Serving Long Island Since 1934

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Planned Maintenance

Priority Appointments a Bonus for Preventive Maintenance

Posted by administr8tor on February 14, 2011   |   No Comments

The dead of winter, miserable as this one has been, is the time when preventive maintenance to your heating system pays off. We hope you’re remembering furnace filter changes monthly or as often as your particular system needs them. Otherwise, a well-maintained system should be purring along, allowing you to dream of the day when we’ll finally need A/C again.

Should your system have a problem, however, T.F. O’Brien wants offers an extra perk to those who sign up for our preventive maintenance plans. We’ll give your emergency call priority service, meaning you’ll know that one of our technicians will get to you that day. And by “that day,” we also mean your call will get priority 365 days a year.

We offer a discount on repairs, too, for members of our plans and our plans are transferable if you happen to move during the contract term.  We like to think that the money you’ll save anyway, by keeping your system maintained through twice-yearly service, is a pretty big deal, too.

Winter is not the only time HVAC equipment breaks down though.  Summer can be miserable when the A/C or cooling system stops working.  You will want to spot and fix issues before they become problems.  Preventive maintenance is the best way to ensure you and your loved ones will be safe and comfortable throughout the entire year.

For preventive maintenance questions, or any issue regarding home comfort, feel free to call the professionals at T.F. O’Brien. We’re happy to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about preventive maintenance and other HVAC topics, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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Bigger is Not Always Better When Purchasing HVAC Equipment

Posted by administr8tor on November 11, 2010   |   No Comments

When it is time to replace heating and air conditioning equipment, it is absolutely essential that you match the size of the unit to the needs of your home. Do not assume that just because a unit has more power it is the appropriate HVAC system for use in your house. Today’s hvac systems come in a variety of sizes for a reason, and you need to choose the one that will be the most efficient at heating and cooling your home.

The best way to determine which of the hvac systems on the market is best suited for your use is to have a home air infiltration inspection. Our skilled technicians have been trained to take the proper measurements to make sure that your system is operating as efficiently as possible when heating and cooling your home. They can also determine how remodeling projects that you have done since your current system was installed will effect how the new one operates.

An air infiltration inspection will determine how tightly your home is sealed. If there is a significant amount of outside air leaking in, the size of your HVAC system may need to be larger to insure proper heating and cooling. A typical 2 ton air conditioning unit will do a fine job cooling a 1200 square foot home but if that home is not sealed well you may need a 2.5 ton unit. Manufacturers recommend 1 ton per 600 square feet of living space but as we learned through our years of experience, one size does not fit all.

If you choose a unit that is too big for your home, you could be wasting your hard-earned energy dollars because your equipment is short-cycling. This also wears out your system’s components more quickly.  Ask us about how to get the HVAC system that is the right size for you.

T.F. O’Brien services the Long Island, New York area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about preventive maintenance and other HVAC topics, please download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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Spring and Fall HVAC Tune-Ups

Posted by administr8tor on September 29, 2010   |   No Comments

HVAC tune-ups, or planned maintenance, are one of the best investments you can make in your home.  Why?  Because tune-ups keep your home’s heating and cooling systems running smoothly and efficiently for years.  They can prevent costly breakdowns and even lower your energy bills.  In fact, the cost of planned maintenance is often offset or even exceeded by the savings to homeowners in the form of reduced energy costs, discounts, fewer breakdowns and longer equipment life.

We believe that HVAC maintenance is well worth the cost for Long Island homeowners.  According to www.energystar.gov, almost half of the energy used in your home (about $1,300 per year) goes to heating and cooling.  Regular maintenance has been proven to cut those costs by as much as 30%!

Many homeowners choose to schedule these tune-ups semi-annually, in the spring (for air conditioning) and fall (for heating).  Planned maintenance helps to maintain peak efficiency, reduce utility bills, and prevent system failure.  It can help extend the life of your HVAC system, as well.

Our Planned Maintenance Program includes many points of inspection, including:

  • Check system functions, safety controls, and adjust the operating sequence if needed.
  • Inspect electrical components and connections and repair/replace or tighten as required.
  • Check for proper airflow and change dirty air filters.
  • Inspect pumps, lubricate, and check flow rates.
  • Clean and lubricate motors as needed.
  • Examine belts, adjust and align as required.
  • Inspect, clean and balance blowers.

Certain inspections are specific to air conditioners, and other to furnaces and boilers.

Air Conditioning Tune-Up

  • Clean coils, condensate pans, condensate traps, and condensate lines to prevent obstructions.
  • Clean outside coil and straighten fins for efficient operation.
  • Check refrigerant levels and if low, find the leak.  Leaks are harmful to the environment and, according to many equipment manufacturers, a 10% refrigerant loss can result in a 20% decrease in system efficiency.

Heating Tune-Up

  • Clean the burner assembly.
  • Remove soot from the fireside of the burner.
  • Clean and check the operation of the humidifier.
  • Visually or with remote camera, inspect the heat exchanger for cracks.
  • Adjust air/fuel ratio of the burner and perform combustion analysis.  Fine-tuning a burner helps to achieve maximum fuel efficiency and optimum firing.

In addition to the peace of mind you’ll get from knowing that your HVAC system is working properly, our tune-ups offer other benefits, such as discounts and priority service.  Of course, the greatest benefit is the one you’ll notice every day—your comfort at home!  Ask us about spring and fall tune-ups for your heating and cooling system.  It’s a wise investment in your home and your home comfort.

T.F. O’Brien services the Long Island, New York area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about preventive maintenance and other HVAC topics, please download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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Protect Your HVAC Investment with Annual Maintenance

Posted by administr8tor on July 10, 2010   |   No Comments

Wouldn’t it be better to know that your heating and cooling system is well maintained and operating efficiently, rather than take your chances that it might break down?  Preventative maintenance for your HVAC system is designed to give you the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your system components will come through for you when you need them.  That’s why we highly recommend it for all Long Island homeowners.

Also known as precision tune-ups, preventative maintenance visits can save you up to 30 percent on your energy bills simply because they help keep your system running efficiently.  Not only that, maintenance prevents repairs and breakdowns that cost homeowners thousands of dollars each year.

Preventive maintenance agreements, or PMAs, are agreements between you and your licensed contractor for scheduled inspections and maintenance of your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. PMAs are generally scheduled semi-annually (in spring and fall) to maintain peak efficiency, reduce utility bills, and prevent system failure.  They can help extend the life of your HVAC system, as well.

During a scheduled maintenance visit, you can expect your technician to do the following:

  • Check system functions, safety controls, and adjust the operating sequence where appropriate.
  • Inspect electrical components and connections and repair/replace or tighten as required.
  • Ensure proper airflow and change dirty air filters.
  • Inspect pumps, lubricate, and check flow rates where appropriate.
  • Clean and lubricate motors as required.
  • Examine belts, adjust and align as required.
  • Inspect, clean and balance blowers as required.
  • Certain inspections are specific to your cooling system, and others to your heating system.

Cooling system maintenance:

  • Clean coils, condensate pans, condensate traps, and condensate lines to prevent obstructions.
  • Clean outside coil and straighten fins for efficient operation.
  • Check refrigerant levels and if low, find the leak.  According to many equipment manufacturers, a 10 percent refrigerant loss will result in a 20 percent decrease in system efficiency!

Heating system maintenance:

  • Clean the burner assembly.
  • Remove soot from fireside of burner.
  • Clean and check operation of humidifier.
  • Visually or with remote camera, inspect heat exchanger for cracks.
  • Adjust air/fuel ratio of burner and perform combustion analysis.  Instrumentation used for combustion analysis is a means of fine-tuning a burner to achieve maximum fuel efficiency and optimum firing.

Maintaining semi-annual PMAs for heat pumps is also important.  For heat pump applications, winter season inspections repeat a number of the summer procedures plus several additional checks.

There are many benefits to regular scheduled maintenance for your HVAC system.  According to the Consortium of Energy Efficiency (CEE), up to 50 percent more energy can be saved with proper installation, sizing, and maintenance of central air conditioning and heat pumps.  Maintenance visits usually pay for themselves through these savings, making them a good investment in your home and your home comfort.

Ask us about preventative maintenance and what it can do for you.  We can help you start saving money on your energy bills, and bring you the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your system will always come through for you when you need it.

T.F. O’Brien services the Long Island, New York area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about preventive maintenance and other HVAC topics, please download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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