DB Heating & Cooling, Inc. Blog : Posts Tagged ‘Bergen County’

How to Prepare Your Bergen County Heating System for Natural Disasters

Monday, March 4th, 2013

Natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and blizzards can knock out power, cut off regular fuel supply routes, and damage your home. Homeowners throughout America are looking for ways to prepare their heating system for extreme weather conditions. DB Heating & Cooling cares about the security and welfare of our customers. That’s why we put together this quick list of some of the things that you can do to prepare your heating system for natural disasters.

  • Check your heater warranties and homeowner’s insurance policy. Find out exactly what’s covered and what’s not in the event that your home is flooded, or damaged by the storm. Knowing the details can help you make decisions about any potential adjustments.
  • Secure water heater to wall studs. If your water heater tips over, it can exacerbate the damage done to your house. It’s heavy and filled with water: make sure it’s secure.
  • Make an emergency family plan. Make sure that you have a plan in the event of a natural disaster. Have a first aid kit on hand, and make sure you have enough food and water stored for a week. Make sure everyone knows the phone numbers of nearby relatives and friends in the event that you need a place to stay.

Natural disasters can be frightening and unexpected. Make sure your home and family are prepared. To learn more ways you can prep your heating system for a natural disaster, call a Bergen County, NJ heating technicians at DB Heating & Cooling. If your heating system is damaged by a natural disaster, we offer exceptional and rapid heating repair in Bergen County, NJ. Call us today.

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Westwood, NJ Heating Tip: What To Do If You Lose Heat

Monday, February 25th, 2013

Losing the ability to heat your home can cause serious discomfort. Spring comes on slowly in the Northeast and some homeowners need to rely on their heating systems longer than others. Whatever type of heating system you have—boiler, furnace, heat pump—you’ll need the professional diagnosis and repair service of a heating expert. DB Heating & Cooling offers professional services to homeowners in the Westwood, NJ area. For heating repair, call us today.

If you find yourself without heat, contact a professional heating technician right away to request emergency repair service. Heaters are complex systems, with many different components. Here are some common problems:

  • No Power. Your furnace requires electricity. It may have blown a fuse or tripped the circuit.
  • Switched off. Make sure your thermostat is turned up high enough to make the heating system turn on.
  • Motor problem. Occasionally motors need repair and sometimes need to be reset.
  • Pilot light out. The pilot light is the small flame that allows the heater to ignite, and is sometimes attached to an electronic device called the thermocouple. This device stops the fuel supply in a gas furnace or boiler when the pilot is not lit, so as to reduce the danger of excessive fuel build-up.

Attempting to fix your own furnace or boiler without the proper knowledge and skill can lead to further damages. Besides calling a local heating repair technician, there are several measures to take if you suddenly find yourself without heat.

  • Do you have enough fuel? No fuel, no fire, as they say. Make sure you keep an eye on your fuel levels, and replenish it before you run out.
  • Dress warmly. It may be necessary to wear hats, gloves, scarves and multiple layers indoors.
  • Trap existing warm air. Hanging blankets over windows and doorways can help to boost the insulation of your home.
  • Keep the water moving. If it’s very cold outside, you can turn your faucets on ever so slightly to ensure your pipes don’t freeze..
  • Stay with friends and family. Check with them to see if they have power, and if they’re not too far away, call in the favor and stay in a warm place until your heater gets fixed.

Loss of heat can be dangerous, especially for the elderly and the very young. Call a Westwood, NJ heating repair specialist if your home loses heat. Call DB Heating & Cooling today. 

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Why Consider a Boiler in Bergen County, NJ

Monday, February 18th, 2013

If you are currently replacing your heating system in your Bergen County, NJ home, you may be interested in switching out an old system with a new, high-efficiency boiler. While a furnace heats air and distributes heated air throughout your home by the use of ducts, a boiler heats water, and provides either hot water or steam for your heating needs. A boiler can heat both your water and your air—this 2-in-1 functionality makes it an attractive option for new homeowners. If you’re thinking about replacing your current system with a boiler or installing a new system, then you will need the professional advice of a boiler technician. Call DB Heating & Cooling today for a consultation.

Like a furnace, a boiler’s efficiency is measured by its annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating, which determines its average energy-efficiency. Most models nowadays are at least 80%, some over 90%. The higher the percentage, the more efficient, although you have to measure the annual benefits against the upfront costs of purchasing a more expensive system.

There are further considerations: the size of the boiler, whether you would like it to be a steam or hot water boiler, whether you want them to have the capacity for high temperatures, and so on. You may also want to consider the advantages to a boiler. Although initial installation can be more expensive, hydronic boilers are known for being more efficient and economical than forced-air systems. Moreover, baseboard pipes and aluminum fins take up less space than ducts, and they offer a more even temperature throughout your home. The boiler also offers a simplicity impossible with two separate systems to upkeep and repair. These are just some ways in which you may find a new boiler system to be an attractive option in your Bergen County, NJ home.

Call us today if you are interested in boiler installation in Bergen County, NJ!

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How Indoor Air Quality Can Suffer In the Winter: Bergen County Heating Guide

Monday, January 21st, 2013

During the winter here in New Jersey, it can get bitterly cold. Most of us close up our house as tightly as possible to keep as much heat in as possible. While this is a great way to improve the energy efficiency and comfort of your home, it can cause the air quality in your home to suffer. At DB Heating & Cooling, Inc, we offer comprehensive indoor air quality installation, repair and maintenance in Bergen County. We wanted to let our customers know some of the ways that air quality can suffer during the winter and an air filtering or air purification system can help.

Winter Air Quality Concerns

Shutting up your home during the winter can help keep more warmth inside. But it can also restrict the supply of fresh air into your home. This leaves your home’s heating system to just recirculate stale air in your home. This can cause contaminants to build up in your home’s air.

Common Household Contaminants in the Winter

The winter is typically a very dry season. Many people suffer from dry skin and nasal passages. But there are certain air contaminants that can start to increase in the dry winter air.

  • Dust – Dust is mostly comprised of dead skin cells. During winter your skin will dry out and so will that of any pets that you might have. This can increase dust levels throughout your home.
  • Pet dander – When your pet’s skin starts to dry out, it can release more dander into the air. This can increase allergic reactions during the winter.
  • Insect droppings – Cockroach and dust mite droppings are huge allergens for certain people. When the air dries out, their droppings can start to enter your air supply.
  • Gas and smoke – During the winter, there can also be a build-up of gas fumes, combustion gases, smoke particles and other fumes that can be harmful.

Benefits of Home Air Filtration

On average, people spend most of their time indoors. With so much time spent in our homes, it would make sense that the air quality in our homes should be a priority. In fact, the EPA estimates that indoor air quality is one of the top five leading threats to respiratory health in the United States. Some of the benefits of indoor air filtering are reduced reaction to allergies, reduced dust levels,  and much more.

If you’re interested in learning more about indoor air quality in Bergen County, contact DB Heating and Cooling.

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Emerson, NJ Heating Tip: 3 Important Things to Consider Before a Heating Installation

Monday, December 10th, 2012

Are you ready for a heating installation in your Emerson, NJ home? Let the HVAC experts at DB Heating & Cooling prepare you for a new heating system installation.

Here are a few things to consider before you have a new heater installed in your home.

Insulation

Many homeowners think that upgrading to a high-efficiency system is enough to save them on their heating bills. But if your home is not adequately insulated, you won’t get the most out of this new system. You should have your home assessed with a professional home energy audit. The results will show you areas that could use some improvement, such as better insulation and other weatherization upgrades.

Choosing the Right Heating System

Have you ever considered a different type of heating system? While any new high-efficiency system will provide better energy savings than an older heating system, you could get more savings with a different type of system. You may want to upgrade an old furnace or boiler to a ductless mini split heat pump to provide heating and cooling. We can help you choose among our wide selection of furnaces, heat pumps, boilers, zone control, and many other system upgrades!

Ductwork

If you are installing a forced air system, you’ll need to know the condition of your ductwork, unless your home doesn’t have a duct system in place. The condition of your ductwork will determine whether or not it would be more cost-effective to switch to another type of system. We can retrofit your current forced air system for zone control for more efficient heating.

Contact the Emerson, NJ heating experts at DB Heating & Cooling to go over your options.

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4 Ways Maintenance Can Help You Avoid Heating Repairs in Bergen County

Monday, November 26th, 2012

During the winter, you most likely use your heating system every day, so its important to keep it functioning effectively. Yet some people put off getting regular maintenance for their heating systems. At DB Heating and Cooling, we respond to countless calls for heating repairs in Bergen County. We thought it would be helpful for our community if we put together a list of the benefits to having regular maintenance performed on your heating system.

Reduced Repairs

One great benefit to regular heating maintenance is the potential to reduce costly repairs. When you have a heating technician looking over your system every day, they can catch small issues before they turn into larger, more expensive problems.

Extended Life

With more repairs and better care, comes a potentially longer life. When your heating technician is able to spot small problems early, you can avoid the catastrophic problems that some repairs can cause if they are ignored.

Greater Efficiency

Over time, everything starts to break down. As your heating system begins to age, moving parts will start to wear out and start to make the system work harder. After a while this can negatively impact the performance of your heating system. With regular maintenance, your heating technician can replace and tend to parts of your system that would otherwise begin to break down. This increases the overall efficiency of the system.

More Reliability

In addition to all of these other benefits, you will also most likely experience an increase in reliability from your heating system. Just like a car that doesn’t receive regular maintenance, your heating system will turn on and run more reliably when you have someone inspecting it and tuning it up regularly.

If you’re interested in scheduling heating maintenance for the heating system in your Bergen County home, contact the experts at DB Heating and Cooling. We have years of experience offering comprehensive heating services throughout the Bergen County area. Give us a call today! 

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Bergen County Furnace Guide: Different Types of Furnace Filters

Monday, November 5th, 2012

A good filter for your Bergen County home’s furnace is a must. Because that device heats and blows air throughout your home, you want to be sure that it doesn’t recycle contaminants and bacteria that could easily be captured at the air handler. That’s why it’s vital to choose the right furnace filter on the first try. Here are some furnace filters to consider and their various benefits to your home and family:

  • Electrostatic – Most electrostatic filters are permanent and must be washed on a regular basis. They are electronically charged to capture particles as they pass through, much like a magnet. These filters are effective because they are both physical and electronic. However, keep in mind that they are only as efficient as the cleaning they receive.
  • HEPA – HEPA is the highest rating available for a filtration system, removing up to 99.9% of all particles as small as 0.3 microns. However, they are also inefficient when used in furnaces as they severely reduce air flow. They are not often recommended for this reason.
  • Pleated – Pleated filters come in both reusable and permanent forms and can be either purely mechanical or electrostatic. There is a very wide range of efficiency ratings for pleated filters so make sure you analyze your home’s specific needs before selecting any one pleated filter.
  • Activated Carbon – Activated carbon is unique from the other three filter types because it effectively removes fumes, odors and chemicals from indoor air along with other larger particles. It is recommended that if you choose an activated carbon filter, you supplement it with a pleated or electrostatic filter (or choose a combination filter) to remove all unwanted components from your home.

There are a lot of options when it comes to furnace filters. To make sure you get only the best air quality, talk to a Bergen County furnace professional such as DB Heating & Cooling who can help you determine which pollutants are the biggest problem in your home.

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Which Fuel is Right for Your Home?

Monday, October 29th, 2012

Homeowners all want to save money on household expenses and utility bills. We turn off lights when we leave the room, take shorter showers and make sure the kids don’t keep the refrigerator door open. These small habits help, but still we all want to save a little wherever we can, right?

One area where people are constantly looking for ways to save money in Waldwick is heating. Everyone wants to be comfortable and warm in their homes, but that costs money, so homeowners are always on the lookout for the most effective and cost efficient way to keep the house warm.

What is the most cost effective fuel for home heating?

Is it natural gas, electric, fuel oil or propane?

We all wish there was one easy, all-encompassing answer to this question, like a heating magic bullet that would keep every family warm and happy for pennies on the dollar. Unfortunately, there isn’t. It depends on too many factors for any one solution to work for everyone.

Probably the biggest factor that plays a role in the cost of a particular fuel is its local availability. Resources are available differentially, so that while one option might be cheapest for a family of five in Andover, Massachusetts, the analysis is entirely different for a single person in Kearney, Nebraska.

What is the most cost effective option for you?

That is a better question, but still not one that is necessarily easy to answer.

To figure it out, you need to carefully analyze several factors:

  • Local availability (see above)
  • Local climate
  • Size of your home
  • Your family’s needs
  • Existing heating equipment
  • Your budget

Armed with this information, you can do a careful comparison of the options available to you. For assistance you can use an online calculator to compare fuel costs, such as this one from the Energy Information Administration or this one from Hearth.com. Or, if all else fails, call a your local Waldwick heating contractor for a professional assessment.

Comparing fuel costs and choosing the right solution for you may take some time, but the savings can be well worth it. Call DB Heating & Cooling, Inc today if you need heating service in Waldwick and the surrounding area!

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Hohokus Heating Question: What Is an Electronic Ignition?

Monday, October 1st, 2012

Gas furnaces are very complex pieces of equipment. Modern ones in particular are designed to use as little gas as possible, and to recapture as much of the heat generated from burning that gas as can be done safely. One of the many safety and energy-efficient advances in furnace technology in the least twenty years is the electronic ignition.

The Purpose of Electronic Ignition

In older furnaces in Hohokus, a pilot light would stay lit continuously whenever the heating system needed to be available. That meant continuously burning gas throughout the fall, winter and spring months for those times when heat was needed. It was inefficient and unsafe, especially in older devices that didn’t have safety valves.

Today, furnaces are built with electronic ignitions – small devices that only ignite the gas supply when the thermostat is on. there are two types of electronic ignition used in boilers and furnaces today.

  • Intermittent Pilot – An intermittent pilot is unique in that it releases a spark through an electronic component to the gas pilot, lighting the gas burners.
  • Hot Surface Ignition – Hot surface ignition uses an electronic filament (like a lightbulb) to heat up and ignite the burners when the thermostat calls for heat.

Both devices are designed to use a very small amount of electricity and reduce the amount of gas needed for continuous operation of your furnace.

Safety Benefits of an Electronic Ignition

While gas efficiency was a big part of the transition from pilot lights to electronic ignition, safety was an equally big component. Whereas before, the pilot light was continuously lit, meaning gas was continuously flowing into the furnace, today’s furnaces are essentially off when not in use. This means less of a chance that gas will flow unburned or that the pilot will get dirty or burn too soft, releasing carbon monoxide.

If your Hohokus furnace still uses a traditional pilot light, consider having it upgraded to electronic ignition, not just to save gas but to keep your home and family safer. For more information about features in new heating systems, give DB Heating & Cooling a call!

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Happy President’s Day from Your Bergen County HVAC Contractors!

Monday, February 20th, 2012

Everyone at DB Heating & Cooling, Inc. wishes you a very happy President’s Day! We hope you all get a chance to take advantage of some of the great sales! It is also a great time to think about how you can make your community a better place. Lend a neighbor a helping hand or volunteer your time; everyone doing a little good can make a big difference!  Being more green is also a good way to help you community, and upgrading your HVAC system can be a big part of that. If you have an older system that is using a lot of fuel, a new system will not only save you money but also help you make your home more environmentally friendly, which is good for everyone.

One of the traditions of celebrating Presidents Day is food made with cherries, in honor of George Washington, so here is a great recipe for some Cherry-Blueberry Pie:

“A fruity and fun surprise awaits you inside this double crusted cherry and blueberry pie.”

INGREDIENTS:

1 (15 ounce) package refrigerated pie

crusts

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling

1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries

1 egg white

1 teaspoon water

2 teaspoons sugar

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
  2. Press one of the pie crusts into a 9 inch pie plate. In a large bowl, stir together 1/2 cup of sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Stir in the cherry pie filling and blueberries. Spoon into the pie crust. Top with the second crust, and press the edges to seal. Flute edges, or press with the tines of a fork. In a cup, whisk together the egg white and water with a fork. Brush over the top of the pie, then sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of sugar.
  3. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crust is golden brown. Cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil if they appear to be getting too dark. Cool for at least 2 hours to allow the filling to set before serving.

This recipe is from allrecipes.com, visit their site for more details!

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