Heating, cooling and ventilating your home can take up a significant portion of your overall energy usage. While your HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems might not make up the majority of your total monthly energy bill, they likely take up a sizeable majority. This is, quite literally, the price we pay for comfortable homes and clean air within them. But you don’t have to just accept staggeringly high utility bills each month. There are things that you can do to maximize your HVAC system’s energy efficiency.
Invest in a Modern HVAC System
Unlike the models popular ten or fifteen years ago, modern HVAC appliances and equipment come with impressive energy-saving ratings. Taking advantage of this fact means replacing your decades-old HVAC units with a significant upgrade, but many homeowners find this cost to upgrade entirely worth it. Better-functioning and more energy-efficient than previous designs, newer systems take what their predecessors did before, and really run with it. Energy efficiency has become the norm, a common demand from the market, and HVAC companies have gladly complied.
Keep the Air Inside
Do you have drafty windows or doors? Is your building not exactly the best in terms of insulation? If you’ve said yes to either question and aren’t doing anything about it, then you are literally letting your money waft right out the window. When the cool or warm air provided by your furnace or air conditioner slips away, the appliance needs to work harder to compensate for this loss. This drives up energy bills, can place added strain on the unit, and makes it difficult to adequately control the temperature in your space. Address draftiness whenever you notice it, and you’ll save big in the long-run.
Don’t Block up Airflow
Adequate airflow is essential to the energy efficiency of your HVAC equipment. Cluttered or dusty homes can be especially difficult to create the desired airflow in, causing the system to work even harder to serve its purpose. Make sure to check your air filters often to ensure that they are not blocked up with particles picked up from the air and double-check that there is no furniture in the way of the air distributed through vents. If necessary change the filters with MERV 8 filters.
Hire an HVAC Repair and Maintenance Company
Truly, accredited and insured HVAC contractors are the way to go when it comes to taking care of your HVAC equipment. They know the ins and outs of these systems and can run state-of-the-art diagnostics to ensure the best treatment possible for your HVAC units. For routine maintenance and occasional repairs/replacements, we don’t recommend the DIY approach. If you’re not sure what you’re doing, people and property can be harmed.
Use Programmable Controls
Sometimes we forget to adjust the thermostat before leaving the house or going to bed. It happens, but if it happens too often you’ll soon see a spike in your energy bill. To prevent this common occurrence, invest in HVAC units that come complete with programmable controls and digital displays that make it easy for you to keep track of and program your settings.
