Carney All Seasons Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Heating Installation’

Tips on Getting Your Heating Ready for Winter

Monday, October 15th, 2018

gas-burnerHeating season is here! Before you don your favorite sweater and go find some leaves to jump in, though, you should make sure that your home is ready for the heating season. There are a lot of different ways that you can do this, but today we’re going to cover the parts that we can help you with! Have a look below at some of the best ways you can make sure that your home is warm and cozy over the next few months.

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What Heater Type Should I Install This Season?

Monday, February 5th, 2018

FurnaceThe middle of winter is a pretty inconvenient time to have to install a new heating system in your home. No one likes to be without heat for any length of time during the coldest months of the year. Still, sometimes you don’t have a choice. Maybe your current heating system just isn’t up to the task of heating your home anymore, or you’re moving into an entirely new home and you don’t have a heater yet. Regardless, here are some possible options for installing a new heater this season.

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Should I Replace My Heater This Fall?

Monday, November 27th, 2017

gas-burnerThe very last thing you want to happen this winter is to have your heating system break down on you. Nobody relishes the thought of going without heat during a cold winter season, after all. So, if your heating system is unable to get you through the coming winter for whatever reason, now might be a good time to install a new system. If you’re not sure whether or not you should replace your heating system this season, have a look at a few of the signs that you should at least consider it.

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Heating Efficiency Ratings You Absolutely Need to Know About

Monday, January 23rd, 2017

Heating efficiency is one of those things that often gets talked about in this sort of vague, nebulous sense. As though the efficiency of a climate control device were some sort of unknown quality that could only be grasped in theoretical terms. The fact of the matter, though, is that each heating system on the market is rated according to how well it utilizes its fuel and/or power source over the course of the year. If you want to get the best return on investment for your heating system, you’re going to want to make sure that you understand how to take advantage of the AFUE and HSPF ratings. We’ll help you do so.Thermostat

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Why Replace Your Heating System in the Spring

Monday, March 18th, 2013

While most homeowners are considering cleaning out the garage or arranging their patio furniture when spring comes around, many are quick to forget about their heating system. That’s too bad, because the off-season is an opportune time for replacing your heating system, without incurring any unpleasant downtime without heating. There is a host of heating options on the market today, and if your heating system is over 10 years old, or requires frequent repairs, it’s probably an ideal time to invest in the future of the home, rather than its past. When you’re ready to replace your Blue Bell, PA heating system, count on  Carney Plumbing, Heating & Cooling for exceptional heating installation. Call us today!

Here are some things to consider for heating replacement this spring:

  • Energy-efficiency. Technological advances have made the heating efficiency of heaters over 10 years old obsolete. Today’s gas furnaces can reach AFUE ratings of up to 97%. Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency measures the amount of heating output against the energy input. This means less waste and increased energy savings. Often, upgrading to a new system will pay for itself in a few years, depending on your heating needs.
  • Prevent heating downtime. If your heater is on its last legs and you’re weighing your options, consider this: do you really want to keep paying to keep that old furnace alive, when you could save money in the long-term by investing in a new heater? Moreover, delaying the inevitable may catch up to you during the coldest months. Spring is a great time to upgrade because you can avoid heating downtime when you really need it.
  • Switch to natural gas. Not only can upgrading save you energy and hassle, making the switch to natural gas from oil also has its benefits. Natural gas is eco-friendly, highly efficient, and available without the associated costs of foreign importation. Gas is known to burn cleaner than oil, with less energy going to waste.

As you tidy up your attic or perform various spring cleaning duties, think about upgrading that old heater in the basement. Doing so can help you save money. For heater replacement in Blue Bell, PA, call Carney Plumbing Heating Cooling today! 

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How Can a Geothermal System Installation Save Me Energy?

Monday, January 14th, 2013

Every homeowner likes to be comfortable in their own home, no matter how swelteringly hot or bitterly cold the temperature may be outside. With energy prices rising as much as they tend to, though, the cost of keeping your home comfortable year round may dissuade you from doing so. At Carney Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, we think that that is simply unacceptable. No homeowner should have to sacrifice their comfort to lower energy bills in Buckingham, PA. If high energy costs have got you feeling low contact us today to learn more about geothermal heating and cooling systems.

A geothermal heating and cooling system is one of the most efficient ways in which you can choose to keep your home comfortable all year long. Unlike more conventional heating and air conditioning systems, geothermal heating and cooling systems do not consume fuel in order to keep your home comfortable. Rather, they utilize a geothermal loop system that is buried on your property to absorb existing heat from the ground or a water source. This heat can then be used in your home to warm it in the winter. In the cooling season the process is easily reversed, allowing the geothermal heat pump to remove heat from your home to cool it. Only a very small amount of electricity is used in the process.

Unlike air source heat pumps, a geothermal system does not fall prey to widely fluctuating air temperatures such as those of the air. Because temperatures are much more even and consistent underground or underwater than they are in the open air, a geothermal system can be even more efficient and dependable than standard heat pumps. While the installation of a geothermal system is a bit more involved and expensive than other home comfort system options the potential savings in energy costs over time can help offset the initial investment.

For more information about geothermal heating and cooling system installation services in Buckingham, PA, contact the experts at Carney Plumbing, Heating & Cooling. We can answer any questions that you may have. You might wind up deciding that this environmentally friendly, highly efficient comfort system option is the right choice for your home heating and cooling needs.

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HVAC Guide: Saving Energy This Summer

Monday, June 25th, 2012

Everyone wants to make their home more energy efficient, it not only saves you money but it also makes your home more environmentally friendly. Upgrading your Hatboro HVAC equipment is a great place to start, but it can be hard to decide what to do first.

Before you start making changes, ask yourself the following questions:

How much do you spend on energy?

Paying attention to your energy bill from month to month is very important. A sudden spike could indicate a problem with your Hatboro HVAC system or other appliances in your home. If you start trying to embrace an energy efficient lifestyle, your energy bill can help you keep track of how well you are doing.

Are there benefits to this upgrade?

In addition to being energy efficient, you should discover if there are any other ways that a change can benefit your home. For instance, a new air conditioner could make your home more comfortable, or zone control could make it easier to keep every room in your home the desired temperature. You’d be surprised how many energy efficient upgrades can really improve your whole home and not just your energy bill.

What is your budget?

Budgeting is never fun, but it’s important step to figuring out what you should change first. While it would be great to replace your air conditioner and furnace for ENERGY STAR rated models, it’s a big investment. You can try the little things first, like improving you insulation, repairing air ducts, and sealing air leaks. After you have saved up and improved other parts of your home you can work on replacing your HVAC equipment.

Improving the energy efficiency of your home will make it more comfortable and lower your utility bills. If you have any questions about energy efficient upgrades you can make to your home, call Carney Plumbing, Heating & Cooling today!

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What Is an Electronic Ignition on a Heating System?

Monday, March 26th, 2012

Gas furnaces are very complex pieces of equipment to have in your Doylestown home. Modern ones in particular are designed to use as little gas as possible, and to recapture as much of the heat generated from burning that gas as can be done safely. One of the many safety and energy-efficient advances in furnace technology in the least twenty years is the electronic ignition.

 The Purpose of Electronic Ignition

In older furnaces and boilers in Doylestown, a pilot light would stay lit continuously whenever the heating system needed to be available. That meant continuously burning gas throughout the fall, winter and spring months for those times when heat was needed. It was inefficient and unsafe, especially in older devices that didn’t have safety valves.

Today, furnaces are built with electronic ignitions – small devices that only ignite the gas supply when the thermostat is on. there are two types of electronic ignition used in boilers and furnaces today.

  • Intermittent Pilot – An intermittent pilot is unique in that it releases a spark through an electronic component to the gas pilot, lighting the gas burners.
  • Hot Surface Ignition – Hot surface ignition uses an electronic filament (like a lightbulb) to heat up and ignite the burners when the thermostat calls for heat.

Both devices are designed to use a very small amount of electricity and reduce the amount of gas needed for continuous operation of your furnace.

Safety Benefits of an Electronic Ignition

While gas efficiency was a big part of the transition from pilot lights to electronic ignition, safety was an equally big component. Whereas before, the pilot light was continuously lit, meaning gas was continuously flowing into the furnace, today’s furnaces are essentially off when not in use. This means less of a chance that gas will flow unburned or that the pilot will get dirty or burn too soft, releasing carbon monoxide.

If your furnace or boiler still uses a traditional pilot light, consider having it upgraded to electronic ignition, not just to save gas but to keep your home and family safer.

For more information about new Doylestown heating system features, give Carney Plumbing, Heating & Cooling a call today!

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How to Check if Your HVAC System Is the Right Size

Friday, February 17th, 2012

Do you ever feel that your Chalfont home just doesn’t get cool enough during the warm months or warm enough during the cold months? You have tried to adjust your thermostat to the right comfort level but it just never seems right. And on top of that, you notice that your utility bills keep going up and up. Even when you dial up the thermostat in the summer and dial it down in the winter to saving on energy usage, your bills are still about the same.

You could try adding fans and shedding clothes during the warm months or wearing sweaters and crawling under a pile of blankets in the cold months. But do you really enjoy living that way? There must be another solution as to why your heating and cooling (HVAC) system is just not keeping you comfortable – and affordable.

That air conditioning condensing unit sitting in your backyard and the furnace in your basement should be making your home as comfortable as possible. But in many cases, they are not.  That’s because whoever installed those HVAC system components didn’t do their homework on your home. The components were sized incorrectly. If a furnace or air conditioner is sized incorrectly, it usually cannot keep up with the demand for heat or cold and often puts such a burden on the equipment. As a result, regular failures and repair bills are commonplace.

And it may not be the fault of the installing HVAC contractor. Over the years your home may have undergone renovations including additions and new windows, which have increased the square footage or demand for more heating or cooling. Those renovations may not have included upgrades to your home’s HVAC system.

All of these factors are considered when determining the equipment size. In air conditioning jargon, you will hear about tonnage of cooling capacity. An example may be a 2.5 ton air conditioning unit for a 2,000 square foot home. In furnace jargon, you will learn about Btu ratings, which are British thermal units. Most furnaces are sized in 20-25,000 Btu increments. Each is matched to the cooling or heating needs of your home. Your HVAC contractor will likely recommend using a programmable thermostat, too. That way, you can set the temperature of one or more zones in your Chalfont home to when each zone is occupied.

To have a load calculation performed on your home, give Carney Plumbing, Heating & Cooling a call today!

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Heating Contractor Guide: Which Fuel is Right for Your Home?

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

Souderton homeowners all want to save money on household expenses and utility bills. We turn off lights when we leave the room, take shorter showers and make sure the kids don’t keep the refrigerator door open. These small habits help, but still we all want to save a little wherever we can, right?

One area where people are constantly looking for ways to save money is home heating. Everyone wants to be comfortable and warm in their homes, but that costs money, so homeowners are always on the lookout for the most effective and cost efficient way to keep the house warm.

What is the most cost effective fuel for home heating?

Is it natural gas, electric, fuel oil or propane? How about less conventional heat sources like wood or geothermal pumps?

We all wish there was one easy, all-encompassing answer to this question, like a heating magic bullet that would keep every family warm and happy for pennies on the dollar. Unfortunately, there isn’t. It depends on too many factors for any one solution to work for everyone.

Probably the biggest factor that plays a role in the cost of a particular fuel is its local availability. Resources are available differentially, so that while one option might be cheapest for a family of five in Andover, Massachusetts, the analysis is entirely different for a single person in Kearney, Nebraska.

What is the most cost effective option for you?

That is a better question, but still not one that is necessarily easy to answer.

To figure it out, you need to carefully analyze several factors:

  • Local availability (see above)
  • Local climate
  • Size of your home
  • Your family’s needs
  • Existing heating equipment
  • Your budget

Armed with this information, you can do a careful comparison of the options available to you. For assistance you can use an online calculator to compare fuel costs, such as this one from the Energy Information Administration or this one from Hearth.com. Or if you have any questions, give Carney PHC a call today!

Comparing fuel costs and choosing the right solution for you may take some time, but the savings can be well worth it.

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