Summer is just around the corner, and Long Island homeowners will be depending on their air conditioning systems to keep their homes cool and comfortable. Preventive maintenance is a good idea; you can have a professional make sure that everything is in working order before it’s time to use your cooling system. This will help you avoid last-minute problems, so that you don’t turn on your A/C system to find out something is wrong. An efficient air conditioning system will save you money as well. Continue Reading…
Wondering If Your A/C Will Last The Summer? Here’s Our Advice
Summer will be here before you know it, and you may be wondering if your air conditioning will last through one more season, especially if it is getting up in age. Continue Reading…
T.F. O’Brien & Co. Remembers Past; Grows Toward Future
HYDE PARK, N.Y., June 1, 2010 – When Thomas Francis O’Brien entered into the commercial refrigeration repair business in 1934, the world was a much different place. The United States was in the throes of the Great Depression, and World War II was a distant rumbling on the horizon. So how did one man build a business that, 76 years later, is still growing and still owned and operated by the O’Brien family?
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You Protect Your Computer With a Surge Suppressor, Why Not Your HVAC System?
All electronics need protection from power surges. Your heating and cooling system is no different.
When lightning strikes nearby or a storm knocks down a power line, it’s possible to send a surge of energy through the power grid, damaging sensitive electronics. Anything with a microprocessor is at risk, including your heating and cooling system. Continue Reading…
Tagged energy consumption
What to Look for in a Preventive Maintenance Agreement
Many homeowners fail to purchase a preventive maintenance agreement on their heating and cooling system because of cost issues. The truth is, not purchasing an annual maintenance agreement can end up costing you even more in the long run.
A system that is well maintained on a timely basis ensures that your unit is running at peak performance – which means energy savings, and a lower utility bill for the homeowner. Breakdowns and even small repairs can add up to a substantial amount of money. Because you never know when something unexpected may happen, these things can disrupt your life as well. Imagine a major breakdown in the middle of winter on Long Island. Through annual maintenance, the chances of something like this occurring are greatly reduced.
What should you look for in a preventive maintenance agreement?
- Check to make sure that the various elements of your system get a “tune-up”. This may include adjusting bypass dampers, operating pressures and thermostat calibration.
- Flues, heat exchangers, evaporator coils, fan blades, start and run capacitors and delays and combustion air should be checked on each inspection.
- Other components need regular cleaning, such as the combustion chamber, burners, condenser coils, evaporator drains and filters.
- Amperage draw, gas input, voltage variances and temperature differences should be measured to ensure that all are working properly.
The benefits of an annual maintenance agreement are many. A heat and air system is a big investment, one that you want to last for many years. Having a preventive maintenance agreement to keep your unit in good working order means that you will save money, improve the efficiency of your system, save on repairs that are needed, and be able to depend on having heat and air when you need it most.
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.
Dryer Vents Need Periodic Cleaning to Prevent Risks to Your Home
Your clothes dryer is an appliance that makes life easier, but it can also be a hazard in your home if not maintained properly. When dryer vents become clogged or blocked, it presents a potential fire hazard. You may also notice that it takes your clothes dryer longer to dry your clothes; this is due to inefficient air flow.
Each year, there are thousands of house fires associated with clothes dryers. It is essential that you periodically perform certain tasks to ensure that your clothes dryer runs efficiently, and that your home and family are not in danger of a potential fire.
Dryer vents may become clogged with lint, dirt and other materials. They may also be crushed or restricted, meaning that the hot air cannot escape through the exhaust properly. Always avoid placing rugs or other objects underneath your dryer, as this can block air flow. It is also important that you do not place your clothes dryer too close to the wall, as it may cause the exhaust hose to become crimped, which prohibits lint and warm air from escaping.
How can you clean dryer vents yourself? At least one time per year, disconnect the hose and inspect it for a buildup of lint both inside and out. A vacuum cleaner or stiff-bristled brush is usually sufficient to remove the lint that may have accumulated. Also check the area where the vent hose connects to the dryer to make sure it is clean and free of dirt and lint.
The build-up of lint is the most common cause of house fires related to clothes dryers, so you may want to have a professional clean your dryer vents and ductwork. If you do decide to do it yourself, always be sure to unplug your dryer to prevent the possibility of electrocution. Clean lint filters each time you dry a load of clothes to help prevent the build-up of lint.
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.
Tagged air flow, dryer vents, ductwork, exhaust hose, fire hazard, lint filters
A Winter Tune-Up Prevents Equipment Failure
Your household heating system contains many complex components, all of which can be damaged by neglect, the build-up of dirt and general use during the cold winter months. Letting your system fall into neglect can cause energy inefficiency and even premature system failure.
Your heating system is an investment. If you take care of it, it will continue to take care of you and your family. One of the most important steps you can take is having experienced professionals perform regular maintenance, especially in preparation for the harsh New York winters. At T.F. O’Brien & Co. we believe in the importance of a precision heating tune-up for every HVAC system.
There are many factors that cause poor performance in your central heating system. Dirt and dust particles collect on the equipment. Soot and carbon deposits build up, especially around the burner and in the combustion chamber. This area is also the site of scaling on equipment. Another problem is iron oxide (rust), naturally produced over time and everyday use. The particles form a black sludge that sticks to interior surfaces and corrodes valves, pumps, and more. During our heating tune-up our highly trained technicians will provide a thorough inspection for dirt, dust, rust, corrosion and all risk factors, correcting them at your discretion.
Included in our heating tune-up, our experienced technicians will test the safety of your system’s operating controls, monitoring for combustion leaks and carbon monoxide, as well as make any necessary adjustments to your thermostat, wiring and connections.
Ensuring your system is in excellent shape for the winter will prolong its lifespan, and can keep your energy costs down by as much as 20%. This not only means you save money, but you also use less energy and contribute less to greenhouse gases. Let our professionals ensure all the components of your system are performing at maximum efficiency and safety so you and your family are not left out in the cold.
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.
Why Buy an HVAC Service Agreement?
If you’re like most homeowners, you’re looking for ways to cut costs and eliminate expenses. Keeping a home running smoothly is not cheap, and especially in this economy you don’t want to throw money away. Some expenses, however, are worth the monetary investment. Here at T F O’Brien, we strongly believe that an HVAC service agreement is one of those expenses.
A service agreement for your heating and cooling systems gives you regularly scheduled preventative maintenance for your system components. We encourage our customers to sign up for annual preventative maintenance because we feel that it’s the most important thing they can do to ensure their home comfort over time.
The fact is, the cost of annual 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. With these incentives, the cost of preventative HVAC maintenance can be met or even exceeded by savings!
An HVAC Service agreement can also save you money over time. 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%! Other costs associated with poor HVAC system maintenance include the short and long-term costs of repairing and replacing equipment, damage done to your home by excessive moisture and health costs related to poor indoor air quality.
All of these problems arise from lack of proper maintenance on your HVAC system. Your technician will come out and do multiple points of inspection on your HVAC equipment, and show you how simple do-it-yourself steps can make a big difference in your system’s performance. A few dollars worth of the proper filters, for example, will prevent damage to your system and protect you and your family from dust and contaminants that lead to respiratory problems. Replacing and cleaning air filters prevents poor airflow, a common cause of system failure and a major reason why your energy bills are too high.
If you’d like more information about how HVAC maintenance is worth your investment, contact us. We can help you pick the plan that suits your needs and budget, and gives you the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your HVAC system won’t let you down when you need it most.
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.
Is it Time to Repair or Replace Your HVAC Equipment?
Repair or replace?—it’s a question that all homeowners will most likely have to ask at some point. The fact is, sometimes the answer is obvious, and sometimes it’s less so. While there are many variables in any particular home or building, though, the main decision points regarding repair or replacement of your air conditioning and heating system are not difficult concepts.
One of the most obvious points to consider regarding replacement of your HVAC system is simply its age. Do you have a system that’s more than 10 years old? Even if it still runs dependably, you still might be better off with a new one. The physical life of HVAC equipment, similar to personal computers, can often be longer than its economic life.
If they’ve been well maintained, the air conditioning components can last up to about 15 years and the furnace even up to 20, but issues of economic obsolescence apply. Plus, older heat exchangers are more likely to develop cracks or rust holes that could cause carbon monoxide gas to enter your indoor space. In general, 10 years is the age at which systems become eligible for replacement, whether they run well or not.
When weighing the costs and benefits of repairing or replacing older equipment with more efficient HVAC equipment, keep the following points in mind. (1) Fuel costs tend to go up more than down over the long run, and (2) The monthly savings continue after you reach the break even, or payback, period on the new equipment.
Replacing All Or Part?
Due to the fact that the furnace and heating equipment can last up to 50% longer than the major air conditioning components, the decision comes up pretty frequently for homeowners. Although field matching of new and old heating and cooling equipment can sometimes be done by experienced contractors, the downside in less reliability, comfort and potential rebates makes it not likely worth the modest savings.
And, when you consider that the new equipment would have a higher efficiency rating and a manufacturer’s warranty, the advantages become even clearer.
So, when should you consider repairing your system? Due to rising energy and labor costs plus environment concerns, replacing aging systems often makes sense. However, there are some scenarios where you might choose to repair an aging air conditioning system. Examples of this would be:
- Cash or reasonably affordable financing for new equipment or efficiency improvements to the structure are simply not available.
- You’re planning to move from the home relatively soon, and you believe the next homeowner will make significant structural changes (addition of a second floor, raising the ceilings, etc.). In this case the value of the installation would be discounted by the new owner.
- An upcoming change in available equipment or incentives that are not currently available. Examples would be: a feature soon to be available on new equipment, new city utility rebate program, etc.
In most cases, the help of an experienced HVAC contractor is needed to determine whether you should repair or replace your aging HVAC system. We can evaluate your situation and come up with a plan of action that makes the most sense 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.
