Author: T.F. O'Brien Cooling & Heating

UV Lights Help Improve Indoor Air Quality

Posted on by T.F. O'Brien Cooling & Heating

If you think that your home protects you from the dangers of air pollution, think again. In fact, the air inside of your home can be up to 10 times  more polluted than outside air. But you can breathe easier—and improve your indoor air quality—by using UV lights.

UV, which stands for ultraviolet light, works by breaking the molecular bonds of micro-organisms. In simple terms, in destroys the DNA of micro-organism such as:

  • Viruses
  • Germs
  • Spores
  • Fungi
  • Mold
  • Bacteria

Destroying the DNA of these organism results in their swift death or neutralization, which effectively improves indoor air quality.

Even better, making UV lights a part of your air conditioning & heating system is simple. A UV light generating lamp is mounted inside of the duct of a forced air HVAC system. As the air passes through the UV light—which occurs 40-75 times per day—so do the micro-organism. Such repeated exposure to the ultraviolet light effectively destroys these contaminants.

Although standard air filters clean your air of some contaminants, they are ineffective at trapping micro-organism, which are so small they slip right through the filter. Yes, high efficiency filters will capture micro-organisms, but only down to a certain size. In short, you need an HVAC system that incorporates UV lights in order to kill most airborne bacteria and other contaminants.

Having a UV light system is an inexpensive, relatively maintenance-free way for you to improve your indoor air quality. So breathe easy. Ask us about our UV light air purification systems today.

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.

Carbon Monoxide Facts for Homeowners

Posted on by T.F. O'Brien Cooling & Heating

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless,  silent killer that, unfortunately, is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the United States. The Journal of the American Medical Association estimates that there are approximately 2,100 accidental carbon monoxide poisoning deaths—each  year—in the U.S. But many of these deaths can be prevented with the use of carbon monoxide detectors.

Carbon monoxide is produced with combustion (fuel burning). Items such as gas or oil furnaces, gas clothes dryers, gas water heaters, gas space heaters, gas refrigerators, charcoal grills, fireplaces, gas ranges, and wood burning stoves can be potential sources of deadly carbon monoxide gases.

If your gas, oil, or wood burning appliances are free of malfunctions such as air pressure leaks or airway blockages and are properly vented to the outdoors, you will likely not have a problem with carbon monoxide in your home. (Make sure that you have your fuel burning appliances checked at least once a year by a professional for defects that could lead to carbon monoxide leaks).

But even if you keep up on such maintenance, there’s always a danger that your fuel burning appliances will malfunction without your awareness and release carbon monoxide gases. This is why carbon monoxide detectors are essential to your family’s health and safety.

Carbon monoxide detectors are easy to install and they offer you superb protection against carbon monoxide poisoning. Follow these tips when installing carbon monoxide detectors:

  • Install one detector outside of each bedroom or individual sleeping area.
  • Call your local fire department and ask what number you should call if the alarm on the detector sounds. Post this number beside the telephone or other easy-to-find location.
  • Test the alarm on the detector at least once a month.
  • Change the batteries in the detector once a year. (Many people change the batteries with the time change—either in the spring or in the fall—so that they never forget).

If your carbon monoxide detectors’ alarms sound:

  • Move everyone outside—immediately.
  • Call the phone number provided by your local fire department
  • Call a certified technician to inspect all of your fuel burning appliances

So if you have any fuel burning appliances, buy one, or several, carbon monoxide detectors. It’s the only chance you have of detecting this odorless, colorless,  deadly gas.

High Efficiency Boilers Cut Energy Costs

Posted on by T.F. O'Brien Cooling & Heating

Do you have a steam or hot water heating system? Do you rely on an old, inefficient boiler to heat that water that heats your home? Do you cringe every time you open your heating bill?  Did you know that high efficiency boilers cut energy costs?

It’s true. You can save a considerable amount of money on your energy bill by switching to a high efficiency boiler.

Two Types of Boilers

Boilers heat water for use in heating systems. There are two basic types of boilers:

1.  Steam boilers, which transports the steam to steam radiators

2.  Hot water boilers, which sends the water to baseboard radiators, radiant floor systems, or a coil system

Because steam boilers operate at higher temperatures than do their hot water counterparts, they are a little less efficient than hot water boilers. However, high efficiency boilers come in both steam and hot water models.

Understanding Efficiency Ratings of Boilers

The annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) tells you how efficient “high efficiency boilers” really are. The AFUE is calculated by taking the total heat output of the boiler compared to the total energy consumption of the unit. For instance, an AFUE of 90 means that 90 percent of the fuel’s energy is used to heat your home. (Only 10 percent of the fuel’s energy is wasted).

Finding the AFUE of high efficiency boilers is easy. By law, the AFUE must be displayed on all new boilers. Just keep these facts in mind:

·                 The higher the AFUE, the higher the efficiency level of the boiler.

·                 Mid-efficiency boiler will have an AFUE of 80% to 89%.

·                 High efficiency boilers will have an AFUE of 90% to 97%.

·                 The minimum allowable AFUE for a fossil-fueled boiler is 80 percent.

·                 The minimum allowable AFUE for a steam boiler is 75 percent.

If you want to save a lot of money on your energy bills this winter, without sacrificing comfort, buy a high efficiency boiler. You’ll be glad that you did.

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.

Save this Winter with a High Efficiency Furnace

Posted on by T.F. O'Brien Cooling & Heating

Winter is almost here and so are your heating bills. Unfortunately, your heating bills can take quite a chunk out of your finances. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the majority of your energy bills are spent on heating your home. Given this statistic, it makes sense that you would want save money on your heating bills. But  can you?

Yes, you can—if you buy a high efficiency furnace.

Understanding the Efficiency Rating of High Efficiency Furnaces

Before you go shopping for a high efficiency furnace, you need to know the efficiency rating that all furnaces now display.

The efficiency rating of furnaces is called the AFUE which stands for annual fuel utilization efficiency. The AFUE measures how efficiently the unit uses its fuel during a typical year. It does this by calculating the total heat output of the furnace compared to the amount of energy the furnace consumed.

For instance, if you see a furnace with an AFUE of 90 percent, that means that 90 percent of the fuel’s energy becomes heat for the home and the remaining 10 percent of the energy escapes up the chimney or elsewhere. High efficiency furnaces with AFUE’s of 90 percent are highly efficient and, as such, will save you money on your heating bills.

Buying a High Efficiency Furnace

Finding a furnace’s AFUE rating is not difficult. By law, new furnaces must prominently display their AFUE. But there are a couple of facts that you should know:

  • The higher the AFUE, the more energy efficient the furnace is.
  • High efficiency furnaces (fossil-fueled) will have AFUEs of between 90 and 97 percent.
  • Mid efficiency gas furnaces will have AFUEs of between 80 and 85 percent.
  • The minimum allowable AFUE rating for a warm-air, fossil-fueled furnace today is 78.
  • Electric furnaces will have AFUEs of between 95 and 100 percent because no energy is lost up the chimney or flue. However, the skyrocketing cost of electricity may make an electric furnace a poor choice if you want to save money on your heating bills.
  • High efficiency gas furnaces are capable of using 30 percent less fuel than their older counterparts.

Buying high efficiency furnaces can save Long Island residents a lot of money on their heating bills. So, if you’re considering a replacement, consider a high efficiency furnace.   It will save you money now and into the future.

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.

Heat Pump Essentials for Homeowners

Posted on by T.F. O'Brien Cooling & Heating

If you’re a Long Island homeowner using a heat pump to heat and cool your home, you may already know that this equipment offers energy-efficient comfort.   We’d like to go over some heat pump essentials for anyone who’d like more information about this type of HVAC system, or just wants to better understand how their system works.

A heat pump is an efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioning systems.   It’s a reliable way to keep your home comfortable, and it offers significant energy savings for homeowners.   As many of our customers know, heat pumps are an ideal solution because they work well in almost any climate (often as part of a hybrid system for cold climates like ours) and cost a lot less to run than conventional fuel-burning systems.

More good news for your energy budget–a heat pump uses 30-40% less electricity than other types of heating and cooling!

So how does it work?   A heat pump uses a refrigerant to draw heat from outside air and compress it, making it even hotter.   Coils then send the heated air to the blower to be distributed through your home’s ductwork.

This cycle is repeated over and over as the refrigerant cools down and goes back to get more outside air.   The system runs efficiently on electricity so no fossil fuels are burned.   In our opinion, this combination of energy cost savings and fuel conservation is one of the biggest advantages of heat pumps.

A hybrid heat pump allows you to use a fossil-fuel burning furnace as a backup heat source, when outside temperatures go below 30 degrees.   One consideration here is your home’s electrical capacity.

When it comes to heat pumps, there are a few things you should know about how to buy and operate your system for maximum energy efficiency.   Ask us about ratings for energy efficiency, sizing your unit and other factors that will determine which system is right for your home.

Heat pumps offer big energy savings both now and later on down the line.   Get the most comfort at the least cost by choosing the one that’s best for your home, and operate it properly to ensure long life and even better savings.   Contact us for more information about heat pumps, and how to maximize your energy savings and home comfort with this energy-efficient heating system.

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 Your Heating System Ready for the Winter Season?

Posted on by T.F. O'Brien Cooling & Heating

It’s a question every Long Island homeowner should be asking right about now.   Sure, the really cold weather has yet to rear its ugly head, but you don’t want to be unprepared when it does.   Fall is the ideal time to get a heating system tune-up, to head off any problems this winter and get your system ready for frigid temperatures.

We think tune-ups are essential to your home comfort.   Why?   Regular maintenance on your heating system will keep components working more efficiently for longer.   It helps prevent costly repairs and ensures that you and your family won’t face a breakdown when you need your heat the most.   Not only that, tune-ups help you save up to 30% off of your energy bill each year!

To prepare your heating system for the winter season, we recommend that you sign up for a planned maintenance program (we call these Energy Saver Plans).

When our customers schedule planned maintenance with us, our certified techs come out to do a thorough inspection of all heating system components.

Some points of inspection include:

  • Check and adjust pilot and safety controls
  • Lubricate motors and bearings
  • Check heat exchanger for cracks
  • Change filters
  • Check pressure switches
  • Check circulator pump
  • Check temperature rise for proper operation of the heating system
  • Check gas valve
  • Check electrical connections
  • Check belt and adjust tension
  • Check thermostat controls
  • Check condensate pump
  • Check vent pipe
  • Vacuum clean burners and compartments as applicable

Right now, we’re offering a  $20 off any heating system repair or maintenance.   On top of this incentive, you’ll get a 15% discount on parts and labor when you sign up for an Energy Saver Plan.   So, don’t wait until winter comes! Now is the time to think about getting your heating system checked out.   Contact us to schedule your heating system maintenance and get peace of mind at an affordable price.

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?

Posted on by T.F. O'Brien Cooling & Heating

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.