Preventive Maintenance & Repairs | How Your System Works | 24-Hour Service
Request Service | Financing | Ductwork | Thermostats | Resources
Evaluations
A heating system does not have to break down to be ready for replacement. Some systems continue to function long after they should be taken out of service due to inefficiency, and homeowners need the help of a heating expert to make an informed decision.
F.C. Haab offers free heating system evaluations to our regular customers. We'll give your equipment a complete examination and an efficiency test and then provide a thorough explanation of your options and the ramifications of each choice. We use sophisticated software to predict fuel usage with different replacement systems, so you can determine the likely return on investment and payback period.
To request an evaluation of your heating system, please call our office or contact us.
Installation & Upgrades
A sophisticated, modern heating system must be installed properly, or the efficiency could be reduced by as much as 30 percent, according to the U.S. Energy Star® program. When you invest in new heating equipment, a high-quality installation is a must.
F.C. Haab's installers are seasoned professionals who understand today's sophisticated heating equipment. They are committed to performing precise installations every time, and they have the knowledge and the tools that the job requires. Once they set up your system, they test it thoroughly with advanced diagnostic equipment to ensure that it is performing in accordance with manufacturer's specifications.
F.C. Haab has a larger service and installation department than most companies our size, because it is our mission to provide superior service every time. Our installers will give your installation the time it requires without being rushed off to another job.
Boilers
F.C. Haab helps you save energy and enjoy greater comfort with the installation of advanced, high-efficiency oil-fired boilers. Here is a look at some of the manufacturers whose systems we install.
Burnham
Burnham Hydronics offers the broadest range of oil-fired boilers in the industry and includes many products that meet the government's Energy Star® guidelines. Burnham's V8 oil-fired boiler is designed for quiet operation while providing years of reliable and efficient service. It is available in multiple heating capacities that can be configured for water or steam, with or without a tankless hot water heating coil. Burnham's MPO boiler, with an AFUE of 87%, is one of the most efficient and reliable boilers in the industry.
Peerless
Peerless cast iron boilers have been manufactured and sold in the United States since 1908. Through experience, technology and innovation, Peerless has positioned itself as one of the best boiler manufacturers in the industry. All Peerless boilers are made of very durable and reliable cast iron. Cast iron hot water boilers have life expectancies of 20 to 30 years or more. Cast iron heats up very rapidly and takes a long time to cool down, thus providing comfortable, efficient heating for your family. The Peerless Heater Company is located in Boyertown, PA., where hometown values and a solid work ethic are most important.
Columbia
Columbia Boiler Company manufactures high-quality, high-efficiency boilers like the Casco Bay, which features efficiencies up to 87 percent. This advanced boiler use a three-pass design to help you win the battle against volatile energy costs. By circulating the flue gases through the boiler three times, it extracts more heat from the fuel you buy and puts it in your home - instead of up the chimney. The Casco Bay offers the option of indirect water heating for maximum efficiency. It also can be installed for chimney venting or direct venting where no chimney is available.
Furnaces
F.C. Haab helps you save energy and enjoy greater comfort with the installation of advanced, high-efficiency oil-fired furnaces. Here is a look at some of the manufacturers whose systems we install.
Bryant
Bryant manufactures high-efficiency furnaces like the OVL/OVM, which uses a variable-speed blower to deliver heat evenly and efficiently. The OVL/OVM achieves an excellent AFUE efficiency rating of 86.6 percent and uses a high-performance Riello burner. The system is built with flue silencing baffles that keep furnace noise low. Carrier
Carrier furnaces are built to last with AFUE efficiency ratings as high as 86.6 percent and fully insulated cabinet walls. A variable-speed blower delivers even heat and saves on electricity. Your Carrier furnace can be installed with either a Riello of a Beckett burner and can share its sophisticated blower with a modern, high-efficiency central air conditioner.
Water Heaters
Water heating generally accounts for about 15 percent of a home's energy use. F.C. Haab installs high-efficiency hot water heaters in a variety of types and brands. You can choose a standalone water heater that uses its own oil burner to produce virtually limitless amounts of hot water. We also install indirect-fired units that draw their heat from the central heating system and store a supply of heated water in a storage tank. Indirect systems often provide the most efficient water heating.
To request an evaluation of your hot water heater or request installation of a new one, please call our office or contact us.
Preventive Maintenance & Repairs
F.C. Haab customers enjoy reliable home heating with higher efficiency and fewer repairs, because we perform expert preventive maintenance using the latest and best diagnostic tools. Your annual heating tune-up is included when you choose an F.C. Haab Service Agreement for your heating system.
If your heating system should break down during heating season, F.C. Haab stands ready to respond at any time of day or night - even on holidays. Our repair trucks carry an extensive inventory of replacement parts, so we can usually restore your system to full operation in one visit. Emergency service is a guaranteed benefit when you choose an F.C. Haab Service Plan for your heating system.
How Your System Works
No matter which fuel your system uses, the heat it creates is distributed throughout your home in one of three ways: hot water (baseboard), steam (radiators) or warm air (vents). Two are described here. While the system you have may look a bit different, it operates on the same principles as those below.
How Oil Systems Make Heat
Warm Air System
Hot Water System
Your thermostat (1) has a sensor that measures room temperature. When the temperature drops below your thermostat setting (or you raise the level above the room temperature), it sends a signal to the controls (2) on your burner (3) to get into action.
A fuel pump (4) draws oil through a filter (5) to your burner. It turns this oil into a fine spray, mixes it with air and ignites it in the combustion chamber (6), causing the chamber to get very hot.
What happens next depends on the type of system you have:
- If you have a Warm Air System, air absorbs heat in your furnace's heat exchanger (7). A blower (8) sends this air through ducts (9) to heat your home.
- If you have a Hot Water (hydronic) System, water circulates around your boiler's heat exchanger (10). A circulator (11) pumps the hot water through radiators or baseboards. An expansion tank (12) adjusts to varying pressures. Eventually, the water or air returns to the unit to begin the cycle again.
- Steam systems work similarly to hot water systems, except that steam is generated and rises to the radiators. (No circulators are needed.) A low-water cutoff prevents damage to the boiler by shutting it down in case water levels drop too low.
- In all systems, the combustion emissions go up the flue (13), never mixing with either the air or water circulating through your home.
24-Hour Service
Due to the ever-present threat of extreme cold weather, no Greater Philadelphia home should enter the heating season without a guarantee of 24-hour emergency coverage for the heating system. A heating system is most likely to fail in extreme cold weather, and heating companies may be flooded with emergency calls at the very moment when you need help the most.
The best way to be prepared is to enroll in a Service Plan for your heating system. F.C. Haab offers a choice of three service agreements, so you can choose the coverage that matches your needs and your budget. We guarantee prompt emergency response to heat emergencies for Our Service Plan customers.
Request Service
Please call us at (215) 563-0800 or (610) 688-6500 to request service for your heating and cooling equipment, .
Financing
F.C. Haab offers low-cost financing for the purchase of heating and cooling equipment. When you buy a new system, we can arrange a loan that enables you to upgrade to a high efficiency system immediately and pay for it over time. The savings you achieve on energy in the first few years alone may offset the financing costs entirely. For more information on financing, please call our office or contact us.
Ductwork
When you install a new furnace, you might also need to install new ductwork, which is an F.C. Haab specialty. F.C. Haab specializes in ductwork installations. We determine a building's heating and cooling loads and then design a ductwork system that will deliver conditioned air thoroughly while promoting maximum performance and efficiency.
We also inspect, service and repair existing ductwork systems. For more information on ductwork installations or repairs, please call our office or contact us.
Thermostats
It is easy to overlook the energy-saving potential of a thermostat. The thermostat can be a big energy waster or a big energy saver, depending on how you use it. F.C. Haab installs programmable thermostats that can reduce your energy consumption by 10 percent without any compromise in your comfort.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save as much as 10% a year on your heating and cooling bills by simply turning the thermostat back 7° to 10° for 8 hours. And you don't even have to remember to do so - it can be done automatically without sacrificing comfort by installing a programmable thermostat.
Using a programmable thermostat - also called an automatic setback, day/night or clock thermostat - you can adjust the times you turn on the heating or air-conditioning according to a pre-set schedule. As a result, the equipment doesn't operate as much when you're asleep or when the house or part of the house is not occupied. Programmable thermostats can store and repeat multiple daily settings (six or more temperature settings a day) that you can manually override without affecting the rest of the daily or weekly program. To schedule the installation of your programmable thermostat, please call our office or contact us.
Resources
Here are links to websites where you can learn how to save energy on your home heating.
