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".

On the House Home Improvement Forum - Endless Dust

Just thought I would share a thread I found concerning dust and air duct cleaning. A homeowner was complaining about all the dust in her home and another homeowner recommended having her furnace and air ducts cleaned. - If only every homeowner new all the benefits of air duct cleaning!

Duct Cleaning Schedule for Christmas and New Years

Duct-911.com will be closed Tuesday 12/25/2007 to observe the birth of Jesus Christ. Both Duct-911.com and CleanMyFurnace.com will reopen for duct cleaning Wednesday the 26th and will be closed again New Years Day.

We would like to extend a heartfelt Merry Christmas and a Happy (and prosperous) New Year to all. 2007 Has been en extremely fun, exciting and prosperous year for our companies and we are very excited about what's in store for us in 2008. If this year can be used as a measurement, next year should be incredible!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
and a
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Chimney Cleaing - Cleaning the Chimney Stack on a Coffee Bean Roaster

We had fun last week cleaning the stack on a coffee bean roaster. Even though it was very simple, it still was very fun. According to the owner, John R of Northwoods Roasterie, a coffee shop located in Lindstrom, MN, the coffee bean roaster must be cleaned annually to satisfy the manufacturers warranty requirements.

The process was really no different then cleaning a house chimney. One of our guys was on top of the roof with a rotobrush, the other was positioned with vacuum in hand by the chimney stack of the coffee bean roaster. Since it was a straight shot, and a short chimney, the process was very quick. In one years time their hadn't accumulated much soot (creosote) in the chimney.

John explained that since his coffee shop is only one year old and he is still building his clientele, his chimney wasn't as dirty as what it will be next year. He explained that a coffee shop that roasted 800 or 900 pounds of coffee per day would perhaps need it cleaned more frequently.

5 Tips on Hiring an Air Duct Cleaner

When hiring a duct cleaner there are certain steps you can take to make sure you hire the very best duct cleaning company for your situation. To name just a few:

• Ask for a detailed description of the duct cleaning service they will provide for you.
• Get an approximate estimate for your project. Ideally, they will be able to give you a quote over the phone.
• Dos the price include tax?
• Are they able to provide other services related to duct cleaning like chimney cleaning, dryer vent cleaning, furnace cleaning, etc.
• Let them tell you as much as possible about their duct cleaning company and the services they provide. This way you can determine if they match your criteria.

These are just 5 of the 20 Tips on Hiring a Duct Cleaner article found on the website.

Are You Looking for a HVAC Contractor?

The heating season is here and it's definitely time to start thinking about your HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) system. It seems like everyone I've been talking to is thinking about air duct cleaning, furnace filters, furnace tune-ups or buying a new heating and cooling system. Of course, I work in the business, but even so, people are certainly thinking about their heating system.

Now is a great time to get your air ducts cleaned and your furnace tuned-up. For as little as $189, you can have a professional air duct cleaner use a rotobrush to scrub your ducts clean. Generally speaking, air duct cleaners are trained and equipped to do more than just clean duct work. They typically do an excellent job of giving your furnace the much needed annual tune-up.

We subscribe to numerous HVAC magazines, and are constantly reminded of the importance of annual furnace tune-ups. If only we could get the word out to more homeowners about the importance of having your heating system checked out on a yearly basis.

Babies and Children More Vulnerable to Indoor Air Pollution

Children are more exposed to air, water pollution and pesticides because pound-for-pound, children breathe in more air, drink more water, and eat more food than adults.

Their bodies are growing and developing more rapidly, so chemicals that can harm their physical development can do maximum damage at this critical time.

Children also play on the floor, where allergens, such as dust, dirt, pet hair and other heavier-than-air chemicals settle and collect.

Then there's natural behavior: Putting everything in the mouth is a crucial part of normal development, the way a baby learns about the world.

For $189 ($99 for the air sweep and vacuum method) you can have all your air ducts thoroughly brushed clean using the roto-brush method. If you are concerned about your family's health, and would like to find out how you can have clean air ducts, call the pros at Duct-911.com today for more information: 651-653-4704.