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The move toward passive heating and cooling is growing.
It saves money and reduces greenhouse gases. Here are some ways to cut down on heat gains and losses from your home:
Insulation
Insulation slows down heat flow. In winter this means less heat escapes and in summer, it keeps your air conditioner from working overtime. In both cases, you have smaller equipment to worry about when building or replacing. Upgrading insulation is a sure-fire way to cut your energy use.
Proper sealing
If air leaks in around windows and doors, you undo everything your insulation does. Known as infiltration, this air carries moisture in summer and low temperatures in winter, taxing your equipment and wasting energy. Sealing off these locations is a fairly cheap way to cut back on your energy bills.
Window locations
In the northern hemisphere, the sun in winter sun shines from the south. The opposite is true for the southern hemisphere. Having large windows face the winter sun allows for sunlight to heat up those rooms, reducing your heating load. The downside is that more heat is lost through these windows at night and on cloudy days.
Window treatments
Curtains and blinds can reduce heat gain and loss depending on their insulative value. Blocking out the sun in summer keeps the space cool even if you have no shading from outside. Trees and foliage outside your window also reduce heat gain in the summer. If you pick the right trees that lose their leaves in winter, you still gain the advantage of winter sunlight heating your home.
Heavy curtains keep the heat in on cold winter nights, reducing losses from large windows.
Overhangs
Strategically placed overhangs can prevent your large windows from creating large problems in the summer. During this season, the sun is high in the sky. Overhangs that block windows from direct sunlight reduce the heating effect of the sun and keep your cooling bill down. The winter sun's low path across the sky allows sunlight to enter the room without being blocked by the overhang.
Type of glass
Glass performance has two main characteristics: heat transfer coefficient and shading coefficient. The heat transfer coefficient indicates how well the glass prevent heat from flowing through. The shading coefficient affects the sunlight entering the space. A higher shading coefficient keeps more sun out. Glass thickness, the number of panes and coating type all impact these numbers and vary between manufacturers.
You still need well-maintained equipment.
Even with minimal heat gains and losses, your HVAC equipment needs to run efficiently. Give us a call to assess ways you can reduce your energy usage and keep your equipment in top shape.
When was the last time you changed the oil in your car? Probably when the manufacturer recommended, based on the mileage and time since the previous oil change.
Your heating and cooling equipment should be no different. It might be stationary equipment, but it's certainly not something you can set and forget.
Maintenance is a must for your furnace and air conditioner, not an option. Here's what you can expect from a tune up:
- A thorough inspection of the fan, burners, pulleys, belts, motors, heat exchanger and controls.
- Burner cleaning.
- Filter replacement if needed.
- Lubrication of bearings.
- Tightening of connections.
Reduce risk of shutdowns at the wrong time
The first reason to keep on top of your HVAC equipment is to prevent a major catastrophe. Having no furnace in the middle of winter is like shutting down at the side of the highway. You never want to be in that situation. Preventative maintenance on your furnace reduces the likelihood of being left out in the cold.
Keep your equipment working longer
The harder your equipment has to work, the shorter its lifespan. As with any machine, wear and tear will take a toll. The inevitable shutdown happens much sooner if you keep pushing your equipment without proper maintenance. Regular tune-ups will lengthen your HVAC equipment life, saving you money.
Lower your energy bill
No matter what shape your equipment is in, it has to provide the same amount of heating or cooling on a given day. A unit in top shape will do so with less effort, using less electricity and gas to keep your home at the right temperature. Proper tune up will allow your furnace or AC to work without emptying your pockets to pay outrageous energy bills.
Keep your family safe and improve air quality
Furnaces can introduce deadly carbon monoxide into your home if not maintained. A cracked heat exchanger can allow combustion gases to enter the supply air. A dirty burner can result in incomplete combustion, which in turn increases the amount of carbon monoxide produced. A professional inspection and tune-up will prevent these situations from happening, keeping you and your family safe.
Getting it done
To keep your home's air system working well, give us a call and we'll tune up your HVAC equipment so you'll be cool this summer and toasty in the winter.