Boston Plumbing and Heating Blog

When most people think about plumbers, they usually think about water lines or stopped up drains. However, there is much more to plumbers and plumbing and many plumbers specialize in specific areas like home remodeling or installing sprinkler systems.

One task that plumbers perform which often gets overlooked is the natural gas line plumber. These plumbers work with the installation or repair of natural gas lines. A natural gas plumber is used for the installation or repair of water heaters, HVAC systems, stoves, outdoor grills or gas fireplaces and inserts.

A plumber needs to have a license in Massachusetts to perform work and install gas lines in the Boston and Worcester areas. When looking for a plumber to help with a natural gas issue, homeowners should consider whether the plumber has a master plumbing license. The master plumbing license signifies a high degree of experience, qualifications and knowledge regarding the plumbing profession.

Our professional plumbers are trained to perform work in your home or to perform commercial plumbing work. Greater Boston Plumbing & Heating can handle everything from garbage disposal clogs and replacement, leaking toilets, faucet replacement to water heater repairs and installations. Contact us.

Angie’s List Articles

Fall is here and the colder weather is on the way. If you want to cut down on your heating bills this winter, put heating system maintenance on your list of essential fall chores. Make your HVAC system work harder and smarter for you.

Annual heating system tune-ups are recommended to clear a year’s worth of dust and gunk from your furnace or boiler. During your heating system regular maintenance call, plumbers will check or replace air filters, oil filters, and nozzles; clean the heat exchanger; determine if the chimney needs to be professionally cleaned; adjust the burner; and test combustion safety. This maintenance is a good investment that can shave 3-8% off your heating bill and help you avoid costly crises in the dead of winter. Your furnace needs to keep you warm in the winter, Greater Boston Plumbing will keep your furnace running safely and efficiently. Our expert technicians repair, service and maintain gas furnaces of any make, model or brand.

It takes more than just a boiler or furnace to heat your home effectively, though.  The whole system includes pipes or ducts that distribute heat throughout your home; thermostats that control when the burner fires; and whole-house insulation that provides the context and keeps the heat where you want it. The fall is the perfect time to determine where your house is wasting energy. Plan improvements that help your whole house – not just your heating system – function at a higher level.

In fact, it’s not unusual for whole-house air sealing and insulation upgrades to cut heating and cooling costs by 25-50%. Even better, the improvements that dramatically reduce energy costs also make homes more comfortable year-round, treat basement moisture problems, and reduce the likelihood of ice dams.

Need a new, more efficient heating system, we can help with that too. Contact Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating.

Original article - BDNMaine

Winter is fast approaching. It is best to have furnace maintenance done, or perhaps even have your  furnace replaced before the cold hits and you find you have a problem. Do you need a new furnace? If so, here are some furnace buying tips to consider:

1) Size matters: One of the most important factors when buying a furnace is to have a professional installer examine the size of the house and then determine the size of the furnace necessary for the space. A furnace that is too large leaves gaps in temperature as it turns on until it overwhelms the thermostat. The house ends up cooling down until the next cycle and creates an inconsistent temperature. A furnace that is the right size will be able to better regulate a constant temperature.

2) Fewer emissions: Being energy and environmentally conscious does not have to stop at the furnace. A hybrid furnace is one of the cleanest and most efficient combination solid fuel-burning furnaces on the market today. The furnace switches from wood to oil or electric automatically and if the furnace runs out of wood a second thermostat will keep the house nice and toasty.

3) Don’t buy on price alone: Always be sure to ask a professional installer, contractor or reputable salesperson about annual operating costs for whatever furnaces you may be looking at. While there are a variety of factors to consider, price should not necessarily be number one. Efficiencies, however, can vary drastically depending on price, which means that if you pay more up front now, you’ll still enjoy lower heating bills 10 or 15 years later.

4) Get the right documentation: Any reputable installer or manufacturer will be sure to not only include the purchase agreement and warranty information but also explain exactly what you are getting.

5) Correct installation and maintenance: Furnace installation should be done by a trained professional as not only can it be a safety hazard but if anything is off it can severely impact your efficiency. Regular maintenance, generally in the fall, will keep the furnace performing like it should.

Need help buying and installing a new furnace? Contact Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating.

Excerpts – Calgary Sun

Are you interested in saving money on home heating this winter? Good, because home heating experts say that heating bills will be high this winter. Now is the time to replace your home heating system. And while you are at it, you can also take advantage of the tax credit for energy-efficient upgrades which expired at the end of the year.

Call a plumber if you want to more efficiently heat your home this winter and for many winters to come. Replacing and upgrading heating systems makes you eligible for up to a $500 tax credit.

Claims can only be made for your primary residence. Here are the details on what heating system upgrades or HVAC upgrades qualify:

Heating, cooling, and water heating –

• Homeowners who buy HVAC equipment that meets federal requirements can apply for tax credits equal to the full cost of the equipment up to the following caps:
• Advanced main air circulating fan: $50.
• Natural gas, propane, or oil furnace or new hot water boiler with an annual fuel utilization rate of 95 or greater: $150.
• Electric heat pump water heater with an energy factor of at least 2.0: $300.
• Electric heat pump that achieves the highest efficiency tier established by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE): $300.
• Central air conditioner that achieves the highest efficiency tier established by the CEE: $300.
• Natural gas, propane, or oil water heater that has either an energy factor of at least 0.82 or a thermal efficiency of at least 90 percent: $300.
• Biomass stoves that use plant-derived fuel such as wood pellets: $300.

For more information and to take advantage of tax credits, contact Greater Boston Plumbing and Heating.

Qualifying information from Consumer Reports

A heat pump heats your home during the winter and cools it during the summer. It is recommended that homeowners perform routine maintenance on home heating systems and heat pumps before the cold weather sets in for good in Boston and Worcester.

Heat pump maintenance is important. Small problems that are not addressed early can lead to very expensive problems down the road. Maintaining a heat pump is more technical than maintenance for the average more traditional heating system, so a professional service person is needed when and if the pump malfunctions and for regular service and maintenance calls. You can keep the system free of dirt by keeping the filter clean and by keeping the flow of air unobstructed.

Cold weather can wreak havoc on outdoor air conditioning and heating equipment. The outdoor heat pump may ice up outside. Some of that is normal in a heat pump. However, excessive build-up of more than 1/8 of an inch is a reason to call the professionals.

If the outdoor heat pump is steaming, don’t panic. The colder the outdoor temperature, the more the system needs to go through a defrost cycle. Do not be alarmed; people with new heat pumps have seen them steaming in the cold weather and have thought the heat pump was on fire.

Outdoor Maintenance for a Heat Pump

It's important to replace the filters and clean and lubricate the components of a heat pump on a regular basis. But heat pumps have an outdoor unit that contains a compressor, a coil, a fan, and other components. To function properly, this unit should be kept free of debris such as leaves and dirt. The unit should be level on its concrete support pad.

Clean pine needles, leaves, and dirt out of updraft fans regularly. Make sure the power to the unit is off before tackling this type of cleaning. A vacuum cleaner hose can sometimes be inserted between the fan blades to remove debris from the sides and bottom of the unit.

At the beginning of each heating season, the unit should be serviced. It is important to be sure that the metal cabinet is level from side to side and from front to back. The piping insulation should also be checked for deterioration. If this insulation is faulty it needs to be replaced.

For heat pump service, maintenance, and repair, contact Greater Boston Heating and Plumbing.

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