Archive for September, 2013

Southern Vermont Plumbing Tip: Why Small Leaks Matter

Monday, September 30th, 2013

If you detect a small water leak in your home piping, you might decide to place a water pan underneath the drip and forget about it until you need to empty out the pan. “Oh, it will stop soon,” you think to yourself. But no leak should be ignored unless you want to incur larger damages or require emergency service down the road.

If you’ve sprung a leak and aren’t sure how to repair it, or if you are concerned that you might have a larger problem on your hands, get hold of the Southern Vermont plumbing experts at HB Energy Solutions right away.

A small leak isn’t necessarily a localized issue with your plumbing: it might be the only visible part of more significant trouble, such as pressure building up from clogs, or a widespread corrosion problem that is only now starting to appear. You may already have other leaks in places you can’t see, and these leaks may be much larger ones. None of these leaks will get better on their own—they will probably continue to get worse.

A leak is not just an indication of trouble with your plumbing. It can create its own trouble. No matter the amount of water dripping out of the leak, when water drips where it shouldn’t and starts to form stagnant pools, it can lead to mold growth. This extra water can also cause a rise in humidity and the warping of wood and other building materials that can lead to damages. It only takes a small amount of standing water to damage drywall, plaster, paneling, wallpaper, and paint—and the repair needs will mount the longer the problem continues. Don’t wait for sections of your ceiling to start falling before you address the problem.

Professional plumbers can fix a small leak fast, but they will also be able to determine if the leak is a symptom of a bigger problem. Don’t rely on your own patchwork fixes to solve the trouble, since there might be much more going on than you can see. For excellent help from an experienced and friendly company, look to HB Energy Solutions to handle your Southern Vermont plumbing worries.

Heating Repair in New Hampshire: Furnace Blower Problems

Monday, September 23rd, 2013

If you use a furnace—either oil or gas-powered—it needs a blower to send the heated air through your ductwork system. If the blower malfunctions, you’ll have a hard time getting through the cooler spells in New Hampshire. A faulty blower could stop working entirely, leaving you in the cold, or it could run continuously, draining money and pushing cold air into rooms when the furnace’s heating elements aren’t on.

In this post, we’ll give you some tips to help you figure out what the problem is and what repairs might solve it. If you need to call for professional heating repair in New Hampshire, contact our staff at HB Energy Solutions.

  • One of the first things you should check when you notice a malfunctioning blower is the thermostat. If the blower won’t turn off, the thermostat may be set to have the fan on constantly. If the blower won’t come on at all, then the thermostat might be malfunctioning and unable to communicate with the furnace. Thermostat issues usually require professional repair or replacement.
  • A motor belt with cracks or breaks that comes loose may be responsible for the blower not turning on.  As in a car motor, a belt that develops problems will cause the motor to stop working. The belt will probably need to be replaced, but fortunately this is a fast fix for a professional. The technician can determine what type of furnace blower belt to get and can install it safely for you. .
  • A third possibility for a failed blower is a broken motor, which can happen from overheating. Don’t attempt to fix or replace the motor yourself—this requires professional HVAC experience. Problems with motors are usually a warning sign that you need to have more preventive maintenance done on your furnace to keep it from wearing down faster.

A furnace is an intricate and complicated piece of machinery, so don’t try to handle complicated repairs on your own if the blower starts experiencing problems. Rely on experts with years of training, like those at HB Energy Solutions. We have 24/7 emergency service to give you peace of mind for your heating repairs in New Hampshire.

New Hampshire Heating System Buyer’s Guide: Pros and Cons of Different Systems

Monday, September 16th, 2013

Once upon a time, there were few options for heating your home: coal in a stove, wood in a fireplace. Today, technology has given us a multitude of choices for how to make our living spaces comfortable and pleasant during the winter. But choice also brings a dilemma: which heating system is the best one for your home? With winter approaching us soon in New Hampshire, heating systems are probably on your mind, and you need a helpful guide to navigate through your choices.

HB Energy has put together a short list of the pros and cons of some of the available systems. For heating system installation in New Hampshire, call HB Energy.

Boilers

Boilers are one of the most common heating systems and are frequently found in older homes. Boilers use either gas, oil, or electricity to circulate heat around your house using hot water, either in pipes or radiators.

  • Pros: Boilers are quiet and efficient. Because they do not use air circulation, they are excellent choices for homes with people who have allergies to airborne pollutants. There are also no air filters to change.
  • Cons: Boilers heat your home more slowly than other heating systems.

Furnaces

A furnace sends hot air through vents in your house, and can also operate from electricity, oil, propane, gas.

  • Pros: Newer model furnaces are very efficient at providing heat, with high AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) ratings.
  • Cons: Furnaces require a system of ducts to distribute heat, and therefore take up more space. Since they use air ducts, they can circulate pollutants throughout your home.

When you need an expert opinion on the heating system that is right for your home, contact the New Hampshire heating experts at HB Energy and schedule an appointment today.

 

What are My New Hampshire Heating Oil Options?

Monday, September 9th, 2013

In New Hampshire, heating oil is a fact of life: seeing common use as a way to combat our notoriously cold winters. In the United States, the standard heating oil is known as No. 2 oil, or regular fuel oils. It’s used as the standard in most homes, and has replace a number of older oils because it burns more cleanly than they did. (Those older types – known as #6 oil and #4 oil – are still used in commercial power plants and other industrial capacities.) #2 oil is also preferable as a fuel because it’s comparatively hard to set on fire accidentally, requiring a high-voltage spark and oil set at the right pressure.

You might also see #1 oil, also called K1 kerosene which is essentially filtered kerosene. It’s not as efficient as #2 oil, but is more refined and has a lower pour point. It’s often sold as lamp oil in high-end shops, though it rarely sees use in oil furnaces. Instead, home heating oil sometimes appears as a “kerosene mix,” which is a combination of #1 and #2 oil (usually with about 10-20% #1 mixed with 80-90% #2). It will function in your heating system, though it may not burn as efficiently.

Recently, another option has raised its heat. Biofuel – created from vegetable oils such as soybean oil – can be blended with #2 oil or even used straight. It burns efficiently while reducing greenhouse gasses and can be produced in the United States without being exported from somewhere else.

If you have questions regarding New Hampshire heating oil options, talk to an expert before making any decisions. HB Energy offers both traditional heating oil and Bio Heat (a blend of #2 oil and Biofuel), as well as providing diesel fuel and propane. Contact us today and let us help keep your home warm this winter.

Happy Labor Day!

Monday, September 2nd, 2013

On the first Monday of every September, we celebrate Labor Day in honor of workers everywhere who strive to make our local community and country great. We enjoy the holiday like any other business as a time for BBQ, hanging out with friends and family, and celebrating the end of summer. It also means the start of the NFL and college football seasons.

The origins of Labor Day are disputed, as is the case with many other holidays. Some cite Matthew Maguire, the machinist and secretary of the Central Labor Union of New York, while others cite Peter J. McGuire of the American Federation of Labor. Whomever the original founder, by 1894, the holiday had become widely recognized and was designated a federal holiday by Congress and President Grover Cleveland immediately following the Pullman Strike. This strike pitted US Marshals and US Military against employees of Pullman Palace Car Company outside Chicago, as workers sought to protest wage cuts and the firing of union representatives. At the time, the holiday was a way of repairing ties with workers and recognizing the importance of their contributions.

Today, we see Labor Day as an opportunity to recognize all the people who work hard to contribute to our county. Thank you, and Happy Labor Day from all of us!