We all want to have an efficient furnace working at peak performance during the winter. This happens when homeowners maintain an annual maintenance schedule for their furnace, keeping their home comfortable and safe. The time is right for a heating system inspection and maintenance appointment, before your system is running at full capacity during the coldest winter nights. Prevent a complete system malfunction by getting a professional furnace inspection in Greensboro by a reputable HVAC company. At Berico Fuels, our certified HVAC technicians will inspect your furnace for problems and provide a complete check-up and tune-up. Why is a certified HVAC repair specialist in Greensboro the optimal choice to perform the maintenance? At www.dailyherald.com, it is recommended to have a certified technician inspect your furnace every year to prevent potential problems later on:

“Doing so now, while your furnace is working, prevents the nightmare of a dead furnace in the middle of winter, with its lofty costs for an emergency visit by a repairman, which can run you hundreds of dollars in just a site fee and another possible couple of hundred for repair parts and labor.

If your furnace has been operating on straining parts for a long time, you may also run the risk of expense and hassle of having to get an entirely new furnace. That can be prevented by making a simple phone call now to a reputable heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, company to set up your annual furnace checkup and tune-up.”

Furnace warranties often require this maintenance service. At Berico Fuels, we provide a comprehensive inspection that will keep your heating system running smoothly so you will not need more costly repairs. We can make sure that you will experience comfort and warmth all season with an annual furnace tune-up from Berico Fuels. The Daily Herald lists some benefits to receiving an annual furnace inspection by a certified, professional technician,

“• Prevent costly breakdowns. It’s not just a full system replacement that can be the danger. Your furnace might stop working because a part is out of order, which requires you to call a technician, live without your furnace for days or longer until the technician can make it to your home. The broken part will cost money to replace, plus a lot more money in site visit and labor. These mini breakdowns can cost a lot of money over time, and a tune-up can prevent them.

• Prevent inconvenient service needs. If you have houseguests for Thanksgiving, that would be a terrible time for your furnace to break down. In addition to the lack of heat, it can be very embarrassing to have anything break down in front of family and friends. Winter’s temperature extremes can make this an even bigger concern.

Once you have maintenance performed, appoint yourself the guardian of your newly tuned-up furnace by changing the filters regularly and keeping flammable items far from your furnace.”

Our commercial and residential customers enjoy easy scheduling, convenient service hours, and courteous and exceptional heating service. It’s a breeze to keep your furnace well-maintained in Eden, High Point and Kernersville, NC. We solve your HVAC problems. Keep your home energy efficient this winter with a complete furnace inspection from Berico Fuels. Contact us at 336-273-8663 to schedule service today.

(Source: Fall is the Perfect Time for a Furnace Tune-up, http://www.dailyherald.com, October 7, 2013)

It’s deadly, without a smell, taste or color. And it could become a huge problem if your furnace is not properly maintained. Carbon monoxide can become trapped in a room or entire house, leading to a very dangerous situation. Found in a variety of sources, such as gas stoves and gas water heaters, leaking furnaces and chimneys, this gas can cause huge problems if the level becomes high. Similar to flu symptoms, thousands of people who are poisoned from carbon monoxide annually do not realize the cause of their illness right away, leading to greater danger.

Hotels in North Carolina require carbon monoxide detectors after three deaths occurred as a result of high carbon monoxide levels inside of a hotel room in NC. How can this type of poisoning be prevented? The Consumer Product Safety Commission has preventative steps that will help you stay safe, and avoid carbon monoxide poisoning:

• Make sure appliances are installed and operated according to the manufacturer’s instructions and local building codes. Most appliances should be installed by qualified professionals. Have the heating system professionally inspected and serviced annually to ensure proper operation. The inspector should also check chimneys and flues for blockages, corrosion, partial and complete disconnections, and loose connections.
• Never service fuel-burning appliances without proper knowledge, skill and tools. Always refer to the owner’s manual when performing minor adjustments or servicing fuel-burning equipment.
• Never operate a portable generator or any other gasoline engine-powered tool either in or near an enclosed space such as a garage, house, or other building. Even with open doors and windows, these spaces can trap CO and allow it to quickly build to lethal levels.
• Install a CO alarm that meets the requirements of the current UL 2034 safety standard. A CO alarm can provide some added protection, but it is no substitute for proper use and upkeep of appliances that can produce CO. Install a CO alarm in the hallway near every separate sleeping area of the home. Make sure the alarm cannot be covered up by furniture or draperies.
• Never use portable fuel-burning camping equipment inside a home, garage, vehicle or tent unless it is specifically designed for use in an enclosed space and provides instructions for safe use in an enclosed area.
• Never burn charcoal inside a home, garage, vehicle, or tent.
• Never leave a car running in an attached garage, even with the garage door open.
• Never use gas appliances such as ranges, ovens, or clothes dryers to heat your home.
• Never operate unvented fuel-burning appliances in any room where people are sleeping.
• Do not cover the bottom of natural gas or propane ovens with aluminum foil. Doing so blocks the combustion air flow through the appliance and can produce CO.
• During home renovations, ensure that appliance vents and chimneys are not blocked by tarps or debris. Make sure appliances are in proper working order when renovations are complete.

Have your furnace in the Greensboro, High Point and Burlington, NC areas inspected and maintained by a professional. At Berico Fuels, we recommend routine HVAC inspections to eliminate the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning from old furnaces that are not operating properly. Leaky and older furnaces are potential problems that need to be addressed at an inspection. Your heating system repair in Greensboro, NC will be done by a certified and qualified technician, who has the experience and knowledge to locate existing problems and potential future malfunctions with your furnace. Determine your risks now, before the weather turns cold. At Berico Fuels, our Greensboro HVAC systems specialists have the expertise to prevent your heating system from having problems this winter. Stay safe, and stay warm this winter season.

(Source: Carbon Monoxide Questions and Answers, http://www.cpsc.gov/, 2014)

http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/Carbon-Monoxide-Information-Center/Carbon-Monoxide-Questions-and-Answers-/

Thinking about replacing an old and inefficient furnace? You may be considering the various types of furnaces that are available. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy shares the following information to help you know when it is time to replace your old furnace:

• If your furnace or boiler is older than 10 years, chances are it is a good investment to replace it with a high-efficiency model with the guidance of a good contractor. Also consider a replacement now if your system is one of the following:
  • Old coal burner that was previously switched over to oil or gas
  • Old gas furnace without electronic ignition. If it has a pilot light, it was probably installed prior to 1992 and has an efficiency of about 65% (the least efficient systems today are 80%)
  • Old gas furnace without vent dampers or an induced draft fan (which limit the flow of heated air up the chimney when the heating system is off).
• If your furnace or boiler is 10–20 years old, and you are experiencing discomfort or high utility bills, hire a highly-qualified home performance or heating contractor who can help you evaluate your existing system. Often it will be more cost-effective to improve house insulation and air-tightness, repair or insulate ductwork, or tune up your system before purchasing a new one.

With all of the available options out there, it’s time to narrow down your choices. For the hottest heat available, we recommend a heating oil furnace, which has 140,000 British Thermal Units (BTU’s) per gallon. This type of system heats faster than gas furnaces, reducing the total amount of fuel that will burn. When comparing BTU’s, note that one BTU of oil burns less pollutants than one BTU of natural gas, making it a clean choice for your home. On cold, freezing mornings, your oil furnace will heat up quickly and bring comfort to your home in a safe way.

In Burlington, Eden, Greensboro and High Point, your oil furnace should get regularly scheduled maintenance to keep it safe and reliable. At Berico, we not only install the furnace, we supply the fuel oil, maintenance and tune-up’s necessary to keep your heating system running at peak performance. How about cost savings? Using the information below, you can calculate return on investment (ROI), noticing that $100’s of dollars can be saved by replacing your old furnace with a new energy efficient oil furnace:

If you have an idea of how much it will cost to install a new system, use the chart below to calculate how much money you are likely to save each year with a more efficient system, and what your return on investment is likely to be. Remember, when fuel prices go up, your savings will go up.

1. Calculate Dollar Savings per $100 of Annual Fuel Cost
To determine savings from the table to the right, find the horizontal row corresponding to the old system’s AFUE, then choose the number from that row that is in the vertical column corresponding to the new system’s AFUE. That number is the projected dollar savings per hundred dollars of existing fuel bills. For example, if your present AFUE is 65% and you plan to install a high-efficiency natural gas system with an AFUE of 90%, then the projected saving is $27 per $100. If, say, your annual fuel bill is $1,300, then the total yearly savings should be about $27 x 13 = $351.

2. Calculate Return on Investment
ROI = first year savings ÷ installed cost
Example:
ROI = $351 ÷ $2,500 = 0.14 = 14%

There are new dual fuel furnace options available today, so you can have flexibility and benefit from getting heat from a heat pump when temperatures are more moderate and an oil burn when temperatures go below freezing. At Berico, we sell heating oil to our Greensboro and High Point clients. Call 336-273-8668 today for more information on oil furnaces and heating oil.

(Source: Consumer Resources: Heating, www.aceee.org,) http://www.aceee.org/consumer/heating

During the warmer months of the year, when the sun is shining and you spend a lot of time outdoors, your heating system is probably the last thing on your mind. When the cold and dreary parts of the year are months away, why should you spend time thinking about your furnace? The truth is, well before the temperature drops, you should take some time to consider your heating system. You don’t want to ignore it and then be in for a rude awakening one very chilly morning.

The experts at Berico Heating and Air Conditioning will keep your furnace running at optimal efficiency throughout the year. Even if you think your furnace is fine, we’ll come out and give it a thorough inspection to make sure everything’s in working order. An annual inspection and tune-up of your furnace can ensure that it will keep you warm throughout the winter and last for many years to come. In addition, a yearly furnace checkup will:

• Guarantee proper airflow – The skilled professionals at Berico will make sure your heating system is receiving and providing the right airflow. Limited airflow will cause your heating bills to rise and can also put strain on your system.
• Keep your family safe – To heat your home, a furnace burns fuels, and the process of combustion has to be exact. Even a minor issue can lead to a gas leak.
• Improve energy efficiency – An annual inspection of your Burlington, NC heating system will also include a cleaning. Over time, your furnace collects dust and dirt, which can take a toll on your bills. A good cleaning will save both time and money.
• Maintain the manufacturer’s warranty – Many manufacturers require a yearly maintenance, and if it isn’t done, the warranty can become null and void.
• Decrease the need for repairs – Often heating system issues can be prevented with regular maintenance.

At Berico Heating and Air Conditioning, we offer a variety of different furnace maintenance programs for residents and businesses in the Greensboro, High Point, Burlington and Eden area. So before you find yourself in the middle of winter with a bum furnace, give us a call 336-273-8663.

If you have never had a new heating system installed, you probably have a lot of questions about which system to choose. At Berico, we want you to be informed. If you are knowledgeable, you’ll be able to make smarter decisions about your heating needs. We offer energy inspections for free to help you in selecting a new heating system. One of our experienced comfort specialists will come out to your home or business and talk to you about your choices. In addition to installing your first furnace, we can also replace your existing one. There are many reasons it may be time to upgrade your Greensboro heating system. Some factors to consider are:

Furnace Age

The average life expectancy of a furnace is 16 to 20 years. Is your furnace this old or older? It’s probably time for a new one. And you don’t want to wait until it breaks down to start shopping.

Numerous Repairs

Has your furnace required a lot of repairs recently? That’s a strong sign that it needs to be replaced.

Higher Bills

As they age, furnaces frequently lose their efficiency. This is especially true if they haven’t been maintained properly. Your furnace may have to run longer to provide the same amount of heat it used to. As a result, you’ll be paying higher gas and electric bills.

Noises

If you’ve heard banging, rattling, or squealing noises coming from your furnace, they’re probably not normal sounds. Another bad sign is if you hear the furnace blower running excessively.

Temperature Changes

Do you constantly have to adjust your thermostat to make your home or office more comfortable? Are some rooms too hot while others stay colder? If so, your furnace is not properly distributing air.

Sickness

As furnaces age, they can develop cracks in the heat exchanger, which can cause a carbon monoxide leak. If you or the people who share your home or office have experienced frequent headaches, nausea, or flu-like symptoms, this could be related to carbon monoxide. This is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed immediately.

At Berico Heating and Air Conditioning, we believe that your home or business should be as comfortable as possible. And as we head into autumn, we know that comfort begins with the right heating system. Our goal is to help you find that heating system and also provide the quality and support you need. For nearly 100 years, the experts at Berico have been installing and replacing furnaces for the residents and businesses of Greensboro, Burlington, High Point, Eden and the surrounding North Carolina area.