Carney All Seasons Blog: Archive for November, 2010

We’re Grateful for Central Heating and Indoor Plumbing

Thursday, November 25th, 2010

The holiday season is upon us again – a time for celebrating with family and friends, and remembering our many blessings.

Of course, the most important of these are the love of our family and friends and the food that nourishes us. We hope these blessings are shared by all our customers.Baby Sleeping By Fire in a Comfortable Home With Central Heating

As the weather gets colder, we are grateful, too, for the comfort of our homes. It’s worth remembering that even the simplest of our modern homes are full of luxuries that people of centuries past could not even have imagined.

Take central heating, for example, which did not become widespread until the 20th century (although it was actually invented by the Romans). Here in the New World, early European settlers emulated the practices of the Native Americans, heating their homes with an open indoor fire and keeping out the cold with brightly-woven mats and furs. The houses stayed surprisingly warm during the winter (sometimes getting as hot as 90 degrees F, especially in the wigwams, which were better insulated than the colonists’ dwellings). But tending the fire was a tedious, time-consuming, dirty, and somewhat dangerous task – and as anyone who has ever made breakfast over a campfire will tell you, cooking three meals a day over an open flame was very challenging.

Indoor plumbing is another invention that early natives and settlers could not have imagined (although again, it had been invented long before by the ingenious Romans). During the long and arduous voyage to the New World, European colonists relieved themselves by sitting on shelves that jutted out over the sides of the ship; when they reached the New World, they simply went outdoors to do their business, even in the dead of winter. Even outhouses were luxuries in the early years. Baths were uncommon (sometimes a once-a-year event) and were not taken at all on board ship. When colonists did wash, they did so in a nearby stream or pond.

So, the next time you press a button on your thermostat to turn on the heat, or flush your toilet, or take a nice warm shower, or cook a meal on a temperature-controlled oven – give thanks!

We’re grateful for the opportunity to help you keep your home warm, safe, and comfortable. Our customers are one of the many blessings for which we are thankful – now and all year long.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

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How to Cover Your Air Conditioner for the Winter

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

This time of year, it seems that you’re covering almost everything. You’re wrapping up in hats and scarves and you’re putting frost blankets over your garden plants at night. You might even be covering a beloved boat, motorcycle, or summer convertible.

If you have an outdoor air conditioner that won’t be used during the winter months, you might be wondering if you should cover it, too. The answer is – yes!

Air conditioner in snow

Air conditioners don't like to be left out in the cold!

Covering your air conditioner is one of the best ways to protect your investment and keep future costs down. Here’s why:

  • Covering your outdoor air conditioner provides maximum protection against debris (leaves, branches, acorns, pine needles, sand, and salt).
  • A cover stops precipitation from getting into the system, then freezing and expanding. (Also, if you live near the ocean, it keeps out salty water and air.)
  • An air conditioner cover minimizes the possibility of damage during storms, when tree branches or hail may fall on the unit and chip the paint or bend the fins on the grille.
  • You’ll increase the efficiency of your air conditioner by keeping the condensing coil clean (good for the environment and for your wallet!)
  • You’ll have less cleaning and repairing to do next spring – and your maintenance costs will be lower!

Covering your air conditioner will extend its life and reduce its operating costs. But…you need to be smart about how you cover your outdoor AC. If you cover it with plastic, you may trap moisture around the unit, creating ideal conditions for rust, mold, and mildew. This is especially a concern on those sunny winter days when the air inside the cover will heat up to be much hotter than the outside air. Also, a plastic cover can create a very cozy place for rodents and insects to spend the winter. Once they’re inside the cover, it won’t take them long to find their way into the equipment itself.

You should make sure to choose a cover made of breathable material – NOT plastic. The cover should also have appropriate ventilation to ensure that moisture doesn’t build up.

How do you choose the best cover for your air conditioner? Consult your owner’s manual, and contact us for advice. We’ll be happy to help.

Also, make sure to schedule a service appointment for the spring, before you start your unit up again. The service will include a thorough cleaning of any debris that did find its way into your unit, plus a check for any damage to the fins. We’ll also check that the pipe insulation is in good shape and that the unit is level – two simple but important things that can improve your unit’s functioning and efficiency.

P.S. If you have a window AC unit, the ideal solution is to take it out for the winter instead of covering it.

This time of year, it seems that you’re covering almost everything. You’re wrapping up in hats and scarves and you’re putting frost blankets over your garden plants at night. You might even be covering a beloved boat, motorcycle, or summer convertible.

If you have an outdoor air conditioner or heat pump unit that won’t be used during the winter months, you might be wondering if you should cover it, too.

It seems like a simple question, but in fact it generates a fair amount of controversy.

Almost everyone thinks that it’s advisable to cover outdoor AC and heat pump units rather than leaving them completely exposed to the elements. However, not everyone approves of covering the units completely.

On the one hand, putting a full cover on an outdoor air conditioner or heap pump provides maximum protection against debris (leaves, branches, sand, and salt). A cover also stops water from getting into the system and then freezing and expanding in there. Plus, a full cover minimizes the possibility of damage during storms, when tree branches or hail may fall on the unit and chip the paint or bend the fins on the grille.

On the other hand, completely covering outdoor air conditioners and heat pumps can trap moisture around the unit, creating ideal conditions for rust, mold, and mildew. This is especially a concern on those sunny winter days when the air inside the cover will heat up to be much hotter than the outside air. Also, a cover can create a very cozy place for rodents and insects to spend the winter. Once they’re inside the cover, it won’t take them long to find their way into the equipment itself.

One common way to cover air conditioners and heat pumps is simply to place a piece of plywood across the top of the unit, weighted down with cinderblocks (bricks and smaller rocks have can been reported to blow off in strong winds). This will keep out the worst of the precipitation and debris, but will still leave the unit well-ventilated. And, there will be no place for moisture or vermin to linger!

If you do opt for a full cover for your heat pump or air conditioner, make sure that it is not plastic. The cover should be made of a breathable material, and should be vented to prevent the buildup of hea

This time of year, it seems that you’re covering almost everything. You’re wrapping up in hats and scarves and you’re putting frost blankets over your garden plants at night. You might even be covering a beloved boat, motorcycle, or summer convertible.

If you have an outdoor air conditioner or heat pump unit that won’t be used during the winter months, you might be wondering if you should cover it, too.

It seems like a simple question, but in fact it generates a fair amount of controversy.

Almost everyone thinks that it’s advisable to cover outdoor AC and heat pump units rather than leaving them completely exposed to the elements. However, not everyone approves of covering the units completely.

On the one hand, putting a full cover on an outdoor air conditioner or heap pump provides maximum protection against debris (leaves, branches, sand, and salt). A cover also stops water from getting into the system and then freezing and expanding in there. Plus, a full cover minimizes the possibility of damage during storms, when tree branches or hail may fall on the unit and chip the paint or bend the fins on the grille.

On the other hand, completely covering outdoor air conditioners and heat pumps can trap moisture around the unit, creating ideal conditions for rust, mold, and mildew. This is especially a concern on those sunny winter days when the air inside the cover will heat up to be much hotter than the outside air. Also, a cover can create a very cozy place for rodents and insects to spend the winter. Once they’re inside the cover, it won’t take them long to find their way into the equipment itself.

One common way to cover air conditioners and heat pumps is simply to place a piece of plywood across the top of the unit, weighted down with cinderblocks (bricks and smaller rocks have can been reported to blow off in strong winds). This will keep out the worst of the precipitation and debris, but will still leave the unit well-ventilated. And, there will be no place for moisture or vermin to linger!

If you do opt for a full cover for your heat pump or air conditioner, make sure that it is not plastic. The cover should be made of a breathable material, and should be vented to prevent the buildup of heat and moisture.

How do you decide how best to cover your air conditioner or heat pump? Consult your owner’s manual, and call us for advice. We’ll be happy to help.

No matter how you decide to cover your heat pump or air conditioner, you should contact us to schedule a service appointment in the spring, before you start your unit up again. The service will include a thorough cleaning of any debris that did find its way into your unit, plus a check for any damage to the fins. We’ll also check that the pipe insulation is in good shape and that the unit is level – two simple but important things that can improve your unit’s functioning and efficiency.

P.S. If you have a window AC unit, the ideal solution is to take it out for the winter instead of covering it.

t and moisture.

How do you decide how best to cover your air conditioner or heat pump? Consult your owner’s manual, and call us for advice. We’ll be happy to help.

No matter how you decide to cover your heat pump or air conditioner, you should contact us to schedule a service appointment in the spring, before you start your unit up again. The service will include a thorough cleaning of any debris that did find its way into your unit, plus a check for any damage to the fins. We’ll also check that the pipe insulation is in good shape and that the unit is level – two simple but important things that can improve your unit’s functioning and efficiency.

P.S. If you have a window AC unit, the ideal solution is to take it out for the winter instead of covering it.

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Geothermal – Get It Done Right!!!

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

As we wrote in last week’s blog post, everyone at Carney Plumbing, Heating & Cooling is really excited about geothermal energy systems. But…geothermal only works well when it’s installed correctly. If it’s not, then the geothermal system you install could wind up being nothing more than expensive waste of money – and you might even end up using more energy than you did before, not less.

In this blog post, we’ll explain how we make sure that we install geothermal systems properly so that our customers enjoy maximum comfort and savings.

To explain the secret to a successful geothermal installation, first we should explain how geothermal systems work.Arrows and blocks

Although the temperature above the ground can vary widely from summer to winter, the temperature underneath the ground stays fairly constant all year round, thanks to the hot molten rock that underlies the earth’s surface. Depending on latitude, the level of volcanic activity in the area, and the depth at which the geothermal system is installed, the underground temperature can range from 45 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Geothermal systems use underground pipes, called a loop, that circulate fluid in a loop into your house and back under the ground. In the winter, the loop brings heat up from the ground into your house, where it is distributed throughout your house via ductwork. In the summer, the loop pulls the hot air out of your house and discharges it underground.

So, what’s the secret to a successful geothermal installation? The most important thing is to correctly calculate the load (i.e. the number of BTUs the system has to generate to keep the house comfortable). This will ensure that the geothermal loop, and the equipment that keeps the fluid moving in the loop, are properly sized. If a contractor has cut corners by making the loop and the circulation equipment too small, the system will not keep your home comfortable.

At Carney, we receive a couple of calls every month from worried homeowners who are not comfortable with the geothermal systems they’ve had installed by other companies. When a Carney technician goes to check it out, we almost always find that the loop and the equipment are not big enough to properly regulate the temperature of the home. Although the smaller loop may reduce the cost of the initial installation, this is a false savings. A homeowner will have to supplement an improperly functioning geothermal system with other means, or sacrifice comfort – and the home’s overall energy consumption might even go up, not down, as a result! At Carney, we call this “getting geothermal in name only”, and we’re always upset when we see homeowners who’ve had this happen to them.

So how do we make sure this never happens to our customers? We start by making sure that all our technicians are fully trained. In addition to mandatory training, we encourage our technicians to sign up for whatever additional training they want – on us.

We also take great care when we design our geothermal systems – in fact, we probably spend more time on design than we do on actual installation. We do all our load calculations by computer and by hand so that we are sure of our results. And we get as many different minds working on the design as possible – for example, we ask drillers to provide their own independent assessments to make sure they tally with ours.

Our philosophy when it comes to geothermal is, “You cannot cut any corners.” We make sure we don’t – we pay attention to all the details so that when your geothermal system is done, all you have to do is relax and enjoy it!

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Top Ten Reasons to Love Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010

Here at Carney Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, we’ve been installing geothermal systems for more than a year now. Our entire team is really enthusiastic about them. Our customers rave about the savings and comfort that they get when they upgrade to a geothermal heating and cooling system, and we’re excited to bring this leading-edge technology to the residential consumer.

Geothermal requires an upfront investment, but it’s worth it! Here’s why we love it:

Geothermal offers great green savings for your family!

 

  1. 70% of the energy used by a geothermal system is renewable (using the earth’s own heat). The rest comes from electric power. A geothermal system makes a huge difference in your carbon footprint.
  2. You’ll never buy foreign oil again. In fact, you’ll never buy oil again, period. One of our first geothermal customers had been burning 5-6 tanks of oil a year (1400-1600 gallons). After installing an all-electric geothermal system, not only did he have no more oil bills, but his overall electric bill was reduced too.
  3. Like to buy local? You can’t get more local than geothermal – 70% of your heating and cooling energy comes from right underneath your feet.
  4. You will increase your home’s safety by not storing fossil fuel on the premises.
  5. You’ll be much less affected by volatility in fuel prices. Remember the high oil prices of a couple of years ago? Consumers in southeastern Pennsylvania may soon see a similar increase when local utilities are deregulated in January 2011 – anywhere from 10% to 40%. With a geothermal system, you’ll feel spikes in energy prices much less.
  6. You can get rid of your old, high-maintenance oil-burning heater and replace it with new, long-lasting geothermal equipment that is designed to last for 20 years.
  7. All of our geothermal customers report that they are now more comfortable in their homes.
  8. Geothermal systems are ultra quiet. They’re installed inside (generally in a basement) so there are no noisy outdoor units.
  9. Federal tax credits for conventional heating systems will run out at the end of 2010, but tax credits for geothermal systems will last until 2016. Also, local utilities frequently offer rebates on geothermal systems.
  10. Carney’s offering a $300 discount on all geothermal heat pump systems!

Our own Kevin Carney was recently interviewed on ACHR. Check out the audio podcast to hear more about his experiences with geothermal systems and his commitment to quality geothermal installations:

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