Heating in New Hampshire: How Pellet Stoves Work

October 21st, 2013

Although we no longer use fireplaces and wood-burning stoves as the only way of heating a New Hampshire home, they can still help out during the cold months if you want to gather around a roaring flame and take in the loveliness of an old-fashioned hearth.

But just because the fireplace is an old-fashioned idea doesn’t mean that a fireplace has to be old-fashioned—or even inefficient. The wood pellet stove is a great alternative to a fireplace for people who don’t want to worry about woodpiles. And a pellet stove is also an effective method of providing heat for your home, much better than a standard fireplace. If you want to know more, contact HB Energy Solutions, where we install top-of-the-line pellet stoves.

A wood pellet stove burns pellets made of recycled wood and sawdust leftover from the lumber industry. The pellets have low-levels of pollution and are inexpensive to purchase. They are very dense, so they burn slowly, and with their low moisture, they produce hotter flames.

The pellets go in a hopper on the top or bottom of the stove. An auger (resembling a long screw) delivers the pellets into a burn pot, which electricity then ignites and begins burning the compressed pellets. Ashes fall into an ash pot, which you will need to clean out regularly.

To get your home heated, a pellet stove uses convection. A convection blower draws in air from the room and passes it over the pellets, which helps them burn stronger and also raises the temperature of the air. The heated air passes through a heat exchanger, and a room blower sends warm air into the room, very much like a furnace does. The exhaust goes out a pipe in the back to the outside—which means you don’t need a chimney installed to get the benefits of a pellet stove. However, insert pellet stoves can fit into your existing fireplace if you want to upgrade.

With the control offered by a thermostat, you can get the right amount of heat you want. That’s something you’d have a much harder time doing with a traditional fireplace.

HB Energy Solutions installs and maintains pellet stoves that can give you a cozy home with the benefits of a fireplace and few of the drawbacks. We’ve been heating New Hampshire homes for 21 years, and so call us today to learn more!

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New Hampshire Heating Installation FAQ: Why Install a Boiler

October 15th, 2013

A boiler is one of the most common methods of heating homes in the United States. Boilers work by heating water, with the steam or hot water circulated through pipes or radiators in your home. As the water or steam cools, it travels back to the boiler to start the process again. When it comes to installing a new heating system in your New Hampshire home, boilers make a lot of sense. Why install a boiler in your home? The answers vary, but boilers provide a number of tangible advantages. A few of the biggest are listed below.

  • Evenly distributed heat. Unlike furnaces, which usually use a system of ducts to blow hot air throughout the house, boilers don’t heat the space unevenly. Water-based heating infuses the existing air with heat, rather than redistributing hot air throughout the system. This can eliminate drafts, cold spots and other problems with furnace heating.
  • Efficient heating. Boilers can easily heat larger houses and apartment buildings. Big spaces are less of a problem for a properly sized boiler than they are for furnaces or space heaters, and boilers can be scaled to fit the size of whatever space they are heating. Besides that, boilers don’t blow dust around the way furnaces do, and they don’t generate much noise the way that furnaces do. All of that increases their overall efficiency.
  • Zone controls. With boilers it’s very easy to install zone controls, which let you tailor the heat to fit specific tastes and needs. You can choose to heat just the area you’re occupying while leaving the rest of the house cold, or set one temperature for your kitchen and another for the bedroom. That not only gives you greater control over the heat, but helps keep monthly costs in check.

If you know the answer to “why install a boiler?” and need further advice on your New Hampshire heating installation options, call the experts at HB Energy Solutions for advice. We can explain your options to you, then install a boiler in your home with courtesy and professionalism. Contact us today to set up an appointment.

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HB Energy Solutions is Hiring!

October 8th, 2013

HB Energy Solutions is looking for a few good people to help fill some open positions. If you’re in the market for a job that offers excellent wages and superior benefits including insurance, paid holidays, and employee discounts, then look no further. Our company continues to enjoy steady, sustained growth. We are currently hiring experienced professionals for the following positions: Electrical Estimator/Salesman; Plumbing Estimator/Salesman; Mechanical Systems Estimator/Salesman; Solar Systems Estimator/Salesman, Licensed Plumbers; Licensed Electrician; Oil Burner Technicians; Propane Technicians; Solar Technician; Septic Tank Pumper/Driver.  If you have experience in any of the positions linked here then please apply today!

We are a local, family business dedicated to providing excellent energy solutions to the state of Vermont and New Hampshire. Apply today to join our growing team and become a part of a company that cares about its customers and community.

Click Here for a List of Open Positions

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Southern Vermont Heating Guide: Protect Your Budget This Winter

October 7th, 2013

Few winter landscapes look more beautiful than those in Vermont. But beauty does not equal comfort. You’ll need a dependable and efficient heater in your home this coming winter to keep you warm enough to enjoy the season.

But just getting sufficient heat is not enough: you want to get heat that won’t drain your budget by the end of the season. Is it possible to get decent, comfortable heating without seeing your energy bills balloon? There are some basic steps you can take to protect your budget from unpleasant surprises this winter. HB Energy Solutions has advice for your heating system that will help you keep those energy bills under control:

Find a pleasant, lower temperature on the thermostat

The U.S. department of energy has found that simply dropping your thermostat ten degrees for eight hours a day can mean an almost 20% savings on your annual energy bill. Don’t set the thermostat up to the high 70s or 80s: with an extra layer of clothing, you’ll find that 68°F is ideal for comfort. When you’re sleeping, you may be able to turn the temperature down even more.

Update to a programmable thermostat

This goes hand-in-hand with keeping the thermostat down. A programmable thermostat gives you precision control over temperature, and the automation means you won’t need to remember to change the setting when it’s necessary. You can also have the thermostat lower the temperature when you leave for the day, and then start warming the house up before you return.

Schedule maintenance for your heater

Getting a maintenance check-up on your heater isn’t only to avoid extra repairs and abrupt breakdowns. The maintenance technician will give your heater a tune-up so it won’t drain extra power when it runs. A heater in good repair is a heater that will run its best, and you won’t see unnecessary spikes in your power bills.

It’s a good idea to schedule maintenance for your heater right now, so you’ll not only be prepared for winter, but you’ll take advantage of a slower time for HVAC professionals. We at HB Energy Solutions offer a maintenance plan that will keep your heater in prime health. We’re ready to answer any questions you may have about getting additional savings on heating in Southern Vermont.

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Southern Vermont Plumbing Tip: Why Small Leaks Matter

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.

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Heating Repair in New Hampshire: Furnace Blower Problems

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.

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

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.

 

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What are My New Hampshire Heating Oil Options?

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.

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Happy Labor Day!

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! 

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Signs That Could Indicate Your Southern Vermont Electrical System Has Troubles

August 29th, 2013

The electrical system is a staple of the home, providing light, heat and power for modern appliances. When trouble arises, it disrupts the flow of your life, and can prove costly as well as inconvenient. Residents of Southern Vermont pride themselves on their self-sufficiency, but troubles with your electrical system usually necessitate a service call from an expert. Here are some signs that indicate potential trouble with your electricity.

  • Tripped breakers. Tripper circuit breakers are usually the most obvious sign of faulty electrical wiring. They trip in the event of an overload, cutting power to that circuit and preventing further damage in the process.  If the breaker keeps tripping, it suggests a significant problem.
  • Flickering lights. If your lights flicker or dim, it may just be a problem with the light bulb. It could also be a loose connection with the wiring or problems with the fixture. Try replacing the bulb with a fresh one. If it doesn’t solve the issue, you should consult an electrician.
  • Warm fixtures. If you’re using a bulb with too much wattage or your fixture lack proper insulation, they could feel warm to the touch. That’s a problem because it means the fixture could overheat, creating a fire hazard.
  • Burning smell. Similarly, if you detect a burning smell whenever you turn on a light, it suggests an overload issue or a problem with faulty wiring. Turn off power to the light panel at the circuit panel and contact an electrician immediately.

For over 20 years, HB Energy Solutions has Offered electrical services to Southern Vermont. We offer 24-hour emergency service and off a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all our work. If your electrical system is experiencing troubles, call us today to set up an appointment.

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