The decision to replace a furnace can be difficult. If the decision to replace hasn’t already been made by circumstance, cost is the usually primary factor in the decision. Can you afford to replace your heating equipment, or can you get one more season out of the old furnace? Boston homes need heating equipment that [...]

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Last week, I talked about air conditioner efficiency in terms of window air conditioners. In some situations, window air conditioners will work just fine. For some homeowners in Boston, central air conditioning is the preferred solution because it cools the entire house, instead of a single room or selected rooms. As a brief refresher, the [...]

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In Boston, air conditioning is needed only for a few months during the year, so homeowners may wonder whether central air conditioning is really needed? Will window units suffice? How much will central air conditioning cost to install, maintain and operate? One big part of the answer is efficiency. Highly efficient central air conditioners may [...]

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Homeowners around the country may have been surprised to learn that new HCFC-22 air conditioners – that is, new air conditioning units that run on R-22 refrigerant – are no longer sold in the US. The change, which took effect on January 1, 2010, is part of the global effort to reduce harmful hydrochlorofluorocarbons emitted [...]

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Winter is coming to an end, and that means lower heating bills, but it also means that homeowners should be thinking about air conditioning in Boston homes. Maintenance is key to keeping your Boston air conditioning working as efficiently as possible throughout the summer cooling season. Air conditioners require maintenance each season, even though it [...]

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Homeowners haven’t totally missed the boat on last year’s home heating tax credits. Boston home heating can hit you right where it counts – in the pocketbook – so programs designed to reduce the cost of modernizing your Boston home heating system are welcome, no matter how much they cover. This year, the generous $1,500 [...]

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As the fall temperatures turn colder, most Boston homeowners are thinking about winterizing their homes. This post has a few tips for helping to reduce heating costs by winterizing your Boston home. In future posts, I’ll help you winterize a home that is (or will be) vacant during the winter months. The first step in [...]

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Few home disasters are worse than water in areas of the home that are supposed to be dry. Leaking roofs, windows and doors, leaking pipes, faulty appliances and condensation are all sources of water in the home. There are some water problems plumbers can’t take care of, but this post will discuss hidden water damage [...]

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Last month, two of our technicians received the core North American Technical Excellence (NATE) certification and we have plans to certify all of our technicians within the year. Joe Wood, owner of Boston Standard Plumbing & Heating and Peter Balestra, who were NATE certified in May, will now pursue NATE HVAC certification. We’re also excited [...]

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In today’s post, I turn my attention to a growing problem in the Boston area: copper theft. Unfortunately, copper is in high demand right now, making plumbing and air conditioning installations prime targets for copper thieves. How can you protect your Boston plumbing and air conditioning from scrappers? The price of scrap copper has risen [...]

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