When it comes to comparing boilers, one measure you’ll hear a lot about is AFUE, or Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency rating. Think of AFUE as you would MPG for your car – the higher the number, the more efficiently your boiler runs.
The problem is that calculating boiler efficiency in real world conditions is much more complicated than simply measuring AFUE performance. To understand true boiler efficiency, you need to consider other factors; we’ll explore those factors in this week’s blog.

Boiler efficiency in the real world

Did you know that you could spend as much as $800 a year more on boiler fuel than a neighbor whose boiler has a nearly identical AFUE rating?
That’s possible because AFUE only measures energy lost to the chimney – which means it doesn’t take into account such factors as:

• Jacket loss – Heat lost when it escapes your boiler as it sits in the cold basement.
• Idle loss – Conventional boilers often run day and night to keep hot water available – even if it isn’t needed.
• Loss from draft regulators – Draft regulators draw in cold outside air through windows and doors, which means your boiler has to work harder to maintain temperatures.
• Heating load mismatch – If your boiler isn’t sized for your space, it will overwork and run less efficiently than its spec suggests.
• Insufficient maintenance – Your boiler will lose 5-10 percent or more of its performance every year without proper maintenance.

These inefficiencies – along with poor maintenance and improper installation – can really pad your bill. But there is a way to minimize or even eliminate these problems.

System 2000 – A different kind of boiler

Ace-Robbins features a unique boiler solution for your home – the Energy Kinetics System 2000®, which combines boiler and water heater functions to maximize efficiency in all seasons.
The unique design of the System 2000 significantly reduces or eliminates chimney, jacket, idle, and draft regulator loss, cutting your bills by hundreds of dollars every year. The System 2000 also heats water up six times faster than most water heaters.
A System 2000 boiler – sized, installed, and serviced by an expert Ace-Robbins technician – is an investment in your home comfort that will pay for your family for years to come.
Contact Ace-Robbins today for a FREE estimate on a System 2000 for your Northeastern Pennsylvania home!

September 25 was National Tune-up Day – a day set aside to remind all of us homeowners how important it is to schedule routine annual maintenance for our HVAC system.
Performed by a qualified technician, an annual tune-up will not only keep your equipment operating at peak efficiency (which means lower energy bills), it will also help you catch small issues before they become costly repairs – or before your heating system fails when you need it most (on average about four out of five major repairs are avoidable, so maintenance more than pays for itself in the long run).
An annual tune-up is included in all Ace-Robbins Service plans, whether you choose basic Preventative coverage or more fulsome Comprehensive coverage. Whatever plan you choose, our expert staff will be ready to deliver the personal and exceptional experience you deserve as an Ace-Robbins customer.
Check out the details of our service plans here – including plans for your cooling system and gas fireplace – or just call us to find out what plan is right for you.
Keep the spirit of National Tune-Up Day going – sign up for a high-value Ace-Robbins Service Plan today!

Fall is less than two weeks away – time to start think about keeping your family warm in your Pennsylvania home! Here are three things you can do in the coming weeks to make a smooth switch to heating season in the weeks and months ahead:

1. Enroll in an Ace-Robbins Service Plan – Your heating system needs regular maintenance to operate safely and at peak efficiency. The best way to get that maintenance? Enroll in an Ace-Robbins Service Plan. Available for your heating oil and propane heating equipment, our Service Plans are available at two levels: Preventative, which includes a tune-up plus the routine services you need to keep your equipment running at its best, and Comprehensive, which maximizes protection by covering an extensive range of replacement parts.
2. Sign up for Automatic Delivery – Let us manage your propane and heating oil fill-ups with FREE Automatic Delivery. We’ll schedule your delivery based on your average usage and the current weather, visiting when your tank is about one-quarter full. You’ll get priority winter fuel deliveries and you’ll never have to look at your fuel gauge again – all at no cost to you. If you’re a propane customer and want even more peace of mind, sign up for our tank monitoring service, which gives our delivery team an up-to-the-minute reading of your current propane levels.
3. Take advantage of our convenient payment and pricing programs – An unexpectedly high heating bill can really be a drag – especially around the holidays. That’s why we offer our EZ Pay Plan: with EZ Pay, we’ll estimate your annual bill based on your past usage, then split that bill into 12 equal monthly installments. You’ll pay the same fee for your oil every month, no matter how much fuel you use. You’ll even get a 15-cent per gallon discount on your fuel!
   Want to make bill paying even easier? Sign up for Auto Pay: you’ll save a stamp, save time, and you’ll never have to worry about late fees again. Want another option? Set up an online account with Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) – you’ll still get the 15-cent per gallon discount, plus a $25 credit on your next delivery. Check out the Ace-Robbins Customer Portal to register your account and get started.

Be ready for the cool weather to come with convenient services from Ace-Robbins. Contact us today to learn more!

Imagine coming in from the cold this fall and winter to a roaring fire – all at the click of a button, with no wood-fire set-up and clean-up hassles.
You can get all those benefits and more – including emergency heat in the event of a power outage – when you install a propane gas fireplace, cast iron stove, or fireplace insert from Ace-Robbins.

Propane hearths: A fireplace experience with no wood fire hassles

It used to be that having a fireplace meant investing a small fortune in masonry construction, followed by years of wood gathering and ash cleanup (not to mention chimney maintenance).
But now there are some great propane fireplace alternatives that give you all of the benefits of burning wood – plus a couple of added ones that no wood-burning hearth can match.
With a propane fireplace, you will:

• Add a centerpiece to your living room – A propane fireplace brings your family all the relaxation and visual appeal of a wood fireplace at the push of a button.
• Save money by turning down your furnace – A propane fireplace is actually a propane space heater – which means it is an extremely efficient heat source that can easily warm an entire room. With that kind of heat, you can take your thermostat down a notch and save money on your home energy bills.
• Enjoy consistent, controllable heating – even during a power outage – Today’s propane fireplaces are equipped with thermostats to give you precision temperature control – and since they’re not powered by electricity, they will continue to deliver heat even during a power outage.

Regency and Monessen fireplaces: Quality construction with the feel of a wood fire

At Ace-Robbins, we feature quality propane fireplaces from Regency and Monessen – two of today’s leading manufacturers of propane hearths. Whether you want a free-standing fireplace or a built-in, we have vented and vent-free options in styles to match any décor.
Don’t miss a chance to gather your family around the fire this fall and winter. Contact us today for a FREE, no obligation estimate on a propane fireplace for your Pennsylvania home! Serving Scranton, Tunkhannock, Laceyville, Montrose, Clarks Summit, and Dallas.

A whole-house propane backup generator is a lot like an insurance policy: you never know the value of one until you really need it.
When severe weather wreaks havoc with the power grid – as it did last month during historic flooding here in Pennsylvania – there are few things more comforting than knowing that your lights will stay on until power is restored.
But having a backup generator installed in your home does a lot more than keep you out of the dark: by getting your home comfort systems back up and running quickly (usually within 30 seconds after the power goes out), your whole house propane generator will:

1. Protect your home – A generator will keep your sump pump up and running.
2. Preserve your food – Generators can keep hundreds of dollars of food from spoiling – and keep your stove and oven working, too.
3. Power your medical devices – A whole house generator can literally be a lifesaver, keeping emergency medical equipment online and working.
4. Keep your valuables safe – With a whole house generator, home security systems will keep protecting your valuables.
5. Help you stay connected – Battery operated radios, laptops, tablets and cellphones need to be recharged. A generator will help keep you connected.
6. Keep you comfortable – A whole house generator will keep your air conditioner and dehumidifier running in the hot months, and if you run an electric heater in the winter, it will keep you warm, too.

For all these reasons plus peace of mind in any weather, nothing beats a back-up generator – especially when it’s installed by the pros at Ace-Robbins.
For a limited time, you can save $500 on a backup generator installation! Contact Ace-Robbins today to get a FREE, no obligation estimate on a propane generator for your Pennsylvania home.

You can learn just about anything on the internet these days – but when it comes to repairing home heating equipment, watching a three minute video is no substitute for the years of advanced training it takes to become a certified HVAC contractor.
The truth is that servicing today’s high-tech home comfort systems presents challenges that only experts are equipped to handle. Attempting to repair or replace parts of a modern furnace, boiler or water heater can result in a mess at best and a danger to your family at worst (considering the risk of carbon monoxide build-up that can result from a poorly executed repair.
The safety of your family is always the top priority – for you and for us. If you need to repair your home heating equipment, please do not attempt to do it yourself – contact Ace-Robbins and sign up for a Comprehensive Maintenance Plan.
Our certified, licensed, and insured technicians have the experience, tools, and genuine replacement parts on hand to fix your problem quickly and service it correctly so you can get back to enjoying the comforts of home right away. If a heating system upgrade makes more sense as an investment for you, we can walk you through options to find the perfect fit for your home and budget.
Contact us today to learn more about expert heating system service from Ace-Robbins – just in time for the fall to come!

Summer is going by us quickly, and as we head into September you may find that your propane tank is reaching the end of its long life (assuming, of course, that it can’t be refilled and used again safely – contact us to learn more).
Just remember: since propane is a flammable material, tanks containing propane cannot be discarded with your regular trash! Instead, they must be properly recycled.
To recycle your single-use or refillable grill tanks in Pennsylvania – including large grilling propane tanks, medium-sized tanks used for camping stoves, etc. – contact your local household hazardous waste (HHW) collection program and ask if they will accept single-use or refillable propane cylinders. To view a list of HHW collections in PA, please visit the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Programs page at PA.gov. If that doesn’t work, contact us – we will help you figure it out.
You can find instructions for small propane tanks used for camp lights and smaller stoves here.

Most people don’t want to think about keeping one eye on their gas or heating oil gauge all winter long – and no one wants to deal with the hassles and potential risks of running out of fuel when the mercury plummets like it did last January and February.
Fortunately, Ace-Robbins offers a FREE service that can help you avoid these problems altogether: automatic delivery.
Here’s how it works:

• Our propane and heating oil delivery teams will use special software to estimate how much fuel you’re likely to use based on your past bills and the current weather (if you’re a new customer, we’ll estimate based on local averages for a home your size).
• Your delivery will be scheduled when your tank is about one-quarter full.
• That’s it! You will never have to think about your fuel levels, worry about run-outs, or manage your heating oil delivery again. You’ll also get priority service over will-call customers.

If it’s such a great service, why is Automatic Delivery free?

Automatic Delivery is free because it helps us schedule our fuel delivery routes efficiently so we can serve all our customers and avoid having to send crews out to deal with emergency run-outs. You get hassle-free fuel management, we get efficient routes and happy customers – it’s a win for everyone!

The bottom line

Fuel run-outs are a costly and potentially dangerous mistake: extinguished pilot lights can be a safety hazard, and a professional restart of your heating system will come out of your pocket. With FREE automatic delivery, you can say goodbye to hassles, headaches, or having to remember to call for deliveries.
Think of it as FREE peace of mind.
Don’t risk a heating oil or propane run-out – sign up for FREE Automatic Delivery from Ace-Robbins. Contact us today for details.

If you’re thinking about buying a new or replacement propane tank for your Pennsylvania home, we have three words for you: Don’t do it (OK, maybe that’s three and a half words).
While owning your propane tank may give you flexibility in choosing a propane supplier, it comes at high cost compared to leasing.
Buying a propane tank is almost always a bad deal for you because:

• It’s a hassle. If you buy your propane tank, it’s your responsibility to keep the tank in compliance with all local, regional, and federal safety laws and codes. That maintenance takes time and require professional service that you will have to pay for (see reason two below).
• It’s expensive. The purchase cost of a 500-gallon tank alone can be more than $2,000 – and that does not include the regulator(s), blocks, or an anode bag (if needed). You’ll also need to provide replacement parts if you need them for repairs, professional service to keep your tank compliant, and, if you choose to bury your tank, you will pay for excavation and concrete pouring, too.

If you lease a tank from Ace-Robbins, we are responsible for all its routine maintenance and will take on the up-front costs on your tank. You’ll get FREE tank inspections and repairs, FREE upsizing if your propane needs change, and FREE maintenance. All you have to do is pay your monthly bill and enjoy your propane-powered home.
The bottom line: Leasing your propane tank is almost always the smart choice. Our technicians will help you get your propane tank up and running quickly, safely, and correctly – always in compliance with applicable laws and codes. No headaches, no hassles, no added expenses.
Time for a new propane tank? Contact Ace-Robbins today to learn more about our hassle-free leasing options. We’ll even help you figure out what size tank works best for your PA home!

With no pilot light and on-demand water heating for your taps and home comfort appliances, a propane tankless water heater is considerably more efficient that a traditional water heater (one that stores hot water in a tank) – especially one powered by electricity.
In fact, according to the Department of Energy (DOE), an ENERGY STAR®-rated tankless water heater can operate up to 34 percent more efficiently than a traditional water heater – even more if one is installed at each hot water outlet.
That’s a big deal when you consider that heating water can account to up to 20 percent of your total home energy cost.
With that kind of savings, a tankless propane system could pay for itself in just a few years while delivering other great benefits to your Pennsylvania home, including unlimited hot water, lower energy bills, greater placement flexibility, and longer equipment life.

Save now on all Rinnai tankless water models

Up until now, you may have been putting off making the switch to a tankless water heater because of the up-front cost of installing new equipment. But thanks to Rinnai – THE industry leaders in propane-fired tankless technology – that investment may be less than you think.
Rinnai is currently offering a special promotion that can save you up to $100 off the purchase of qualifying Rinnai tankless water heaters (and other heating equipment, too). With Rinnai’s superior engineering, smart design and unmatched quality, you’ll enjoy the benefits of your water heater for years to come.

Let an Ace-Robbins pro help you decide

Of course, a tankless water heater isn’t right for everybody – careful consideration should go into choosing a water heater that fits your budget and lifestyle. If you need some help with that choice, contact us – we’re here to help.
Save up to $100 on Rinnai tankless water heater, expertly installed by Ace-Robbins. Contact us today to learn more or get a FREE, no obligation water heater estimate for your Northeastern Pennsylvania home!