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CareersAs the colder months approach, it’s time to prepare and ensure that we’re ready for the falling temperatures. One area of concern for many people as winter draws near is the uncertainty of their heating bills month to month. While it’s challenging to predict your exact energy bill for the cold season, taking preventative measures can provide some reassurance. You can find savings by following a few tips to make your HVAC systems as efficient as possible, aiding in controlling your energy costs.
Energy-Efficient HVAC System
As a homeowner, you’ll undoubtedly come across the term “HVAC,” short for ‘Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning,’ relating to both residential and commercial properties. Units come in various shapes, sizes, heating or cooling capacities, price ranges, and energy star ratings. Considering the energy-efficient Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) is important when selecting the right HVAC unit for your home. The goal is to find a balance between power consumption, output, and savings on your utility bills. This is especially crucial in keeping winter heating costs lower.
In light of rising fuel costs, you can also expect your heating bills to surge. Often, heating a home results in the highest utility bill. Families may unintentionally leave the heat on in pursuit of comfort, neglecting the bottom line. However, forming better habits, like regular maintenance of your HVAC system, and installing programmable thermostats can go a long way in improving energy efficiency. The make and model of your HVAC unit, and upkeep, also influent its overall efficiency.
HVAC System Size
Energy efficiency is greatly impacted by the size of the HVAC unit. An HVAC load calculator can assist in deciding if a new unit is necessary after providing some home details. These estimates are crucial when weighing your options. However, don’t be fooled, the phrase “bigger is better” does not always serve true with HVAC systems, and a smaller unit doesn’t always equate to savings.
If a unit is too small for your home, signs like insufficient heating and constant furnace operation are common. This can drastically affect your energy bill as the heater runs non-stop, leading to burnouts due to overuse and hefty repair or replacement costs. Contrarily, HVAC units too large draw significant energy, rapidly switching on and off to regulate temperature. Over time, this wears down the unit, necessitating repairs. Hence, it’s essential to seek professional advice to select an appropriate unit size.
Surprisingly, simple tasks like cleaning or replacing your air filters can elevate your HVAC unit’s energy efficiency, and often, at no extra charge. It’s important to consider several factors, such as the filter type and its composition, when deciding on the frequency of changing your filters. Regular maintenance, such as ductwork cleaning, can thus make a significant difference in your energy costs while ensuring the longevity and efficiency of your HVAC system.In addition to keeping dust and harmful particles out of the air you breathe, some air filters also remove germs and pathogens. These crucial parts are often present in various rooms, playing a significant role in an air conditioner’s performance. Of course, cheap filters are readily available, but spending a few extra dollars could go a long way in ensuring a healthier environment. As for the number of times you should change filters, there’s a consensus that every three months is an adequate amount of time. However, some professionals feel every month is necessary. This all depends on your household settings and the number of appliances. For example, if you have lots of kids or pets, you will need to change your air filter more frequently than someone who lives alone.
Replacing Air Filters Regularly
Cleaning or replacing your air filters is essential for allowing a clear passageway of warm air into your home in the winter. Filters build up with dust and debris over time from circulating air through the ducts within the space. Furthermore, air leaks can exacerbate the need for frequent filter maintenance. Inevitably, dirty filters result in your HVAC system overworking. In addition, the home will not be heating as well as it should be. Not only could a dirty air filter damage your furnace over time and prohibit clean, warm air, but this can trigger your unit to shut down, among other issues. If your unit shuts down, your home will be not only chilly but a financial issue.
Filter maintenance is a simple way to help save you money when heating your home this winter, but it’s often overlooked as a method of improving the energy consumption of HVAC appliances. Take the extra step, clean or replace the filters, and then you’re on the way to saving!
Properly insulating your home can also significantly improve the efficiency of your HVAC unit and save you money. Insulating the various parts and rooms in your house keeps warm air in the house longer. Warm air is always looking for colder places to travel to. So if you have cracks in your window, attic, or wherever the case may be, you can expect to lose warm air and money too. If you have access to your attic, you can perform a quick check of insulation levels to determine if more is needed.
After confirming you need to insulate or add additional insulation, your next step is choosing the appropriate insulation materials for your home’s region and climate. Remember, the purpose of insulation is not to heat your home but to slow the process of heat loss. By insulating different rooms of your home, you can surely expect to save money and improve your HVAC’s overall performance, especially air conditioners, by appropriately insulating areas within your home that need some help.
Properly Insulate Your Home
Installing a smart thermostat can help regulate the temperature within your home easily and quickly. With homes becoming smarter and technology-oriented, the use of such appliances excites many! The benefits of installing a programmable thermostat are endless. However, the most notable benefit is complete control at your fingertips. The ability to tweak settings, lower your thermostat while you aren’t home, set timers, and even possibly receive notifications of HVAC malfunctions are worth consideration. You can surely expect to save money with a smart thermostat this winter. Lower energy usage starts with your thermostat. Take some time to decide which option caters to your needs the best and what’s more desirable for your home and its environment.
The key to ensuring your HVAC unit’s longevity and efficiency is routine maintenance. This includes checking the ducts and air leaks, which may seem like common knowledge, but when was the last time you got your HVAC equipment serviced without there being an issue? Scheduling maintenance doesn’t only need to be for a repair. Instead, think of it as reassurance that if there’s a problem with your unit, a professional can guide you on what’s to come next. Consulting with multiple HVAC professionals can also be beneficial, as each opinion can offer different valuable insights on potential issues.Peace of mind is paramount for any family, especially when preparing for the colder, energy sapping months ahead. Keep in mind that if routine maintenance such as sealing gaps and regulate humidity control was never performed on your unit, you may suddenly see issues appear impacting both your energy savings and air quality.
Install a Smart Thermostat
Regrettably, at some point, your unit will age out. Each HVAC unit, regardless of their models, has a shelf life. How long your HVAC lasts is dependent on multiple factors including energy use and individual preferences.
Performing Regular Maintenance
Whether the region you live in experiences cold air in winters or hot summers, everything you can think of plays a role in the unit’s aging. As a homeowner, thinking of purchasing a new unit and making necessary repairs or upgrades through professional services is dreadful. HVAC purchases are easily one of the most expensive decisions a homeowner can make, but necessary.
Purchasing a New HVAC Unit
Fast funding is usually essential for these kinds of improvements, so consider taking out a low interest home equity loan (HEL) as a method of funding. The benefits of receiving a home equity loan include a lump sum payment and tax-deductible interest as long as the loan is used for home improvement projects. In addition, a HEL is a great way to utilize your home’s equity to fund unexpected projects and repairs, such as buying a new HVAC system.
- Where you live plays a crucial role in determining the lifespan of your unit.
- Leaves, dust, rocks, and numerous other natural elements come into consideration.
There are many ways to heat your home with things like space heaters, but efficiently heating your home, eliminating gaps and reducing energy use, is a whole new ball game. Two energy-efficient ways are heat pumps (geothermal and air source) and furnaces.
Air source heat pumps work to pump heat from one place to another by using a compressor and a circulating structure of refrigerant or natural gas. Heat is then extracted from outside sources and pumped into homes. The advantages of heat pumps are amazing. The most notable is that they require less electricity, ultimately saving you money.
Most Energy-Efficient Method to Heat Your Home
Heat Pumps
Unfortunately, a notable downside is heat pump installations are costly. However, with sealing gaps and controlling humidity, if you can see past the initial installation costs, you can expect to be well on your way to saving money while heating your home this winter.
A furnace is a part of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The primary function is to provide heat, when the air within your home is cooler than the family’s set thermostat preferences, the furnace kicks on and heats that room until the temperature reaches the preset level. Like heat pumps, the benefits of a furnace are quite impressive.
- require considerably less maintenance
- have cheaper heating costs
- have an expected longer lifespan compared to traditional heating sources
Improved airflow and air quality are among the advantages of installing a new high-efficiency furnace. Having your home heated quickly in a time of need or comfort is critical to a household. After all, our home is where we spend a great deal of our time.
Furnaces
Furnaces measure energy savings and efficiency by Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency or AFUE.
With new furnaces with AFUE ratings well over 90%, you can expect better energy use and to save a great deal of money over time. Also, new models of furnaces are quieter than in the past, so installing a new one means you likely won’t be woken up in the middle of the night due to noise.
Everyone can expect to heat their home in the winter months, given we all live in areas that experience temperature drops in some form. While we can’t predict how much our furnace will be used this winter, we know it’ll be used at some point.
You’re now equipped with information to make your HVAC unit more energy efficient while also saving you money. If you’re unsure about your current heating system, consulting with professional services can be beneficial. A professional HVAC technician can help you better understand what you can do to save money, increase energy savings, enhance air quality and keep your family warm.
Final Thoughts
Everyone can expect to heat their home in the winter months, given we all live in areas that experience temperature drops in some form. While we can’t predict how much our furnace will be used this winter, we know it’ll be used at some point.
You’re now equipped with information to make your HVAC unit more energy efficient while also saving you money. If you’re unsure about your current heating system, consulting with a professional can be beneficial. A professional HVAC technician can help you better understand what you can do to save money and stay warm.
