Tips to Prepare Your Heating Systems for a Cold New England Winter

3 AC insider tips from pete
A lot of our customers frequently ask us for quick and easy DIY tips to maintain their cooling or heating systems in preparation for summer and winter.
In the video below, Pete talks about three quick tips to make sure your heating system is working properly and efficiently for those freezing cold winter days!
Bonus Tip: Save this post so you can refer back to it next fall!
As always, if you have any questions you can call us at 603.430.9414 or send us a note HERE.
*The following is a transcription of the video. 
Winter is coming! And I’m back to give you some quick and easy tips on how to prep your heating system for a successful transition from summer to winter.
Tip #1 
Test your system early and change the batteries in any digital thermostats. Turn on your heating systems nice and early and don’t forget, a lot of heating systems have multiple zones so make sure you test each one, individually. After that, if you have a digital thermostat, change out your batteries to make sure you’re all set for this season.
Tip #2
Double check your propane or oil levels. Whether your heating system uses propane or oil now is the perfect time to reach out to your provider and schedule a top off. We recommend taking part in an auto refill service that way you never have to worry about running out of fuel throughout the whole winter.
Tip #3
Schedule a preventative maintenance appointment with our service team. With heating systems in particular, preventative maintenance is critical. Our service team will inspect, test, and clean your equipment to ensure top tier efficiency this season. Be sure to ask about our ESA (Energy Savings Agreement) which allows you to bundle services together, saving you money on maintenance costs and any demand calls year round!
I hope you found these tips useful! Whether you have a conventional or a ductless heating system, rely on our team to keep you comfortable this winter! This is Pete from East Coast HVAC and we hope to hear from you soon!

5 Signs It’s Time to Call East Coast’s Electrician

screwing in a light bulb

Your electrical system is a complex and important piece of your home. Although stressful and inconvenient, it’s common for problems to arise in electrical systems. Luckily, our team can fix any problem in your home, so you don’t have to. We can handle jobs of all sizes, even the small ones, like changing out a light fixture, or fixing an outlet that doesn’t work anymore. Not sure if you need an electrician? Check out our 5 tips below to see if it’s time for you to give us a call!

Flickering Lights
If your light fixtures are constantly flickering or dimming, there could be multiple problems with your electrical system. For example – If you have an air conditioner and a refrigerator on a single circuit, it might cause your home’s lights to flicker or flash. To avoid this, try plugging larger appliances into separate circuits. Flickering lights could also indicate poor wiring, faulty switches or outlets, overloaded circuits, or other issues in your home.

Frequent Breaker Trips
Circuit breakers occasionally trip when there is a storm, or when there are too many appliances running in your home, at once. If your breaker trips regularly, it’s a sign that you may have too many appliances connected to one circuit, faulty wiring, a worn breaker, or there’s a more serious issue with your electrical system, which needs attention from a professional.

Strange Odor
If you smell something burning or notice a strange “electrical” odor in your home, your electrical system could be overheating. This can be a serious matter that should be taken care of by an electrician immediately, to prevent an electrical fire.

Installing New Electrical Systems in NH & ME
If you’re looking to install wiring, lighting, and control systems in a new or existing building, our team can do it for you! They follow municipal codes to make sure all components are done correctly for safety and efficiency. From outdoor lighting to ceiling light fixtures, we have you covered.

If Your Home Is More Than 20 Years Old…
Unfortunately, older homes are more susceptible to electrical fires and electrical emergencies in NH. Between outdated appliances and old sockets, it’s important to be able to catch these problems before they cause damage. If your home is on the older side, you’re also likely at risk of higher insurance rates, because of this. To make your home less vulnerable to hazards, we recommend upgrading your electric panel. Schedule a routine appointment for us to assess the electrical components in your home.

Got an electrical problem? Looking for an electrician near you? Call us today: 603-430-9414 or drop us a note here to schedule your electrical service today!

Don’t try to fix it yourself! Working with electricity can be dangerous – so let our team at East Coast HVAC handle it with ease, expertise, and the proper equipment!

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Tips To Prepare Your A/C For A Hot Summer

3 AC insider tips from pete
A lot of our customers frequently ask us for quick and easy DIY tips to maintain their cooling or heating systems in preparation for summer and winter.
In the video below, Pete talks about three quick tips to make sure your cooling system is working properly and efficiently for hot summer days!
Bonus Tip: Save this post so you can refer back to it next spring!
As always, if you have any questions you can call us at 603.430.9414 or send us a note HERE.
*The following is a transcription of the video. 
Hey, guys. It’s Pete with East Coast HVAC. Customers frequently ask us for DIY tips on how to get the most out of their cooling systems. Today, I’m going to give you three quick tips to make sure your cooling system is working properly and efficiently summer after summer.
Tip #1 
Turn your system on nice and early in the spring. By doing this, you’ll find out if there’s any issues well ahead of time and we can help you to resolve them. Turn your thermostat to cooling and turn the set point down. Within a few minutes, the outdoor unit should come on and you should have nice, cool air blowing from your vents. If neither of these things happen, you probably have an issue with your cooling system. By finding out nice and early, you leave plenty of time to resolve things before the real heat arrives. Don’t wait until it’s too late and you’ll save a bunch of money.
Tip #2
Check and change your air filter. If the system appears to be kicking on but isn’t quite cooling as much as you’d like it to, a lot of times, it’s as simple as a dirty air filter. Air filters are generally easy to replace, they’re inexpensive, and you can buy them at your local hardware store. For ductless systems, the same tip applies but the filter doesn’t need to be replaced. It just needs to be cleaned. Remove the air filter from the indoor heads and wash them out in the sink to let them dry and put them back in.
Tip #3
Make sure all of your supply and return vents are free and clear of obstructions. This may seem obvious but it happens all the time. Sometimes household items or a piece of furniture may have shifted covering up a return vent or a supply vent that’s critical for system performance. This reduces airflow and overall efficiency of the system so make sure that all of your vents are clear.
If you’ve tried these three tips and your system still isn’t performing, it’s time to call us! But remember, the sooner the better! Stay cool this summer!
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Is Professional HVAC Duct Cleaning Worth It?

duct cleaning myths

Did you know having your HVAC ducts cleaned regularly is important to keep your HVAC system running efficiently and even keeps you breathing fresh air?
Unfortunately, there are professional duct cleaning myths that can make some people hesitant to have this important service done.

Watch the video below to see our Duct Cleaning crew debunk them!

If you have questions about duct cleaning or are looking to have yours cleaned, schedule an appointment with us today! Learn more by clicking here.

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What HVAC System is BEST for My Home?

Conventional Systems vs. Mitsubishi Inverter Heat Pump Systems

In the HVAC industry, we are asked a plethora of difficult questions, such as:

  • Why did this part fail?
  • How much is this going to cost?
  • How much money will I save?
  • When will it pay itself back?
  • And, which system is best for my home?

With the complexity of HVAC systems, and the variability of the weather, design factors, home construction, and installation practices, every one of these questions is very challenging to answer!  Today, I’d like to examine the concept of Conventional Heating VS Mitsubishi Inverter Heat Pump systems, to discuss their practical uses and when each might fit better than the other.

The Basics
When speaking of conventional heating systems, I am generalizing what we call “Unitary” systems, consisting of gas or oil-fired furnaces and boilers.  In general, these systems are what most of you have in your home already.  You might have some duct work in your basement or attic, you might have a boiler and associated piping to baseboard heat or radiators, or you could also have a combination of the two.  In terms of the overall efficiency of these systems, think about it this way – The system burns some sort of fuel to generate heat, and there are several steps along the way where it can LOSE that heat and efficiency.  It starts right at the gas fired heat exchanger, which generally only transfers between 80% – 95% of the fuel consumption to real British Thermal Units (BTUs).  From there your system experiences loss in your duct work via air leaks in the ducts (dumping “lost” air into either your attic or basement), loss in the copper heat piping that runs throughout the basement or in the walls, or loss as a combination of those two things in a hydro-air system.  This inefficiency has been incrementally improved over the years, by improved annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) at the burner, enhanced code requirements on duct sealing and insulation, and overall installation practices.  Here are some situations where conventional systems seem to fit best:

  • In older homes that were constructed prior to Inverter Heat Pump technology becoming a great heating option.
  • Hydronic systems in homes where air conditioning was never really considered a priority.
  • Hydronic systems in homes where radiant floor heating is a priority.
  • Forced air systems where duct work provisions have been made during construction.
  • General new construction where the intended homeowner or builder do not “trust” inverter heat pumps for primary heating.

In my opinion, the reason most homes in New England DO use conventional heat, is a combination of the reasoning above, with a strong emphasis on the last bullet point.  The bottom line is that many locals and trade professionals still just do not trust a heat pump to do the work required to heat a home in the dead of winter.

The Alternative
Mainly in the last five years, there has been a significant shift in the mindset of forward-thinking HVAC circles, that Inverter Heat Pump solutions are an excellent solution for both new homes as well as retrofits.  If you align the bullets below with those above, there is a great counterargument for each of those points above.

  • Inverter Heat Pump (IHP) technology IS now a great heating option, and can easily be retrofitted into homes that currently have conventional systems.
  • With heat pumps in general, air conditioning is an automatic benefit with installation, as any heat pump will provide cooling to the space during summer.
  • In general, small areas such as master bathrooms can utilize an efficient electric heat mat beneath tiling to satisfy those looking for warm toes.
  • Although some Mitsubishi Electric systems DO use duct work, many of them are ductless, thus freeing up floor space, basement space, and reducing the need for chases or sofetting throughout a newly constructed home.
  • Refer back to point one – These systems have now been proven, to be efficient in our Seacoast climate, and well North of here.

If you’re still not sure which system is right for your home, call us today at 603.430.9414 or drop us a note here to set up a free consultation.

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