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Why You Should Replace Your Old Fuse Box: Walpole, NH Electrical Tip

Monday, December 3rd, 2012

Years ago, fuse boxes were standard on many homes in Walpole, NH. However, thanks to advancements in technology, most new homes are built using a circuit breaker. However, not all homes have converted to the newer circuit breakers. If you’ve just moved into a home with a fuse box there are a number of reasons why you should have it upgraded to a circuit breaker. Below we describe some of the benefits of doing so.

How Fuse Boxes Work

Electricity flows into your home from the street and into your fuse box. The job of the fuse box is to route the power to where it’s needed. The second job of the fuse box is to protect your house from power spikes. As electricity passes through the copper wires of your home it produces heat. If the wires get too hot they could catch fire. Fuses protect against that by shutting down the flow of electricity when too much heat is present. As electricity flows from the street into your home it has to pass through a fuse which is comprised of a thin metal wire called a filament. If the electric current gets too hot the filament will melt and the connection will be broken. Once the fuse is melted it has to be replaced.

Safety

One of the great benefits to upgrading your fuse box to a circuit breaker is safety. Fuse boxes are obsolete technology. When the fuse is melted it has to be replaced with a new one. Also, when the old fuse is removed, both ends of the electrical connection are exposed leaving the homeowner vulnerable to electrocution.

Insurance and Code Compliance

In many cities, old fuse boxes aren’t in compliance with building codes. This could also mean that the wiring in your home might be out of compliance as well. To get your home back up to code you would need to upgrade to a new circuit breaker. But sometimes, the old wiring and the new circuit breaker don’t interact well. This can cause your circuit breaker to trip a lot which is annoying.

Additionally, some mortgage insurance brokers won’t cover your home if it has an older fuse box. This has to do with the fire danger. But many lenders require you to have mortgage insurance so upgrading the fuse box will be necessary.

Available Power

Finally, many old fuse boxes only had 2 to 4 available circuits for appliances. Obviously, new homes have a much greater electricity demand. New circuit breakers can have room for up to 24 circuits.

If you have an old fuse box in your Walpole, NH home that you would like to have replaced, contact HB Energy Solutions. We have years of experience working with all types of old fuse boxes and circuit breakers. Give us a call today! 

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Why Consider a Solar Heating System in Bellows Falls?

Monday, November 12th, 2012

Increasing energy costs have become a major concern in the past few years. As the price of keeping your home comfortable continues to increase many Bellows Falls, VT homeowners are looking for ways to reduce the amount of energy that they use. One of the most obvious ways to do so is to make sure that you are not wasting energy. Proper insulation, high-efficiency heating systems and sealing up air leaks are among the most common measures taken to reduce the amount of energy wasted in homes. The truth is, though, that most people waste a lot of energy every day. We’re not talking about leaving the windows open while heating your house, either. Each day that you let the sun’s energy go unused in your home you are wasting the potential of this sustainable, environmentally friendly energy source. If you live in a cold climate but your Bellows Falls, VT home gets a lot of sun exposure you may want to consider the installation of a solar heating system by HB Energy Solutions. Consider this information about how these systems work and the benefits they present to your home.

With an active solar heating system a liquid or air is heated by solar energy and is either transferred directly to your living space or to a storage system. If you are planning to use a radiant heating system or a boiler then a liquid system is probably your best option, as they lend themselves better to storage. They store the collected solar heat in tanks of water, and the heat from the working liquid passes through a heat exchanger into the distribution liquid.

There are a few different ways to distribute heat with a solar liquid system. Radiant heating is a popular method, though central forced-air systems may also be used. In a forced air system a heating coil is used. Air coming from your living space is heated, and additional heat may be supplied by your furnace. It is important to have a professional help with the sizing of the system and components to ensure that sufficient heat will be created.

The benefits of solar heating in your home are many. While the collectors and installation certainly make solar heating an investment you can greatly reduce the heating costs in your Bellows Falls, VT home, saving money over time. It is a sustainable energy source and is very environmentally friendly. If you are interested in cutting down on the amount of energy used to heat your home while also reducing your environmental impact, consider the installation of a solar heating system from HB Energy Solutions.

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Springfield VT Heating Fuel Guide: Types of Heating Fuels

Monday, October 1st, 2012

HB Energy customers can choose from several different types of heating fuels for delivery. There are also a few different delivery options and payment plans. This makes it easier than ever to get the right heating fuel for your home at a price that fits your budget and with a delivery that’s conveniently timed to accommodate your schedule.

Fuel Delivery Options

The fuels available from HB Energy include Biofuel and #2 home heating oil. These can be delivered either at your discretion or automatically, whichever works better for you. Opting for automatic delivery means that the company monitors your heating fuel usage and delivers once you reach a certain pre-set minimum level. This service is convenient because it means you don’t have to worry about how much fuel you have left, and you can be sure you’ll never run out.

If you’d rather have control over how much heating fuel is delivered to your home and when, you can choose the will call program. This requires you monitor your own heating fuel levels and then call when you need a delivery.

Locking in the Best Price

In addition to these delivery options, there are also a few different ways you can manage the cost of your heating fuel through one of the available price protection plans. If you choose the pre-buy plan, for instance, you pay for all of the fuel you expect to use in the coming year in one lump sum. That means you won’t have to worry about increases in the price of heating fuel throughout the year, as all your fuel has already been paid for.

Another option is a capped price plan in which you agree to pay as you go, but no more than a certain agreed-upon price per gallon. If market fluctuations drive the price of heating fuel down, you’ll pay the reduced rate, but you’ll never pay more than the rate you agreed to pay at the beginning.

If you’d rather pay the same amount every month rather than paying as you go or purchasing all of your fuel up front, you can opt for a budget plan. The per gallon prices under this type of plan are typically a bit higher than under the pre-buy plan, but the help you spread out the cost of your heating fuel throughout the year and make it easier to know exactly what the cost will be each month.

For more information about buying heating fuel in Springfield VT, give HB Energy Solutions a call today!

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Bellows Falls VT Electrical Guide: How Surge Protection Protects Your Home

Monday, September 24th, 2012

Your Bellows Falls VT home is filled with devices attached to and drawing power from the electrical system. You probably have components in place to protect certain devices, such as your computer and television from power surges, but what about the rest of your home? Power surges can occur at any time and they can have a direct, negative impact on your major appliances and even the wiring in your house.

 Why Surge Protection Is Necessary

A power surge occurs when a larger than normal volume of electricity courses through the wires within a circuit. Normally, your home is protected against such surges. Fuses are designed to blow out if the current gets too strong and circuits breakers are designed to trip. But in certain circumstances, surges can occur anyways.

They can occur during electrical storms with a lot of lightning flashes. They can occur when there are interruptions to the power entering your home, especially if it goes on and off frequently. They can even happen simply because of a hiccup in a transformer supplying your home with power.

Protecting Your Home and Appliances

The wiring in your home is not designed to handle sudden surges of electricity, especially not if they happen often. It can damage and fray the wiring and eventually lead to power loss or even an increased risk of fire. Your appliances will be damaged even quicker as the sensitive circuitry and electronic component inside can be broken by a sudden surge of excess electricity.

For all these reasons, it is recommended that you have a whole house surge protector for your Bellows Falls VT home. These devices stop these large surges of electricity from entering your wiring, stopping them at the circuit breaker and preventing shorts in things like your air conditioner or heating system. Contact HB Energy Solutions today to learn more about what these devices can do.

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Weston VT Plumber’s Guide: Locate Your Septic Tank Electronically

Tuesday, September 4th, 2012

If a problem develops with your Weston, VT home’s septic tank, you want to be able to find it as quickly as possible to check and/or repair the problem. However, it’s not always easy to know where the septic tank is. Unless it is clearly marked, and only if you have seen where it was located before and didn’t just move in recently, a septic tank can be hard to find, especially if service hasn’t been performed on it in some time. Thankfully, if this is the case, there are tools that allow you to find your tank electronically.

First, know that your septic tank is usually about 4.5 feet by 8 feet in the ground and can be buried anywhere between four inches and four feet deep. You can also call your local utilities markers to get a map of where your gas lines and electrical cables are located – something that can be done for free by dialing 811.

Now, there are quite a few tools that work well to find your septic tank without electronics, but if you want to get it done much faster and ensure you are accurate, you hire a plumber who can use a locator and a remote flushable transmitter. The idea is very simple: Drop the transmitter down the toilet, flush it and wait a few minutes for it to appear in the septic tank and then flip on your locator and track it. This is a very accurate method and the transmitter will remain in your septic tank for quite a long time, meaning you can find it whenever necessary until the problem you are having is solved.

If you need someone to handle a repair issue with your septic tank, you should call HB Energy Solutions. We can find your septic tank and perform any necessary repairs very quickly.

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