Heating Efficiency

Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Mo, Catch a Boiler by the Toe! Time to replace your old, worn out, energy-inefficient heating system? Now, some words of advice to help you make an informed decision on what’s best for your family and your budget! Reduced to its most fundamental level, a heating system has three component parts: • The heating plant – your furnace, boiler or heat pump; • The distribution system – your ducts or pipes; • The control system – namely, your thermostat. And now, for the good stuff, as in…two types of heating systems we often recommend when “only new will do.” Gas furnaces & boilers Gas furnace technology has progressed by leaps and bounds during the past decade. Heating efficiencies have jumped from about 65% to as high as 95%. Gas furnaces are also called “forced air” heating systems, where air is heated and then supplied through your duct work or baseboard units. If your home is equipped with radiators, then you’ll want a gas boiler which heats water instead of air. Plus, with a gas boiler, you can eliminate one home comfort appliance with a combined gas boiler and water heater system. Electric heat pumps An electric heat pump produces 2-3x more heat per kWh than an electric furnace. There are two main types of heat pump: air-to-air, and ground source (also known as “geothermal”). Air-to-air heat pumps work fine in warmer climates, but once the outside temperature falls below 35.5°F, they rapidly lose efficiency. In colder climates, georthermal systems work better since heat is extracted from deep within the ground where the temperature remains constant all year long. Air-to-air or geothermal, you can heat and cool your home with a heat pump system. That’s right: central air and central heat, all within a single, highly efficient system. So….. Is a new heating system in your family’s future? Then allow the experts at Aux Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electrical to recommend what’s best for you

Value of a Heating Tune-up

A “Fine Tune” for the Winter Months Ahead. Fact: your heating system will last longer and conserve precious energy with regular system maintenance. Here’s how and why. On average, American families spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars every year to heat and cool their homes. That’s the bad news. The good news is that it’s relatively easy to cut those energy costs, and keeping your heating system finely tuned is a great place to start. Before we even get to your heating system, however, a word to the wise: don’t wait for the real cold stuff before you check your window caulking. Beefing up your insulation and upgrading your windows will help cut energy costs even more. During a heating system tune up, these are just a few the measures we take to ensure added comfort, safety, and energy efficiency to help make winter a warmer experience: • Inspect the heater and vent pipe; • Clean or replace the filter; • Check for ignition or flame failure; • Check the motor and fan bearings; • Check burners and controls • Check safety controls • Check thermostat • Perform Combustion Analysis • And much more. While we’re at it, we may be able to suggest certain “efficiency modifications” that help to generate more heat with less energy. These include: • Reducing the nozzle (oil) or orifice (gas) size; • Installing a new burner and motorized flue damper (oil); or, • Replacing the pilot light with an electronic spark ignition (gas). Here are few energy-saving measures you can employ during your normal house-keeping routine: • Clean or change your filter monthly; • Seal and insulate your air ducts… heat loss from leaky, uninsulated ducts—especially those in unheated attics and basements—can reduce the efficiency of your heating system by as much as 30%. • Vacuum the cobwebs out of your registers; • Vacuum the fins on baseboard heaters. At Aux Mechanical, we offer an affordable and comprehensive service plan that includes an annual inspection at no extra charge…your best guarantee of a well-maintained, energy efficient system. And now, you can save $25 on a custom-designed service plan of your own with the attached coupon.