View SpecialsAs a homeowner, your budget is tight. With so many bills and costs to monitor, maintaining your ideal home temperature and comfort levels may be secondary on your to-do list. It shouldn’t be. After all, your home is your sanctuary – it should be a place of comfort and calm for you and your family.
Male air-conditioning maintenance technician
You don’t have to choose between home comfort and saving money. With the right HVAC habits and improvements, your home stays comfortable and you save considerably on utility bills and other home costs.
Run through this checklist to ensure a perfectly balanced budget and home comfort level throughout every season.
Start with a Quality HVAC System
A huge step toward saving on comfort and energy costs is ensuring that you have efficient heating and air conditioning systems. With the latest advances in HVAC technology, systems purchased as recently as six years ago are highly inefficient compared to current units. In addition to using more fuel or needing to run longer, older HVAC units also cost more in frequent repairs. If your system is older than twelve years, start planning for a replacement unit today, because it could be costing you as much as 50% more to operate.
Open Supply Vents
Shutting off vents in certain rooms doesn’t save you money. In fact, your HVAC unit doesn’t run as efficiently because closed vents don’t allow the system to breathe properly. If your rooms are heating or cooling unevenly, try keeping all doors open to ensure proper airflow between rooms. If that doesn’t work, have your air ducts inspected for leaks and make sure you have enough return air, or consider installing a zone damper system for more even home temperatures.
Program Your Thermostat
Using your programmable thermostat could save you anywhere from 5% to 15% on your annual utility costs. The key, though, is programming it correctly. For summer air conditioning, don’t program your thermostat so high that it turns the AC off when you leave the house. Instead, set it just five degrees higher than your normal comfort level. When the temperature is set too high, your air conditioner has to run longer once you return – using up more electricity to cool your house. In winter, set your thermostat the opposite way for your furnace – no more than five degrees cooler than your ideal temperature.
Capitalize on Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans use fewer utilities than your HVAC unit, so use them to maximize your comfort and savings. When it’s hot outside, your fans should spin counterclockwise to push hot air up and out of your home. A commercial electrician said that the increased airflow also makes your home feel cooler and allows you to raise your thermostat setting – meaning less electricity-guzzling by your air conditioning. When the weather turns cold, reverse your ceiling fans’ spin (clockwise) to trap heat inside your home and push it back down into your living space.
Double-Check Other Leak Opportunities
In general, the better your home is sealed from the outside, the more consistent your home comfort and the greater your utility savings. Verify that the following areas of your home are also well sealed and insulated.
- All air ducts
- All windows and doors
- All other penetrations in your home
You shouldn’t have to choose between savings or home comfort. By implementing these simple checklist items, you secure the best home temperature you’ve ever had while saving money in the process. No matter if you’re a new homebuyer or a seasoned homeowner, these practices save you substantially on utility costs and keep your home comfortable throughout the changing seasons.
Looking for more heating unit maintenance musts? Call the Comfort Consultants from On Time Experts at 469-336-3435 or send us an email to begin your Home Comfort Process today.
