If you like the clean air, high efficiency ratings and the reliability of a natural gas furnace, and you also want a dependable system that warms up the home on the most freezing days of winter, a dual fuel furnace is a perfect fit. By alternating between gas and oil to heat your home, you will have control over the heating source selection, resulting in lower energy bills. This hybrid system has a heat pump and gas furnace, providing you with the best of both worlds, in terms of efficient heating and cost savings. Thermo Pride, a manufacturer of Hybrid systems and one of the top brands that we carry at Berico Fuels, explains the technology:

“With energy costs rising, homeowners are searching for the most economical solution for their indoor comfort needs when it comes to both heating and cooling. Thermo Pride hybrid heat dual fuel system combines your existing oil furnace with a heat pump to deliver an energy efficient alternative to switching to gas. The dual fuel system is so efficient that the cost to heat with it is less than with any gas furnace available on the market today.

A heat pump works like and air conditioner in warm weather and can reverse the process and heat the home when cold weather arrives. The hybrid heat dual fuel system allows flexibility against unpredictable fuel cost providing flexibility to react to changing energy costs. The system delivers exceptional performance by automatically switching to the most economical heating source depending on the outdoor conditions.”

Natural gas providers have contracts, stating the terms that apply for using dual fuel furnaces. Since there are potential discounts available to dual fuel furnace owners, it is a smart choice for a heating replacement in Greensboro. When it is time to consider replacing an old heating system or buying a new one, the dual fuel furnace offers key features to consider:

• Perfect for climates that experience cold seasons and temperature fluctuations.
• Additional electric heat will not be needed in cold winter months.
• Options are available, such as humidifiers, de-humidifiers and air filtration variations.
• Custom adjustments specifically made for your climate.

If your cold season goes from late October to late February, the dual fuel furnace makes sense because an oil furnace setting will kick in to bring warmer air faster throughout the home on the coldest days, and a lower fan speed natural gas setting on mild days will allow for less energy to be used to warm the home. Your home will be more comfortable during the coldest days, since you can control how the furnace operates depending on the temperature. You will be able to get rid of your space heaters once you have a hybrid system in place, since the overall temperature will be more comfortable in every room of your home. Discounted natural gas rates, more efficient heating and versatility are reasons that dual fuel furnaces are becoming popular choices for homeowners and business owners.

At Berico, we carry a variety of brands for dual fuel furnaces, including Lennox, York, Goodman, Armstrong Air, and Thermo Pride. In Greensboro and Eden, dual fuel furnace installations are done by our certified and trained technicians, who will guide you through the functions of the new hybrid system.

(Source: Fall 2013 Newsletter, www.thermopride.com, 2013)

http://www.thermopride.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Fall_2013_Newsletter_111813.pdf

Thinking about replacing an old and inefficient furnace? You may be considering the various types of furnaces that are available. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy shares the following information to help you know when it is time to replace your old furnace:

• If your furnace or boiler is older than 10 years, chances are it is a good investment to replace it with a high-efficiency model with the guidance of a good contractor. Also consider a replacement now if your system is one of the following:
  • Old coal burner that was previously switched over to oil or gas
  • Old gas furnace without electronic ignition. If it has a pilot light, it was probably installed prior to 1992 and has an efficiency of about 65% (the least efficient systems today are 80%)
  • Old gas furnace without vent dampers or an induced draft fan (which limit the flow of heated air up the chimney when the heating system is off).
• If your furnace or boiler is 10–20 years old, and you are experiencing discomfort or high utility bills, hire a highly-qualified home performance or heating contractor who can help you evaluate your existing system. Often it will be more cost-effective to improve house insulation and air-tightness, repair or insulate ductwork, or tune up your system before purchasing a new one.

With all of the available options out there, it’s time to narrow down your choices. For the hottest heat available, we recommend a heating oil furnace, which has 140,000 British Thermal Units (BTU’s) per gallon. This type of system heats faster than gas furnaces, reducing the total amount of fuel that will burn. When comparing BTU’s, note that one BTU of oil burns less pollutants than one BTU of natural gas, making it a clean choice for your home. On cold, freezing mornings, your oil furnace will heat up quickly and bring comfort to your home in a safe way.

In Burlington, Eden, Greensboro and High Point, your oil furnace should get regularly scheduled maintenance to keep it safe and reliable. At Berico, we not only install the furnace, we supply the fuel oil, maintenance and tune-up’s necessary to keep your heating system running at peak performance. How about cost savings? Using the information below, you can calculate return on investment (ROI), noticing that $100’s of dollars can be saved by replacing your old furnace with a new energy efficient oil furnace:

If you have an idea of how much it will cost to install a new system, use the chart below to calculate how much money you are likely to save each year with a more efficient system, and what your return on investment is likely to be. Remember, when fuel prices go up, your savings will go up.

1. Calculate Dollar Savings per $100 of Annual Fuel Cost
To determine savings from the table to the right, find the horizontal row corresponding to the old system’s AFUE, then choose the number from that row that is in the vertical column corresponding to the new system’s AFUE. That number is the projected dollar savings per hundred dollars of existing fuel bills. For example, if your present AFUE is 65% and you plan to install a high-efficiency natural gas system with an AFUE of 90%, then the projected saving is $27 per $100. If, say, your annual fuel bill is $1,300, then the total yearly savings should be about $27 x 13 = $351.

2. Calculate Return on Investment
ROI = first year savings ÷ installed cost
Example:
ROI = $351 ÷ $2,500 = 0.14 = 14%

There are new dual fuel furnace options available today, so you can have flexibility and benefit from getting heat from a heat pump when temperatures are more moderate and an oil burn when temperatures go below freezing. At Berico, we sell heating oil to our Greensboro and High Point clients. Call 336-273-8668 today for more information on oil furnaces and heating oil.

(Source: Consumer Resources: Heating, www.aceee.org,) http://www.aceee.org/consumer/heating

If you have never had a new heating system installed, you probably have a lot of questions about which system to choose. At Berico, we want you to be informed. If you are knowledgeable, you’ll be able to make smarter decisions about your heating needs. We offer energy inspections for free to help you in selecting a new heating system. One of our experienced comfort specialists will come out to your home or business and talk to you about your choices. In addition to installing your first furnace, we can also replace your existing one. There are many reasons it may be time to upgrade your Greensboro heating system. Some factors to consider are:

Furnace Age

The average life expectancy of a furnace is 16 to 20 years. Is your furnace this old or older? It’s probably time for a new one. And you don’t want to wait until it breaks down to start shopping.

Numerous Repairs

Has your furnace required a lot of repairs recently? That’s a strong sign that it needs to be replaced.

Higher Bills

As they age, furnaces frequently lose their efficiency. This is especially true if they haven’t been maintained properly. Your furnace may have to run longer to provide the same amount of heat it used to. As a result, you’ll be paying higher gas and electric bills.

Noises

If you’ve heard banging, rattling, or squealing noises coming from your furnace, they’re probably not normal sounds. Another bad sign is if you hear the furnace blower running excessively.

Temperature Changes

Do you constantly have to adjust your thermostat to make your home or office more comfortable? Are some rooms too hot while others stay colder? If so, your furnace is not properly distributing air.

Sickness

As furnaces age, they can develop cracks in the heat exchanger, which can cause a carbon monoxide leak. If you or the people who share your home or office have experienced frequent headaches, nausea, or flu-like symptoms, this could be related to carbon monoxide. This is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed immediately.

At Berico Heating and Air Conditioning, we believe that your home or business should be as comfortable as possible. And as we head into autumn, we know that comfort begins with the right heating system. Our goal is to help you find that heating system and also provide the quality and support you need. For nearly 100 years, the experts at Berico have been installing and replacing furnaces for the residents and businesses of Greensboro, Burlington, High Point, Eden and the surrounding North Carolina area.

With the summer heat in full force, especially in Eden, you’re probably using your home’s air conditioner 24-7. You’ve probably also seen the effect it’s had on your utility bill. And that bill is bound to only increase in the years ahead as fuel costs rise. Even if your home’s air conditioning system is relatively new, an upgrade to a high-efficiency model can certainly be worth your investment. Avoiding Eden AC repairs is our first priority.

Here are a few reasons why upgrading your air conditioning now is actually a good idea:

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a high-efficiency system will use significantly less energy than a system built in the 1970s, and noticeably reduce your monthly bills.
A new system will cool your home more efficiently and can regulate humidity, making those Eden summers much more bearable.
Installing a high-efficiency air-conditioning system qualifies you for federal tax credits that expire at the end of this year, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars.
Air conditioners are rated according to their Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER), a rating that reveals the efficiency of a unit. In essence, SEER is a number that shows how much energy the unit consumes in watt-hours (W/H) to produce cool air, and cooled air is measured in British Thermal Units (or Btu’s). So, a SEER 13 unit will produce 13 WH/Btu (or watt-hours per British thermal unit).

High-efficiency units start at SEER 16 and reach SEER 23, and these systems often include advanced features that increase energy efficiency, such as dual-stage compressors, Electronically Commutated Motors (ECMs) for blowers and condensing fans, as well as better refrigerant flow through high-tech expansion valves.

If you have any questions about high-efficiency air conditioning systems, contact Carolina Fuels for help or to discuss ways you can save energy and lower your utility bills. At Carolina Fuels we’re happy to help you stay cool at a price that will keep you happy.

Increasing HVAC efficiency helps homeowners save money and maintain cleaner in-home air quality. This is very important for the hot summer months in Greensboro when your air conditioner is running constantly. The U.S. Department of Energy states that taking simple steps to improve efficiency can save households up to 30 percent a year on their bills.

To start, a homeowner should look for air leaks. It is best to begin by pressurizing the house. This means closing all doors and windows, as well as fireplace flues if present. Turn off the water heater and furnace. Lastly, turn on the exhaust fans in the home, typically located in the kitchen and bathrooms. This will make it easier to detect where air leaks are occurring. Most leaks can be sealed by proper application of caulking or weather-stripping.

Air leaks typically occur around:

• Window frames
• Door frames
• Electrical outlets
• Light switches
• Fireplaces
• Window-mounted air conditioners
• Mail slots
• Faucets
• Pipes
• Wiring

Another area that can contribute to central air loss is a home’s insulation. A home’s builder typically installs enough insulation to meet requirements at the time, but as improvements are made in heating and cooling systems, there have been advances. For the same reason homeowners might want to consider replacing a HVAC system if it was installed more than 15 years ago, homeowners should consider when insulation was installed.

Testing for air leaks, insulation and HVAC evaluation can be performed by the experts at Berico Heating and Air Conditioning. Our experts have the knowledge and equipment to help you evaluate and improve your HVAC system.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues. We want to help you avoid air conditioning repair in Greensboro whenever possible. Give us a call today for a free home energy audit. We can find any air leaks and problems with your HVAC system.

Berico services Greensboro, Burlington, Eden, Reidsville, Mebane, Brown Summit, Summerfield and other areas. Visit our specials page for our current air conditioning offers.