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. (more…)

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.

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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. (more…)

Green is a multiple use term in this case, as many who make these upgrades are not only being “Green” by the very nature of reducing the use of non-renewable resources by becoming more energy efficient, but they are also being “Green” by increasing their financial efficiency as well.

You can view the entire article over on the Home Air Direct Blog, by clicking here.

How To Make $1,205.72 In Just 10 Minutes is exactly what happened recently during an online “Live Help” conversation between “Karen”, a homeowner and a professional from Home Air Direct.

A little background:  Karen is a homeowner who has been in search of and has decided to purchase a BlueTube UV Germicidal Light for her home heating and cooling system, to help relieve her family of some allergy issues that they have been suffering from.  Karen contacted a local HVAC contractor and asked them to come out to discuss the possible purchase.  The contractor looked over her system and made a recommendation for a 15″ BlueTube UV Light and gave her a quote for the light and complete installation, including “Start-Up Procedures”, indicating that this was a very technical procedure.  Karen was stunned.  The all inclusive (eyes rolling) was for $1,400.  Wow!

Karen decided to do some online investigating of her own for the BlueTube UV Germicidal Light.  She ran across Home Air Direct, a company that specializes in Homeowner Direct Whirlpool Home Heating & Cooling Products and noticed that they also offer the BlueTube UV Light.

When Karen clicked on the store link for the BlueTube UV Light, she was stunned.  According to this store, she could purchase for $194.28 the same UV light that the contractor had quoted installed for $1,400.  She was stunned and elated.  Still a little weary, and thinking that maybe the installation is so complicated that she would have no choice, she clicked on the “Live Help” feature of Home Air Direct and asked two questions.  The first question was, “Does the BlueTube UV Light come with installation instructions?”  The second question was, “Is it possible that a local contractor could have quoted her $1,400 for the installation of this item?” (more…)

I am the creator of this information site. I think it is important for you to know why I felt the need to build and maintain this platform. Most of my last decade has been spent working directly with HVAC contractors at the wholesale level. My positions over this time have ranged from a sales rep. up to being the Vice President of a wholesale Distribution company. One thing that never changed over the course of that decade, was daily contact with contractors. We have helped them decide, what is the best equipment for them to install on individual jobs, and have helped them profit from these installations. Many of these contractors have been most demanding. They expect levels of service that are above and beyond the call consistently and yet negotiate pricing that barely allows the wholesaler to survive.

One constant that I noticed as I was trying to satisfy the needs of the higher maintenance HVAC contractors, was that they were very vocal about the level of profits that they were making from homeowners, to the point of flying in the face of logic when they were barely allowing their supplier to survive.

I may have told this story somewhere else on this site, but I think it bears repeating. Last year, just days before I left the wholesale HVAC industry to build ASKBOYD, I was visiting with a contractor customer. (more…)

Recently I was reading blogs related to homeowner heating and air repair issues and ran across a really cool website called PROTECH HVAC. The author John Rocheleau wrote an extremely to the point article about “Flat Rate” pricing in the plumbing industry. John’s article cuts right through the subject and fillets it so that we can see right through this practice that more and more plumbing and HVAC contractors are adopting, a business practice that is designed to separate you from as much of your hard earned money as possible during a crisis event in your life.

I have been intending to write an article related to “Flat Rate” pricing in the HVAC industry, but after reading John’s article, I have very little to add and thought that AskBoyd should give credit to such poignant writing and just direct you to an expert in the field who has a solid understanding of this practice and recognizes that homeowners need to be aware of how this growing business practice works.

Below is a reprint of John’s article. Please make sure and visit John’s blog.

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Requesting Participant: “Need your advice please.”

“Any idea on finding a licensed ac contractor in Charlotte to install a new ac unit that I already bought. Every place I called, they want to sell me the new unit, but they don’t install the new unit that I purchased. Appreciate your input.”

Responding Participants:

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