Too many of your hard-earned paychecks have been drained by utility bills. You are desperate to find energy-saving solutions, but everyone keeps telling you the same thing: just buy a new HVAC unit. Buying a brand-new heating and cooling system is not out of your current financial reach, but it seems like a pretty absurd idea, seeing how your HVAC is only 5 years old. You have no financial fight left in you to battle it out with utility bills. But is installing a brand-new unit really your only solution? The answer is no – installing a new HVAC unit is not the only solution to lowering exorbitant energy costs. There are simple HVAC upgrades, add-ons, and tune-ups that increase HVAC efficiency, lower utility bills long-term and lie very much within your financial reach. Here are a few of the best (and expert-approved) ideas for upgrading your HVAC unit to energy-saving status.

  1. Zone Damper System
    With a single thermostat, you pay to cool (or heat) your entire house, even if only a few rooms need to be cooled (or heated). A zone damper system addresses this by placing different thermostats in each room of the house you want to be controlled separately.

    A zone damper system is useful if you have certain rooms in your house that are less inhabited throughout the winter (or summer.) Damper zones level out the heating and cooling in your home, maximizing your home comfort and minimizing your utility bills.

  2. Mobile Thermostat Control
    Thanks to the never-ending development of digital technology, you can now control your home’s heating and cooling through your mobile phone. This wireless access to your thermostat allows you to adjust home temperature settings from remote locations. Many of these mobile thermostat applications also provide notifications when your home humidity level falls below a certain point and allow you to adjust the temperature accordingly.
  3. Re-sealing Of Duct System
    When you’re planning ways to upgrade your HVAC, duct sealing (or rather, re-sealing) should be one of your first tasks.

    Believe it or not, ducts are almost always sealed incorrectly upon installation. Some contractors tend to settle for standard sealants, like duct tape, get the job done but don’t hold in place for very long. If you’re noticing an increase in utility bills, have inefficient airflow, and/or your ducts just look poorly insulated, then a re-sealing will probably benefit your unit.

When arranging a duct sealing, make sure your provider ensures the following:

  • Nothing lower than R-6 insulation (R-8 is best) is used
  • The sealing process is UL 181 approved
  • The ducts contain an antimicrobial lining (protects against bacterial build-up)

Your utility bills are way too high for comfort, but if your HVAC unit is still fairly young (10 years is old), replacement should not be your go-to solution. Upgrading your HVAC system with the right additions and improvements increases energy efficiency. So, refrain yourself from jumping to “replacement,” and you’ll see that simple HVAC upgrades dramatically lower your energy costs.

Meet the Author
Randy Kelley
Randy Kelley

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