Total Energy News and Insights

What to do what to do to stay cool To be honest I started looking around the internet for Central Air units because of the massive heat wave/ heat index rise that has been floating over the Northeast. While I work for a heating and cooling company, I just bought a house that I don't want and can't do major work to, yet. That didn't mean I haven't asked around to figure what is involved. My home doesn't have ductwork as it is a forced hot water boiler heated home. I have baseboards in all the rooms that bring heat to the rooms, meaning that I can't just add central air conditioning to the ductwork in my home. That doesn't mean that I can't add ductwork to the attic of my home to get central ac. There are several different types of AC that you can have installed in your home, which we've talked about here before. Central AC, Mini-Split ductless AC, Window AC, and Portable (not even worth the hassle) each have their own benefits and downfalls. ...

This is Going to be one for the Record Books We've been experiencing a wide arrange of extreme weather over the past few years, from a year of monthly global temperature records, to record setting cold last winter to record setting warmth this past winter and a relatively mild summer last year.  This summer looks to be a more traditional hot summer for us in New England. The Weather Channel has published there 3 month temperature prediction for June through August and as you see above, we're in for a hot summer.  That will mean a lot of fans and/or AC's running to keep you cool. This could also mean a lot of time in the pool or by the beach. When it comes to keeping cool inside of your home, it's important to make sure that you're mini-split and central AC's are properly maintained. Like your heating system, your cooling system needs to be properly maintained to keep running at it's optimal level. Having your cooling system running at it's o...

We Could Experience much Warmer Temps this Summer Last year and even the year before that we talked about El Nino and boy did it come, we saw one of the mildest winters this past winter. Now what, El Nino is the warming of the waters in the pacific, but what happens after the water has warmed? After the warm has warmed, it naturally cools off this is called La Nina. Traditionally La Nina follows El Nino's and present the opposite effects of El Nino. Of course La Nina don't always follow El Nino's, in the past we've seen El Nino's that extend into the next winter or La Nina's that extend for several years. For this year most weather outlets are predicting that we'll see a La Nina arrive around Fall or Winter. To understand what we might see this summer we have to look at last year. For 2015 we didn't see the real El Nino until mid fall and it continued through mid winter, but its effects were seen during the summer.  It brought us unseas...

It's Air Conditioning Season! Who would have ever thought after the horrible February and March that we experienced that the time to think about air conditioning would come.  Looking at the 10 day forecast on May 4th shows only one day below 70 for Worcester and 3 days below 70 for Providence. It finally feels that warmer weather is going to stick around, even April felt as if winter didn't want to let go of it's grip on New England completely. With high temps in the 70's and 80's this week it seems that we have finally hit the turning point away from winter.  With temperatures this high central air conditioning and mini-split air conditioners can be properly installed and calibrated. Now I'm sure that no one is digging out the windowed air conditioners yet, the warmth is welcomed since the cold of this past winter is still fresh in our minds.  Soon enough we'll be complaining about the humidity and heat, searching for relief.  Most of u...

Boilers use Water while Furnaces use Air to Heat Homes. When the cold air hits and the familiar sound of the heating system isn't heard, it's time to have your heating system looked at and possibly replaced.  A common issue that comes about is what kind of heating system do I have, a boiler or a furnaces and what is the difference? Well there is a big difference between the two, first is the efficiency and how the each equipment heats the home. Boilers use water or steam, while furnaces use air to heat the home. This is where the terms forced hot air or forced hot water come from, as the system will force heated water through base boards or radiators or heated air through duct work. Boilers traditionally are more energy efficient than furnaces due to the delivery of the heated source.  There is a lower amount of energy loss from piping involved with a boiler than the duct work that is required for a furnace.  The energy energy rating fo...

A introduction to the pros and cons of Ductless or Split Air Conditioners As the summer weather start to creep into New England, much slower than in past years we begin to wonder how to stay cool or when the Air Conditioners (AC) should be put in. Air Conditioners are the most convenient way to stay cool inside the home, but which type of AC should I use? Windowed AC units offer the lowest entry point as far as price is concerned, while Duct Central AC can be paired with existing ductwork in the home from a furnace with a much higher entry point.  In recent years an alternative to these forms has gained a lot of momentum in the market, Ductless or Split AC. A Ductless or Split AC unit is just as the name refers, ductless and split refers to the fact that the AC unit is separate from the compressor. Most commonly a split AC unit is mounted to a wall inside the home, it is positioned where it will provide the most comfort while being as close to the compressor as possible. T...