Haller Customer Newsletter

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Plumbing Heating Cooling Electrical Water Conditioning Vol. 7 Issue 2 Spring/Summer 2009 In This Issue 1 NEW TAX CREDITS BOOST CONSUMER SAVINGS 7 REASONS WHY GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS ROCK THE BEDROCK 2 RICK’S CORNER ASK HALLERMAN DID YOU KNOW? 3 SEASONAL CHECKLIST MONEY SAVING COUPONS EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT 4 DEAR HALLERMAN GEOTHERMAL HEATING AND COOLING: YOUR MONEY SAVING TAX CREDIT OPTION In February, President Obama signed The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (aka the Stimulus Bill). This act makes significant changes to the energy- efficiency tax credits by increasing the percentage of costs from 10 to 30 percent and the lifetime cap to $1,500. The list of eligible energy efficiency improvements has been expanded and offers homeowners even greater incentive. Existing Homes Only Tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, up to $1,500, in 2009 and 2010 for: HVAC including Central A/C, Air Source Heat Pumps, Natural Gas or Propane Furnaces, Oil Furnaces, Gas, Propane or Oil Hot Water Boilers and Advanced Main Air Circulating Fans. Water Heaters including Gas, Oil, Propane and Electric. Existing Homes and New Construction Tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, with no upper limit: Geothermal Heat Pumps Solar Water Heating At least half of the energy generated by the “qualifying property” must come from the sun. Homeowners may only claim spending on the solar water heating system property, not the entire water heating system of the household. The credit is not available for expenses for swimming pools or hot tubs. The water must be used in the dwelling and the system must be certified by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC). Remember, not all products on the market qualify for the tax credits. Consult your tax advisor to be sure your home improvement qualifies. For more information about the tax credits that are available, visit www.hallerenterprises.com. New Tax Credits Boost Consumer Savings Lancaster 717.625.1500 Harrisburg 717.795.1700 York 717.845.4500 Lebanon 717.838.6837 www.hallerenterprises.com The Homeowner Newsletter of Haller Enterprises, Inc. New Haller Website = Energy Saving Tips! Visit www.HallerEnterprises.com for tips on saving energy (and money) while remaining comfortable all summer long! 1 Highest efficiency of any system. Geothermal systems use the energy of the earth to heat and cool your home. Here’s how: The earth absorbs almost 50 percent of all solar energy and, as a result, remains at a constant temperature all year long (U.S. average core temperature is 50˚ to 55˚ F). A geothermal system utilizes this constant temperature (and not the outside air temperature) to reduce the amount of energy needed to heat or cool the air in your home. 2 Less noise. The system is located inside, so you no longer have a noisy outdoor A/C unit kicking on and off all summer long. Year round, the sound level isn’t any different than the fan on a standard furnace. 3 Aesthetically pleasing. With no outdoor unit, you do not have to try to disguise it with landscaping. 4 Eco-friendly. There is no flue, fumes, or combustion with a geothermal system. The heat pump only uses electricity to move heat, not produce it. 5 Durability. 20+ year average life expectancy. See Haller for extended warranty options. 6 Huge tax credit. The federal government is offering a tax credit for 30 percent of total geothermal heat pump system costs (purchase and installation) that can also be combined with solar and wind tax credits. 7 Ongoing payback. Geothermal systems have a low operating cost which adds up to significant savings on your utility bills all year long. For more information about geothermal systems, please call (717) 625-1500. 7 Reasons Why Geothermal Systems Rock the Bedrock H ave you heard about geothermal systems but don’t quite understand all the hype surrounding them? Here are seven reasons why a geothermal system rocks the bedrock!

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This B2C newsletter reaches homeowners in a five county region in Central Pa.

Transcript of Haller Customer Newsletter

Page 1: Haller Customer Newsletter

� Plumbing � Heating � Cooling � Electrical � Water ConditioningVol. 7 Issue 2Spring/Summer 2009

In This Issue

1 NEWTAXCREDITSBOOSTCONSUMERSAVINGS

7REASONSWHYGEOTHERMAL SYSTEMSROCKTHEBEDROCK

2 RICK’S CORNER

ASKHALLERMAN

DIDYOUKNOW?

3 SEASONALCHECKLIST

MONEYSAVINGCOUPONS

EMPLOYEESPOTLIGHT

4 DEARHALLERMAN

GEOTHERMALHEATINGANDCOOLING: YOURMONEYSAVINGTAXCREDITOPTION

In February, President Obama signed The AmericanRecovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (aka the StimulusBill). This act makes significant changes to the energy-efficiency tax credits by increasing the percentage of costsfrom 10 to 30 percent and the lifetime cap to $1,500. Thelist of eligible energy efficiency improvements has beenexpanded and offers homeowners even greater incentive.

Existing Homes OnlyTax credits are available at 30% of the cost, up to $1,500,

in 2009 and 2010 for:• HVAC including CentralA/C, Air Source HeatPumps, Natural Gas orPropane Furnaces,Oil Furnaces, Gas,Propane or Oil HotWater Boilers andAdvanced Main AirCirculating Fans.

• Water Heatersincluding Gas, Oil,Propane andElectric.

Existing Homes and New ConstructionTax credits are available at 30% of the cost, with no

upper limit:• Geothermal Heat Pumps• Solar Water HeatingAt least half of the energy generated by the“qualifying property” must come from the sun.Homeowners may only claim spending on the solarwater heating system property, not the entire water

heating system of the household. The credit isnot available for expenses for swimmingpools or hot tubs. The water must be usedin the dwelling and the system must becertified by the Solar Rating andCertification Corporation (SRCC).

Remember, not all productson the market qualify for thetax credits. Consult your taxadvisor to be sure your homeimprovement qualifies. Formore information about the taxcredits that are available, visitwww.hallerenterprises.com.

New Tax Credits Boost Consumer Savings

Lancaster717.625.1500

Harrisburg717.795.1700

York717.845.4500

Lebanon717.838.6837

www.hallerenterprises.com

The Homeowner Newsletter of Haller Enterprises, Inc.

New HallerWebsite = Energy Saving Tips!Visit www.HallerEnterprises.com for tips on saving energy (and money)

while remaining comfortable all summer long!

1Highest efficiency of any system. Geothermalsystems use the energy of the earth to heat and cool

your home. Here’s how: The earth absorbs almost 50percent of all solar energy and, as a result, remains at aconstant temperature all year long (U.S. average coretemperature is 50˚ to 55˚ F). A geothermal systemutilizes this constant temperature (and not the outsideair temperature) to reduce the amount of energy neededto heat or cool the air in your home.

2Less noise. The system is located inside, so you nolonger have a noisy outdoor A/C unit kicking on and

off all summer long. Year round, the sound level isn’t anydifferent than the fan on a standard furnace.

3Aesthetically pleasing. With no outdoor unit, you donot have to try to disguise it with landscaping.

4Eco-friendly. There is no flue, fumes, or combustionwith a geothermal system. The heat pump only uses

electricity to move heat, not produce it.

5Durability. 20+ year average life expectancy. SeeHaller for extended warranty options.

6Huge tax credit. The federal government is offeringa tax credit for 30 percent of total geothermal heat

pump system costs (purchase and installation) that canalso be combined with solar and wind tax credits.

7Ongoing payback. Geothermal systems have a lowoperating cost which adds up to significant savings

on your utility bills all year long.

For more information about geothermal systems,please call (717) 625-1500.

7 Reasons Why Geothermal Systems Rock the Bedrock

Have you heard about geothermal systems but don’t quite understand all the hype surrounding them?Here are seven reasons why a geothermal system rocks the bedrock!

Page 2: Haller Customer Newsletter

Q: I will have to replace my hot water tanksoon. What energy efficient options are outthere?

A: There are products on the market todaythat are more energy efficient than theconventional storage water heater. Whilethe traditional water heater is around 75percent efficient, technology has advancedto the point where hot water products arenow in the 80-95+ percent effi-ciency range.When you decide to replace your

hot water heater, there is a variety ofproducts from which to choose. Oneoption is to harness the power of thesun by going solar (see Rick’s Cornerfor more information). There are alsotwo energy efficient natural gas or LPproducts I’d recommend you take acloser look at: The Takagi TanklessHot Water Heater and A.O. Smith’sVertex Water Heater.

The Takagi tankless hot water heater pro-vides hot water only when needed. With theever growing demand for hot water found withadditional bathrooms, sinks, appliances, andradiant floor heat, the Takagi system providesa consistent, never-ending supply of hot water.

Here’s how it works: When a hot water tapis turned on, cold water travels through a pipeto the Takagi unit. The heat exchanger in-stantly heats the water to the designated tem-perature (this takes only 5 seconds). Thismeans you are only paying to heat the waterwhen you need it, unlike a tank where you areconstantly heating the water.

Takagi tankless hot water heaters arelightweight and can be installed just aboutanywhere – in closets, under stairs, and evenoutdoors – freeing up valuable floor space

that your old hot wa-ter tank previouslyoccupied.

Like all tanklesshot water heaters,the Takagi is muchmore energy efficientthan a traditional storage water heater, withenergy efficiency ratings from 82-95 percent.

Another energy efficient option isthe Vertex Water Heater from A.O.Smith. The Vertex may have theshape of a traditional water heater,but it is far from it. This “peak de-mand” water heater combines an ad-vanced thermal heat exchanger withinput up to 100,000 BTU.

Just like the tankless waterheater, Vertex water heaters delivercontinuous hot water. It works byforcing hot gases down through ahelical coil heat exchanger, which

provides a much greater heat transfer surfacethan the standard straight flue tube. The Ver-tex holds these gases in longer, using the en-ergy more efficiently to deliver anuninterrupted supply of hot water for showerafter shower.

Vertex Water Heaters are also tremen-dously energy efficient with up to 96 percentthermal efficiency (depending on whichmodel you choose). This saves energy andsaves you money.

While both of these products will costmore than conventional storage waterheaters, you may find that with lower operat-ing and energy costs, you can offset the higherpurchase price. Plus, when you install an en-ergy efficient water heater, you are also eligi-ble to take advantage of the stimulus packagetax credits.

Ask HallermanDo you have a question for Hallerman?Email questions or comments to:[email protected]

Did you know that Haller handles over 600 remodeling jobs

a year? That’s nearly two a day!

Our retrofit team works with homeowners to install, replace

or relocate plumbing, ventilation and electrical wiring to

make your home remodel project fast and efficient.

Whether it is a bathroom, basement or other remodel job,

call us for a free, no obligation estimate.

2 One call…handles it all! PLUMBING • HEATING • COOLING • ELECTRICAL • WATER CONDITIONING

with a little help from

Kim CarnerResidential Service Technician

More onSolar EnergyAs you read on page one, the Stimulus

Bill made significant changes to energy-related tax credits, one of which is theSolar Energy Tax Credit.

Solar energy is the cleanest and the mostinexhaustible of the known energy sources.Solar radiation contains huge amounts ofenergy and is responsible for almost all thenatural processes on earth. While solarenergy hasn’t yet seen the wide-spread usein the Mid-Atlantic region that it has in theSun-Belt states, there are ways you canstart integrating solar energy techniquesinto your home. One such way is with solarwater heaters.

Solar water heaters use the power of thesun to heat your water. Solar collectors areconnected to a hot water storage tank,either directly or via a heat exchangerwhen an anti-freeze liquid is used. Theoperation is quite simple. Evacuated tubesconvert sunlight into usable heat. Heatpipes rapidly transfer this heat to a headerpipe. Water is pumped through the headerpipe, absorbing the heat. Then the heatedwater returns to a storage tank/heatexchanger.

Solar collectors can actually reduce theamount of electricity or gas used for waterheating by up to 60 percent per year,making it an attractive alternative for homeowners who want to use a renewableenergy source, like the sun, and reducetheir monthly energy bills. Furthermore, byreplacing electric energy or fossil fuelsystems used to heat water, you are alsoreducing the impact on the environment.

J. Richard Haller, CEO

P.S. To determine if a solar water heatermay be right for your home, contact us at(717) 625-1500

PLUS,when you install

an energyefficient waterheater, you arealso eligible totake advantageof the stimuluspackage taxcredits.

MemoDid you know…?

Page 3: Haller Customer Newsletter

KennyRogersYork Branch Manager

What’s special about KennyRogers? Well, aside from the(nearly) daily jokes comparing

him to the country singing legend,Haller’s Kenny Rogers is quite animportant guy to the Haller team. KennyRogers is the branch manager of Haller’snew location in York located along Rt. 30at 801 Loucks Road.“Haller has been part of York for over

15 years,” says Kenny. “By opening a newlocation, we are now more convenient to York residents and can be moreinvolved with the White Rose community.”Haller put the plan into motion last year to open the York branch, our

fourth community-based location. Other locations include Lancaster,Mechanicsburg and Palmyra.“As a company, we are doing our part to be more environmentally

friendly. The growth in our York market made the decision to open a Yorklocation a no-brainer,” explains Kenny.Kenny oversees the daily operations of the York facility. He manages the

service and install technicians and the inventory of supplies in thewarehouse to keep the branch running efficiently.One of the snazzier aspects of the York location is the showroom which is

geared towards green and energy efficient products. “Green and energyefficiency used to be a little known trend,” says Kenny. “Now everyone iswell aware of the benefits of installing energy efficient products in theirhome.”Some highly desirable energy-efficient items are on display in the York

showroom for homeowners to see – everything from 15 different dimmerswitches to programmable thermostats to a variety of popular sink andfaucet options. Also on display are whole-house humidifiers, air purifiersthat remove allergens from your home’s air, furnaces/air conditioners –including geothermal units, water softeners and even solar panels.Although it may be a bit more expensive to purchase an energy efficient

product, savvy homeowners understand that the savings seen over the lifeof the product significantly outweigh the up-front expense.“Not only are we hearing homeowners say that they want to save on their

utility bills, but they are also expressing the desire to reduce their carbonfootprint,” says Kenny. “They are very interested in using the ground’ssteady air temperature for geothermal and the sun’s power for solarenergy.”York’s showroom is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., and no

appointment is necessary.Besides providing a new showroom where homeowners can get all of

their energy efficiencyand green productquestions answered,Haller also offers a fullarray of maintenance,repair and installationservices – plumbing,heating, cooling,electrical and waterconditioning. Toschedule repair orinstallation services, call(717) 845-4500.

Employee Spotlight Seasonal ChecklistKeep your home cool and comfortablethis summer by following these homemaintenance tips.

□ Use shades, curtains and other window treatments tominimize solar energy penetrating your home.

□ Don’t block vents or ducts inside the house.

□ Run your ceiling fans to keep air moving and feel cooler.

□ Turn off lights, TVs and other appliances when not beingused, as they produce heat.

□ Operate household appliances in the evening when theheat from them won’t increase the demand on your AC.

□ Set your thermostat at a comfortable temperature (70-74˚F), and keep it there.

□ Schedule annual service on your cooling system so itruns at maximum efficiency.

For more tips to keep cool and save energy this summer, visitour new website at www.hallerenterprises.com.

COUPONS

��

LANCASTER • HARRISBURG • YORK • LEBANON www.hallerenterprises.com • 717-625-1500 3

Save $50On Installation of Any New Dehumidifier

Offer expires 6/30/2009

Save $25On Installation of Any NewProgrammable Thermostat

Offer expires 6/30/2009

Save $75On Installation of Any NewHigh Efficiency Water Heater

Offer expires 6/30/2009

Save $25On a Demand Service Call

Offer expires 6/30/2009

��

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Money Saving

Page 4: Haller Customer Newsletter

Dear Hallerman:Thank you for taking care of

the final grading and cleanupof my front yard afterinstalling my geothermal unit.I’ve planted the grass, andhopefully I will be mowing thatsection in a month.

The geothermal has beenworking just great. There’splenty of heat and hot water.

While I don’t have a full yearto compare with my previoussystems, I am certain the costof heating is significantly less.

Harry Fox, Annville, Pa.

Geothermal Heating and Cooling:Your Money Saving/Tax Credit OptionWith large tax credits available for geothermal systems, 2009 is the year to stop

paying for an old, inefficient, and costly HVACsystem. Contact Haller, and we'll gladlyprovide a free estimate to install a geothermalheating and cooling system. We'll show youhow to take advantage of the federal taxcredits and how a geothermal heating and cooling system will quickly pay itself off inenergy savings.Geothermal systems use the Earth to heat and cool your house which helps keep

the cost of running it at a much lower rate than your standard HVAC system. Withfinancing available and the energy costsavings, the payback period of installinga geothermal system has increasinglybecome shorter. In fact, you can installa new geothermal system and startreaping the benefits today.To schedule your free geothermal

estimate today, please call TracyFigueroa at 717-625-6828. She’ll gladlyfind a convenient time for you to meetwith one of our Comfort Consultants.

Protectyourhome’smechanicalsystemsandmake

themmoreenergyefficientbysigningupforoneof

Haller’sPreferredCustomerProgramstoday!

EN

TERPRISES,INC.

HallerEnterprises,Inc.212BuckyDrivePOBox375Lititz,PA17543

Lancaster717.625.1500Harrisburg717.795.1700York717.845.4500Lebanon717.838.6837

www.hallerenterprises.com

$3,000 � $2,500��������$2,000��������$1,500 ������$1,000����������$500���������������$0

Typical Goethermal Operating Cost ComparisonsOlder Propane Furnace (Pre 1986)

Standard Efficiency Propane Furnace

Propane High Efficiency Furnace

Older Natural Gas Furnace (Pre 1986)

Standard Efficiency Natural Gas Furnace

Air-to-Air 12 SEER Heat Pump

High Efficiency Natural Gas Furnace

Geothermal SystemLowest Operating Cost