Tag: energy bills

How HVAC Zoning Systems Provide Home Comfort

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

It seems like all of us have a different comfort zone when it comes to the heat and air conditioning system in our home.   However, there is a way to solve this issue and it satisfies everyone’s needs. It is called zoning systems. Basically what this system does is allow you to heat or cool certain “zones” or areas in your home to different temperatures, based on your needs.

Zoning works with both forced air and hot water heating systems, and offers customized comfort for every area of your home.

Zoning operates through a group of components. The first of these is the motorized dampers. These open and close based on the requirements of the zone thermostats – and zone thermostats are another component.  Standard thermostats are used. When each zone is divided in the house it uses its own thermostat to control the temperature. for the individual zone.

The zone thermostats, along with the dampers, are wired into a central control panel. The panel is then connected to the thermostat connection on the HVAC unit. Where other systems use one thermostat the zoning systems has a master control panel. This allows the until to be operated by multiple thermostats.

When any of the thermostats make a request for heating or cooling the panel accepts the call from that zone. This zone will then be serviced while the other zones remain at their present temperature until their call is made to be serviced. Once the control panel receives the request it then services that  next specific zone.

Most homes require either a two or a four zone system. If the home has two zones it is basically divided as follows: one zone covers the living room and kitchen; the second zone would include the bedrooms and bathrooms. There are optional ways of zoning and this depends basically on the size and configuration of the home or office.

Zoning systems are not only convenient, they also offer more efficiency. This efficiency equates to a major savings on future  energy bills.

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.