Now that Spring is upon us, we need to start thinking about making changes that will save energy during cooling season. One of the things that can make a difference is shading your outdoor HVAC unit. At our first house, the unit was located on the south side of the house and received full sun [...]
I’ll admit that I don’t think much about maintaining my air conditioning unit. That is, until it doesn’t work. Just a few months after my first daughter was born, our air conditioner quit working during a particularly warm week in May. With temperatures climbing into the upper 80’s, we were living in a poorly insulated [...]
Take ten minutes and walk around your house to make sure all air vents and air returns are free of obstructions. Not only does this make your HVAC system run more efficiently, it will make sure that the air you are paying to heat/cool actually makes it to the place you need it.
Removing obstructions [...]
A few months ago, I helped a friend add approximately 6 inches of cellulose insulation to his attic. It’s an intimidating project at first, but it turned out to be a very reasonable weekend project.
It was much less expensive than I expected, and adding that much insulaltion will improve the comfort and energy efficiency [...]
Ok, this is one I had to be talked into. It’s a great tip for springtime because there are days when you don’t need your A/C unit on, but some air movement would help keep the air from getting stagnant and circulating the air will help cool your home.
After implementing it, I can tell you [...]
No list of energy saving tips would be complete without one of the easiest and most cost effective improvements you can make — adding a programmable thermostat. For $35-$50, you can make a massive improvement in your bill.
A programmable thermostat basically makes it possible for you to control the temperature of your home so [...]
By properly using ceiling fans, you can boost the efficiency of your HVAC system. The simple tips that follow will not only improve the comfort of your home, but put money back in your pocket.
In winter, set the fan to force air toward the ceiling. This forces warm air from the ceiling to circulate down [...]
The south side of my house receives full sun during the day. In the winter months, this is welcome. The sun warms our daughter’s bedrooms several degrees during the winter taking a lot of pressure off our HVAC system.
During the summer, however, the addtitional heat makes the southside of our house a little uncomfortable. [...]
I was helping a friend install some light fixtures in his house a while ago and it required that we spend some time in his attic. The house is 25+ years old, in good shape overall. As we were climbing through his attic, I was talking to him about my interest in energy savings and [...]
Your HVAC system needs regular maintenance to perform at its best. One of the simplest things you can do to maintain your system is to change your air filter regularly. Clogged air filters make the system work harder and thus use more electricity. Keeping allergens and dust out of conditioned air is important to the [...]