Many people, when they receive a propane delivery for the first time, are surprised to find that the tank wasn’t filled all the way to 100% capacity. Did the delivery driver forget to add enough propane to fill the whole tank? No, it was intentional. In this article, we’ll talk about why your tank isn’t going to be filled to 100% and how to plan properly so you never run out of propane when you need it most.

 

The propane service offered by Berico is the best in the region and the easy choice for anyone with a tank on their property. Among propane companies, Berico stands out for its ability to offer competitive prices while still delivering the best customer service in the business with no distant calling service handling the phone. One delivery is all it will take for you to know that you’ve made the right choice!

 

It’s All About Safety

As you might have guessed, the reason that propane tanks are left somewhere short of 100% full is rooted in safety. While propane has an excellent safety record, it is still a fuel that needs to be handled properly to make sure no one is put at risk. Generally, this means that propane suppliers will only fill tanks to a safe fill range of 70%-80% when doing a delivery.

 

The primary reason for this approach is thermal expansion. When temperatures warm up, propane expands and fills more space than it does at a colder temperature. So, if the propane was added during a relatively cold time – and the tank was filled to 100% – there would be no room for expansion. Should the tank then heat up, pressure would build, and the possibility of a rupture would exist. By going with a 70-80% fill, there will always be room in the tank for expansion, and that risk is mitigated.

 

Proper Planning is the Key

In the end, it doesn’t really matter much for your purposes that your tank is only going to be filled up to 80%. The key is understanding how long that fill will last based on your propane needs and the size of the tank, so you can schedule your deliveries accordingly. When you work with a team like Berico, you can easily get on a recurring schedule of propane delivery so you don’t run out and you don’t have to actively manage your tank’s levels. Just trust that the Berico team is going to arrive when expected and you’ll always have the fuel you need. The longer you own and operate a propane tank on your property, the more you will know about your seasonal requirements, and the more accurately you’ll be able to forecast your delivery times; or if you use a company like Berico they will be able to project your usage and make sure you are filled at the right time.

 

Propane tanks aren’t filled to 100%, but propane as a fuel is still an excellent choice for your property. Whether you need propane tank installation or a partner to handle recurring deliveries, the next step is the same – call Berico today to learn more.

Buying an air conditioner is a big investment. Of course, if you live or work in the Greensboro area, it’s an important investment, as the hot afternoons and nights that are common in this area are far more comfortable when an air conditioner is running. But how long can an AC unit be expected to last? That’s the question that is going to be tackled below.

 

Sometimes, it’s not necessary to replace your air conditioner, as an AC tune up might be all you need to get things back on track. In other cases, AC installation will be needed, as the old unit just won’t be up to the job any longer. Either way, Berico is the right partner for the job, so take a moment today to get in touch and learn more about the services that are available.

 

Ten Years is a Good Starting Point

There is no one set amount of time that you can expect an AC unit to last, but looking at 10 years is a good general starting point. If you have an AC unit that is less than 10 years old, you should have a decent chance that it will be able to serve you for a while longer. It’s likely it will need a repair here and there – and all AC units require ongoing maintenance – but there should be some life left in the system.

 

Does this mean that you should automatically schedule an air conditioner replacement if your unit is more than 10 years old? Not at all – there is a good chance that you’ll get some more years of service out of it, just be aware that the need for repairs and maintenance will likely start to increase. A modern air conditioning unit will commonly last all the way to the 20-year mark or beyond, but that outcome is not guaranteed. The older your system is, the more attention you should pay to it day after day, and the more you’ll want to be prepared for a replacement when the time comes.  Also, after 10 years, most manufacturers’ parts warranty expire, thus increasing the cost of repairs.

 

As you monitor the age of your air conditioning unit, one good point to pay attention to is the amount of energy you are consuming month after month. You will likely notice if your energy consumption is going up because your bill will do the same thing. If you find yourself paying more and more for energy and the underlying rates haven’t gone up significantly, it’s likely that a loss of efficiency within the system is to blame.

 

With each passing year, don’t be surprised if the efficiency of your air conditioner trails off and your bills rise. This is something to keep in mind with regard to replacing the air conditioner. Some of the cost of buying a new unit will be offset by bringing your energy bills back down to a more reasonable range. That doesn’t mean you have to upgrade to a new system immediately when the bill starts to rise, but keep an eye on it so the costs don’t go too high before you make a switch. Modern air conditioning units are incredibly efficient, so you will get better performance than ever before once you upgrade and have a new one installed. Berico is glad to send a comfort specialist to help weigh your options and has specific tools that can help you in your decision making process.

 

 

Do You Keep Calling for Repairs?

The other measuring stick you can use to keep track of how your system is doing is the frequency with which you need to call for repairs. With a new system, you’ll likely not have to call for any repair work at all – just some annual maintenance will be enough to get great results. Then, as the years go by, other problems will naturally start to pop up one at a time. If those repairs start to come around more often, and they are getting more expensive to manage, swapping out the old unit for a new one may be required.

 

You can have a conversation with your HVAC contractor about this important point. They can help you understand what has been going wrong with your current unit, how likely it is that new problems will keep popping up, and whether or not they recommend a replacement. An honest contractor like Berico won’t pressure you into a purchase but rather will help you understand the situation so you can make your own informed choice.

 

Understanding the Refrigerant Change

Unless you work in the HVAC industry, you probably aren’t aware that there has been a major change going on with regard to the refrigerant used in air conditioning systems. For years, the refrigerant of choice was R-22, commonly referred to as Freon. Due to environmental concerns, R-22 has been on its way out for a while now, and new air conditioning systems now run on R410A.

 

This is important to understand because if you have an old system that uses Freon, topping off such a system is getting harder and harder to do. The availability of Freon is limited and the cost of what is available has climbed significantly. If your current system uses Freon, that will be another factor that influences the math you have to do regarding whether or not to replace it with a new unit. Knowing that it’s only going to get tougher to replace the refrigerant moving forward, you might decide to get ahead of the game by upgrading to a modern unit that runs more efficiently and will be easy to maintain for years to come.

 

Getting the help of a professional HVAC contractor like Berico is critical if you are going to make a sound decision regarding whether to repair or replace your air conditioner. The experts at Berico have completed AC repair and installation for thousands of local homeowners and business owners and will be happy to come to your location to take care of the HVAC issues you are facing. Berico is your always dependable option when it comes to HVAC.

Like all mechanical systems, air conditioners need ongoing maintenance if they are going to continue to perform properly. This type of maintenance is not always something that appears near the top of a homeowner’s to-do list, but it should be prioritized for the improvement in performance – and cost savings – that it can offer.

 

For the best AC repair Greensboro has to offer, take a moment today to get in touch with the team at Berico.

 

Staying Ahead of the Game

Each time your air conditioner (or furnace) comes on, it is experiencing at least a little bit of wear and tear on the various components that make up your HVAC system. This isn’t going to seem like much on a day-by-day basis, but it adds up over time. And, if you don’t have any maintenance performed, the accumulation of that wear and tear is eventually going to show itself in the form of problems with the A/C.

 

When you get on a regular schedule of air conditioner maintenance with Berico, you are able to address that wear and tear before it accumulates to the point that it causes issues. Rather than waiting for an A/C breakdown to call for help, you can prevent that breakdown in the first place through the use of preventive maintenance. During a maintenance visit, the professional technician will go through a series of tasks, checking on key components, cleaning the appropriate parts of the system, and making sure it’s ready for the hot summer season ahead.

 

The Financial Picture

Some people struggle with the idea of spending money on maintenance for a system that is currently working just fine. That kind of thinking is understandable, to be sure, but it misses the bigger picture. When you have maintenance performed, you are basically spending a small amount of money now to avoid spending much more money later on. It’s an investment in the future of your HVAC equipment, and it’s the type of investment that tends to pay off nicely.

 

Maintenance visits from the professional team at Berico are not particularly expensive, and they can be completed quickly at a time that is convenient for your schedule. On the other hand, repairing an air conditioner that has already broken down can be much more costly, and it will need to be done right away – even if it’s not convenient at the moment. In addition to avoiding expensive repairs, ongoing maintenance can also allow you to extend the life of your system, putting off the big expense of buying a whole new unit for potentially years. When you add it all up, what you save in money and convenience is more than worth the cost of maintenance on your A/C system.

 

If you need assistance with your AC in Greensboro, there is no better team than Berico to manage the project. Whether it’s a simple maintenance visit or A/C installation to put a new system in place, you can be sure that Berico is more than up for the challenge.

Allergens pervade both indoor and outdoor environments. While many associate allergies with outdoor triggers like pollen, it’s essential to recognize that numerous allergens can also thrive within your home. If you or a family member have been grappling with allergy symptoms indoors, it’s a good idea to investigate potential air quality issues as a way to mitigate these discomforts.

 

Working with a leading High Point HVAC company is one of the best ways to deal with indoor air quality issues, so get in touch with Berico right away to solve the problems you are facing. Whether it’s an indoor air purifier or another solution, Berico will be able to create an environment where everyone in the family can breathe freely once again.

 

 

1 – Implement a No-Shoes Policy

Consider instituting a no-shoes policy indoors to prevent outdoor pollutants from being tracked into your home. Shoes can carry various allergens, including pollen, dust, and mold spores, which can accumulate on floors and carpets. By removing shoes upon entering, you can significantly reduce the introduction of allergens into your living spaces.

 

 

2 – Get Some Specialized Equipment

In addition to having a no shoes in the house policy, you can also put technology on your side to get better results. Specifically, Berico can install a couple of different devices – iWave and Phenomenal Aire – each of which is capable of purifying the air that passes through your HVAC system. These devices offer excellent performance for just a modest investment. For more information on these devices click here: indoor air quality.

 

3 – Pay Attention to the Pets

Pet dander is a major contributor to poor air quality in many houses. If you have dogs or cats, think about how they are impacting the air quality and take steps to address those problems. Keeping your pets clean and nicely groomed is a good start, and it also might be helpful to have some spaces in the house where the pets aren’t allowed to go.

 

4 – Proper Furnishings

There are many options for furnishings on the market today that are specifically designed to be hypoallergenic. If you upgrade your bedding, for example, to hypoallergenic sheets and pillow covers, and you do a good job of washing that bedding regularly, you’ll be contributing fewer allergens to the air and your symptoms should be reduced.

 

5 – Watch the Humidity

High humidity in a home can contribute to things like mold growth, which will in turn harm your air quality and elevate allergy problems. With a dehumidifier included in your HVAC system, you can pull some of the moisture out of the air and keep humidity levels in a comfortable and healthy range.

 

Improving the air quality in your home can make a huge difference to your quality of life. Berico is the best HVAC company to team with for this project, in addition to things like air conditioning repair in High Point and plenty of other services. Call today to get started with a healthier home.

When your air conditioning operates seamlessly, it runs quietly in the background, and we don’t give it much thought. Regardless of the scorching heat or oppressive humidity outdoors, you can revel in consistent comfort throughout the summer. Making it through June, July, and August without Greensboro AC might be possible, but it certainly isn’t pleasant.

 

So, when something comes up with your system that needs to be addressed, it’s important to deal with it right away – and to get help from an experienced team like Berico. This page is going to dive into the many different common types of HVAC repair that relate to home air conditioning systems. You should have a better understanding of how air conditioning in Greensboro is fixed when something goes wrong, but you still don’t need to be an expert. For that, just call on Berico to get the help you need, when you need it.

 

The Leading Issue – A Lack of Maintenance

Without a doubt, the right place to start is to discuss the lack of maintenance that plagues many home air conditioning systems. Simply put, most systems are left alone for years, and they are just expected to keep on running without any notable care being provided to the unit. That’s not how mechanical things always work, however, and sooner or later problems are going to develop.

 

Ongoing maintenance that is provided by a professional contractor like Berico will go a long way toward making sure an air conditioner keeps running properly year after year. The cost of maintenance will pale in comparison to the cost of repairs and will be only a fraction of what it would cost to install an entirely new system. Small problems can turn into big issues when maintenance isn’t provided, so it’s a good idea to get on a regular schedule of annual maintenance. This maintenance work can be done at any time of the year but doing it each spring is a logical choice to gear up for the hot summer weather that is to come.

 

As we continue, keep in mind that you might be able to avoid most or all of these problems if you manage to keep up with a consistent, ongoing maintenance schedule. Rather than being stuck in the heat while you wait for a repair in the middle of the summer, you could be enjoying a steady flow of cool air and relaxing in your home with family and friends.

 

A Dirty Air Filter

You might be surprised to learn that one of the most common AC repair issues is actually one that you can handle yourself. There is no special training or advanced equipment needed to take care of this maintenance point, so there is no excuse not to do it regularly. All air conditioners use an air filter to make sure the air that is coming into the system is as clean as possible, and that filter is going to get dirty and clogged up over time. By changing it out, you’ll be letting your system run at its best, improving both performance and efficiency along the way.

 

The main key to doing this task consistently is just to have some air filters on hand. Find out what size filter your system uses and have a few on hand. Then, when the time comes to trade out the old dirty one for a fresh one, you’ll be able to make that swap in just a matter of moments. Also, when you replace the filter, you can write the date on the side of the new filter, and that way when you check it in a few months you won’t have to try to remember how long it’s been. If you would like to eliminate the need to ever have to order or buy filters at the local big box hardware, Berico offers a filter service through a partnership with FilterFetch, which will deliver the right filter to your door at the right time.  To sign up for this service click here: filter delivery service.    By staying ahead of the game on this key point, you’ll be setting your air conditioner up for long-term success.

 

Issues with Sensors

Unfortunately, the average homeowner is going to be able to do little with regard to maintenance on their air conditioner. The air filter we mentioned above is a great DIY task, but almost everything else will need to be handled by a professional. That’s certainly the case with this next issue – problems with the sensors that help the AC unit operate properly.

 

Some of the sensors on the air conditioner include those that figure out what the current conditions are like in your home so the system can properly bring it down into a comfortable temperature range. Most of the time, those sensors are working fine, and you get great results. When the sensors start to get into trouble, however, the unit will struggle, and you won’t be getting the cooling you count on during hot weather. It might not be obvious to you that the sensors are the problem, so simply call the team at Berico to have the system inspected and the professionals will be able to get to the heart of the matter.

 

Leaking Refrigerant

No air conditioner is going to be able to do its job effectively without sufficient refrigerant in the lines. The refrigerant is what enables the system to gather up warmth from the air inside and move it outside. If there is a leak somewhere in what is supposed to be a closed system, refrigerant can get out and the performance of the whole air conditioner will start to tail off. Soon enough, you’ll notice that it is taking a lot longer for the air conditioner to bring the house down to a comfortable temperature, or it might not be able to reach the right temperature at all.

 

There are a couple of tasks that will need to be completed in a proper repair when a refrigerant leak is to blame for poor performance. First, the location of the leak will need to be found, and the repair will need to be made to make sure refrigerant doesn’t keep leaking in the future. Then, with the system repaired, additional refrigerant can be added to bring the level back to where it was before the leak.

 

Failure of the Electronic Controls

Like almost everything else in your home, and in your life, air conditioning systems are now managed by electronic controls. There are electronics within the system that allow the various parts to communicate and work together effectively to get the right outcome. If the electronics break down and the system can’t “talk” to itself as it is supposed to, it might simply stop working entirely.

 

This is another area where it might require a professional to confirm that you have an electronic control problem in the system. Of course, if the system won’t turn on at all, you might suspect that this is the issue, but it’s only when you get a trained technician in to look at the situation that you’ll be able to say with any degree of certainty what is going on.

 

How to Spot Signs of Trouble in Your Air Conditioner

This article has highlighted how you will need an expert in most cases to get started with an air conditioner repair. That’s true, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t play an active role in the care of this system. There are a few different things you can watch for that might indicate the need to get some help and have the air conditioner inspected. Some of those signs include the following –

 

• Hearing strange sounds. This is one of the ways that homeowners are often tipped off to something being wrong with the AC system. If you hear sounds while the system is operating that you don’t remember hearing previously, something is probably wrong, and the situation needs to be examined by a professional. This might mean the system is running louder than normal, or you could be hearing a strange sound coming from one specific area. It’s often best to turn the system off when it is making weird sounds until it can be checked out and repaired.

 

• Freezing coils. One classic sign of air conditioner trouble is coils on the outside unit that are developing frost or ice even in the middle of the summer. This could be an airflow issue or a leak somewhere in the refrigerant line, but again, you’ll want to let the experts figure things out and explain how it needs to be fixed.

 

• Turning on and off frequently. Your air conditioner should run for a decent amount of time before it turns back off. When the cycles get short, that’s often a sign that something is wrong and needs to be addressed. Pay attention to how frequently you hear the air conditioner kick on and make it a point to call for service if the start ups become more and more regular, and the cycles get shorter and shorter.

 

Fortunately, modern air conditioning systems tend to be rather reliable, so you might be able to go quite a long time without the need for a repair. With that said, having your system maintained by experienced professionals like Berico is a smart move to keep everything on track. And, if you are running an older system, think about AC replacement in Greensboro to upgrade to modern, efficient equipment. Give Berico a call today to make sure your AC unit is back in working order as soon as possible!