Heating and Cooling is the largest energy expense for most homeowners. A healthy heating and cooling system, with well-maintained and clean duct work, is key to an efficient and economical heating and cooling system. The following tips can help to keep your system running efficiently:
1. Check your duct work for air leaks. Often, ducts will become separated over time, or develop holes. Duct tape is a temporary cure, but mastic, butyl tape, foil tape or other tape with the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) logo is a more permanent, and therefore, preferred, solution.
2. Set your thermostat as low as comfortable in the winter and as high as comfortable in the summer.
3. Clean and replace filters once a month or as needed.
4. Clean heat registers and baseboard heaters as needed. Do not allow them to be blocked by carpets, drapes, etc.
5. During the summer, keep the drapes and shades on south-facing windows closed to block out the sun, and make sure that they are open during the winter to allow the sun in.
6. Consider replacing your existing furnace and air conditioner with more efficient models. With furnaces, look for a high Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating (the national minimum is 78%, Energy Star models can exceed 90%). Air conditioners are measured by the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). The current minimum SEER is 13, and Energy Star Models are 13 SEER or more.
7. Install a whole-house fan to pull cool air through the house and send warm air out through the attic. This is especially effective on summer evenings when the outside air is cooler than the air inside the house.
8. Position your air conditioning unit on the north side of your home. If this is not possible, consider planting trees or shrubs to provide cooling shade. Be careful that any vegetation does not block the air circulation to the air conditioning unit.
9. Sealing air leaks and improving insulation will lessen the strain on your heater and air conditioner.
10. Consider installing a programmable thermostat to regulate the temperature when you are gone during the day or asleep at night.
11. Trees and shrubs can also be useful as wind breaks or shade for windows and doors.
Fireplaces and woodstoves are often a source of inexpensive heat, but they can also cause heat loss if hearths and flues are not properly sealed in where they intersect walls and ceilings. If you do not use your fireplace, consider sealing the flue shut. |
