Are your energy bills getting out of control? If they are continually getting higher, it is time to have a professional technician inspect your AC system in Greensboro to determine if air conditioning repair or upgrade is needed. Heating and cooling systems have a lifespan of approximately ten years and a common factor to high energy bills can be traced to inefficient HVAC systems. Berico Fuels can help you to find out how to correct the high energy bill problem, by finding the cause and determining the most cost effective solution.

Assess the Heating and Cooling Situation for Specific Answers

An accurate understanding of the specific HVAC system problem will help you to decide when it is time to upgrade your system. Hgtv.com provides a detailed “first step” that should take place to help you with this analysis:

“Before you spend thousands of dollars on a new heating or cooling system, it’s a good idea to check your house and your HVAC system for costly air leaks. This could be the root of the problem, and may be a lot less expensive to treat.

It’s a good idea to start by having an energy assessment done on your home by an energy efficiency professional. This can either be a walk-through with a clipboard, or a more comprehensive audit with a blower-door test that pressurizes the house so energy leaks can be detected. In some areas, electric utilities subsidize the costs of energy efficiency assessments, and some states offer rebates or discounts on having insulation installed or other work done to make your home more efficient.

Why is this a great first step? Because properly insulating your home and sealing leaks will help your heating and cooling system run much more efficiently. You may discover that you don’t need to replace that system after all. And if you do replace it, your new heating or cooling system can then be sized properly and run more efficiently, potentially saving you significantly on both your upfront costs and energy bills in the future.”

Learning about the recommended heating and cooling system size for your home will help you budget and prepare for a future installation. Berico Fuels will research all of the variables, including your home’s size and room layout, plus existing ductwork to recommend systems that will provide the greatest energy efficiency.

An Experienced HVAC Professional Needs to Perform the System Installation

Make sure that you do not cut corners by a poor quality service company to do a new system installation. There are certifications and qualifications that need to be in place to ensure that safety procedures are being followed and that your unit is sized correctly. According to www.hgtv.com, there are reasons why it is necessary to ensure that you are using a reputable HVAC installer like Berico Fuels for the job:

“An improperly sized or installed HVAC system can leak deadly carbon monoxide or other toxins into a home, cost you much more money, promote mold growth that can lead to chronic illness, or start fires. So seek a professional with some certifications such as NATE (North American Technician Excellence). A NATE patch signifies that the contractor employs technicians who have passed this national certification.

One of the most important things an HVAC professional should do is conduct a load calculation to properly size your system. A load calculation should not rely on the size of your house alone. Many variables will determine the size of your system, including the local weather, ventilation needs, windows, insulation levels and more.

If an HVAC professional cannot do a proper load calculation or does not adhere to the Quality Installation Specification, seek one who will. Your health, safety and bank account may depend on it.”

If higher energy bills are bringing you down, call a heating and cooling specialist to thoroughly inspect your heating and cooling system to assess where the problem area is located. Sometimes, a simple repair will bring your system back to optimal efficiency and cost savings. Other times, your HVAC in Greensboro will need to be replaced. Making smart decisions about your heating and cooling system can have a big impact on your utility bills and comfort. Berico Fuels has affordable and efficient systems that will provide annual savings on your utility bills. Call us today to start saving: 336-313-0466.

(Source: Is It Time to Upgrade Your HVAC?, www.hgtv.com, 2015)

Have you ever thought about having an HVAC expert evaluate your home’s energy efficiency? Air conditioning systems are becoming more energy efficient and Eden, NC homeowners are learning about various ways to save energy after completing a home energy audit. On www.energy.gov, the professional energy assessment is explained,

“Professional energy assessments generally go into great detail to assess your home’s energy use. The energy auditor will do a room-by-room examination of the residence, as well as a thorough examination of past utility bills.”

Home Energy Audits Include a Review of Utility Bills

Checking through previous energy bills will provide a very clear idea of your home’s energy efficiency. Careful inspection of each room will also allow the auditor to analyze your Greensboro home in detail. Carolina Fuels offer home energy audits in the Eden and surrounding areas to help homeowners save money and find the best solution for optimal efficiency. What is the best way to prepare for the home energy audit? At www.energy.gov, the following steps are recommended:

“Before the energy auditor visits your house, make a list of any existing problems such as condensation and uncomfortable or drafty rooms. Have copies or a summary of the home’s yearly energy bills. (Your utility can get these for you.) Auditors use this information to establish what to look for during the audit. The auditor first examines the outside of the home to determine the size of the house and its features (i.e., wall area, number and size of windows). The auditor then will analyze the residents’ behavior:

• Is anyone home during working hours?
• What is the average thermostat setting for summer and winter?
• How many people live here?
• Is every room in use?

Your answers may help uncover some simple ways to reduce your household’s energy consumption.”

An Energy Audit is a Preventative Step to Better Energy Efficiency

Prevent energy loss by scheduling a home energy audit today. Your savings will start to appear on your utility bills after steps are implemented to increase efficiency. At a home energy audit, the professional service expert will look for signs of energy loss in your home. Using diagnostic equipment, they can find areas that could be improved and be able to make recommendations for your overall energy use within your home. Some suggestions may include using insulated curtains or room darkening window treatments to maximize energy efficiency. The condition of existing vents, doors and walls will be inspected as well.

Benefits of a Home Energy Audit

There is cost saving reasons for having a professional conduct a home energy audit. According to www.energy.gov., you can save a significant amount of money by making the recommended upgrades, following an audit:

“A professional energy audit gives you a thorough picture of where your home is losing energy and what you can do to save money.
You can save 5%-30% on your energy bill by making upgrades following a home energy assessment.You may be eligible for state, local, or utility incentives to assist with your home energy audit.”

Create an energy efficient home environment and enjoy savings this year. Carolina Fuels provide thorough home energy audits to help you know exactly how to save more money on utility bills in your home. Carolina Fuels performs air conditioning repair service and installations for the Eden area. Have a comfortable summer with great cost savings, by calling us at 336-273-8663

(Source: Professional Home Energy Audits, energy.gov, Nov. 6, 2014)

In the middle of the summer season, are you afraid to look at your utility bills? Since you are running your Greensboro air conditioner every day in the hot summer months, there may be some reasons why your bill is higher than your neighbor’s energy bill. At Berico Fuels, we can help you find the causes of these higher payments, and help you on the path to cost savings. Here are 5 top reasons you may be paying so much each month for your air conditioning:

Your AC Unit is Older and Not as Efficient

Older cooling systems are not as effective at cooling, and the efficiency is much lower than today’s newer systems. This lower efficiency results in higher energy bills since the HVAC system requires more energy to get to the desired indoor temperature for your home. It may be time for a replacement system, which will be an initial investment that carries excellent cost savings over the years with significantly lower energy bills.

The Cooling System’s Fan is Set on the Thermostat to Constantly Run

If there is a fan setting on your programmable thermostat, it should be set to “Auto” instead of “On” for greater efficiency. If family members are constantly going back and forth with the temperature setting changes on the thermostat, they probably have also moved the fan switch to “on”. Achieve the best performance from your air conditioning unit by setting one main temperature setting for the hours that you are home and a few degrees’ warmer setting for when you are away from the house. Frequent changing of the temperature, even by a few degrees, not only creates an inefficient energy flow but puts more stress on your equipment as it constantly tries to adjust to these frequent changes. Agreeing on the most comfortable indoor temperature for everyone in your household and maintaining that level throughout the summer will help your system run more efficiently.

Your AC Unit is Inefficient as a Result of Skipped Maintenance

Regular annual maintenance is necessary to keep your air conditioner running efficiently. If you skip a year or two, it can result in a heavy collection of dust, dirt and other debris that will cause your system to not work at its best and most effective level. Contact Berico to schedule your HVAC maintenance visit in Greensboro, and we will check parts and connections while providing a complete cleaning.

Duct Blockages and Leaks in Your Cooling System Can Cause Higher Utility Bills

Trying to send air through blocked areas in your ductwork creates more pressure, and your cooling system needs to work harder to circulate the air, therefore using more energy. The quality of your ductwork is important because it provides the outlet to send cooled air throughout your home. When the ducts have holes or leaks, or connections are blocked off, this could result in higher energy bills. Regularly checking the ductwork in your home will help fix these issues before they become costly repairs and help to keep your energy bills down.

Keep Cool Air inside with Good Insulation

Your AC system may be working overtime to not only cool the inside of your home, but also the outside. Properly fitted windows or adding weather stripping around the windows will help the cool air from leaking to the outside and keep the hot air from coming in. Adequate insulation and weather stripping will help keep your HVAC system from running unnecessarily to accommodate the loss of cool air in your home. Keep the nice, cool air inside of your home and let the outside stay warm with added insulation. When you need service for your air conditioner in Greensboro, Burlington or Eden, contact Berico Heating & Air, Alamance Oil and Carolina Fuels at (336) 273-8663.

Air Conditioning Repairs in Eden: Spring is the Ideal Time

Spring is almost here, and most people will be busy clearing out closets, scrubbing walls and washing windows. However, if you just clean the parts of your house that you can see, you may be doing only half the job. Preventative maintenance on your cooling system should be a part of your regular spring-cleaning activities. Air conditioning repair and maintenance check-ups will help your entire house be clean and dust free. The technicians at Berico Heating & Air get busy once summer hits, so spring is the ideal time for air-conditioning repairs in Eden.

Why Schedule an Air Conditioner Check Up

According to the Department of Energy,

“Annual maintenance can help improve your comfort and the efficiency of your air conditioner while prolonging the life of your unit.”

It is especially important to schedule this maintenance check up in the springtime because the severe weather of the winter months can have a negative impact on your cooling system. The number one cause of air conditioning system failures, as reported by HVAC professionals, is the lack of routine maintenance. Another reason to schedule annual air conditioner maintenance and repair in Eden is cost savings.

According to Energy Star, a division of the EPA,

“The percentage of the average household’s energy use that goes to space cooling is only 6%, yet this can increase during the warm months.”

Small problems can be detected and fixed before they become bigger, more expensive problems by scheduling regular check-ups. Fixing a small refrigerant leak shouldn’t cost much, however, purchasing a new compressor when low refrigerant levels damage your current one can cost thousands of dollars. The other way an annual spring check up saves money is by making certain that your cooling system is working at peak efficiency. When your air conditioner is running well, it uses less energy to cool your house. Lower energy use means increased savings for you on your monthly energy bill.

Typical Maintenance Checks to Ensure Optimum System Performance

• Thermostat settings should be examined to ensure the cooling system keeps you comfortable when you’re home and saves energy while you are away.

• Defective electrical connections can cause unsafe operation of your system and reduce the life of major components. Electrical connections should be inspected and tightened, and voltage and current on motors measured.

• Lubricate all moving parts. Parts that are not lubricated properly can cause friction in motors resulting in increased electricity consumption.

• One way an air conditioner cools your home is by decreasing the amount of moisture in the air or humidity. If the condensate drain is clogged in your cooling system, this can not only cause water damage but also affect humidity levels in your home.

• All system controls should be checked to assure the system starts, operates, and shuts off correctly.

• Evaporator and condenser coils remove heat and humidity from the air using a refrigerant. These should be checked and cleaned. Energy Star, a division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), reports that dirt and neglect are the top causes of cooling system inefficiency and failure. Dirty coils prohibit the system’s capacity to cool your home. It can also cause the cooling system to run for an extended amount of time, inflating costs and reducing the life of the system.

• Blower and fan motors should be tested and inspected for greater comfort levels. Airflow difficulties can lessen your system’s efficiency by up to 15 percent as stated by the Department of Energy.

Do it Yourself Cost-Saving Tips

• Inspect, clean, or change air filters once a month in your air conditioner. A clogged air filter will restrict airflow and can cause refrigerant lines to freeze resulting in possible breakdowns and serious damage to other system components. According to the Department of Energy, this can lower your air conditioner’s energy consumption by 5-15 percent.

• If you have a window air conditioner, inspect the window seals to keep cool air from escaping. According to Energy Star, homeowners typically save up to hundreds of dollars a year in cooling costs by air sealing their homes.

• Consider installing a programmable thermostat. This could help you save up to 10 percent on heating and cooling costs a year.

No matter what kind of cooling system you have in your house, you can save money and increase comfort by properly maintaining your equipment. Routine maintenance check ups lower energy bills, increase comfort in the home and extend the useful life of your equipment. Now is the time to schedule your air conditioner check up in Eden, Greensboro and Burlington, NC. Berico Heating & Air want to make your home comfortable and your life easier. Contact us today.

SOURCES: Energy Saver (www.energy.gov/energysaver), the Energy Department’s Building Technologies Office; A Guide to Energy-Efficient Heating and Cooling

Since the first air conditioner was invented in 1902, technological advancements have made air conditioners in Burlington more efficient. This greater efficiency leads to cleaner air because of the increased ability to reduce humidity in homes and businesses due to stronger fan blowers to circulate the air. ASME.org, an engineering publication, commented on the variety of scientific and engineering improvements that have been made over the years to create the complex HVAC unit that we use today:

“These comfort units that homeowners activate with the ease of flipping a switch are complex electromechanical systems, the end products of nearly a century of engineering development in cooling, thermodynamics, controls, and energy efficiency. In 2000, air conditioning/refrigeration was named among the 10 greatest mechanical engineering achievements of the 20th century, according to a survey of ASME members.”

With the majority of Americans using air conditioning today, quality service and installations are consistently needed to maintain systems. At Alamance Oil, we provide cooling maintenance in Burlington so your air conditioner will be ready for the hot months of the summer. Programmable thermostats are available in a variety of configurations, allowing homeowners to increase energy efficiency in their homes and lower utility bills by adjusting the temperatures to accommodate their specific needs. The use of these sophisticated thermostats, the cleaner indoor environment, and the added safety measures are all a result of the engineering and technology developments that have shaped the AC system into what it is today.

New Controls on Air Conditioners in Burlington Create Greater Energy Savings

If you are not using your programmable digital thermostat in your home to program temperatures for specific time periods, you are missing out on an opportunity to save some serious money. At Alamance Oil, we can offer recommendations on how to program your thermostat to the best settings for energy savings. These suggestions include setting your temperature differently for when you are traveling or away from your home and keeping the temperatures slightly warmer during the summer months or when you are asleep. The U.S. government now requires that air conditioners in Burlington meet the seasonal energy efficiency ratings (SEER) that have increased to meet energy standards:

“Energy efficiency standards set by the U.S. Department of Energy are driving improvements in air-conditioning systems. “Minimum efficiency standards for a/c systems have progressively increased, particularly in the last five years, requiring manufacturers to optimize systems to reduce energy consumption,” says Dennis Thoren, vice president of engineering and technology at Ingersoll Rand, Davidson, NC, which markets the popular Trane line of air conditioners.”

The increased automation with easier to use controls have made a significant impact on the amount of energy that is used when running your AC unit. Manufacturer recommended cooling maintenance in Burlington results in more energy savings for you. Air conditioners that are cleaned and regularly inspected can last longer and provide healthier, comfortable cooling for your home and family.

A Cleaner Indoor Environment is the Result of Modern Air Conditioners

Harmful chemicals, such as Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), were used in refrigeration fluids until it was discovered that they cause damage to the ozone layer. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons or HCFCs are now used in modern air conditioners which are better for the environment indoors and outdoors. Refrigerants are necessary to produce cooler air in your home, and with the newer technology and controls, your AC system provides healthier and cleaner indoor air. At Alamance Oil, our knowledgeable service team provides helpful information when you are researching for a replacement air conditioning system in Burlington. We will analyze your budget, space requirements and layout to recommend a range of AC units that will meet your needs.

Safer Cooling is the New Mainstream

Sophisticated sensors are in place to add safety measures to your air conditioner in Burlington. Carbon monoxide alarms will go off if there are problems and additional humidity level and temperature sensors make sure the system is running at peak capacity. At Alamance Oil, our advanced diagnostic tools allow us to monitor your system and sensors for safety and effectiveness during annual maintenance visits. Our trained technicians will find leaks or any other equipment issues and repair them quickly and efficiently to restore your air conditioner to full safety and comfort. For reliable ac repair, contact Alamance Oil today at 336-226-9371.

(Source: Global Cooling: The History of Air Conditioning, asme.org, June 2011)