Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
New Year's Resolution: Save Big On Heating and Cooling!
Make Energy Efficiency a Top Priority in 2011Each year around this time, millions of Americans make New Year’s Resolutions to lose weight, quit smoking, and other things to improve their health. But how many of us make New Year's resolutions to improve their homes...or save money on their heating and cooling costs? Not many.
The Horizon Comfort Zone doesn't want you to give up those health-related New Year’s Resolutions -- they're great! But why not sweeten the mix by focusing on your home heating and cooling system and overall energy usage, too? Energy-Efficient New Year's Resolutions are not only good for the environment, they're good for your wallet. PLUS -- they're pretty easy resolutions to do and keep...a lot easier than avoiding food, cigarettes and alcohol!
Here are some great energy efficient New Year's resolutions you should consider making for 2011:
- Change Your Furnace or Air Conditioning Filter: Dirty filters impede air flow and make your furnace or air conditioner work harder. This increases your energy consumption, as well as the likelihood of furnace or air conditioner breakdowns. Be sure to check your filters monthly. Replace or clean them according to the schedule recommended by your HVAC service technician or by the manufacturer -- for most heating and air conditioning systems during peak season, that's about once a month.
- Go Digital with a Programmable Thermostat: Why waste energy heating or cooling your home when you are not there? With a programmable thermostat, you can pre-set the times and temperatures in which your heater or air conditioner will run. According to industry experts, a programmable thermostat can save you as much as $200 per year in energy costs.
- Buy a Fan: Fans can help circulate warm or cool air evenly throughout rooms or even entire floors of your house. This reduces a lot of wear and tear on your heater or air conditioner.
- Consider Zoned Heating: Why heat or cool rooms or floors if you're not in them? With a zoned heating/cooling system, you can send heated or cooled air where you want it. No heat or air conditioning is wasted. And the energy savings can be huge.
- Seal Air Leaks: Feel a draft around doors, windows or vents? If so, you could be leaking warm or cool air. That's money out the door for nothing. And as a result of the leak, you are probably running your heater or air conditioner more than you need to; that's adding wear and tear to your heating and cooling system. Check out your local hardware store for caulk, tape and other sealants that you can use to seal leaks around your house. It's a very quick, easy and inexpensive fix and it can save you big bucks in energy costs.
- Stop Blocking Registers and Vents: Check around your house to see if your registers and vents are blocked by furniture and other obstructions If so, you are wasting heat and air conditioning. Move these items aways from vents and registers so you can fill your rooms with more warm air in winter and more cool, air conditioned air in summer.
- Get a Tune-Up: It makes sense to get your car tuned up periodically and inspected once a year. Doesn't it make sense to do the same for your heating and cooling system? Regular tune ups and maintenance are the easiest and most important things you can do to guarantee that your heater or air conditioner performs at peak efficiency and doesn't break down at an inopportune time. Tune ups can extend the life of your heater or air conditioner, too. Don't be one of those procrastinators who say they'll wait till next year to get a tune up...have your HVAC system checked at least annually...starting THIS YEAR!
- Upgrade to a More Modern Heating & Cooling System: Make this the year you get rid of that old clunker of a heater and that rusty bucket-of-bolts you call an air conditioner! Today's technologically advanced heating and cooling systems are a far cry better than the heaters and air conditioners made just a decade ago. They perform at much higher energy efficiency levels. They provide more comfortable heating and cooling. The last longer. They require fewer repairs. And they're a better value: they generally pay for themselves in energy savings in just a few years. Tax breaks, rebates, manufacturer discounts and other incentives make them a better buy today than ever before.
Related Information from Horizon Services...
Monday, July 5, 2010
Summer Cooling and Air Conditioning Advice from EPA and Energy Star
Great Ways to Beat the Heat and Save Some Bucks!The average American home spends about 20 percent of its total utility bill on cooling and air conditioning, yet with some simple, inexpensive changes it’s possible to save money and make your home more environmentally friendly while staying cool and comfortable. Here are some simple cooling and air conditioning tips from the Environmental Protection Agency and Energy Star that will cost you no or little money.
No Cost Cooling and Air Conditioning Options
Program your thermostat according to your summer activities. If you spend most of the day away from home, set your cooling system a few degrees higher than normal when the house is empty. You can then set the thermostat to a lower temperature shortly before you return home. Using a programmable thermostat properly can save nearly $200 a year on energy costs.
Check the filter on your home’s HVAC system once a month. If the air filter appears dirty or worn, change it. The filter should be changed at least once every three months anyway. A dirty filter inhibits air flow, forcing your system to work harder and driving up utility costs.
If you have ceiling fans, use them along with your air conditioner to create a cool breeze. Running a ceiling fan makes it possible to raise the thermostat—just two degrees higher can lower energy costs by as much as 14 percent. Don’t forget to turn the fans off when you leave the room, though.
Close curtains, blinds, and shades against the sun’s powerful rays. Blocking out the sun during the heat of the day can prevent the interior of your home from overheating. You can also try moving indoor plants and trees in front of windows to create shade.
Low Cost Cooling and Air Conditioning Options
Have your cooling system inspected by a professional once a year. Hiring a technician to clean and service your unit regularly will cost significantly less than replacing or repairing a neglected unit that has become damaged.
Change incandescent light bulbs for more energy-efficient options, like compact fluorescents (CFLs). Look for the Energy Star label to identify lighting that uses less energy and emits 75 percent less heat than traditional bulbs. This can help lower your cooling bill.
Make sure air ducts are sealed tightly using mastic sealant or metal tape. Insulate ducts in attics, crawlspaces, basements, and garages, too. About 20 percent of the cool air moving inside your home is lost through gaps and loosened connections in ductwork.
Check vent and register connections at walls, floors, and ceilings to ensure that all the ducts are fastened and sealed tight.
Other Cooling and Air Conditioning Considerations
If you’re in the market for a new air conditioner, look for the EPA’s Energy Star label. We could keep about 900 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions out of the air every year if each single room air conditioner in the country was Energy Star rated.
Insulate your attic. If every American household did it we could save more than $1.8 billion in energy costs every year.
Replace an air conditioning unit that’s more than 12 years old with an Energy Star rated system; you could cut your cooling costs by as much as 30 percent.
Related Cooling and Air Conditioning Information from Horizon Services…
- Horizon Air Conditioning Services
- Help! My Air Conditioner is Frozen!
- Heat Pumps Can Maximize Your Heating and Cooling Efficiency and Comfort!
- Air Conditioning Alternatives
- Do The Math…High Efficiency Air Conditioners Drastically Reduce Energy Costs!
- A Precision Tune-Up is Your Air Conditioner's Best Friend!
- 5 BIG Mistakes Homeowners Make When Replacing Their Heating and A/C Systems
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