Are you aware of the benefits of yearly HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) maintenance? It keeps your heat and air conditioning running properly and efficiently, reducing the chance of system breakdowns and saving you money. Alamance Oil offers annual service agreements that include tune-ups twice a year, among other benefits. The advantages of such an agreement with your Burlington furnace repair service include:

1. Savings. You save money in a lot of ways with a yearly maintenance contract. Regular maintenance keeps your HVAC system in good working order so that you avoid unexpected breakdowns and costly emergency repairs. You avoid paying after hours fees if your system breaks down in the middle of the night, and your energy costs are lower when your system is running more efficiently.
2. Discounts. If your HVAC company is also your heating fuel supplier, you receive a discount on fuel deliveries—at least you do if you’re a customer of Alamance Oil. You also enjoy 20% off diagnostic fees and repairs and $50 in bonus bucks per year that can be used toward new equipment.
3. Convenience. It’s easy to forget about your furnace or air conditioner until something goes wrong. When you have an annual contract with your HVAC company, your maintenance happens automatically, as do fuel deliveries. Your chances of HVAC breakdowns are virtually eliminated and running out of propane or heating oil simply won’t happen.
4. Added perks. You essentially become an MVP customer. Emergency and after hours fees are waived for you, and you receive priority service. You receive reliable service from trained, certified HVAC technicians who are familiar with every brand and model of heating and cooling equipment.
5. A longer lasting system. You’ll get more years of operation out of your furnace and air conditioner when they are well maintained throughout their lifetime. Dirt, wear and tear, lack of lubrication, and other problems cause your HVAC system to work harder or improperly, which eventually leads to early system failure.

A Comfort and Protection Service Plan from Alamance Oil Offers All of These Benefits

Do you want to have all of the above advantages when it comes to your home comfort? It starts with a reliable HVAC company like Alamance Oil. One of the biggest advantages of being an Alamance Oil customer is that all of your home comfort services can be handled by just one company. Heating and air conditioning repair, maintenance, replacement, and installation as well as heating fuel delivery is all offered by a business you know and trust, or soon will. Additional home comfort services offered by Alamance Oil include gas log service and installation, generator installation and maintenance, and even commercial services such as fleet fueling and fuel delivery. Sign up for a Comfort and Protection Service Plan from Alamance Oil today and see for yourself all the advantages. Call (336) 273-8663.

Amidst the beauty of the trees and the rivers lies the small town of Eden, North Carolina. North of Greensboro and just south of the border of Virginia, this unique community offers a superb balance between natural beauty and commercial opportunity. Whether you enjoy the outdoors or the small town sense of community, Eden, population 15,407, is a wonderful place to call home. There are plenty of local businesses for your convenience, making it easy to find banking, lawn care, and an HVAC company in Eden, NC. If you’re new to the area, it won’t take long to feel right at home.

Explore the Great Outdoors with Parks and Recreational Opportunities

Freedom Park offers an array of recreational activities from ballparks to walking trails. There’s a quarter mile paved walking trail as well as a nature trail for your strolling pleasure. Enjoy the sand volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, and ballfields. Picnic shelters with bathrooms are available for reservation. The playground and skate park are available for kids of all ages.

The Dan and Smith Rivers cross paths in Eden, making it a paddler’s dream. There are three river access sites that have been developed by the City of Eden for rowers of all types of boats from canoes to kayaks. Feeling something a bit more laid back? Try tubing as you float downriver in the warm summer sun.

The Smith River Greenway is available for biking, running, or walking. This 1.5 mile trail is paved so it’s safe for strollers and wheelchairs. Parking, picnic shelters, and restrooms are available at the trailhead. There are benches along the way to stop and rest as needed between your exploration of the wildlife and plant life.

Shopping, Dining, and Activities for the Whole Family

Specialty shops like King’s Chandelier and Pace Stone offer home décor that you won’t find anywhere else. Tour Autumn Creek Vineyards for an authentic winery experience and tasting. See a movie at the drive-in or Kingsway Cinema. Catch the variety of events throughout the year from Christmas parades to the Oil and Ale festival. Listen to live bluegrass music every Tuesday night at The Barn. Go roller skating, golfing, swimming, and more. There’s always family fun to be had in Eden.

Economic Opportunity Abounds in Eden, NC

The healthcare and trucking industries are some of the largest employers in the area, along with Gildan and SGRTex. There is still room for new industry in Eden, which offers a low-cost labor market, abundant water resource, and affordable operational costs. Economic opportunity brings gainful employment to local citizens as well as those who relocate to the area.

Carolina Fuels is a Reliable HVAC Company in Eden, NC

If you’re new to Eden or even if you’re a long-time resident, your home comfort needs can be fully met by Carolina Fuels. From heating and air conditioning repair to propane and heating oil delivery, Carolina Fuels is a faithful HVAC company to the residents of Eden, NC, and the surrounding area. Whether you are in need of HVAC repair or routine maintenance, call Carolina Fuels at (336) 623-9741.

Thinking of doing a home renovation? Whether it’s just one room or your entire home, you can prepare to save money by keeping energy efficiency at the forefront of your project. Most houses, especially older homes, could benefit from new technology. Major advancements have been made in the manufacturing of appliances, insulation, plumbing, and more that allow homeowners to use significantly less energy. While you’re renovating, you might as well save yourself some money now and in the future by making some energy saving improvements such as a new heating and air system.

Before you start your remodeling project, it helps to have a professional energy audit performed on your home to uncover any energy drains that could be costing you extra each month. Berico offers free energy audits for anyone who wants to reduce their household energy usage.

Potential Areas that are Energy Drains in Your Home

• Appliances
• Ducts
• Lights
• Plumbing
• Electronics
• Air conditioners
• Furnaces
• Windows
• Doors
• Insulation
• Basements
• Attics

Outdated appliances or leaky ductwork can waste a lot of energy in your home. Places where cold air leaks in during the winter or where hot air gets in over the summer cause your HVAC system to work much harder and run more often to heat or cool your home. Older appliances waste a lot of energy when compared to newer appliances. Even the type of lightbulbs you use can make a difference. Remodeling gives you the opportunity to reevaluate your home and make energy efficient upgrades.

Install a New Heating and Air System for the Biggest Energy Savings

If you really want to see a noticeable difference in your energy bill, start by replacing your biggest appliances like your HVAC system. Heating and cooling account for at least half of the energy usage in the average American home. Advances in technology have brought us high-efficiency HVAC systems that use a fraction of what older systems require. An air conditioner that is even 8 years old is significantly less efficient than a newer model. Furnaces tend to last longer and therefore get replaced much less often than air conditioners, which means there’s a good chance you have an old, inefficient heating system right now. If you are remodeling, especially if you’re adding onto your home, it’s a great time to consider a new home comfort system. Adding significant square footage to your home most likely means you will need a bigger HVAC system that can handle the additional space.

Of course the biggest reward comes from the biggest investment. You may find that HVAC replacement pays for itself in the long run in the form of lower monthly bills. Save money by watching for specials, discounts, and rebates on energy efficient systems from your HVAC company. Many offer discounts to new customers as well as loyal customers on AC and furnace replacement.

Next Stop for Major Energy Savings: The Kitchen

If you’re renovating your kitchen, upgrading appliances is a basically a must. Refrigerators, ranges, dishwashers, and microwaves all use a significant amount of your household energy budget. Upgrading to energy efficient appliances will help keep your monthly utility bills lower, from electricity to water. Besides, new appliances will go a long way toward helping you achieve a fresh look for your kitchen and add significant resale value to your home. Lighting is another aspect of any kitchen remodel that provides an opportunity to save energy. The use of fluorescent, halogen, or LED bulbs require less energy, give off more light, and emanate less heat, thus saving energy in multiple ways.

Bathroom Renovation: Conserve Both Water and Energy for Double the Savings

Remodeling your bathroom offers many opportunities to save money. Start by installing a low flow showerhead in your new shower or tub. Try to avoid the temptation to install multiple showerheads. It may be luxurious, but it doubles, if not triples, the amount of water used when you shower. You can also conserve water with a low flow toilet and reduce your water usage by 500 gallons a year simply by installing an efficient sink faucet. This also allows your water heater to produce less hot water, which saves significant energy. Consider a tankless water heater for the optimum energy savings. It may cost more up front, but the advantages outweigh the costs. A tankless water heater heats water on demand, eliminating the need for a tank and ensuring that there is a limitless supply of hot water in your home.

High efficiency exhaust fans, lighting, and alternate heating elements are some ways to save electricity in the bathroom. Radiant floor heating is much more efficient and feels warmer for bathrooms than forced air heat. Fluorescent, LED, and halogen bulbs work well in bathrooms where a lot of light is required. Installing a high efficiency bathroom fan and using it sparingly can also help use less electricity and regulate indoor temperature.

Insulation: How to Quit Fighting a Losing Battle

One of the biggest energy drains in your home could be lack of proper insulation. When your home was built, most likely, there was insulation installed in all the usual places like walls and ceilings. But as a home settles and endures varying temperatures and humidity, cracks can form in walls, around doors and windows, and in floors. Weather stripping around doors wears out over time as the rubber hardens and cracks. Extra caulking around window pains and door frames can help keep outdoor air where it belongs, outside. Adding or replacing weather stripping around doors goes a long way toward keeping outdoor air from leaking in. A remodeling project is an opportunity to improve on or increase insulation. If you are adding onto your home, make sure the new part is fully insulated from the beginning and you’ll save a lot of energy.

Ductwork is an often overlooked area when it comes to insulation. When you have a forced air HVAC system in place, the air travels through a series of ducts to the vents in each room of your home. If ductwork is leaky or not properly insulated, conditioned air can escape and outside air can get in, causing your furnace and air conditioner to work overtime. Be sure to have the ductwork installed by a professional in any new part of your home to be heated or cooled to ensure proper insulation and operation.

Save on your Renovation with Professional, Reliable HVAC Replacement by the Experts at Berico

Saving energy directly translates to saving money. If you want to save money, start with a free energy audit by Berico. An expert technician will evaluate your home and find your biggest energy drains, then come up with a comprehensive plan to help you fix them. From furnace replacement to ductwork installation, Berico provides solutions to save you money and make your home more comfortable. A home renovation project offers the perfect opportunity to reevaluate your household energy usage and make a positive change. Whether you’re remodeling current rooms in your home, adding on, or finishing a basement or attic space, you can plan for the future and keep energy costs low. Check out the current specials on a new heating and air system and professional installation by Berico.

The cold winter months can be extremely dangerous for the eldest of our population. Senior citizens are at a higher risk of illness, falls, and failure to stay adequately warm. As it gets dark earlier, seniors may find it difficult to drive. Winter weather such as wet, icy, or snowy roads and sidewalks pose an increased risk for accidents and falls. The elderly are at the greatest risk of catching communicable diseases such as cold and flu. Seniors may not realize that they are in need of heating repair in Burlington, NC, until the temperature drops to a dangerous level. Caring for the seniors in our lives, whether parents, grandparents, relatives, or friends, is a duty we must take seriously, especially during the winter. Follow these guidelines to keep your elderly loved ones safe this season.

Call them daily. Just a daily phone call can give you a lot of information about a person’s well-being. Listen for any cues that indicate a problem such as a cough or hoarse voice, confusion or disorientation, or signs of depression. If anything seems off, pay them a visit to see if they are ok. Call 911 if you have any reason to believe there may be an emergency.

Check in on them in person at least weekly. Even if they sound fine over the phone, it is a good idea to pay them a visit weekly at the very least, especially if they live alone. Are they keeping up with their own personal hygiene? Note the condition of their home, the temperature, the cleanliness. Does it feel unusually cold inside? Sometimes seniors turn down the heat in order to save money even when the temperature drops to an unsafe level. If anything seems off about the furnace operation, call for heating repair in Burlington, NC. Even if it seems to be working fine, a tune-up is always a good idea to keep the heating system running efficiently and to prevent unexpected problems in the future.

If you are unable to check on them, make sure someone else does. If you are too busy or if your elderly loved one lives in another city or state, be sure a trusted adult is checking in on them regularly. If there is no one close by, it is possible to hire a caregiver to check on a senior citizen and to provide any help they may need.

Don’t Wait Until There’s a Problem to Call for Heating Repair in Burlington, NC, on a Senior’s Behalf

When the outdoor temperatures drop to extreme lows, a home with a broken furnace can become drastically cold incredibly fast. Your loved one could be in danger and lack the ability to fix the problem. They may avoid calling so as not to bother anyone and continue to suffer in silence. The best option is to prevent heating system failure in the first place with routine maintenance. Get the senior citizen in your life on a Comfort and Protection Service Agreement to make sure their furnace is regularly serviced and kept in good working order. Just as important, make sure they always have stays on with scheduled propane delivery. Alamance Oil offers Autofill and E-Z Pay programs to provide peace of mind that their heating oil or propane will never run out. Alamance Oil is a reliable provider of heating repair and propane delivery in Burlington, NC. Call today to make sure your loved ones stay warm this winter. (336) 273-8663.

Do you attempt to control the temperature in different rooms of your home by closing the registers or vents? Maybe there are certain rooms that don’t get used as much or some family members have different opinions of what the desired indoor temperature should be. You may think that this practice is helping you save energy and allowing your HVAC system to work more efficiently, but in actuality, you are likely doing more harm than good. In fact, you could be increasing your chances of needing oil furnace repair in Reidsville, NC, as a result of this practice. Here’s why.

1. HVAC systems are designed to heat and cool a certain amount of space. Furnaces and air conditioners are sized according to the total square feet to be heated or cooled. When you take even one room out of the equation, your system won’t work properly.
2. You are rendering your variable-speed motor useless. If you happen to have an HVAC system with a variable-speed motor, closing some of your vents will cause the motor to run at high speed for longer, negating the efficiency benefits.
3. It restricts air flow. With a single-speed motor, closing some of your registers will impede air flow between rooms and throughout the ductwork, which causes the rest of your home to heat or cool unevenly.
4. It may result in leaks in your ductwork. Closing some of your vents puts extra pressure on your entire system, which can cause your ducts to develop leaks. This means air can seep in and out of the ducts when it shouldn’t.
5. Your evaporator coil could freeze over. When it comes to your air conditioner, low air flow from closing registers can lead to a frozen evaporator coil, which prevents your AC from cooling your home.
6. Your compressor could break. Extra pressure on your system could lead to a broken compressor, which is the part responsible for circulating refrigerant throughout your HVAC system. No compressor equals no cool air.

If you are concerned that closing your registers has done damage to your heat or AC, contact Carolina Fuels for oil furnace repair in Reidsville, NC, as well as for repair of any other type of system from propane, to gas, to electric.

What are some alternative solutions?

Instead of closing some of your vents, consider applying a zone temperature control system in your home. This could be a separate zone and thermostat for your upstairs and your downstairs, or a separate zone for your basement. A zone system allows you to heat and cool certain areas of your home to different temperatures. The ductwork leading to certain rooms can be closed off from the rest of the ducts with a damper system. Certain HVAC models are designed to handle multi-zone households. If you are interested in upgrading to a multi-zone HVAC system, contact Carolina Fuels. Expert technicians can install a new HVAC system in your home quickly and accurately, ensuring proper operation. Carolina Fuels also offers oil furnace repair in Reidsville, NC, and a full range of home comfort services from propane delivery to annual tune-ups. Call (336) 623-9741.