Efficiency is a key trait to monitor in an HVAC system. When an HVAC system is able to get the job done without using a ton of fuel, it is cheaper to run – and kinder to the environment, as well. But it’s not always easy to determine what kind of HVAC system is the most efficient, so this article will aim to clear things up a bit.

Looking for the best HVAC company available in the Greensboro area for installation or repair projects? You’ve already found it – Berico has been an industry leader in this region for generations and can be trusted to deliver time after time.

A Few Contenders

The good news on this topic is that there are a few different possible choices to consider when looking for an HVAC system that is going to be efficient for years to come. Anything that you are buying today is going to be far more efficient than a system that was made 20 years ago, for example, so simply starting with a new system in your home will be a nice upgrade.

When talking about efficient systems, propane and natural gas are always going to be near the top of the list. A good gas-powered system is going to perform well while still giving you nice efficiency ratings. To make sure your house stays nice and comfortable even when the weather gets particularly cold outside, you can’t go wrong with propane or natural gas.

With that said, a geothermal heat pump is another strong option in the efficiency category. Since these types of systems tap into the natural stability of the underground temperature of the earth, they are able to transfer heat efficiently between the house and the ground. One downside to going with a geothermal system is while they are quite efficient, the upfront installation cost tends to be significant.

An Alternative Plan

For some homes, a central HVAC system – no matter how it is powered – just isn’t going to work. In those cases, a mini-split system with no ducts can be an excellent choice for efficiency and performance. Since only a few select rooms are going to be served by the system, you won’t be wasting any energy by heating or cooling parts of the house that are rarely used.

How Do You Make This Choice?

The best way to decide which type of HVAC system is right for you is to team up with an experienced company like Berico to get personalized answers to all of your questions. There are a number of factors that come into play here, and a trained professional is your best bet to sort through the noise and get to the heart of what kind of HVAC equipment will serve you well over the long run.

Whether you need the best furnace maintenance Greensboro has to offer, or you need someone to complete some timely AC repair, the answer is always Berico. Take a moment now to get in touch and learn more.

There are some plumbing problems that are an emergency and need to be addressed immediately. For example, if you have a pipe burst, that’s not something that can wait to be dealt with – you’ll need to bring in a professional as soon as possible to resolve the matter.

The story is a little bit different when it comes to a leaky faucet. Sure, it’s annoying, and it’s wasting a bit of water, but it probably doesn’t qualify as an emergency. With that said, you definitely don’t want to allow it to linger for long, so you’ll need to either find a way to fix it yourself, or you’ll want to call in Greensboro plumbers like the team at Berico. The article below will take a closer look at how to deal with this situation.

Taking the DIY Approach

If you are determined to fix a leaky faucet on your own, it’s important to understand what is likely causing the problem in the first place. Commonly, it is a worn-out washer or gasket that is allowing water to leak out from the faucet. If you can find the right part to replace the one that has failed, swapping them out can sometimes be done with basic tools. The general steps to follow are listed below –

• Turn off the water. Before you do anything, you’ll need to turn off the water supply to that faucet. The shut off valve will generally be found right below the sink.

• Take off the handle. If you look carefully around the area of the faucet handle, you should be able to find a spot to use an Allen wrench or screwdriver to remove the handle. Pull it off once it has been loosened and set aside.

• Swap out the right part. Once you have found the gasket or washer that is to blame for the leak, you can swap it out for a new one, clean up any “gunk” in the area, and reassemble everything you took apart.

• Turn the water back on. Restore the flow of water to the faucet and test it to make sure the leak is now a thing of the past.

Using the Professionals

While it’s within the reach of many homeowners to fix a leaky faucet, you might find that the job is a little trickier than you expect. First, you have to source the right parts, then, you have to take apart and reassemble everything properly to avoid future problems with the unit. Given the quick repair time and modest cost of using a team like Berico for the job, you may find that the easier solution is just to call in a plumber and be done with it.

For the best plumbing repair Greensboro has to offer, whether it’s on a dripping faucet or any other kind of issue, take a moment now to call the friendly professionals at Berico. You’ll appreciate the fair pricing and honest service that the Berico team delivers, and you can look forward to all of your plumbing issues quickly becoming a thing of the past. Don’t wait any longer!

In essentially every market, equipment tends to get better as time passes. These improvements can come from advances in technology, new materials becoming available, better design, and on and on. Most of the time, it’s safe to assume that something new is going to be more effective in every way at getting the job done.

But does this line of thinking apply to the efficiency of HVAC systems? This article will explore that important question. When you are ready to have HVAC repair completed, or when you need to install a new Eden HVAC system, call Berico right away to put the right experts on your side.

A Definitive Answer

As you would expect, and are probably guessing, yes – newer HVAC systems tend to be far more efficient than systems from years past. If you are currently using a rather old, worn-out system and you have new equipment installed in your home, you can expect to enjoy a notable improvement in efficiency.

The exact size of your efficiency improvement is going to depend on many different factors, such as the age and condition of your current system and the new equipment you choose to purchase. It’s a virtual guarantee that you will experience more efficient performance, with that improvement ranging from moderate to downright incredible, depending on the circumstances.

What to Look for in Efficiency Ratings

If a major part of your motivation for upgrading your HVAC system is tied to efficiency, you’ll want to know how to shop for equipment to maximize the impact. The best way to do this is to check the SEER rating attached to any piece of equipment you may purchase. The SEER ratings are easy to understand, with higher numbers indicating a more efficient system.

New systems are all required to have a rating of at least 14, whereas you might still be using an older system that was rated at only 8 or 10. Investing in good equipment with a strong SEER rating will cut down on your energy consumption for years to come.

Look for Other Great Features

Efficiency is an important part of picking out HVAC equipment, but it shouldn’t be your only concern. There are many other factors that will influence which model you pick, such as additional features that can give you even better performance. Those include variable speed motors and the ability to control zones within the house. You may also want to attach your new HVAC equipment to a smart thermostat so you can control the system remotely and easily dial in the right settings for your needs.

There is a lot to like about being able to use a new HVAC system in your home. Of course, if you aren’t quite ready to upgrade and are still using an older system, you’ll likely need a trusted partner to keep that system in working order. For the best AC repair Eden has to offer, or any other kind of HVAC maintenance, make a call to Berico and know that you are in good hands.

Nothing impacts human comfort quite like humidity. Sure, temperature has a lot to do with how comfortable you feel, as well, but humid conditions can make things miserable. Even a day with relatively mild temperatures can be miserable if the humidity is soaring.

With that said, problems can arise when indoor humidity dips too low, so it’s really about finding the right balance. Below, you’ll find some guidelines on the ideal humidity for a home. And when you are ready to work with a professional Greensboro HVAC team to dial in your humidity just right, reach out to Berico to get started. As one of the best furnace repair companies Greensboro has to offer, you’ll be in good hands with this team.

The Comfortable Range

In most homes, and for most people, the ideal humidity range is going to be somewhere between 30% – 50%. When the humidity in your house is within those limits, you are likely to feel pretty comfortable throughout the day and night.

Sometimes, the humidity in your house will naturally fall into that range and you won’t need to do anything to keep it there. At other times, however, the humidity may stray either too low or high, and you’ll want to consider using modern HVAC equipment to bring it back into the sweet spot.

Why Humidity Matters

The introduction mentioned how humidity plays a major role in human comfort, and that certainly is true. But the comfort of you and your family is only part of the reason that humidity is so important. Keeping your humidity levels under control will also help your HVAC system not work as hard throughout the year. It’s hard to cool moist air, and hard to heat dry air, so your HVAC equipment is going to have to work harder – and use more fuel – when your humidity strays from the ideal range.

It’s also possible to develop problems with things like mold and mildew when your indoor humidity remains high for extended periods. Having so much moisture in the air will make it possible for organic growth to occur in places where you don’t want it, and the damage to your home could potentially be serious.

A Seasonal Problem

Fighting the battle against humidity problems is a job that changes throughout the year. During the summer months in the Greensboro area, it’s all about keeping the moist air outside – the humidity rises throughout this part of the country during the summer, and you’ll want to have a solution like a dehumidifier to keep your house comfortable.

Then, in the winter months, the cooler air will be much drier, and you might find that your humidity levels dip surprisingly low. Residents of the Greensboro area don’t have to worry as much about low humidity as people in northern climates, but it’s still something to monitor.

The installation of a whole-home dehumidifier is a great step toward remaining comfortable all year long, and Berico is ready to take on that project as soon as you call. Of course, the Berico team offers much more, including Greensboro furnace repair and many other services. Get started right away!

Of all of the components of your home that work behind the scenes, the ductwork that serves your HVAC system is probably the one you think about the least. The air just comes out of the vents when the system is running, and that’s the end of it – few people spend time thinking about the ducts that carry the air around.

At some point, however, those ducts will likely need to be replaced. How do you know when that time has come? Working with a professional team like those at Berico is a good start, as you’ll be able to get the best HVAC service Greensboro has to offer and you can ask any questions you may have. Get started today.

There’s No Expiration Date

The first thing to know about replacing ductwork is that there is no specific point at which the ducts will no longer be in good condition. In fact, there is a good chance that they will last well into the future, as they are typically tucked away out of sight and not at much risk of damage on a day-to-day basis. Of all of the parts of your HVAC system, the ducts are the component that generally needs the least attention.

With that said, you can’t necessarily count on your ducts to last forever. It is possible that they will run into some type of trouble along the way, such as a leak developing that makes your system less efficient and less effective. If you have a leak in one of your ducts, and those ducts are already pretty old, to begin with, it might make sense to simply replace everything at once rather than trying to have a repair completed. Those older ducts could just keep having trouble even after the repair is done, so taking that chance to run new ducts throughout the building may be a smart move.

Think About It When Installing a New Air Conditioner or Furnace

You don’t necessarily have to install new ducts when installing a new air conditioner or furnace, but this is a good time to review the situation and consider upgrading. In some cases, it actually will be necessary to upgrade your ducts along with the HVAC, as the new system may need ducts that match the size of the unit that is being installed. Of course, the expert team at Berico will be able to advise on this matter so you can make the right choice. If you wind up with both a new air conditioner and a new set of ducts, you’ll be all set on the HVAC side of things and should be able to enjoy years of reliable performance ahead.

Replacing ductwork is only one of many different things that Berico can do for you. Among the leading HVAC companies in Greensboro, Berico offers furnace service, new equipment installation, and on and on. Whatever you need, get started today with a phone call to learn more or to schedule your appointment.