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HEAT AND COOL EFFICIENTLY
As much as half of
the energy used in your home goes to
heating and cooling. So making smart
decisions about your home's heating,
ventilating, and air conditioning
(HVAC) system can have a big effect
on your utility bills — and your
comfort. Take these steps to
increase the efficiency of your
heating and cooling system. For more
information, see our Guide to Energy
Efficient Heating & Cooling (708KB).
Change your air
filter regularly
Check your filter every month,
especially during heavy use months
(winter and summer). If the filter
looks dirty after a month, change
it. At a minimum, change the filter
every 3 months. A dirty filter will
slow down air flow and make the
system work harder to keep you warm
or cool — wasting energy. A clean
filter will also prevent dust and
dirt from building up in the system
— leading to expensive maintenance
and/or early system failure.
Tune up your HVAC
equipment yearly
Just as a tune-up for your car can
improve your gas mileage, a yearly
tune-up of your heating and cooling
system can improve efficiency and
comfort.
Install a
programmable thermostat
A programmable thermostat is ideal
for people who are away from home
during set periods of time
throughout the week. Through proper
use of pre-programmed settings, a
programmable thermostat can save you
about $150 every year in energy
costs.
Seal your heating
and cooling ducts
Ducts that move air to-and-from a
forced air furnace, central air
conditioner, or heat pump are often
big energy wasters. Sealing and
insulating ducts can improve the
efficiency of your heating and
cooling system by as much as 20
percent — and sometimes much more.
Focus first on sealing ducts that
run through the attic, crawlspace,
unheated basement, or garage. Use
duct sealant (mastic) or
metal-backed (foil) tape to seal the
seams and connections of ducts.
After sealing the ducts in those
spaces, wrap the ducts in insulation
to keep them from getting hot in the
summer or cold in the winter. Next,
seal ducts that you can access in
the heated or cooled part of the
house.
Consider
installing ENERGY STAR qualified
heating and cooling equipment
If your HVAC equipment is more than
10 years old or not keeping your
house comfortable, you should have
it looked at by a professional HVAC
contractor. If it is not performing
efficiently or needs upgrading,
consider replacing it with a unit
that has earned the ENERGY STAR.
Installed correctly, these
high-efficiency heating and cooling
units can save up to 20 percent on
heating and cooling costs. But
before you invest in a new HVAC
system, make sure that you have
addressed the big air leaks in your
house and the duct system.
Sometimes, these are the real
sources of problems rather than your
HVAC equipment.
Remember that getting the proper
size and a quality installation is
essential to getting the most from
your new equipment. When replacing
HVAC equipment, bigger doesn't
always mean better. If the unit is
too large for your home, you will be
less comfortable and might actually
have higher utility bills. Oversized
equipment will operate in short run
cycles, not allowing the unit to
reach efficient operation and remove
humidity from the air — resulting in
an uncomfortable home. Your
contractor should determine the
right size for your HVAC equipment
by using ACCA/ANSI Manual J or an
equivalent sizing calculation tool
that takes into account specific
information about your home.
If you would like
more information on this topic
please feel free to
contact us any time. |
