Energy Saving Tips - Heating & Cooling System

Energy Saving Tips Regarding Your Home Heating and Cooling System

• Furnace Filter - Keeping your furnace filter clean will help keep your house more comfortable and it will allow your furnace and air conditioner to work more efficiently. Changing your furnace filter is something you can do yourself, or ask our technicians to do it for you when we are out.
  
  
• Duct Cleaning - It is crucial to understand that your air duct system was never designed to be filled with dust, toys, pet hair, construction debris, etc. Over time, as you run your furnace and draw indoor air through the system, your ducts will get contaminated. Think of your cold air return as a giant vacuum cleaner. Whenever your furnace or A/C runs, it is "sucking" dirty indoor air through your home heating and cooling system. Besides being "unclean", it also restricts air-flow, making your furnace and a/c work harder, costing you money.
  
  
• Equipment Maintenance - Have a heating professional service your home's heating and cooling equipment annually for optimum efficiency and comfort and to help eliminate the unforeseen breakdown.
  
  
• Lower your thermostat - The Department of Energy says that setting the thermostat 5 degrees lower for 8 hours can save up to 5%. This can be accomplished by manually adjusting your thermostat or with the use of a programmable thermostat. Programmable thermostats can be purchased at your local hardware store.
  

• Fireplace Damper - When you are not using your fireplace, make sure you have the damper in the closed position. An open damper is just like having a window or door open; allowing heated or cooled air to escape the house.
  
  
• Limit the use of your fireplace - When you open the damper in your fireplace, you are allowing heat to escape through the fireplace chimney. Experts agree that a typical fireplace loses more heat than is generated. This is especially true in colder climates. As the smoke climbs up through the chimney, your heat follows right behind. Consider installing a fireplace insert which will make better use of the heat generated in your fireplace.
  
  
• New Furnace / Air Conditioner - Replace your existing system with a newer high efficiency system and lower your fuel bills, increase your comfort and have peace of mind with new equipment with a 5 year or 10 year parts and labor warranty. This system may qualify for federal tax credits and or local utility rebates. (Check with your accountant or local utility to verify your eligibility). Click here for a New Furnace Quote or an A/C Installation Quote
  
  
• Hybrid System - Install an add on electric heat pump to a natural gas, propane or oil furnace to create a more efficient dual fuel (hybrid) system. This system may qualify for federal tax credits and or local utility rebates. (Check with your accountant or local utility to verify your eligibility)
  
  
• Humidifier - A humidifier will make the winter air feel warmer, similar to how a humid day in the summer feels warmer, this will allow you to lower your thermostat setting and reduce your energy usage.
  
  
• Duct Sealing - Sealing your ductwork will not only reduce your energy usage, but it will allow more airflow to reach your registers where you need it in your rooms.
  
  
• Seal House air leaks - Check for air leaks around windows, doors, and through electrical outlets. Install weather-stripping around doors and windows, and foam gaskets behind electrical faceplates. Check for adequate insulation in your attic, crawl space and walls. Department of Energy recommendation.

Additional Money Saving Tips Regarding Your Furnace, Air Conditioner and more

For even more ideas on how to save money on heating and cooling expenses, read; "10 Ways to Help Lower Your Utility Bill".

10 Ways to Help Lower Your Utility Bill

Here are 6 of the 10 energy saving tips as mentioned by James Bickers, an independent writer for the Courier-Journal. While the Mr. Bickers mentions cleaning the coils on the back of the refrigerator, he fails to mention the coils inside the air ducts.

As stated on the Duct-911.com website; "Dirty coils reduce the system's ability to cool your home and cause the system to run longer, increasing energy costs and reducing the life of the equipment. (energystar.gov)". Also, CleanMyFurnace.com, a Minnesota air duct cleaning company quotes the EPA saying; "A build up of .042 (1/20) inches of dirt on the heating or cooling coil can result in a decrease in efficiency of 21%".

At any rate, this article offers a few good pointers which homeowners can use to save money on their electric bill and we applaud him for it. Below are 6 of the 10 energy saving tips mentioned in the article:


2. Install a programmable thermostat. Abby Buford of Lowe's said a properly used and installed ENERGY STAR-compliant thermostat saves a homeowner up to $100 a year.

3. Raise the temperature. Got your new thermostat installed? It's time to use it. Even on the hottest days, try increasing the temperature by a degree or two, gradually acclimating yourself to the change. Consumer Reports estimates that for every degree you raise your cooling system, you'll cut about 3 percent off your energy bill. And learn about the programmable functions too -- have it automatically adjust upward by a few degrees overnights and when the house is empty.

5. Use your ceiling fans. While you're inching that thermostat up, use the noble ceiling fan to stay cool. They're very energy-efficient: David Schiff, book editor for Consumer Reports, said the average fan uses about as much electricity as a 100-watt bulb -- and it can take some of the load off the air conditioner. "You can use it for pennies a day, and you can probably nudge the AC up by about four degrees," he said.

6. Use a clothesline. Yes, a clothesline. Sure, some of your neighbors might look at you askance; the progressive ones will admire you. Electric dryers use a whopping amount of energy, and their work can just as easily be accomplished by Mother Nature on a sunny day. Plus, your clothes will last longer. "The stuff that's in your lint trap is really just your clothes falling apart," said Schiff.

7. Clean your refrigerator coils. Take off the grill at the bottom of your fridge. Chances are, you'll see some serious dust build-up on the coils behind. This area should be cleaned at least once a year, using a special tapered brush available at any hardware store. The result is a fridge whose motor won't have to run as often.

10. Keep your air conditioner clean and exposed. The A/C unit has to do something with the heat it draws out of your environment -- and while it's tempting to landscape around the big unit in your backyard, doing so will make it work harder to release that heat. Keep the area around the unit clean and open, with at least 2 feet of empty space all around.

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Eco-Friendly Blog Offers Some Great Energy Saving Tips

For some very helpful, money saving, energy conscious tips you might want to visit the
eco-friendly blog called Keetsa! They recommend doing things like; changing furnace filters, installing programmable thermostats, closing the drapes during the day while you are away and much more.
In addition to eco-friendly/energy saving tips, they also have information ranging from solar power to "green" transportation. Even though they didn't specifically mention air duct cleaning, I am sure they soon will post a blog about air duct cleaning. After all, dirty air ducts reduce air flow and make your furnace work that much harder.