Tips to Keep Your Energy Systems at Peak Performance

All Town Heating & A/C has always maintained a distinguished reputation throughout the heating and air-conditioning industry. It is a privilege for us to highlight some important news and tips for your convenience.

New Mass Oil Line and Oil Tank Law

Massachusetts has a new law to address oil leaks from home heating systems (see Chapter 453 of the Acts of 2008). This law has two major provisions that require:

The installation of either an oil safety valve or an oil supply line with protective sleeve on systems that do not currently have these devices
Insurance companies that write homeowner policies may offer coverage for leaks from oil using heating systems

Most homeowner policies do not currently include such coverage, leaving many to pay for costly cleanup out of their own pocket.

Although it is mandatory that insurance companies offer this coverage, insurance is an optional purchase for homeowners. The effective date for both provisions is July 1, 2010. Give us a call for a free oil line and oil tank inspection.

Important HVAC Questions

Q: If I don’t have any heat...

For oil heat?

Check the red emergency electrical switch and make sure it is on (usually by the stairs). Check the fuse or breaker switch on your electric panel
Make sure the thermostat is set at least 5 degrees above room temperature
If you have oil heat, ensure that you have oil in the tank
If you have oil heat, check the reset button on the oil burner (usually a round or square red button). Push the button once and listen for the burner to come on. Do not push more than once if the burner does not light. Please call us for service

For gas heat?

Please check the service switch on the heating appliance and make sure it is on
Make sure the thermostat is set at least 5 degrees above the room temperature
Check your fuse panel for a blown fuse or reset breaker if necessary
Check to see whether your pilot is lit or not if your heating appliance has a standing pilot
If your heating appliance is still not working, please call us immediately for service

Q: Will upgrading my heating or AC system really save me money?

If you have a heating or cooling system that is more than 10 years old, it will be outdated because there have been enormous advances in the heating and cooling equipment since your original purchase.

For a 10-year old gas furnace unit, the efficiency rating is roughly 75 -80%.

A new gas unit can run at an efficiency of 95% and more. Many of these units also have an ECM motor, which can run at more than one speed to save additional money on your electric bills. Most of them qualify for both utility company and government rebates depending on the model. (For every dollar spent for gas, up to 95 cents is making heat).

For most oil units installed 10 years ago, the average efficiency rating is around 78%. A new oil-fired unit can achieve between 83-87% efficiency depending on the unit and burner combination. (For every dollar spent on heating oil, up to 87 cents is making heat.) We now provide oil furnaces with ECM motors to help you save additional money on your electric bills also.

For air-conditioning units installed 10 years ago, significant improvements have been made in efficiency ratings. Older units had an efficiency rating averaging 8 SEER. New units can achieve higher than 13 SEER efficiency ratings and can save as much as 20% on your electric bills.

Newer units also offer new environmentally friendly R-410a refrigerants and reduced noise during operation. We also have high-efficiency conventional and ductless AC systems that achieve more than 16 SEER efficiency and can qualify for government and utility company rebates.