Showing posts with label gas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gas. Show all posts
Thursday, December 2, 2010
The Inside Dirt on Oil Heater Tune Ups
They're Not the Same as Other Heating System Tune Ups!Horizon Services' customers throughout Delaware, Southeastern Pennsylvania, Gloucester, Camden, and Burlington County New Jersey, and Northeastern Maryland rave about our EXCLUSIVE 21-Point Pre-Season Furnace Tune-Up. Over the summer, while it's inactive, your heater can accumulate dirt and dust. This can dramatically reduce your heating system's efficiency and is the leading cause of heating system breakdowns and malfunctions.
An annual tune-up of your heating system -- before the winter season kicks in -- is, undoubtedly, the smartest thing that you can do to minimize the likelihood of furnace breakdowns and keep your heating bills low. A tune-up can also extend the life of your heating system.
One of the most frequent questions we get at Horizon Services is: "Why does an oil heater tune up cost more than an electric heater or gas heater tune up?" There are several reasons:
- Oil heaters are more complex than gas and electric heaters.
- Oil heaters produce more soot and residue than other heaters.
- Oil heaters tend to attract and retain more dirt and dust than other heaters.
- While it usually takes about an hour to clean and tune up a gas or electric heater, it usually takes twice as long for an oil heater.
- In order to give an oil heater the proper cleaning, it needs to be taken apart to have dirt and debris removed. There is more disassembly and reassembly required than with electric and gas heaters.
- Oil heaters have several additional components that need to be replaced which are part of our tune up cost. These include the oil filter, the oil nozzle and the pump strainer.
- Since an oil furnace is a very sensitive piece of equipment, it is important to have the air flow checked to ensure it is disbursing equally. Having too much air flow going into the unit will cause a lot of the heat to go up into the chimney without heating your home. Having too little air flow going into the unit can potentially cause a soot backup in your home.
Related Information from Horizon Services...
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Assessing Your Hot Water Heater Needs
All Hot Water Heaters are Not Alike!If you’re like most Americans, you probably take your hot water for granted. It’s there when you need it, and the only time you notice it is when it’s gone. The following is an overview of hot water heaters with some simple tips to help you figure out your home’s hot water needs to ensure you’re never left standing in the cold (water).
Hot Water Heater Sizes
Residential hot water heaters come in three basic sizes: 30-, 40-, or 50-gallon capacity. If you look at the nameplate on your water heater, it will tell you how large the unit is. Should you need to replace your heater, it’s best to choose a new one with the same capacity as the old one unless you’ve just added a dishwasher, washing machine, or bathroom, or plan to make these changes soon.
A good rule of thumb for calculating your home’s hot water needs is to count the number of bathrooms in the house. For single bathroom homes, a 30- or 40-gallon unit is sufficient; for homes with 1 ½ baths, a 40-gallon tank is the minimum; for homes with two or more bathrooms, you’ll need at least a 50-gallon capacity.
Gas vs. Electric Hot Water Heaters
The type of fuel used to power a hot water heater can have a significant impact on the device’s capacity. A water heater’s capacity depends on two factors: its total storage and its recover time, or how quickly it can warm a full tank of water. Both gas and electric water heaters are rated based on how many gallons they can heat to 90 degrees F in an hour.
For example, a 40-gallon gas water heater with 40,000 BTU can heat its entire capacity in an hour. A 40-gallon electric heater using 240 volts is only able to heat half its capacity in that time.
Electric water heaters take longer to warm up than most gas-powered models, so if you’re planning to buy an electric system it should be larger than its gas counterpart. This is especially true if you have a large family or use more hot water than the average household. Residential electric hot water heaters can be purchased with capacities as large as 100 gallons or more.
Tankless Hot Water Heaters
An emerging trend in hot water heaters is the tankless unit. Tankless heaters heat only the water that is needed in the moment; they don’t store heated water for future use. These devices are more energy efficient because they require less power than conventional water heaters that must constantly heat and reheat water stored in the tank to keep it ready for use. Though a tankless water heater will likely cost significantly more to purchase than a traditional hot water heater, it will more than pay for itself in monthly energy savings, and you’ll never have to worry about running out of hot water. There are electric tankless models, but gas-powered units are generally more effective.
Need Help With Your Hot Water Heater?
Horizon Services is always available fix or help you maintain your hot water heater. We also sell and install hot water heaters from leading brands such as Rheem, Bradford White, A.O. Smith and others.
Related Hot Water Heater Information from Horizon Services...
Thursday, January 21, 2010
What You Need to Know About Buying a Space Heater
Rising home heating costs have many homeowners scrambling for affordable heating alternatives. If your utility bills skyrocket when cold weather strikes, you may have considered purchasing a space heater to offset the cost of whole home heating. Using a portable space heater can definitely help you save money and energy -- especially if you generally spend time in one room of your home or office. However, there are some very important points to consider before you buy a space heater.If energy efficiency is a top concern for you, go with an electric space heater. These units don’t lose valuable heat through ducts (like central heating systems) or combustion (like gas-powered space heaters). This means that every bit of heat produced by the electric heater goes into the room, making the temperature comfortable for a longer length of time. Different types of electric heaters include radiant space heaters, convection space heaters, ceramic space heaters and micathermic space heaters.
Portable gas heaters run on a variety of substances, like natural gas, propane, kerosene and butane. While they lose a lot of heat during the combustion process, they warm up quickly and heat evenly. Many people rely on gas space heaters in emergency situations—power outages, severe winter storms, main heating system failure, etc. The major drawbacks of using gas space heaters are the very real danger of carbon monoxide poisoning and fire.
To make sure you’re getting the safest, most energy efficient heater, purchase a unit that is appropriately rated for the room in which you plan to use it. Using the wrong size space heater can increase utility costs and risks for things like fire and air pollution. All manufacturers include clear, reliable square-footage ratings on their product packaging.
Convenience is important when using a space heater, so look for units that have decent temperature controls. Choose a unit with a digital temperature setting or a programmable thermostat. Automatic turn-on and shut-off are nice features, as are timers and multi-temperature settings.
More than anything, though, you want a space heater that is safe. Any portable heater is a potential fire hazard so minimize your risk by looking for appliances that have been inspected by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory, organizations that standardize and certify electrical components; this designation will be clearly visible on the product packaging. Other safety features to look for are automatic tip-over shut-off, heat resistant exterior casing, front grill touch sensors, and internal overheat protection switches.
To estimate the average daily cost of using a space heater in your home, all you need are a few simple formulas (and maybe a calculator). First, divide the heater’s wattage by 1000 to get the kilowatts used per hour. Then find your cost per kilowatt hour of electricity on your last bill. Finally, multiply these two numbers by the number of hours your heater will be in use each day. The result will be the amount you can expect to pay per day of operation. For example:
1.5 kilowatts per hour x $.15 per kWh x 8 hours a day
= $1.80 a day or about $54 a month to operate
Completing research ahead of time will ensure that you’re buying the right space heater for your home.
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