Posts Tagged ‘furnace’
February 18, 2013
As we look to improve our homes and the air in it, taking control of the airways are very important. Come wintertime, we often struggle with comfort in more ways that just staying warm. Sometimes it gets dry too. People tend to be comfortable with humidity levels a little higher than what is ideal to prevent condensation issues and mold growth.
Winter brings dryer air and a home that is more porous than it should be brings that air inside. Keep in mind that our homes are like chimneys. They are smoke stacks drawing from low and exhausting out high. When exceptionally dry air is brought into our homes it tends to make us uncomfortable. The quick fix solution is to slap a humidifier on the duct work. Voila! Comfort!
This can come with a price, maintenance for one. If you don’t keep that unit clean it can become a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. Just the sort of thing you don’t want attached to the air distribution system in your home, sort of like building over a stinky damp crawlspace.
Sealing up air leaks in your home will help control moisture by reducing much of the dry air entering in the first place. If you still need humidification then keep the unit clean and monitor humidity levels. Excessive condensation on windows, and mold growth in wintertime are signs that you might have too much moisture in the air. Take control of your airways and manage moisture too!
Thanks,
Jason
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Tags:air-sealing, comfort, dehumidifiers, dry air, furnace, humidity, winter air
Posted in Air-Sealing, Furnaces, Health / Safety / Indoor Air, Heating & Cooling Tips | Leave a Comment »
January 9, 2013
One good result from the end of the year fiscal cliff hanger is an extension of the residential energy tax credit.
If you haven’t used it in the past, all the way back to 2006, there is a $500 tax credit for material costs of certain energy efficiency measures done to your home.
The American Taxpayer Relief Act extended the tax credit through 2013, making it retroactive from January 1, 2012. This means last year counts as well.
10% of the cost of materials, such as insulation, exterior windows, and doors that meet Energy Star requirements, can be used. Credits for window expenses are limited, as are AC units and furnaces, so a combination of improvements will help maximize what you can get, just perfect for home performance work on your home.
Check out http://www.irs.gov/ for more information. Or see the entire American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 here. Ask us we can help!
Thanks,
Jason
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Tags:2013, air conditioner, boiler, energy tax credit, Fiscal cliff, furnace, insulation, IRS, rebate, tax credit
Posted in Air Conditioning, Air-Sealing, Boilers, Economics, Energy Audits, Furnaces, Home, Homeowners, Insulation, Oil / Coal / Natural Gas, Rebates and Incentives | Leave a Comment »
November 26, 2012
Maybe you have a great HVAC company that services your equipment. It’s not always the easiest thing to do, and kudos if you’ve found a good one. With a good provider I like service agreements because you know your equipment is taken care of and in a cost effective way. But a good HVAC contractor should consider the whole house when thinking of heating and cooling systems not just the box in the basement or the attic.
From the Building Performance Institute
As we go into fall and colder weather, it’s time for tune ups, and service calls, but what about the rest of your home as well. Who is paying attention to that? A heart works well when we take care of the rest of our body. We eat well, exercise and get good sleep, but also protect ourselves from the cold. Put on a cap, coat and boots before going outside or you’ll get sick right?
Is your HVAC company’s solution to comfort a bigger “heart”, more ducts, more baseboard, more cooling, or does it consider a better house so that heart “fits” well and works as it should? Keep in mind that the heart is a very important part, but it is part of the whole. Taking care of the whole house can really make a difference, as they say, “Home is where the Heart is!”
Thanks,
Jason
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Tags:air conditioner, air conditioning, boiler, BPI, comfort, energy-efficiency, furnace, have a heart, home improvement, service agreement
Posted in Air Conditioning, Air-Sealing, Boilers, Heating & Cooling Tips | Leave a Comment »
November 16, 2012
In New England it is easy to see the seasons change. It’s a time of harvest and preparation for our comfort through the coldest part of the year. There’s plenty to do outside the home never mind on the inside.
For one thing it is time to tune up the furnace or boiler before the heating season begins. Preventative maintenance is a good thing and worth the minor expense to ward of a major one in the middle of the heating season. With a contractor you trust, that clean and tune may be part of a service agreement and can save you even more.
Your heating system is not the only thing that should get a tune up though. For many of us, it’s the home too! Even with the cleanest running furnace or boiler in your home, it is important to consider how well the building is insulated, resists air leakage, deals with moisture and provides indoor air quality.
Since heating systems and buildings interact with each other, it’s a great idea to consider treating them together. Seek out certified and experienced heating and cooling technicians, and the same for your home. Consider a BPI accredited contractor that will look at your home as a system and help you prepare for the coming season making it healthier, safer and more energy efficient.
Thanks,
Jason
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Tags:air conditioning, boiler, clean and tune, comfort, energy-efficiency, fall, furnace, home energy, oil prices, tune-up
Posted in Air Conditioning, Boilers, Efficiency, Electricity Use, Energy / Efficiency / Renewables, Furnaces, Health / Safety / Indoor Air, Oil / Coal / Natural Gas | Leave a Comment »
March 20, 2012
It’s that time of year again, and although we have written about Energy Efficiency tax credits for 2011 before, if you had work done this past year, it might be time to review. You can also go to our learning center for solutions to common problems we fix in homes just like yours, as well as links to our franchise locations; they can provide details about incentives available in their area.
Many of the federal tax credits ended in 2011, but not all of them. What will continue for 2012, are credits for some renewable energy systems. Solar water heating and photovoltaic systems, small wind systems, and geothermal heat pumps, are all eligible measures through 2016. If you are thinking of alternatives, consider our interactive online home to get a better sense of whether or not these types of improvements are really what you need this year.
Alternative energy systems can be expensive, and it often makes the most sense to install them in homes that are very efficient from the start. You might be surprised by what some simple measures can save you money. Tax credit or not, insulation, air sealing and efficient heating and hot water systems can pay for themselves in short order. Simple measures that cost less and save you more!
Thanks,
Jason
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Tags:$1500, $500, 10%, 2010 tax credit, 2011 energy tax credit, 2011 tax change, air conditioner, boiler, energy-efficiency tax credit, federal, furnace, home energy, home improvement, home star, insulation, IRS, rebates, tax credit extension, windows
Posted in Energy / Efficiency / Renewables, Energy Geeks / Energy Policy, GreenHomes America, Rebates and Incentives, Solar / Renewables | 3 Comments »
February 8, 2012
Recently one of our advisors in the San Jose area discovered a potentially deadly situation while doing routine testing in a customer’s home. Robert Urbina, a Home Comfort Advisor with Residential Energy Pro’s, while doing combustion safety testing, discovered that carbon monoxide was quickly reaching an exceptionally high level in the vent of the homeowner’s furnace.
According to BPI standards, something every GreenHomes America partner follows before and after work, he discovered a situation that needed to be addressed immediately. BPI recommends servicing equipment when CO levels climb above 25ppm, this reached well into the thousands. I’ve mentioned the dangers of CO in a home, and in this situation the CO was still finding its way up the stack. The danger occurs when something simple changes. Airflow and pressures in a home are constantly changing whether from the seasons, a remodeling change or a new fan in the bathroom. What happens when, for example, the fans in the house unintentionally reverse the flow of toxic gasses from the chimney and draw it into the home? Bad news for sure!
REP dispatched a service tech immediately to the home to further diagnose and repair the system. Thank goodness it was a straightforward fix, and in short order the system was adjusted and retested. Robert’s second reading was well within the limit, and as you imagine the homeowner was ecstatic!
For safety’s sake folks, have your heating system tested for more than just efficiency!
thanks,
Jason
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Tags:carbon monoxide, furnace, Health and Saftey, IAQ, Los Gatos, Residential Energy Pros, San Francisco., San Jose
Posted in Boilers, Energy / Efficiency / Renewables, Energy Audits, Furnaces, Health / Safety / Indoor Air, Wild Stuff | 1 Comment »
October 13, 2011
We’ve provided the details on the federal home energy-efficiency tax credit a few times this year—for efficient furnaces, air-conditioners, windows, insulation, and the like. You’ve have access to the federal tax credit for existing homes for almost six years, in some form or another, including a bump up in the credit amount for two years as part of ARRA and then ratcheting back down this year.
But the time is running out. These federal credits disappear at the end of the year. To be eligible, qualified products must be “placed in service” (installed) by December 31, 2011. If you know you’re going to be doing something that qualifies, now is the time. I’m not betting that Congress will pull together and agree on much of anything, let alone pass something like an extension of this tax credit. So right now, it looks like before the end of the year, or kiss it goodbye.
Of course, if the time isn’t right for you, we always help our customers find any other incentives out there. Call us when you’re ready.
Thanks, Mike
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Tags:2011, air conditioner, ARRA, cooling, energy-efficiency, furnace, heat pump, heating, home energy, incentives, insulation, rebates, tax credit, windows
Posted in Rebates and Incentives, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
September 24, 2011
- New York residents eligible for cash rebates to replace essential appliances damaged by Hurricanes Irene or Lee –
Parts of upstate New York were devasted by Hurricanes Irene and Lee which significant damage to many residents’ homes and properties – including their necessary appliances and equipment. Effective this week (Monday, September 19, 2011), Governor Andrew Cuomo launched an $8 million appliance rebate program to help those who sustained damages to their appliances and household equipment. This program is one of the many in place to help those affected by the storms recover as quickly as possible.
“Thanks to this program, homeowners in NY can make some good of a bad situation,” said Anthony Johnson, owner of A. Johnson Heating, Cooling and Plumbing, a Saratoga Springs-based company and GreenHomes America partner specializing in home energy assessments and upgrades. “These generous rebates not only save you money now, but with more energy-efficient appliances you’ll continue to save for the life of the appliance.”
Candidates qualify by being a New York state resident and purchasing eligible ENERGY STAR® or high efficiency appliances to replace those damaged by the natural disasters. Eligible products include refrigerators, clothes washers and dryers, dehumidifiers, furnaces, broilers and some water heaters. Rebates are substantial and range from $100 for a dehumidifier to $2,500 for a boiler. Purchases must be made on or after August 29, 2011 for those impacted by Irene and September 9, 2011 for those impacted by Lee. The U.S. Department of Energy’s State Energy Program (SEP) provided the funds to be used for the program and rebates are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until they are exhausted.
“Many new appliances, like those with an ENERGY STAR® rating, are around 30 percent more efficient than older models,” adds Johnson. “If you replace three or four appliances with these more efficient models, that’s like eliminating an entire appliance from your energy bill.”
Those who wish to apply for the rebate can do so in one of two ways, either by filling out an application form on the rebate program website or calling the program hotline to fill out necessary information over the phone. One rebate per appliance is allowed and purchases must be made before applying.
For more information on this rebate program, please visit http://www.nysappliancerebates.com/ or call the program hotline at 1-877-NY-SMART. Contact us in Central New York or the Saratoga-Capital District area to see how this might be leveraged as part of a broader home improvement to increase comfort and save energy. (Doubly important for those who has with oil as oil prices remain very high.)
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Tags:$2500, A. Johnson Heating and Cooling, appliance rebates, Binghamton, boiler, clothes washer, Energy Star, furnace, Hurrican Irene, Hurricane Lee, New York, NYSERDA, rebate, refrigerator, Saratoga, water heater
Posted in Boilers, Furnaces, Lighting and Appliances, News, Rebates and Incentives | Leave a Comment »
September 21, 2011
Nights are getting cooler. Heating season is on the way. And folks across the Northeast and Upper Midwest who heat their homes with oil are facing significantly—painfully—higher prices this winter.
For example, according to NYSERDA prices for fuel oil in the state average $3.83 per gallon, a 33% increase over last year. In Maine, we see comparable prices. And the U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts the national average to rise further in October.
An 80 cent per gallon increase translates to an additional $800 dollars in heating costs for a home that burns 1,000 gallons per year. That’s a real dent in the family finances.
This highlights the risk in play home heating oil roulette. There’s huge volatility and uncertainty from unrest in the Middle East, natural disasters like hurricanes, market forces in India and China, or many more factors.
Homeowners are not helpless, though. You can make choices. You can’t control world energy prices. But you can make your home more efficient so that the price hikes don’t hobble you.
You know how. Start with a good assessment. Seal the leaks in your home and ducts. Improve your insulation. And look at more efficient equipment, windows, lighting, etc. We can help you figure out what makes the most sense for you and your home and tailor your project to take advantage of state and utility rebate and incentive programs. But you’ve got to pick up the phone and start the ball rolling. Or pick up your checkbook and send another payment to your fuel company or utility for the money you’re wasting.
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Tags:boiler, EIA, energy-efficiency, furnace, heating oil, heating tips, insulation, Maine, New York, NYSERDA, oil prices
Posted in Air-Sealing, Boilers, Furnaces, Insulation, Oil / Coal / Natural Gas | 5 Comments »
March 23, 2011
We mentioned partner Energy Efficient Solutions while talking about their great crawlspace work the other day. Well, they can help you tap into some of the great rebates available on cooling and heating equipment still available in Virginia, right now. But likely only if you act fast. There are still Recovery Act rebates in place for heat pumps, furnaces, and water heaters. And there is a home retrofit program on the streets in the Hampton Roads area. In many cases, these are in addition to already existing utility rebates–up to $5,000! But as we’ve seen on most other states, these funds will probably be used up quickly, within weeks or months. It’s first-come, first-served, and when the money’s gone, it’s gone. Don’t miss out. [Call Energy Efficient today to get your place in line!] Whether rebates or tax credits or both, depending on your project, now is the time.
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Tags:air conditioner, Energy Efficient Solutions, energy-efficiency, furnace, heat pump, home improvement, rebates, tax credit, Virginia
Posted in Energy / Efficiency / Renewables, Rebates and Incentives | 1 Comment »
As we look to improve our homes and the air in it, taking control of the airways are very important. Come wintertime, we often struggle with comfort in more ways that just staying warm. Sometimes it gets dry too. People tend to be comfortable with humidity levels a little higher than what is ideal to prevent condensation issues and mold growth.
