There is not a clear cut answer to this question. The best time of year for HVAC maintenance in Greensboro depends on a variety of factors. In general, in a climate where there all four seasons are represented, it is best to service your HVAC system twice a year: once in late summer or early fall for your heating system, and once in late winter or early spring for your cooling system.

Fall Heating Maintenance Prepares your System for Cold Weather

No matter what the forecast is for the weather this winter or what the farmer’s almanac has to say about the chance of snow, you can expect some cold weather in North Carolina. Is your furnace, heat pump, or other heating system ready to battle cold temperatures and keep your home feeling cozy?

If you’re not sure what condition your heating system is in, you could find yourself with a frigid house, in need of emergency service. Without central heat, your home can get cold quickly and become unlivable. During a cold snap, it is quite common for many people to experience problems with their heating system at the same time. You could be waiting a while for service. After-hours services, you have to pay higher fees.

Another reason to be proactive and schedule maintenance in the later summer or early fall is to save money. HVAC maintenance in Greensboro can help your heating system run more efficiently, which will reduce your energy bill, whether you use natural gas, propane, heating oil, or electricity.

Spring Cooling Maintenance Prepares your System for Hot Weather

Just as a fall maintenance appointment gets your heating system ready for winter, a spring maintenance appointment gets your air conditioning ready for summer. You don’t want to wait and find out that your AC won’t work on the first hot day of the season. Just as the first cold day, the first really hot day is when many customers find out that their AC needs service. You can avoid a long, sweltering wait and emergency service fees by scheduling maintenance early in the spring.

Maintenance of your air conditioner and furnace is important for energy efficiency. It’s amazing what a simple cleaning can do to save energy and lower your bill in the summer.

Why is it Important to Schedule Maintenance Early in each Season?

It comes down to scheduling. If you want to be able to schedule a maintenance appointment at a convenient time for you, you’re more likely to be successful if you call early in the season. Reliable local companies, such as Berico, are in high demand as the weather begins to change. Don’t settle for a cut-rate company just because they can show up immediately. Ask yourself why their schedule is so wide open.

Call Berico today at (336) 273-8663 to schedule HVAC maintenance in Greensboro or request service here. Make sure your furnace is ready for the season and save yourself some money on your heating bill this year.

Have you recently moved to a home with an oil furnace? If so there’s a bit of a learning curve that comes along with it. An oil furnace operates much the same as any other furnace, it simply uses heating oil as its fuel source. Heating oil is stored in a tank, typically outside of your home. Some tanks are above ground and others are buried. 

While heating oil burns relatively clean, it does produce some soot and carbon monoxide. Regular cleanings by an oil furnace company in Reidsville are necessary to keep your heating system operating properly and efficiently. So how often should regular cleanings take place? 

Have your Oil Furnace Professionally Cleaned Each Year

Professional HVAC specialists recommend cleanings every year for any type of furnace, including oil furnaces. It is best for a cleaning to be done in the fall before the start of the cold-weather season, or in early spring at the end of the cold-weather season, but it can be done at any time. HVAC companies tend to be busier when the weather is extremely cold because they are handling emergency furnace repairs. 

It is a good idea to have the soot and dust cleaned out of the furnace before the humidity of the summer sets in because the combination of dirt and moisture can cause corrosion and rust. Make an appointment with an oil furnace company in Reidsville with the necessary experience to do the job right. 

Why is it Necessary to Clean an Oil Furnace Yearly?

What happens if you don’t have your furnace cleaned each year? If you’re lucky, nothing. But the chances are much higher than a variety of things can go wrong. A dirty furnace can exhibit all sorts of problems from short cycling to complete system failure. If your heating oil tank seems to need refills more often than usual, your furnace is likely lacking efficiency due to excessive dirt and soot buildup. 

A dirty furnace can also produce higher than normal amounts of carbon monoxide, which can cause serious health issues from dizziness to permanent respiratory health issues. It is important to have a carbon monoxide detector at home that will alert you if CO levels reach an unhealthy point. But even with CO detectors in place, low levels of carbon monoxide can go undetected and still cause harm. Eliminate the risk by having your furnace cleaned yearly. 

What Does a Professional Furnace Cleaning Entail?

In addition to a thorough cleaning, most professional HVAC companies will perform an inspection and tune-up that includes lubricating parts, tightening wires, and replacing any parts that are worn or starting to wear out. Any potential problems will be identified and corrected to ensure your furnace will operate properly in the season ahead. 

Carolina Fuels is your Reliable Oil Furnace Company in Reidsville

Looking for an HVAC service you can trust? Carolina Fuels is a reliable oil furnace company in Reidsville with decades of experience in the industry. Get a thorough, professional cleaning for your oil furnace to ensure efficiency and safe operation. Call Carolina Fuels today at (336) 623-9741 to make an appointment for a cleaning or schedule service here. 

Propane is a highly safe source of energy. It is non-toxic, clean-burning, and it only ignites at extremely high temperatures. Although safe, homes with small children should manage fuels with proper safety precautions. Here are some safety tips that can help teach little ones how to be safe around propane in Greensboro. 

A wonderful resource for children is www.propanekids.com. This is an interactive site with games, printable activities, and other information about propane safety for kids. 

Do a Home Propane Inspection

Familiarize your children with the ways propane is used in your home. They should know which appliances use it, where the tank is located, and where the propane enters your home. Explain to your children the importance of never touching or playing with the propane equipment or tanks. You can use this checklist as a guide. By involving your child in the process of checking your home’s propane equipment, they will be actively learning and are more likely to remember. 

Introduce your Children to the Smell of Propane

When your supplier makes a delivery, ask them to allow you and your children to smell the propane to know the odor. If a refill isn’t needed, describe the smell of propane to your children. The smell is like rotten eggs or a skunk. Make sure they know to tell an adult if they think they smell propane.

Designate a Family Emergency Meeting Place

For a multitude of safety purposes, your family should have an emergency meeting place outside of your home. Ideally, this place is off-property, but nearby and within sight of your home. This emergency meeting place is adequate in case of a propane leak. Review this meeting place with your children, or establish a meeting place if you don’t already have one designated.

Have a Propane Safety Drill

Make sure your children know what to do in the event of a possible propane leak. Go over safety steps and then hold a practice drill. Here are the appropriate steps to take if someone smells propane in or around the home. 

• If a child smells propane, the child should tell an adult.
• If an adult smells propane, first extinguish any flames, such as candles or stove burners.
• The adult should then turn off the propane at the tank by turning the valve clockwise until it stops. If you are unsure how to do this, skip this step.
• Everyone must leave the home and property. An adult should make sure everyone is out, including pets.
• Once everyone reaches the emergency meeting place, the adult should then call the propane supplier or 911 if the supplier cannot be reached.
• No one should reenter the home or area until a propane professional has deemed it safe to do so.

Practice these steps with your children so that they will know what to do and will not be frightened if a propane leak occurs. 

Get a Propane Inspection from your Supplier of Propane in Greensboro 

Lastly, scheduling regular propane inspections from your supplier maximizes your home’s safety. Every time you receive a delivery of propane in Greensboro, have your tank and gas lines inspected. For the utmost safety, have your propane appliances inspected as well for proper function because faulty appliances are often the culprits of propane leaks. 

Call Berico today at (336) 273-8663 to schedule a propane inspection to make sure your home is a safe place for your family.

When was the last time you had your furnace repaired? If it’s been so long you can’t remember or more than a year – it’s time to have it looked at by an HVAC certified technician. HVAC experts recommend yearly maintenance for furnaces before or at the start of the cold weather season. 

What signs do you need to look out for before you schedule heating repair in Burlington? These are the six major signs that could spell out trouble.

Strange Noises

Are there strange new sounds coming from the furnace? You may hear a groaning noise that could mean the bearings are wearing out. If you hear a high pitched squeal or whining sound, it could indicate an air leak. A loud clicking or clacking sounds could mean a cracked heat exchanger. There are lots of unusual sounds that can come from a furnace that needs repair. 

Cycling on and off repeatedly

Does your furnace seem to start up, stop, and then start up again? Does your thermostat never seem to reach the desired temperature? This could mean a few different problems, possibly something as simple as a dirty heat sensor that needs cleaning, or something more serious. It is not normal, and it means your furnace needs heating repair in Burlington. 

Rising energy costs

Have your energy bills been higher and higher each month? Depending on the type of furnace you have, this could mean your natural gas bill or your electric bill. If your furnace uses propane or oil, you probably buy your fuel in bulk or pay for it monthly at a predetermined price.  Whatever energy source you use, if your heating costs are getting higher, it indicates that your furnace is not working efficiently. 

Bad smells

Have you noticed a burning smell coming from your furnace? This could be the result of a soot buildup in the heat exchanger or on other parts that come in contact with flame or extreme heat. If you smell a musty smell, it could be that there is moisture collecting somewhere that it shouldn’t be and it’s growing mold or mildew. 

Uneven heating throughout your home

Do some rooms feel warmer than others? This inconsistency points to the furnace operating improperly. As your furnace gets older, it struggles to heat the same square footage correctly. This could result in a simple repair or replacement of the furnace.

Your furnace is more than 20 years old

Most furnaces have a life expectancy of 15-20 years at the most. Many last much longer, but others fall short of the 20-year mark. If your furnace is getting up in age, there’s a good chance it could use inspection and tune-up to make sure it is still operating properly. 

Call Alamance Oil for Heating Repair in Burlington

Have you noticed any of these 6 signs? Call Alamance Oil at (336) 226-9371 to schedule heating repair in Burlington or request service here. The sooner you call the better to ensure your furnace is ready for winter. 

Are you in need of a propane supplier in Greensboro? Whether you’re dissatisfied with your current supplier and thinking of switching or you’re thinking of using propane for the first time, it’s important to find the right supplier. But how do you know which propane supplier is right for you? Here are some questions to ask. 

1. Will I Need a New Tank to Switch Suppliers? If you are currently receiving propane deliveries from another company, you will need to swap out your old tank with a new one from the new company. If you’re new to propane, your supplier should bring you a tank.  
2. How Much Does it Cost to Switch? The answer you should get from your new company is that switching is free. Look for a supplier who will swap out your old tank for free, which they should do if they want your business. 
3. Do You Offer Automatic Delivery? For your convenience, automatic deliveries should be an option. This frees you from having to monitor your propane tank to make sure it doesn’t run out. You’ll never run out with automatic deliveries because your supplier will calculate your usage based on the size of your home, the weather, the number of appliances that run on propane. They should calculate all factors to time your refills accurately. 
4. What Incentives do you Offer your Customers? Look for benefits such as propane discounts for automatic delivery, maintenance plans, price protection plans, priority service, and other perks. 
5. What are your Payment Options? If you need to be able to pay online or to have automatically drafted payments, make sure you choose a supplier who offers those options. You may also find it easier to budget if you can pay monthly instead of in a lump sum at delivery. Ask if it’s possible to spread the cost out over a few months or the entire year.  
6. Do You Offer Maintenance for my Furnace and Other Propane Appliances? You can save a lot of time and money by choosing a supplier that can not only deliver your propane and maintain your tank but who can service your propane appliances as well.  
7. What is your Safety Record? This information should be easily accessible and the company should have no problem supplying you with it. Safety is an important consideration with any type of fuel, even with an extremely safe fuel like propane.  
8. How Do I Switch to your Service? Any propane supplier in Greensboro that wants your business should make it as easy as possible to switch. Find a supplier that will handle the entire process for you from swapping out tanks to transferring your services.  

Berico Meets All of These Requirements and More 

Berico makes switching suppliers free, provides you with a tank, offers automatic deliveries, plenty of incentives, flexible payment options, furnace, and propane appliance maintenance, and has an excellent safety rating.  

Become a Berico customer today. Call (336) 273-8663 to switch to the top propane supplier in Greensboro.