3 Things to Consider When Adding Outdoor Lighting

June 20th, 2014

Since you spend most of the night inside your home and not outside it, you probably have not given much thought to your house’s exterior lighting. However, there are numerous benefits to adding on to your outdoor lighting: increased safety on walkways and patios, longer use of outdoor recreational facilities, decrease in the chance of crime, and a higher resale value on the property.

To get all of these benefits, you need to have professional electricians and installers on the job of adding to your outdoor lighting in New Hampshire.

Call HB Energy Solutions today to find out more about the ways our outdoor lighting experts can help improve your home with additional outdoor lighting.

Here are 3 things to consider for your outdoor lighting additions:

  • Add energy-efficient lights: Increasing your outdoor lighting doesn’t mean you have to exponentially increase your electricity bills. You can have energy-efficient LED lights installed as an alternative. Although LED lights costs more upfront than standard incandescent light bulbs, they can last many years more and use significantly less energy. LED lights with the U.S. ENERGY STAR label use at least 75% less energy and last 35 to 50 times longer, which means you have even more years of use to reap the savings from their reduce energy use.
  • Increase front and “guide” lights: If you have a limited budget for outdoor lighting additions, place the focus on lighting the front of the house and the paths leading to the door. The idea is to create a sense of “inviting” visitors toward the front of the house—while also keeping them safe with a well-illuminated walkway. Professional electricians will make sure that the new lighting fixtures fit well with your home’s architectural style.
  • Landscape lighting: Outdoor lighting doesn’t need to focus only on places where people move (although it’s crucial to have this to keep a home safe). Excellent landscape lighting that focuses on gardens and trees are an easy way to enhance your home’s beauty during night. Simple uplighting placed to light up trees—while pointing away from your home’s windows and the neighbors’—does marvels at making your home more appealing.

The electrical worked involved in enhancing the outdoor lighting for a home is complicated and requires technicians who not only know about correct lighting placement but also voltage demands and safety concerns. Only trust this work to experienced electricians with a background in home improvements.

HB Energy Solutions has served New Hampshire with outdoor lighting and numerous other electrical services for 33 years. Aside from our installation work for lighting, we are also available 24 hours for whatever electrical repairs your new lighting system may need.

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What Does the Bend in the Pipe Below My Sink Do?

June 13th, 2014

Most of the plumbing in your home remains hidden from view. The pipes snake between the walls, under the floors, and through closed-off utility rooms. But there is one section of plumbing that you probably know well, and that’s the drainpipes located directly below your sinks. You see these any time you open up the cabinet doors to retrieve something. Every time you do this, you’ll see an oddity about this piece of piping: the odd U-shaped bend it makes before it enters the wall.

That bend in the pipe serves an important purpose, but it can also lead to plumbing troubles as well.

We have 33 years of experience serving Vermont and New Hampshire. Should you encounter trouble and need plumbing repair in Southern Vermont, call HB Energy Solutions.

The p-trap

The bend in the drainpipe that you see is called the “p-trap.” The reason for the name is that the bend makes the pipe resemble a “P” with an open back when looked at from the side. (And you thought it was going to be called a “u-pipe” or something like that.) What it traps is water: after water pours down the drain, gravity traps an amount down within the bend. As long as water runs down the drain regularly, the p-trap will remain filled.

This water plug does the important job of stopping sewer gases from decaying material further down the pipe from coming back up and escaping through the drain. Without the p-trap, sewer odors would invade your home constantly.

Should your p-trap dry up—something that happens in sinks that aren’t used for a long stretch, like one in a guest room—the empty trap will allow the sewer odors to come up. If you encounter foul smells in areas with an unused sink, run some water down the drain for a few minutes, and that should take care of the problem.

P-traps can become sources of clogs. When debris that shouldn’t go down a drain does, it will often catch in the p-trap. Over time, the p-trap will develop a congestion of soap scum, hair, and food (depending on where the sink is located) that will lead to a slow drain or clog. Too much contamination can also lead to corrosion and leaks.

For serious clogs (anything a plunger cannot handle) you must have the assistance of professional plumbers armed with motorized drain snakes and hydro-jetters. Do not attempt to take out a set of wrenches and unscrew the p-trap yourself: this risks disaster. Instead, reach for the phone and call for plumbing repair in Southern Vermont from HB Energy Solutions. We offer full plumbing services to take care of all your needs, from blocked pipes to water heater installation.

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What Is Involved with Photovoltaic Installation?

June 6th, 2014

People today, especially in Vermont, are looking for paths toward clean, renewable energy that will both reduce the negative impact on the environment and also offer large savings on utility bills. Although harnessing renewable energy from sources such as the Sun and geothermal heat can cost money upfront, the work will pay back its initial costs many times over.

Solar power is one of the best known of all renewable energy sources: since the dawn of history, humans have watched the Sun in the sky, felt its heat, and sought a way to use it. Thanks to efficient photovoltaic panels, the dream of having the Sun working to power your own home is now a reality.

HB Energy Solutions is proud of the services we provide for green technology to our customers. For photovoltaic installation in Southern Vermont, call up our solar team today.

The PV installation job

Installing photovoltaic panels isn’t as difficult as you might imagine, although you will still need professionals to handle the task so that it works ideally. (Also, you don’t want to spend too much time climbing around your roof if it’s not necessary.)

Photovoltaic (PV) panels are mounted on the roof, where they change radiant heat from the sun into electrical energy. The number of panels necessary depends on how much power you require and how many systems you intend to run.

The installers plan out a configuration based on your needs. A team then lays down a support framework on the roof of the house. One by one, the PV panels are securely attached to the frame. Once the entire panel set is completed, the installers must connect the panels to the power grid and test the system to verify that it is correctly hooked up. They will check polarity, grounding, and wiring: the job isn’t over until they are certain that the system works as efficiently as it can.

Remember: the energy of the Sun is free. You will have some power requirements to run the indoor parts of the solar power system, but otherwise the electricity you receive through the PV cells costs you nothing: it should only take a few years for the solar power cells on the roof of your house to pay back their installation costs.

Talk to solar experts today

When you consult with a specialist in photovoltaic installation in Southern Vermont, you’ll find out how your home can best be set up for harnessing the free power of the sun.

At HB Energy Solutions, we not only offer solar solutions for homes, but for businesses as well—and that includes repairs and maintenance. Call us today to go green with the power of the Sun.

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Use Insulation to Keep Your Home Cool

May 30th, 2014

Here in New Hampshire, insulation is often considered a winter-only feature. Our winters are as cold as they come, and naturally you want a well-insulated home to stay cozy and warm when the snows start falling. But the same principle that keeps the warm air in during the winter can keep hot air out in the summer. You can use insulation to keep your home cool, and because insulation installation is often less expensive in the summertime, now is the perfect opportunity to add more to your home. Here’s a breakdown of the principles involved.

All insulation adheres to three specific concepts: conduction (the process by which heat passes through solids), convection (the process by which heat passes through liquids and gasses) and radiation (the process by which heat passes through air or vacuum). Insulation curtails all of those process, slowing the passage of heat out of your home. This is one of the reasons why it’s so important to have insulation in your attic, since warm air rises and can escape out of the roof if you don’t take steps.

But there the process isn’t just one way: moving out of your house instead of in. Just as the heat from your home can escape in the winter, so too can hot air get into your house in the summer. If you have insulation, however, that process is severely retarded, allowing your home or retain cool air just as readily as it retains hot air.

If may be that you already have as much insulation as your home can hold. But technological advances mean the newer and better form of insulation are always arriving, and even if they don’t, most homes can use another layer or two.  We operate throughout New Hampshire, insulation is one of our primary services, and we won’t rest until the job is done right. Pick up the phone and give us a call today or schedule an appointment online. You’ll be glad you did!

If you know how to use insulation to keep your home cool, then the next step is to contact HB Energy Solutions to see about installation.

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Are Ductless Heat Pumps Preferable to Centralized Heat Pumps?

May 23rd, 2014

Ductless heat pumps may seem like recent innovations, but they existed in the commercial HVAC world long before making the leap over to homes. Instead of using a single indoor unit that sends conditioned air through a ventilation system, a ductless heat pump instead works through multiple indoor blower units mounted on walls that send the air directly into rooms.

If you are interested in ductless heat pump installation in New Hampshire for your home, make sure you consult with professionals to decide if this is the best choice.

Call HB Energy Solutions, where we have delivered quality heating and cooling services to New Hampshire for more than two decades.

A list of the advantages of ductless heat pumps make them sound automatically superior to any centralized heat pump:

  • No indoor air quality issues due to ducts – Because ducts can collect dust and other contamination, they will eventually affect indoor air quality and require cleaning. Ductless systems remove this hassle.
  • More freedom with construction and remodeling – If you are planning to build a new home or extensively remodel your current one, then a ductless system gives you more options because fitting ducts into planning is no longer necessary.
  • Zone control – Because ductless heat pumps work through separate blowers, you only need to heat or cool down rooms that require it, which leads to significant energy savings.

However, a ductless system is not always preferable to a standard centralized one. In some cases, you may be better off staying with a familiar ducted system. Here are some considerations that may sway you away from ductless heat pumps.

  • Your home already has ducts – Unless remodeling is on the horizon, a ductless system is usually redundant for a house that has a ventilation system.
  • A heat pump in general isn’t the best choice – Ductless systems are all heat pumps, and in some cases—such as when a home is difficult to heat—it is better to stay with the combination of an air conditioner and furnace/boiler for cooling and heating than to switch to a heat pump.
  • It isn’t cost-effective – Ductless heat pumps are more expensive to install because of the blower units than hooking up a heat pump to current ductwork. If the other positives of a ductless mini split heat pump aren’t enough to overcome this, than you may be better with a centralized system.

If you still find yourself torn between going for a ductless or a central heat pump, you can always call professional installers. They will take into account your home’s construction and your budget plans to advise you which route is the best for you.

HB Energy Solutions will help you with heat pump installation in New Hampshire, whether you end up going with a ductless system or a more traditional ducted one. Whatever heat pump you end up with, we will install it for you right the first time.

 

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3 Factors to Consider with Air Conditioning Installation

May 16th, 2014

Most people think Vermont homes don’t need air conditioning, but the truth is we can get quite hot and humid during the summer months. For over 20 years, HB Energy Solutions has been providing customers in southern Vermont with air conditioning installation for their properties to help them get through those hot days. When looking at air conditioners, there are a few factors to consider before choosing one. To help you narrow down those factors, our HB Energy Solutions experts have put together a list of 3 factors to consider for your southern Vermont air conditioning installation.

Does your property have ductwork?

Not too long ago, properties that didn’t have ductwork had only 2 choices for air conditioning: purchase a window unit or put in ducts, which can be a costly endeavor. But with the advent of ductless air conditioning, also known as ductless mini-split air conditioners, homes without ducts and/or those that need a home addition cooled now have access to quality air conditioning without needing to put in expensive ductwork.

How much cooling do you really need?

Bigger isn’t necessarily better when it comes to air conditioning. In fact, purchasing an air conditioning system that is too large for your home can lead to discomfort and premature wear-and-tear. This is why it’s important to do a calculation that determines exactly how much cooling your home really needs. When doing a calculation like this, several factors are considered, such as your property’s orientation to the sun, daytime heat gain and square footage. Your AC technician can do this calculation to help ensure you purchase the right-sized air conditioner for your home.

Are you concerned about energy efficiency?

All newly-installed air conditioners need to have a SEER number (seasonal energy efficiency rating) of at least 13; the scale for SEER is 0 to over 20. The higher your SEER number, the more energy efficient your air conditioner. If energy efficiency is high on your list of priorities, speak with your specialist about finding an energy efficient air conditioner that also fits your other needs.

Installing an air conditioning system is a big job that starts with assessing the kind and size of air conditioner you need. Working with your HB Energy Solutions expert can you help you answer these questions and more when it comes to your southern Vermont air conditioning installation.

Summer is almost here, so if you’ve been thinking of installing or replacing your air conditioner or air conditioning system, call HB Energy Solutions today!

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3 Reasons to Upgrade Your Circuit Breaker

May 9th, 2014

The circuit breaker panel has replaced the fuse box as a way to protect homes from the dangers of electrical fires. Whenever a circuit breaker detects an increase in voltage from an overload, the breaker trips and cuts off the circuit’s electrical flow to prevent damage. The homeowner can then easily reset the breaker to re-connect the circuit.

Although circuit breakers improve over the performance of fuses, circuit breaker panels will become outdated and require upgrades. If you have encountered recent trouble from frequently tripped breakers, or if you have a panel that is more than a decade old, you should consider scheduling a professional to investigate it and suggest upgrade options.

For Southern Vermont electrical services to help you with your circuit breaker panel, contact a trusted name: HB Energy Solutions. We have served Vermont and Southern New Hampshire with superb electrical work for twenty-one years.

3 excellent reasons to upgrade your circuit breaker panel

  1. To better handle modern electrical needs: The amount of energy the appliances in modern homes need to operate is far greater than it was even ten years ago. A circuit breaker panel older than this will not have the appropriate capacity to handle the amount of amperage that advanced devices in your home require to run, and this will lead to frequently tripped breakers. Upgrades or even a full replacement of the panel will elevate its capacity to fit your home.
  2. Increase fire safety: The main reason for circuit breakers in the first place is to prevent electrical fires due to short circuits and sparking. An aging panel that no longer fits with the outlets and the energy demands of a home can begin to turn dangerous.
  3. Convenience: Do you want to get up every other day, fumble with the circuit breaker panel, find the tripped switch, and reset it just because you turned on the TV and opened the refrigerator at the same time? Or worse, do you want to stumble in the dark looking for the panel because tripped breakers have shut off the lights during the night? Of course you don’t, and if you start experiencing this you have no excuse to keep going through these motions: just call a skilled electrician to upgrade your circuit breaker.

And, if you still have a fuse box instead of a circuit breaker panel, you should have already replaced it. Fuse boxes are rarely up to the challenge of modern electrical systems, and enlarging the fuses to handle more power is a serious fire hazard.

HB Energy Solutions has the skill in Southern Vermont for electrical upgrades and repairs of all types. We will examine your circuit breaker panel and find the best way to improve it and improve your life.

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The Necessity of Septic Maintenance

May 5th, 2014

A septic system for a home is a solution for waste disposal when regular sewage treatment plants are unavailable. The standard septic system, the one most likely attached to your home’s sewage line, consists of a septic tank, a drainfield, and the soil beneath. The tank separates solids from wastewater, a process that removes most of the disease-causing bacteria and pollutants. The water then enters the drainfield, where it trickles down into the soil, which filters out the remainder of the toxic organisms and safely releases the water into the ground.

For this system of waste management to work, a septic system must have routine maintenance. We’ll explain why this is a necessity, not merely a way to have the septic tank work more effectively. The U.S. Department of Health, Education and Public Welfare emphasizes the importance of septic maintenance to avoid the escape of disease-causing organisms.

HB Energy Solutions offers full services for New Hampshire septic systems. For pumping, maintaining bacteria levels, and other important septic system care, you can count on our team.

Why a septic system must have maintenance

The solids that gather inside the bottom of the septic tank gradually build up as sludge (bacteria consumes some, but not all). This layer of sludge must be regularly pumped from the tank. How often you need to have pumping done depends on the tank size, its age, and the volume of waste it regularly receives. You should have the tank pumped when the layer of sludge takes up 25–33% of the tank volume. Without regular pumping, the waste material will eventually flood the tank, first blocking the intake pipes and then clogging the sewage system, which can be disastrous for your home. The solids can also enter the drainfield and contaminate the soil so that the soil’s pores become blocked and stop wastewater flow. This can result in the sewage moving upward and onto the surface.

Along with pumping the tank, the bacteria levels inside the system must be maintained. Although a septic system removes bacteria from wastewater, some level of bacteria needs to remain to help digest the solids in the tank. Anti-bacterial liquids that enter the wastewater, such as detergents and bleach, can lower the bacteria level and result in sewage overflow from rapid sludge build-up.

Maintenance frequency

How often do you need general maintenance services beyond regular pumping? We advise that an average-sized family schedule septic maintenance every three to four years. Along with bacteria balancing and necessary pumping, technicians will examine the condition of the tank and drainfield for leaks and damage.

Your septic system should take care of its important job without you noticing it. To make sure it stays that way and becomes neither a nuisance nor a danger, contact a New Hampshire septic service for regular maintenance. HB Energy Solutions can handle all your septic system needs; call us today to find out about our services.

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How Often Should I Schedule Air Conditioning Maintenance?

April 29th, 2014

In the entry for maintenance found in the 2014 Random House Dictionary, this sentence appears as an example of correct usage: With proper maintenance the car will last for many years. That succinctly sums up why appliances require maintenance: longevity. It applies as much to an air conditioner as to a car. Regular maintenance catches troubles early, helps prevent repairs, and eases stress that can occur from poor operation. Although each of these is a good end in itself, they all contribute to the goal of increasing the service life of the system.

But how often should you schedule air conditioning maintenance in Southern Vermont? Twice a year? Every three years? We’ll take a closer look at scheduling AC maintenance to help you make certain the air conditioner in your home receives the best care.

For a maintenance plan that will ensure you receive maintenance at the right time, call HB Energy Solutions to create a plan that works for you today.

Maintenance frequency

Almost all experienced HVAC technician agree on this point: air conditioners need maintenance service annually, even if nothing seems wrong with them. A year is enough time for an AC to gather dust and dirt and show significant wear on its components. Studies have shown that an air conditioning system that goes for a year without maintenance will work 20% less efficiently, and lose an additional 5% each year thereafter. The system is also at greater risk of repair needs or even suffering a breakdown.

The best time to schedule maintenance service is during spring, a less busy time for HVAC contractors and also right in time for the summer weather. Most maintenance plans and programs arrange for the session in spring (with an additional session for the heating system in fall).

Maintenance is not an expensive task, and most services that offer programs will provide you with a discount for signing up for a yearly maintenance plan. At each maintenance visit, the technician will provide thorough inspections, adjustments, and cleaning to keep the system operating at high efficiency. This increase in efficiency will more than pay for the small cost of maintenance. The best way that maintenance pays back its cost: preventing you from needing an expensive new installation because your air conditioner broke down years before it should.

Sign up for maintenance today

You can contact HB Energy Solutions or download our maintenance plan to see how you can protect your Southern Vermont air conditioner with maintenance. Get started before spring ends and the summer heat arrives.

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Is a Standard Storage Tank Water Heater Sometimes a Better Choice?

April 18th, 2014

If you know about tankless water heaters, then you’ve probably learned about their numerous virtues and why many so many homeowners prefer them. Tankless water heaters never run out of hot water, take up less space in a home, and run much more energy-efficiently than standard storage water heaters because they lose less heat and do not require steady energy to keep water in a tank warm.

However, not everyone has called up their local plumbing company to install a tankless heater. Traditional storage tanks still sit in many homes, and new ones are installed every day. The reason for this is that some homes won’t receive the full benefits of a tankless water heater, and a storage water heater makes better economic sense for them.

Whether a traditional or tankless system will work for your house is something that requires a Southern Vermont plumbing professional to help answer. HB Energy Solutions has kept homeowners in Vermont warm and comfortable for more than 20 years; you can place your trust in us to guide you to your home’s best option for hot water.

Why a storage water heater is sometimes better

Tankless water heaters are more expensive systems to install: anyone considering one for a home needs to balance the upfront costs with the long-term savings. Sometimes, a storage water heater will save more money than a tankless one.

Here’s something to consider: tankless system do not tend to endure as long as storage systems. This means that the amount of money you’ll save from a tankless system depends more on how much hot water your household uses on average rather than how long the system stays around. If you do not use a large amount of hot water, you may not receive significant savings from a tankless system before it needs replacement. Consult with an installer, who can check on your household hot water use to see if a storage water heater may be a superior choice.

Another factor to consider: although tankless water heaters don’t “run out” of hot water, they have trouble keeping up with high volume hot water demands. Proper sizing can help minimize this problem, but larger households might be better served by a high capacity tank water heater.

Professional installation

When factoring the pros and cons of the two systems, they come up about equal: tankless water heaters have high efficiency and unlimited hot water; storage water heaters have convenience and lower installation costs. Your own water use and your budget plans will be the deciding factors, but professional installers will help you feel certain of your choice. And, of course, they’ll install it as well.

Call HB Energy Solutions, your Southern Vermont plumbing experts, to talk about water heater installation today.

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