In this day and age, there are multiple choices when it comes to the type of air conditioning that you can use to keep you cool on a hot summer day in your home and/or business. Those options often include central air conditioning and window air conditioning units. Another option is ductless air conditioning (otherwise known as a mini-split system). Deciding between types of air conditioning systems is sometimes a choice that a home or business owner has to make. So how do you know if ductless AC is the right choice to you?

Air Conditioning Without Ductwork

If you own a home that does not have built-in ductwork, a ductless air conditioning system is a great alternative to window air conditioners. There are two parts of a ductless air conditioning system (the indoor air handler and the outdoor condenser or heat pump) that connect, via a small pipe, to a house’s outer wall. Each condenser has capacity for up to four air handlers, which creates multiple different cooling zones within a space.

This is different than central air conditioning, which works alongside an air handler fan or furnace. Central air conditioning actually removes heat from warm air that has already found its way inside through the duct work.

Why Choose Ductless Home Cooling?

W.H. Riley & Son recommends upgrading from window unit air conditioners to a mini-split system. This switch will keep you cool and comfortable and is the best bang for your buck. But the benefits don’t end there. Ductless air conditioners:

• Are easy to install: Typically, you only need about a day to get a mini-split system up and running. Plus, all you need is access to an external wall for installation.
• Are good for the environment: Since ductless air conditioners use less electricity than central air conditioning systems and window air conditioners they are considered an environmentally friendly choice.
• Decrease the chances of mold: There is a chance that mold and other various microorganisms will appear with air conditioners that use ductwork due to the combination of cold air and condensation. Ductless air conditioners decrease your chances of anything like this happening, which means the air that you breathe is cleaner and healthier.
• Are efficient: Air conditioners are required to have a SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) rating of 14, which is what a standard window AC unit is rated at. Most ductless air conditioners have a rating of at least 20, if not more, which makes them highly efficient.
• Make sense financially: As mentioned, a ductless air conditioning system is the best bang for your buck. Thanks to how efficiently they run, fewer resources are used as they cool down a home or office space. And when you use fewer resources, you end up spending less money.

If you’re considering a ductless air conditioning system and are located in the southeastern Massachusetts area, W.H. Riley & Son can help. Contact us today to learn more about our air conditioning installation and maintenance.

When it comes to being a business or a homeowner, it can sometimes feel like there is an endless laundry list of decisions that need to be made. One of the decisions that you have to make concerns the type of water heater that you use. This is not a decision to take lightly considering how much we rely on hot water for things like showering, washing dishes, washing our hands and cleaning clothes. One of the last things a southeastern Massachusetts’s homeowner or business owner wants to deal with is suddenly not having hot water, especially on a blistering cold and snowy day. So what type of water heater is best for you, your family or your business?

Types Of Water Heaters

Let’s break down the different types of water heaters that are out there on the market today:

• Conventional storage tank water heaters: These heat water up and then store that hot water in a tank. They include devices that are powered by electricity and natural gas.
• Tankless water heaters: Tankless water heaters instantly heat water and operate on demand so there is no waiting period for the water you need to get hot. Included in this category are propane tankless water heaters.

The Benefits of Propane Water Heaters

A propane water heater can benefit your home or business in lots of ways. Here are just a few:

• Propane is a clean burning fuel, which means it’s good for the environment. It emits lower greenhouse gases when you compare it to other fuels.
• Propane is usually more cost efficient than other energy sources. Water heating costs are generally lower when using propane and propane water heaters are usually cheaper to repair than some other types of water heaters.
• Propane is extremely versatile and can be used as a power source for numerous appliances including heaters, stoves and clothes dryers.

Tankless water heaters provide an endless supply of hot water whenever you need it. That means that as soon as you turn your shower on hot water is flowing and available. It also means that hot water can be available in your shower at the same time that your dishwasher is running. Since tankless water heaters only put in the effort to heat water when hot water is actually needed, they are energy-efficient. Plus, they are compact and don’t take up as much of a footprint as conventional heaters.

W.H. Riley & Son can help you figure out which kind of water heater is right for your home or business. Whether you use propane, natural gas or heating oil to warm your water, we can be your one stop shop in southeastern Massachusetts for water heater installation, maintenance and repairs.

Don’t wait until your current hot water heater stops working to consider an upgrade or to schedule a servicing appointment. Contact W.H. Riley & Son today to learn more about our water heating services and to get an estimate for a new propane water heater!

The number of commercial businesses that rely on diesel as a power source is endless. Moving companies, construction companies, hospitals, farms, schools, transportation companies and delivery companies use the fuel for commercial vehicles, generators, trucks and agricultural equipment. These businesses are dependent upon diesel fuel and could not run or function properly without it.

It’s important for businesses to have a reliable source of diesel and that’s where W.H. Riley & Son comes in.

W.H. Riley & Son and Diesel Fuel

We can tell you with confidence that our diesel fuel is high quality. Not only is our supply compliant with all EPA standards, but it is also ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) and can be used with any diesel engine that’s out on the market today, including trucks, buses, boats, generators and agricultural equipment. If you need something to get you through the cold winter months we have that too in our premium diesel that’s mixed with high-quality additives.

Since we have been serving the southeastern Massachusetts area since 1873, you can rest assured that we understand what local businesses in the area need and that we have a reputation for dependable, professional service.

Bulk Diesel Fuel Delivery

Whether you need on-road or off-road diesel, our team of trained professional team members has you covered. We can deliver on-road diesel where and when it’s needed for your vehicle fleet (or you can pick it up at our locations). We also have plentiful supplies of off-road diesel for your job site or construction site, available to be picked up.

Why Use Diesel Fuel?

If you are a business owner contemplating making the switch to diesel fuel, here are some things you should know:

• It’s environmentally friendly. Thanks to rising EPA standards, the fuels that are out on the market today are cleaner and greener than ever and manufacturers are constantly working to reduce the amount of hazardous exposure.
• Diesel engines are efficient. In fact, they are more efficient than gasoline engines. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, engines powered by gasoline typically operate at an efficiency level of about 12%-30%. The average diesel engine operates at about 40% efficiency.
• There are no spark plugs with diesel engines. Diesel engines work when the heat that is already in an internal combustion chamber ignites, therefore powering the fuel. This is different than gasoline engines that mix gas with air, which creates vapor that then gets compressed and ignited by a spark plug.
• Diesel engines operate best below 2,000 revolutions per minute (RPM). To reach peak power, a diesel engine should stay at 65 miles per hour or under. Gasoline engines need to maintain much higher RPM to operate.

If you’re looking for high quality diesel fuel in southeastern Massachusetts, look no further! Contact W.H. Riley & Son today to learn more about our diesel fuel, our bulk diesel fuel delivery service and how your business can count on us.

After a long, cold, snow-filled winter, those of us in Southeastern Massachusetts usually can’t wait to start spending more time outside as soon as the weather warms up and the snow melts away. Our backyards are suddenly filled with friends and family and outdoor summer days turn into outdoor summer nights. Your backyard is also probably filled with propane appliances. After all, the versatile, clean, environmentally friendly fuel can power almost all home appliances.

Using Propane in Your Backyard

Here are five ways can you use propane in your very own backyard:

1. Fire pits – Propane fire pits eliminate the smoke and ash that fill the air when using a wood burning fire.
2. Heating – Whether you’re looking for a way to heat a porch, a backyard lounge area or a seating section by a pool, propane can help fuel all sorts of different space heaters, including full standing heaters, portable units and everything in between.
3. Lighting– Propane can be used to illuminate a wide variety of lights including tiki torches and more modern fixtures. Another plus is that they don’t involve wires or emit any strange smells.
4. Cooking – What’s a spring or summer outdoor hang without some food? A lot of times, preparation for this food involves grilling and many grills can be powered by propane. Propane grills offer excellent temperature control and they help keep cooking simple.
5. Spa heaters – There will be no need to book a day at an expensive spa to get a spa-like experience with propane-heated spas that can be installed right in your own backyard.

Preparing Your Propane Tank For Summer

As summer rapidly approaches, it’s important to make sure your propane tank is up and ready to go for both your outdoor and indoor needs. Here’s what you can do to prepare:

• Conduct a rust check. Rust can create corrosion and corrosion can lead to leaks.
• Tidy up the area around your propane tank. Clear up any dirt, debris or clutter that may be blocking your propane tank so that it’s easily accessible to delivery workers in an event that it needs to be accessed.
• Check your propane supply. Make sure you know how much propane you have on hand so that you’re not at risk of running out. Place an order for more before your levels get too low.

Staying Safe While Using Propane

If your home or business uses propane, it’s important to know what to do if you ever smell gas and suspect a leak.

Once you put out any open flames, close the gas shutoff valve on your propane tank as long as you can get to it safely and vacate the area, which should be done as quickly as possible, you should have a trained propane service technician inspect and repair the leak. No one should return to the site of the potential leak until a technician says it is safe to do so.

At W.H. Riley & Son, we offer high quality propane fuel in addition to quality service and customer care, which we’ve proudly been doing throughout southeastern Massachusetts since 1873. We also go above and beyond to ensure you and your family’s safety. Contact us today and let us help take care of all your propane needs.

If there’s one thing those of us in Southern Massachusetts are sure of it’s that we need working air conditioning for those hot and humid summer months. The question is, what kind of air conditioning system is right for your home?

Whether you’re looking to upgrade your home’s air conditioning system or looking for a new home, figuring out what type of air conditioning system will work best for you and your family is an important factor to consider.

Two of the options out there are central air conditioning and a mini-split system (also known as ductless air conditioners).

Central Air Conditioning

Central air conditioners work in tandem with your house’s air handler fan or furnace. Central air conditioning systems bring warm air into your home via a house’s duct work and then, as the air moves along the system’s evaporator coil, the air’s natural heat is removed, thus turning into cool air. These systems are great at cooling a whole house at one time and, when used with a furnace, can provide heat in the winter. Central air conditioning needs regular and routine maintenance to ensure that the system is working properly.

Mini-Split Systems

Mini-Split air conditioning systems are a smart alternative to using window air conditioners for homes without ductwork.

Here’s how they work: two parts of a mini-split system, the indoor air handler and the outdoor condenser or heat pump, connect to a home’s outer wall with a small pipe. This makes different cooling zones in a house since a single condenser can accommodate up to four air handlers.

The Benefits of a Mini-Split System

If you’re building an addition to your home or if your house has a room that just never seems to get cool, a mini-split air conditioning system is a great go to option. The same goes for houses with a boiler-based heating system.

If you’re wondering what the pros are of a mini-split system compared to window units and central air systems, you should know that mini split systems:

• Are environmentally friendly. This is because they use less electricity than window air conditioners and central AC systems.
• Cost less. Mini-split systems are highly efficient, which means they use less resources to run, which means you save money. In fact, most ductless systems have a SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) rating of 20 or more. A rating of 14 is all that’s required of air conditioners, which is right around the typical rating of window units.
• Improve air quality. The cold air and condensation that combines with ductwork increases your home’s chances for growing mold and other various microorganisms, which decreases the amount of healthy air in your home.
• Easy installation. Most of the time, all you need is access to an external wall to install a mini-split system and installation usually only takes about a day.

W.H. Riley & Son is a leading supplier of air conditioners in the southeastern Massachusetts area. Our air conditioning installation and maintenance services are reliable and efficient. Contact us today so we can help get your home summer ready!

We all know the basic, common things we can do to improve our health – eat more vegetables and foods lower in fat and cholesterol, exercise more, get more sleep, soak up natural vitamin D. Improving indoor air quality is a less commonly known way to improve your health, however, it is equally important.

What Is Indoor Air Quality?

It’s a well-known fact that outdoor air is polluted. But did you know that indoor air is also polluted? In fact, inside air can sometimes be five times more polluted than outside air. Considering that we spend almost 90% of our time indoors and take in about 15,000 quarts of air a day, it’s important to pay attention to the quality of both the indoor and outdoor air that we breathe.

At its natural state, indoor air is not healthy. First and foremost, our homes are more airtight than ever before so clean air is not free flowing. And whether we know it or not, we are constantly using products while doing construction, cleaning, doing our hair, that are toxic and full of potentially dangerous fumes.

This can be truly damaging to your health. Air pollutants can cause respiratory problems, headaches, dry eyes, nasal congestion, nausea, fatigue and asthma. Health problems such as these can have a long lasting impacting on your immune system and make you more susceptible to viruses.

How To Improve Your Indoor Air Quality

While indoor air is not naturally good for you, there are ways that you can improve indoor air quality and, therefore, improve your health. By bettering the air quality in your home you:

• Decrease chemical and biological contaminants such as air-borne viruses, mold, bacteria and germs. You can do this with specific indoor air quality equipment such as whole-house UV filters. W.H. Riley is proud to offer the APCO UV Light Volt Technology System that one of our equipment professionals can reliably set up for you.
• Eliminate the toxins you’re exposed to. This can easily be done by buying clean, natural and organic cleaning and self-care products. If you want to go the extra mile, make your own cleaning products with natural agents such as vinegar and baking soda.
• Ensure that you’re breathing clean, fresh air. Make sure your HVAC system is up to par and keeping air moving. Routine HVAC duct cleanings keeps allergens and mold away.
• Reduce the risk of headaches, dizziness, memory loss, vision problems, eye irritation and respiratory issues. An easy way to achieve this is by choosing healthier alternatives when undergoing construction, such as low-VOC paint.
• Reduce toxic vapors and chemicals. Just add some greenery to your home, as a plant’s leaves and soil absorb toxic chemicals and eliminate toxic vapors.

W.H. Riley & Son Indoor Air Quality Services

If you’re in the southeastern Massachusetts area, W.H. Riley & Son is available and ready to provide you with a free estimate on purifying and bettering the air in your home. We are committed to helping you improve your indoor air quality so contact us today.

Top Reasons You Should Service Your AC

Winter may have officially bid farewell, but it can still be quite cold this time of year. If you are not focused on preparing to power on your AC just yet, you aren’t the only one. Summer temperatures will arrive before we know it, though, and you’ll want your air conditioner ready to go when you need it most. Read on to learn more about why giving your AC some TLC as summer approaches in Southeastern Massachusetts is a good idea.

Benefits of air conditioner maintenance

There are many perks of air conditioning maintenance, especially as the warmer months draw near, including that it enables you to:

• Make the most of your AC’s lifespan: Proper AC maintenance can prevent inconvenient and costly repair in the future. It also keeps your air conditioning system running efficiently and helps it have a longer lifespan. In other words, thorough AC maintenance is the best way to ensure a minor problem that could have easily been fixed by a professional doesn’t spell the end for your air conditioner this summer.
• Stay comfortable all summer: There’s no reason to be uncomfortable in your own home. Most breakdowns are preventable with regular air conditioning maintenance.
• Increase your energy-efficiency to save on utility bills: Just like a vehicle your home’s AC system needs regular maintenance to perform at its best. A tune-up ensures that your air conditioner will run at peak efficiency to lower your utility bills. In fact, a system that’s running efficiently can save you as much as 30% on your cooling costs.
• Know when maintenance doesn’t make sense anymore: Of course, most air conditioning systems have a lifespan between 12 and 15 years. If your system is older and maintenance and repairs are no longer cost-efficient, it’s time for an upgrade, and we can help with that, too.
• Prevent breakdowns with an upgrade: Whether you’re adding air conditioning or upgrading to a new system, W.H. Riley & Son’s trained and certified air conditioning technicians have the knowledge and experience to make sure you get the right air conditioning system for your home or business. We can handle helping you select the right AC system for you, and the installation.

When should you have your air conditioning serviced and what does it involve?

If you have central air conditioning, having it serviced in the spring or fall is optimal, since maintenance tasks and any necessary repairs are easier to complete while it’s still comfortable to work outdoors. That’s why it’s a good idea to get started with a tune-up, before the sweltering weather arrives.

W.H. Riley & Son’s service technicians provide a thorough air conditioning maintenance service that goes beyond simply replacing the filter. We carefully:

• Inspect all parts of your AC system for wear or problems,
• Make sure moving parts are properly lubricated, and,
• Ensure your system has enough refrigerant to operate efficiently.

W.H. Riley & Son has your comfort covered, so schedule your tune-up now!

Be sure to get on your favorite technician’s schedule for air conditioner maintenance this spring! You’ll thank yourself later when you reach out to us to make your appointment today! Contact W.H. Riley & Son to become a customer and set up a service call. We’re ready to meet all of your fuel delivery, equipment and energy service needs!

Know The Facts About Propane & Propane Safety

Propane is helping to fuel countless homes and businesses these days. As one of the cleanest burning fossil fuels, it’s incredibly versatile – it can be used to heat both your home and water, for cooking, for drying clothes and for running heavy machinery such as forklifts and commercial lawn mowers.

Benefits of Propane

The benefits of propane don’t stop with its versatility. In addition to the numerous uses for your home and business, propane:

• Is safe and non-toxic.
• Is environmentally beneficial. A propane-fueled house releases less carbon emissions than all-electric homes and is, therefore, considered green. Propane also produces very little greenhouse gas.
• Is efficient. Because it’s so efficient, appliances that are fueled by propane use less energy, which means they take up a smaller carbon footprint.
• Can provide you and your family with a sense of security. If your home has a propane generator you can rest assured knowing that your heat won’t be affected in the event of a New England power outage.

Propane Safety

While propane clearly offers numerous benefits, it is important to make sure you’re using the fuel and propane powered appliances safely. You can help ensure your safety by:

• Making sure your propane-powered equipment is well maintained, up to date and serviced when necessary.
• Marking your propane tank with something like a flag or bright cloth so that it can be seen above piles and piles of snow.
• Keeping a supply of extra propane on hand so that you never run out. W.H. Riley & Son can help with this with our automatic propane delivery services.
• Clearing snow and debris from the path leading up to your propane tank so that anyone who needs to can easily access it.

What To Do If You Smell Gas

While, propane is very safe, it is important handle it with care and to know what to do if you ever smell gas, which would have a scent similar to a rotten egg, the spray from a skunk or a dead animal. If you ever do smell gas, you should:

• Evacuate the home, office or car where you are.
• Immediately put out any open flames and make sure no one around you is smoking a cigarette.
• Secure the gas shutoff valve on your propane tank as long as it’s easily accessible.
• Stop the use of appliances, phones and thermostats.
• Avoid touching any light switches and the propane supply valve.
• Call a professional propane service technician to assist and do not return to the location of the gas smell until a technician tells you it’s okay.

W.H. Riley & Son is proud to offer both residential and commercial customers highly regarded service as well as highly regarded, high quality fuels. In fact, we’ve been offering these services and products to Southeastern Massachusetts since 1873. You can count on us for automatic propane deliveries and routine product maintenance and repairs. Contact us today to learn more.

And Other Questions Answered

If you’re like a lot of families, you use propane to do a lot in and around your Massachusetts home. Perhaps you even take it for granted. But let’s take a closer look at this versatile and cost-effective fuel and answer some questions you may have about it along the way.

What Is Propane?

Propane is made during natural gas processing and petroleum refining. It’s usually compressed and stored as a liquid. So you may also hear it called liquefied petroleum gas, LPG or LP.

What Can Propane Do?

Propane is extremely versatile, and thus has a lot of residential and commercial applications. It can be used for heating, water heating, cooking, and powering a variety of appliances. It can also fuel vehicles. When used as a fuel for vehicles it’s called propane Autogas.

How Long Does Propane Last?

If you use propane in and around your home, then you also have propane on your property. You may have the small cylinders of propane used for your BBQ grill. And you may also have a large aboveground or underground tank that stores the propane your home appliances use. Chances are propane doesn’t sit on your property for very long without getting used, but you may still be wondering if propane goes bad.

Here’s the good news: propane doesn’t go bad. It doesn’t have a shelf life or expiration date you have to worry about. And unlike other fuels, propane doesn’t degrade and become less efficient with time either. So as long as your propane tank is maintained properly, the propane in it will always be good and ready to fuel your propane appliances.

Does Propane Freeze?

Given how cold Massachusetts winters can be, you may wonder if you have to worry about the propane in your tank freezing. Technically propane can freeze, but its freezing point is -44 degrees Fahrenheit, so the propane in your tank is going to be fine. The most likely way the cold weather will affect the propane on your property is to cause it to shrink. The colder propane gets, the less volume it occupies. That shrinkage might affect the accuracy of the reading on your tank gauge. The best way to avoid this is to keep as full a tank as possible.

What’s So Great about Propane?

Propane offers a lot of benefits. It’s versatile, cost-effective, safe, accessible, and eco-friendly. Let’s take a closer look at some of the advantages propane offers:

• Propane is accessible. Propane is highly portable, so you can use it wherever you need it. And with a propane tank on your property, you always have the propane you need at your disposal.
• Propane is cost-effective. Propane’s high efficiency makes it a cost-effective fuel option. Most propane appliances cost less to operate than their electric counterparts. Propane appliances also tend to last longer than their electric counterparts.
• Propane is eco-friendly. Compared to most of the fuels commonly used, propane is one of the cleanest fuels available with regards to carbon emissions. Additionally, it doesn’t contaminate the water or soil or put organisms at risk in the rare event of a spill.
• Propane is efficient. Propane heats up extremely quickly.
• Propane is safe. Propane is one of the safest fuel options for heating and running appliances.

Make W.H. Riley & Son Your Propane Provider

W.H. Riley & Son provides service you can count on. We’ve been meeting the fuel needs of Southeastern Massachusetts since 1873. We pride ourselves on providing our residential and commercial customers with the highest-quality fuels and highest standards of service.

Contact W.H. Riley & Son today to request a propane delivery, sign up for our automatic delivery service, or to learn more about how we can meet your propane needs.

Your water heater works hard. Hopefully you don’t take it for granted. Consider everything it does for the comfort and function of your southeastern Massachusetts household. You depend on it for warm and hot water for bathing, laundry, washing dishes, washing hands, and more. And now is when your water heater’s task is even greater. It has to work harder to provide the hot water you need during the winter months because it’s in a colder environment, the water supply it needs to heat is starting off colder, and you’re probably using more hot water.

This winter, you don’t want to get caught in the cold—water, that is. You want a water heater that won’t fail to deliver the warm and hot water you and your family need. Part of making sure your water heater is up to the task is proper maintenance.

Water Heater Maintenance

All of the mechanical devices and equipment in your home should receive routine professional maintenance. A maintenance visit will help keep your equipment running as efficiently as possible. When you consider that your water heater is responsible for roughly 20% of your energy bills (according to the U.S. Department of Energy), it quickly becomes clear that having an inefficiently running water heater would be a waste of energy and money.

Whether your water heater runs on propane, natural gas, or heating oil, W.H. Riley can handle water heater installation, water heater maintenance, and water heater repairs. Whatever your water heater needs, we’ll make sure you stay in hot water (in a good way).

When you trust W.H. Riley with your water heater maintenance, you get a company that believes in quality work and respects your time and property. We’ll work efficiently and treat your property like our own.

For tankless water heaters, the required maintenance mostly deals with cleaning the system in different ways to offset the effects of hard water. A buildup of minerals in your water heater can minimize the efficiency and longevity of your water heater. Even if hard water isn’t common in your region, there are minerals in all tap water that can accumulate over time.

For a conventional or storage water heater, maintenance involves quite a bit more. You need to flush your water heater twice a year (more frequently if you have hard water). The tank needs to be drained and emptied of sediment. You must regularly check the anode, look for leaks, and test the temperature release valve.

Whether you have a conventional or tankless water heater, annual maintenance from a professional is recommended. We can handle that at W.H. Riley. Our capable plumbers service water heaters of all kinds—gas, propane, and electric.

Plumbing Professionals

The plumbing professionals at W. H. Riley & Son can help you with all things water heater related. So make W.H. Riley & Son your resource for water heater installation, service, and repairs in southeastern Massachusetts.

Contact W.H. Riley & Son today to learn more about the water heater installation, maintenance, and repair services we provide.