gas, as the term is usually used, refers to a fuel that is naturally occurring and is pulled out of the earth via drilling. When it is harvested, it includes a makeup of four different types of gases – methane, ethane, butane, and propane. It is methane that is the primary component, but all four are present. So, when you are using natural gas as a heating source, for instance, what you are using is a blend of those four gases (along with the added crude oil).

 

Using Propane Alone

Obviously, when you are using propane, you are using just one of those four gases that are found in the natural gas compound. While both can work for a variety of purposes, Berico is proud to deliver propane to many customers due to the many performance advantages it delivers. For one thing, propane is able to deliver higher temperatures than natural gas, which can be beneficial in some uses. Also, many different types of appliances can be run on propane, making it a versatile and practical choice.

 

Pricing Can Be Complicated

Don’t fall into the trap of comparing natural gas directly to propane in terms of cost without factoring in some other considerations. If you just look at the per-unit pricing, you are almost certainly going to find that propane is more expensive than natural gas. But that’s not the end of the story. Propane has a significantly higher BTU rating than natural gas, so you’ll need to use less of it to get more done. In other words, the value that you get for your money might wind up being better with propane than natural gas, and even if not, it’s going to be very close.

 

Don’t make any choices about the fuel you’ll be using at your home without talking to the experts at Berico first. With a knowledgeable team of friendly professionals available, Berico is able to help customers make the right choices for their specific situation. Get in touch today to learn more.

When driving your vehicle, you probably have a pretty good idea of how long your available fuel will last. Based on how much you drive, the size of your tank, the efficiency of your vehicle, etc., you’ll get familiar with how often you need to stop at the gas station to refill. The story is different with the propane tank that serves your home, however. If it gets filled up with 500 gallons, how long is that going to last? This article will take a closer look.

 

Tired of searching for “propane delivery near me” without getting any good results? Any search for the best propane companies near me is sure to reveal Berico as a top option for those in and around Greensboro, Eden, and Burlington. Get in touch today to get started.

 

A Disappointing Answer

It would be nice to be able to tell you that 500 gallons of propane is going to last your home for exactly six months, or some such number. Life just isn’t that simple, however, and there is no way to be so definite. First of all, it’s important to clarify exactly how much propane you are working with when your tank is full.

 

Yes, you might have a 500-gallon tank on your property. That doesn’t mean it holds 500 gallons when it is filled up. Because it’s necessary to leave some open space in the tank for gas expansion as a safety measure, your tank is only going to be filled up to 80%. Those with a 500-gallon tank will then be left with 400 gallons, and the math works the same way for other tank sizes.

 

With that much gas available, you should get a few months of service in an “average” home, but the range is so wide that it’s hard to nail that down with any degree of confidence. Factors that will directly impact propane consumption include how many appliances use this fuel, the size of your home, the weather conditions, and on and on.

 

Learning Your Patterns

The only useful bit of information on propane usage is going to come from your history. Rather than looking to others for a guess, just monitor the rate at which you use your propane during various times of the year. Pretty soon, an obvious pattern will emerge, and you’ll have a strong understanding of how fast those 500 (or 400) gallons are going to disappear.

 

It’s also important to work with a trustworthy supplier like Berico to make sure your tank never runs out. Berico will deliver more propane promptly and can set up a schedule of timely deliveries to make sure your tank doesn’t get anywhere near empty. This is one of those points where you’d rather be safe than sorry – having your tank topped off regularly rather than pushing your luck on how far down it can go is the smart move. Reach out to Berico right away to learn more about propane delivery.

It’s always tempting to look for the lowest possible price when making any type of purchase. Saving money is always a good thing, so no one could blame you for looking for a deal. Unfortunately, seeking out the lowest possible price can lead to trouble in some cases, and that’s the case with heating oil. There are various qualities of heating oil on the market, and finding the right blend of quality and price can be a tricky task.

If you are searching for an oil heating company near me and want to go with a trusted industry leader, Berico is ready to serve you. Oil heating service is just one of many offerings from this long-standing company, so get in touch today to learn more.

The Answer is Yes

To be clear, there certainly are different qualities of home heating oil available. When you purchase your oil, it’s important that you know what you are getting and that you confirm it’s the right product for your system. That doesn’t mean that you need to buy the most expensive heating oil available to get good performance – in fact, that probably won’t be the right choice – but you do need to pick out a product that is going to deliver the performance you expect.

Where You’ll See a Difference

The primary difference between the grades of heating oils tends to be found in efficiency. With a better oil, you are going to get more efficient performance when you burn it to create heat. And, as you would expect, the better heating oils are going to be more expensive as a result.

So, if you are presented with two options for purchasing heating oil, automatically going with the cheaper one might not actually save you money in the end. Sure, you’ll pay less on a per-unit basis for the oil, but if you have to burn more of it to warm your home, the math might not work out in your favor. It’s best to build a relationship with a company like Berico who only sells the highest quality oil, Ultra Low Sulphur Heating Oil.

Another Important Heating Oil Factor

Beyond the cost of the oil itself, you are also going to need to think about the cost of having that oil delivered. It’s the total bill for heating oil delivery that you should care about, so always get detailed quotes that cover everything involved in the process. Cheap oil won’t do you any good if it is of low quality and comes with a high delivery fee.

For example, Berico is committed to offering customers affordable heating oil solutions, meaning the whole package of oil and delivery is likely to beat what you can find elsewhere. When you factor in the other incentives that Berico offers – such as monthly payment options – you will quickly see why so many people have trusted this brand for generations. Reach out today to schedule your first delivery or to get more information.

Most of the time, your furnace operates in the background while you go about your life. As long as the thermostat is set properly, you don’t need to worry about anything – the system just runs when it should, and the house stays comfortable. When problems pop up, however, you might need to call for prompt repair to get back on track.

 

For Burlington furnace repair that you can trust to be fair and professional, turn to Berico right away. While there are plenty of options for furnace maintenance in Burlington, Berico stands above the competition thanks to its experience and proven performance in this market.

 

1 – Your Furnace is Loud or making weird noises

Even if you don’t pay particularly close attention, you probably know what your furnace is supposed to sound like just from living in your home day after day. If the furnace starts to make unusual noises when it is running, that’s a likely sign that there is something going wrong in the system.

 

2 – Your Home is Cold

This might be the most obvious sign of all. As they say, a dead giveaway. The furnace is supposed to heat up the house, so if it can’t get that job done, the time may have come to have it looked at by an experienced professional. There is no way to know what kind of repair will be required until an HVAC pro checks it out in person.

 

3 – Strong Smells Coming from the Furnace

As with the sound that your furnace makes, you probably also know if it usually generates any kind of smell. If there is suddenly a strong smell coming from the area where the furnace lives, or through the vents while the air is being moved around the house, something may be wrong.

 

4 – Costs Go Up

Pay attention to your energy bills to make sure you aren’t using more energy than expected based on the weather conditions outside. Any bill you receive will include not only the dollar amount that you need to pay, but also the units of energy you have consumed. Monitor those numbers and look into repairs if they keep climbing.

 

5 – It’s Been a While

No furnace will continue running indefinitely without encountering problems. If you know that your furnace hasn’t been serviced or inspected in a long time, schedule an appointment to have it checked out from top to bottom.

 

6 – It’s Always On

Your furnace shouldn’t be running all the time, even if it is cold outside. If it seems like the furnace is constantly turning on and running during the day, even if the cycles are short, it might not be functioning correctly.

 

7 – Dirty Air

Have you noticed that the air quality in your house has declined recently? When that happens, it’s another potential sign that your furnace needs some kind of repair. The air that comes out of your vents while the furnace is on should be clean, and if it’s dirty, you’ll want to get to the bottom of that issue as soon as possible.

 

To have your furnace checked out and tuned up before you experience any of these issues give your friends at Berico a call today: (336) 226-9371

To someone who doesn’t work in the industry, HVAC systems can appear extremely complicated. Not only are there plenty of complicating factors within a single system, but there are also many differences between types of systems. You don’t need to be an expert to have the right system installed in your home, but it is helpful to understand the basics – and that’s what this article is here to offer.

As a leader in HVAC in Greensboro NC, Berico is the easy choice when you have any type of installation or maintenance project to handle. For the best Greensboro HVAC service available, simply call Berico today to get started.

The Industry Leader – A Split System
If you own a home that was built in the last 20 or 30 years, it’s very likely that the HVAC system that serves your home is what’s known as a split system. With this type of system, you can have both heating and cooling capability in your home, although the work will be done by separate units. This is an impressively efficient and affordable system, which is why it has become the standard throughout most of the country.

So, how does it work? In simple terms, there is a unit to manage the heating of air and another to manage the task of cooling it down. The heater will typically be in the house, located somewhere out of the way like an attic, basement, or small closet. When the thermostat tells the system that the home needs to be warmer, the unit will kick on and move air through the heater and out through the ducts to warm up the space.

The process is similar with cooling, only the unit that manages cooling will be found outside. Refrigerant is pumped through a line that runs out to the outdoor unit, where it will be cooled, and the heat will be dumped out into the air. Then, that cooled refrigerant makes the trip back inside, where air moves over it and is cooled down. You’ll only need a single thermostat to manage all of this activity, and the end result should be a home that stays comfortable throughout the year.

Many Other Possibilities for HVAC Systems
Covering all of the other various options available for HVAC systems would far exceed the limitations of this article. However, we can take a moment below to highlight some of what you’ll find out there on the market today, as one of these might end up being a better solution for your needs.

• Zoned system. This can still operate as a split system as was described above, however, the home (or another type of building) is divided up into zones that can be heated or cooled individually.

• Ductless HVAC. In this case, ductwork is not used to distribute heated or cooled air, and instead, there is a dedicated unit placed in each room in the house that needs to be temperature controlled. This is a good option for an older home that doesn’t have ductwork and has never had air conditioning.

• Heat pump. A heat pump is an outdoor unit that can provide both heating and cooling capabilities, depending on the season. So, it can function as an air conditioner in the summer, and when winter rolls around, it becomes an auxiliary heater that supplements the main heating unit.

The best way to resolve any questions you may have about HVAC systems is to contact Berico directly to learn more about the options. Get started today!