Home Heating Oil Roller Coaster - Now What Do You Do?

Below is a reprint of an article from “The NEWS”. The weekly publication for HVAC contractors. I decided to reprint it because it does a great job of explaining the recent turbulence of the Heating Fuel Oil market as it relates to end users.

The bottom line though, is that of all the home heating fuels available (Gas, both Natural and LP, Electricity, and Fuel Oil), Fuel Oil is by far the most volatile recently and without a doubt, the most difficult in relation to making a change when the cost becomes unbearable for the budget.

Is there a solution? One possible answer, especially if the homeowner’s current equipment is getting age on it, is to change over to a more efficient Duel-Fuel or Hybrid home comfort system. The Duel-Fuel or Hybrid system incorporates the use of a high efficiency Gas Furnace and a high efficiency Heat Pump in combination. The Heat Pump starts as the primary source of heat, and operates the most efficient until outdoor temps drop into the upper 20s or low 30s. At this point, the Thermostat senses the outdoor temperature and creates a call for heat from the Gas Furnace. The two work in combination to maximize the utility costs.

As the article below explains the roller coaster effect that heating fuel oil has had on those that utilize this source of fuel, brings to mind a recent statement that I heard on the news. In comparison, the recent drop in gasoline prices has given to a concern that consumers and the government will become complacent about the need to seek new and more efficient sources of energy for our future. Read more

Tips For Buying Your Next Furnace

Why should I choose one furnace over another?When shopping for a new furnace, you may find yourself in a position where you are faced with the question “Is there a reason to pay $100 more for a furnace of the same size.”  Sure there is.Just because two Gas Furnaces are both 90%+,  75,000 BTU and each has a 3 ton blower, the idea of comparing them on cost alone is a fools game.  Besides, if you are In the process of shopping for and purchasing your own replacement furnace, and you are concentrating on a few dollars price difference between furnaces, you are missing the big picture, or as I like to say, “Swallowing Elephants and Choking on Ants”.

Let me explain.  Before going into the physical differences that should be considered when purchasing, that may lead to paying a little more to get the best value, let’s first talk about the bigger picture of purchasing direct.  The fact that you have taken a very personal role in controlling your project cost by buying direct, means that you have been doing your homework and know that you can save up to and in some cases over 50% by taking this approach.  This savings will come from employing the contractor of your choice and you will not be paying the sometimes huge profits that are charged for theses installations.

Read more

Your Furnace - Waiting Can Be Expensive

Ok, so it is now October and since the end of the last heating season, you have said “There is no way that we can make it through the next winter with our current furnace”.  Either because it has come to the end of it’s useful life, or because you are sick and tired of spending $200 a month to heat the house and you are sending $80 a month out the chimney and you want to increase your homes efficiency and tighten your budget.Whatever the reason, the one thing that is certain, by waiting you increase your odds of having to make that fateful call to the HVAC contractor in the middle of the night or on Sunday to “Fix” or “Replace” the furnace that you promised yourself you would take care of before the next winter season.

The opportunity has been under your nose the whole time.  You are now faced with the decision to repair your system for $1000 (and that could be to replace a $100 part.  They do that to get you to make the decision to replace) or you are being told that for $4,000 you can have a new furnace installed in the next 24 hours.  But, If you don’t let them do it, you will be warned that “everyone is busy” and it may be weeks before anyone can get to you.  Grrrrrr, that makes me mad. Read more

SEER Guide

Central air conditioners are rated on their seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER). The higher the SEER rating, the more efficient the unit. The minimum SEER rating allowed to be sold today is 13. Models with SEER ratings of 13 or better are recommended.

View the table, which shows the savings possible on your electric bill when you replace an existing inefficient air conditioning system will a higher efficiency system. *

Read more

Which Brand of Furnace or Air Conditioner is Best?

The question has been asked forever. And the answer has actually evolved over time. There was a time when different manufacturers of HVAC equipment produced varying degrees of product quality. With the advent of programs that have been put into place by major manufactures in recent years to concentrate on product quality, such as ISO 9000 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_9000, the quality gap that once existed has narrowed. Now, the fear of lower quality is not as significant of a concern as in days past. The biggest differences in HVAC equipment today is that of proprietary technologies that each manufacturer offers.

Read more