fall 2019

Energy Matters

personally speaking

Erinn Woodcock

raising the bar on clean-burning Bioheat® fuel

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Dear Friends,

We are firmly committed to green energy solutions that not only enhance comfort and convenience for our customers but also save money over the long term while protecting the environment.

That’s why we have been delivering Bioheat instead of traditional heating oil for some years now. As you may know, Bioheat is a fuel made by mixing ultra-low-sulfur heating oil with biodiesel — a renewable energy resource produced in America that’s often made from the fatty acids found in soy, corn and other vegetable oils.

This year, we increased the percentage of biodiesel in our blend to 20%. This B20 Bioheat fuel will burn even cleaner, and generates fewer emissions than

natural gas! As the weather keeps

getting cooler, remember that you can put total confidence in your friends at Needham Oil Complete Heating and Cooling — our dedicated

team of experienced professionals will always take care of you when you need us.

Warmly,

Erinn Woodcock

our new website makes it easy

If you haven’t seen it yet, please visit our updated website. We’ve increased the amount of helpful information it provides and made it easier to navigate.

You can also request service appointments, read troubleshooting tips, learn about payment pricing options and pay your bill.

We have many options that can save you money, add convenience and improve your comfort. So whether you want to know how to save money on new heating and cooling equipment, need to schedule a service cal or just want to make an easy, secure online payment, our website delivers a world of Complete convenience.

Please browse our site to read more about all that we can do for you and then contact us so that we can make sure you’re Completely happy. And remember, Complete Can’t Be Beat!

Visit NeedhamOil.com today and let us know what you think!our family just got bigger

We’re pleased to announce that Tom Fricker Heating & Cooling has become part of the Needham Complete family, bringing even more HVAC expertise to our roster of fantastic technicians and installers. They have a great reputation, and will

be a strong complement to our business. Now we will have an office in Franklin as well as Needham, more techs, and better ability to help more customers, faster. One more reason you can be Completely comfortable with us.

Burning Questions About Heating Your HomeThe journey to seek out better comfort can bring you much wisdom.

We hope you will find more peace after reading these answers from our home comfort wizard.

Is it ever possible to fix a heating problem on my own?

While many types of malfunctions can cause your system to operate poorly (or not operate at all), the problems outlined below are not only quite common, but relatively easy and inexpensive to fix.

Power switches turned of fIf your heat stops working, these are among the first things you should check. First, it often happens that the power switches for the heating system have been turned off by mistake. Simply turn the electrical switches back to the “on” position and your problem may be solved.

Unchecked a ir f i l t ers or water l eve l

If you have a furnace, change or clean the filters about once a month; a dirty filter compromises efficiency and can even result in a shutdown. If you have a steam boiler, check the water gauge periodically. Low water levels are a leading cause of boiler shutdowns. Steam boilers should also be “flushed” when the water in the sight glass looks rusty.

Tr ipped c i r cu i t breaker Going to the circuit breaker box and flipping the proper switch may be all you need to get running again. However, a circuit breaker rarely ever trips for no reason. If this happens once and never happens again, consider it a fluke. But if this happens more often, arrange for service, as this could be a sign of a serious problem.

Faulty thermostatMany instances of heating systems not working can be traced to the thermostat, which sends a signal to your boiler or furnace to generate heat. If the wiring is deteriorating, these signals may get erratic. A buildup of dust inside your thermostat is another common culprit. You may also need to change the batteries in your thermostat.

Can you enlighten me about improving my heating efficiency?

A study of over 1,000 homes across the country showed that consumers are getting short-changed on energy efficiency because of a combination of poor equipment installation and lax maintenance.*

After adjustments were made to correct problems, however, efficiency improved, on average, by a phenomenal 36%! This was accomplished through the following methods:

cleaning and adjusting the system — on average, annual maintenance alone can save you about 10% on annual heating costs.

correcting flaws made during the initial installation, such as poorly matched ductwork.

sealing the ductwork to prevent air leaks.

improving insulation in the home in areas where air leaks caused significant energy losses.

As you can see, a few fixes could save you a lot of money on heat and keep you more comfortable.

Would it be prudent to turn off the heat in some rooms?

Sure, you wants to save money on heating your home, but you don’t want to cause problems while you’re at it. One common mistake we see is when people drastically reduce or completely shut off the heat in different zones of their home.

While you might think you’ll save a little on heating costs, shutting off radiators or closing vents creates the possibility that pipes will freeze — especially in rooms that tend to be colder anyway. That’s a really costly problem.

If you have a furnace, closing some vents disrupts normal air flow, causing an imbalance that will just make your furnace work harder and strain your ductwork.

It’s best to keep heat flowing to all the rooms in your home.

A better idea is to keep the temperature at a comfortable level throughout your home and program your system to energy-saving settings when the house is empty or everyone is asleep.

If you have a zoned system, you can vary the temperature in different rooms, eliminating the temptation of shutting the heat off completely in some parts of your home.

Would I be wise to turn my thermostat way up to get warm fast?

Your heating system doesn’t work like a car — there is no gas pedal to step on to make it go faster. Your furnace or boiler will produce heat at the same rate regardless of whether your thermostat is set to 68 degrees or 85 degrees. (Setting the thermostat higher just makes your system work longer.)

Hot Tip #1 : For better temperature control, trade in your old manual thermostat for a digital, programmable one. This allows you to automate your home temperature settings and can help you reduce your energy use and save as much as 10%.

Hot Tip #2: Never program your thermostat below 60 degrees, even if you’ll be away from home for a period of time.

When your thermostat setting is too low, you risk frozen pipes. Water pipes near outside walls or in unheated spaces are especially

prone to freeze-ups. The risk increases if cracks in your foundation allow cold air to seep into your home.

*Source: National Comfort Institute

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Dick AtkinsonService Manager

Q: How do I know when it’s time to replace my heating system?

A: This is an age-old question, especially if you’re facing an expensive repair. Here are some factors to consider:

Age. The average life span of a furnace is 20 years; boilers generally last a little longer. Start planning for a replacement if your system is creeping up in age.

Repair vs. replacement costs. If you’re not dealing with small, easy and inexpensive repairs, it’s time to crunch some numbers. If the cost to repair your heating system is at least half the cost of a replacement, it makes sense to invest in a new system.

Improving efficiency and comfort. The older a heating system gets, the less efficient it will become. The efficiency of a new heating system will not only save you money but keep your home more comfortable.

Contact us today if you would like to learn more about your options in new heating.

Thousands of dollars in Mass Save rebates are available in 2019 — but are not confirmed for 2020. Get them while they last! Call today.

ask the expert

how we made one customer Completely happyLast spring, Freda S., of Newton, asked us to install a new boiler and water heater — and she couldn’t be happier.

“The heating system was 40 years old, so it was really overdue be replaced,” says Freda, who is looking forward to staying warm for less with her new, high-efficiency boiler. And she is already enjoying the benefits of her indirect-fired water heater, which

connects to her boiler and provides plenty of hot water at a low cost.

“I would recommend Needham to anyone,” she says. “The service is excellent, prices are reasonable and I am impressed that their employees always seem happy to

be working there. A lot of them have been with the company a while. That speaks volumes to me about the quality of a company.”

snapshotMany of you may already know Jen Atkinson — or at least recognize her voice. Besides greeting and assisting customers when they call our office, Jen also dispatches service calls to our technicians.

“It’s fun to work with a team of professionals who are focused on providing the best service possible to our customers,” says Jen, who joined us last year after working as a teacher for about 10 years. “I really enjoy working with my father, Dick, who is our service manager. We work closely together.” (Read more about Dick in the article below.)

Off the job, Jen enjoys kick-boxing to stay in shape and likes traveling, including visits to the Caribbean and Hawaii.