Make HVAC Resolutions for Home Savings and Comfort

Most people’s New Year’s resolutions involve such things as exercise, diet or eliminating bad habits. While those self-improvements are important, consider making and achieving some New Year’s resolutions that will make a real difference in your household budget and home comfort. We’re talking about taking actions that will improve the operation and efficiency of your home’s heating and cooling systems.

These recommendations, if followed, should result in a substantial savings in energy and money in the next year (and years beyond that), as well as enhancements in home comfort.

Some Money-Saving New Year’s Resolutions

• Regularly inspect your forced-air system’s air filter. A monthly check is usually recommended, unless you’re in between cooling and heating seasons and your system is hardly running. Pull the filter out of its slot and hold it up to a light. If you can’t clearly see light passing through, the filter needs to be replaced. Even without the old “hold it to the light” trick, it’s usually obvious when an air filter is clogged with dust and debris. A clogged filter will force your AC, heat pump or furnace to work longer and harder than necessary, which wastes energy, raises energy bills, and stresses equipment, eventually leading to a broken AC or furnace. Not replacing the filter regularly also may degrade air quality in your home.
• Schedule regular preventative maintenance. Professional maintenance at least annually, but ideally twice each year(once a year on the cooling system and once a year on the heating system), is essential for optimum efficiency and performance in a residential HVAC system. Without professional maintenance, components in an AC, heat pump or furnace will get dirty (adding friction to operation), lose lubrication, and fall out of proper adjustment. Plus, having an expert set of eyes inspecting your HVAC system will ensure that small problems are caught before they become large, expensive ones. Finally, some system warranties require regular professional maintenance in order to maintain the warranty provisions. Consider signing up for a professional maintenance contract with a trusted HVAC expert in your community. That way you won’t let it slip your mind and you’ll likely receive discounts on the service. (Here at Jansen Heating & Cooling, we offer membership in our Maintenance Club, which gets you reminders for your twice-yearly service and two system checks each year).

Inspect the Inside and Outside of Your HVAC System

• Inspect the interior of your home. Look at all heating and cooling vents to make sure they’re clear and not blocked by clutter, furniture, rugs, drapes or other objects. A forced-air HVAC system absolutely requires smooth, unimpeded airflow. When airflow is restricted, the machinery must work harder to achieve your thermostat setting, which, as with a clogged air filter, will result in wasted energy, uneven comfort and undue stress on equipment. Also take the time to check visible ductwork. Look for any duct sections that don’t appear tightly connected or that appear corroded or otherwise defective. If you notice issues in visible sections, those problems likely are occurring where you can’t see them, too, which might be wasting energy by pumping conditioned air into unoccupied parts of your home. Your trusted HVAC service provider can do a more comprehensive inspection and take any necessary corrective steps.
• Inspect the outside of your home. Look for holes, gaps and cracks in the exterior of your house. These are places where cold or warm air can either enter your home or escape it, forcing your HVAC equipment to work harder to compensate. Likely locations for air intrusion can be found where wiring, pipes and other conduits penetrate the home, where the foundation meets the main part of the house, where home additions are connected to the main house, and around windows and doors. Use caulk, weatherstripping or spray foam to seal these gaps. Which medium you use will depend on the size, location and type of hole that needs to be sealed. The bonus of effective air sealing is that it also will prevent the incursion of insects and other pests.

Adjust Your Own Habits and Customs

• See if you can adjust your thermostat temperatures to a few degrees higher in summer and lower in winter, without significantly affecting your comfort. You might find that 76 degrees is plenty comfortable during the cooling season, or 68 is OK in the winter. This will result in substantial savings in heating and cooling, while taking some of the load off your HVAC system. Having a programmable thermostat installed, which allows you to set energy-saving programs for times when the house is empty or everyone is sleeping, will add additional savings. And using ceiling fans to evenly distribute warm air and add a “wind chill effect” to cool air can help you to adjust your thermostat to a more economical setting.
• Use curtains and blinds to your advantage.Remember to open curtains and other window treatments to the sun on cold winter days, allowing the sunshine to provide free solar heat. In the summer, close curtains when the sun is shining through, to help with home cooling.
• Open windows when practical.On cool, dry nights in the summer, consider opening windows to allow natural overnight cooling. Then when it starts getting hot, close the windows. This may postpone the AC kicking on until later in the morning, saving energy and wear-and-tear on the equipment.

One of the best home heating and cooling resolutions you can make is to choose and develop a relationship with a trusted, local HVAC company. Here in Cincinnati, Jansen Heating & Cooling wants to be your home’s heating and AC partner. We know what it takes to keep your systems working at optimum performance, and we’re here to take the home heating and cooling headaches off of your to-do list while you focus on the more important things in life.