Alber Service Company Before & After Photos

It was the middle of the summer but this long term client had no air conditioning because the blower motor and circuit board in their 20-year old furnace had met an untimely end. The repair would have cost over $1000 so they wisely chose to replace the furnace and take advantage of utility incentives and tax credits.

We replaced the furnace with a 97% efficient 2-stage American Standard furnace with a variable speed blower. The 2-stage operation means the furnace runs at full output when it's really cold but at only 50% output when it's mild. This delivers long heating cycles that provide superior comfort. The variable speed blower uses 67% less electricity than the blower in the old furnace, so the client will save electricity in the summer as well as the winter. A great choice!

This is remarkable. Our client just bought this house built in 1960 and it still had a functioning American Standard furnace that had never been replaced. It was loud and only 58% efficient but it still provided heat before we took it to the scrap yard. American Standard (Trane) is legendary for its reliability.

Why tempt fate? we installed a new American Standard 97% efficient gas furnace that features two-stage operation and a variable speed blower. Two-stage operation provides 100% heat output when it's really cold out but shifts don to 50% output when it's mild. For the majority of the winter it will run at low output and provide really long, really comfortable "ON" cycles. The variable speed blower uses 70% less electricity than the old beast so they'll save on electricity all year since the blower is also used for air conditioning.

This furnace qualified for utility rebates, 0% financing, and a Federal tax credit. Oh, and it looks beautiful!

This homeowner had lived in this house for 8-years when we first met her. For 8-years she had experienced an uncomfortable 2nd floor in the summer time. The back of the house was ok but the front of the house where her children slept was always much hotter than her bedroom in the back. Her air conditioning company would come every year and tell her her system was running fine and they couldn't help her. But she was lucky enough to get referred to Alber Service Company by friend.

Our inspection revealed the air conditioning equipment was properly sized and was in fact working correctly. But her duct system was a nightmare! The sheet metal ducts had no insulation around them and only 1-in of fiberglass insulation inside the duct. Attic temperatures can easily exceed 130-degrees in the heat of summer. That heat teals the "coolness" from the ductwork before it ever gets into the rooms below. The air coming out of the ceiling registers in the room at the end of the long duct run was 12-degrees warmer than the air coming out the closest ceiling register! And the poorly sealed return air ducts were drawing in hot attic air that then needed to cooled before it leaked back out into the attic thru the supply duct leaks. That will never work.

The solution was to first install balancing dampers so air flow can be adjusted between rooms. And most importantly, the ductwork was encapsulated with high density closed cell spray foam. This raised the insulation value from R-4 to R-19 while at the same time it sealed the ducts air tight. The losses thru this ductwork were reduced by over 70%!

The second floor is now cool everywhere regardless of how hot it gets outside. And the utility bills will be much lower during the cooling season. A Big Winner!

Our client had a front bedroom in her old, brick rowhouse that just baked in the sun every after noon. The brick absorbed the heat and kept the bedroom warm until late in the night making it difficult to sleep. A Mitsubishi ductless heat pump was the solution. The wall mounted outdoor unit gives her plenty of access space on her driveway. Tubing and wiring go up the outside wall in an attractive enclosure and connect to a small indoor blower that delivers cold air in the summer and warm air in the winter. No more sweaty nights or loud, expensive to run window air conditioners.

This water heater replacement helped the client gain needed floor space in the basement. It also replaced a 54% efficient tank-type water heater with a 95% efficient Bradford-White tankless water heater. Endless hot water for almost 50% less operating cost. Brilliant decision!