5 HVAC Energy Saving Tips for Your Home

5 HVAC Energy Saving Tips for Your Home Think you're spending too much on heating and air? Follow these HVAC energy saving tips to decrease your energy consumption and save money without sacrificing comfort.

1. Weatherstripping & Sealing

You shut your doors and close the windows before you turn on the air conditioner in the summer. Obviously, that's a good approach, but just how sealed are those doors and windows? When it comes to HVAC energy saving, this is the first place to start. You might be losing more than you think. Inspect your doors and windows for any obvious cracks or breaks. If you find any, either replace the defective component or repair them. Place weatherstripping around doors and windows too. This will help seal in the heat in winter, and prevent cold from seeping out all summer. If you've got the budget, a good idea is to replace any outdated windows with energy efficient ones. They're pricey, but they can make a real difference long term.

2. Manual J Calculation

Few people realize it, but HVAC units are not one-size-fits-all. You need equipment sized properly for your home. A system too big for your house is nearly as bad as one too small. Either way you'll waste energy, waste money, and be stuck with inferior air comfort until you get something sized appropriately. How do you know the right size for maximum HVAC energy saving? The best way to be sure is with a Manual J load calculation. A properly conducted Manual J will give you the right information you need to pick the right sized HVAC unit for your home. Considering how important proper sizing is, there's no room for error. Get a Manual J and get your HVAC size right the first time.

3. Clean Filters

When you're at home the air you breath has passed through your HVAC units air filter. This is a good thing, since air filters are designed to remove all sorts of unwanted pollutants from interior air. The better your air filter, the better quality your air will be. Air filters also play an important role in maintaining your HVAC system. Dirt and debris clogging your air conditioner or heat pump is a bad thing, but air filters prevent that. Well, they prevent it provided you keep them cleaned or changed on a regular basis. If you neglect your air filters, not only will you worsen interior air quality, but you'll also impede your HVAC system's operating efficiency. It will work harder, it will waste energy, and you will waste money paying for the wasted energy. Changing air filters isn't very hard and doesn't take very long. Make sure you do it once a month or less.

4. Ceiling & Wall Insulation

Ceiling and wall insulation is critical in maintaining an even household environment. You need a minimum level of insulation, or your house will be so porous that heating and cooling it will cost a fortune. Of course, the better your insulation level, the easier your home will be to heat and cool. This will be reflected directly in lower cooling and heating costs, and that's always a good thing. If you think you don't have the right level of insulation, contact a local insulation company. They may offer a free inspection and estimate. If they do, take them up on the offer. Get a second opinion if you like, but, above all, if you lack good insulation, get that problem solved. There are few things you can do more cost effective for home energy efficiency than ensure your insulation is up to par.

5. SEER & AFUE

At the end of the day, the HVAC energy saving efficiency of your air conditioner, heat pump, or furnace comes down to individual performance. So, how do you know if your equipment stacks up or not? When it comes to air conditioners and heat pumps the key word you need to look for is SEER. An air conditioner's SEER rating is an approximate measurement of how effectively it will cool an appropriate space over a season. The higher the SEER rating, the better. Currently, the US government requires all residential air conditioners be at least 13 SEER rated. If you want the best of the best, you'll need to go higher than that. Furnace and boiler units are not rated by SEER, but by AFUE. AFUE is an approximate measure of how efficiently a furnace burns its fuel. For example, if a furnace burned 50% of its fuel into heat, it would have a 50% AFUE. For the record, a 50% AFUE is absolutely awful. If you're in the market for a new furnace, the lowest AFUE rate you should consider is 80% AFUE, but, if you can go higher, do so. A 95% AFUE furnace burns incredibly efficiently and will save you lots of money over the years to come.

Start Your HVAC Energy Saving Now!

Seriously, there is no time like the present to improve your home for energy efficiency and savings. You'll save money and likely increase the operating life of your system. For more tips on how to save, check IWAE.com regularly. To invest in a high efficiency system, call today!
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