Saving Energy With Your Programmable Thermostat

March 30th, 2012 Posted in Reducing HVAC Energy Costs
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Programmable thermostats are a terrific energy saving tool, but you can maximize your savings by using the device properly.  Programmable thermostats save energy by automatically changing the temperature setting inside your home to an energy efficient setting at pre-programmed times throughout the day.  When these times are programmed to coincide with the period you are at work or asleep, you will reduce your energy usage and can save about $180 per year without sacrificing comfort.

The EPA’s $180 per year savings figure is based on programming your thermostat to 8 degrees lower in the winter for 10 hours during the day and 8 hours at night and increasing the temperature in the summer 7 degrees for 10 hours during the day and by 4 degrees for 8 hours at night.

To achieve greater savings try setting the energy saving temperatures even lower in the winter and higher in the summer.  The greater the difference from your comfort setting the more you will save on energy costs.  You can also try reducing your winter comfort setting and increasing you summer comfort setting a degree or two.  Keep making adjustments until you find the energy saving and comfort settings that you are comfortable with and then leave the thermostat alone.

Avoid the temptation to override the programmed energy saving or comfort settings.  This habit will reduce your energy savings.  You are better off finding a good temperature program you are comfortable with than frequently overriding the energy saving or comfort temperature settings.  Programmable thermostats work best if you set the program and then forget about it and let it do its thing.

For additional ways to save energy on your heating and cooling, talk to your HVAC contractor about an HVAC system efficiency analysis.  They will analyze your HVAC system and recommend an energy efficiency package that will help your reduce your heating and cooling energy usage and cut your energy bills.

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Thermostat Placement

March 30th, 2012 Posted in HVAC Accessories
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If you are installing a new programmable thermostat, make sure find a good location where it can accurately measure the temperature inside your home.  Similarly, if your current thermostat has problems keeping the temperature in your home even throughout the day, check its placement.  A thermostat only knows what the temperature is where it is located and if it is placed in a location subject to temperature swings, it will not read your indoor air temperature accurately and you may experience uneven heating and cooling.

A thermostat should be mounted about 5 feet from the floor to get a good average reading from floor to ceiling.  Warm air rises so temperatures in your home will naturally be warmer toward the ceiling and cooler at the floor.

The thermostat should also be located where it is not affected by heated or cooled air blowing from the registers.  Locating a thermostat too close to a register will cause your system to cycle on off too frequently and some areas of your home will never reach the appropriate temperature.

Also, keep light fixtures several feet away from your thermostat.  An incandescent light bulb can raise the nearby air temperature several degrees and affect your thermostat’s temperature reading.  The same is true for the sun.  If your thermostat is located where it receives direct sunlight for more than a few minutes, it will cause the thermostat to read high on sunny days.

Finally, mount thermostats well away from exterior doors and windows and away from kitchens to avoid inaccurate readings.  An interior hallway often makes an ideal location for a thermostat.  If you think you need to move your thermostat, talk to your local HVAC contractor or an electrician.

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Can You Benefit From a Programmable Thermostat?

March 30th, 2012 Posted in HVAC Accessories
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Installing a new programmable thermostat is a great way for many homeowners to save energy and money by reducing the amount of energy used for home heating and cooling.  However, not every home can benefit from a programmable thermostat so before you make the investment, make sure a programmable thermostat would be good energy saving device for your home.

Programmable thermostats save energy by automatically adjusting your temperature setting to an energy saving setting while you are asleep at night or away from home during the day.  It is possible to get similar results by manually changing the setting on your thermostat, but programmable thermostats work well because they automate the process so you don’t have to remember to change the setting when you go to bed or leave for work.

In addition, programmable thermostats increase your comfort because they can be programmed to return to the more comfortable setting shortly before you return from work in the evening or get out of bed in the morning. The temperature in your home will be at a comfortable setting and you won’t have to wait while your home heats up or cools down.

The biggest savings are experienced by families who are out of the home during the weekday.  If a family member is at home during the day, your energy savings will be limited to the overnight hours.  Also, savings are best in climates that use both heating and air conditioning.  If your home is located in a climate where you rarely use the air conditioner or furnace, your savings will be reduced.  Finally, programmable thermostats don’t work well on heat pumps running in heat mode.

Heat pumps rely on inefficient electric heating strips to make large temperature adjustments and your savings from the energy saving setting will be offset by the energy used bringing your home back up to the comfort setting.   Your local HVAC contractor carries a wide selection of HVAC accessories and optional components like programmable thermostats or you can fine one at your local home improvement center.

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Money Saving Home Heating Tips

March 16th, 2012 Posted in Furnaces
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Are you tired of high energy bills for heating your home?  There is no reason to put up with high energy bills for another year.  There are many energy efficient home heating options on the market including high efficiency furnaces and heat pumps that are much more efficient than those sold 15 years ago.  If you have an older model furnace or heat pump in your home, replacing it with a new high efficiency furnace or heat pump will save you a bundle.  Your new furnace may even pay for itself in less than 10 years.

If you already have an energy efficient heat pump or furnace, look around your home for sources of heat loss and air leakage.  Folding attic stairs are a commonly overlooked source of heat loss.  Since there is no insulation at the attic stairs, heat can leak out into your attic especially if the door is not sealed properly.  You can install an attic stair cover that will eliminate this problem.

Fireplace dampers are another overlooked source of heat loss.  Leaving your fireplace damper open in the winter is almost the same as leaving a window open and can drive up your heating costs by as much as 20% to 30%.  At a minimum, close the damper when the fireplace is not in use.  Better yet, install a draft stopper to further reduce heat loss through the fireplace.

Dryer vents typically just have a thin uninsulated metal flap to reduce air leakage.  Not only does this flap allow heat to escape, it is often stuck open by lint allowing warm air to flow out of your home.  An easy and inexpensive solution is to install a dryer vent seal.

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Silencing a Noisy Air Conditioner

March 16th, 2012 Posted in Air Conditioning Service and Repair
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Central air conditioning is a wonderful thing, but the unit that sits outside your house (called the condenser) can be irritatingly noisy especially if it has been installed under a bedroom window or similarly unfortunate location.  Even with the windows closed, it can get pretty noisy especially if you or your guests are trying to sleep.

To help quiet the beast, first make sure it has been properly serviced by a reputable HVAC service and repair techncian.  Be sure to ask the HVAC technician to check for loose sheet metal and to check the fan blade clearance.  Vibrating sheet metal is noisy and sometimes just securing the sheet metal housing will significantly reduce the amount of noise it is making.

Building an enclosure around the unit is a possibility, but be careful to allow for sufficient air flow. Ask your HVAC technician how much space to leave around the unit.  Sometimes good results can be achieved by enclosing the top and sides closest to the house and leaving the side away from the house open or covered with lattice.  Also, you will need to make sure that the enclosure allows for easy access to the entire unit for servicing.

Relocating the unit to a better location can be very effective.  There is some cost involved because your HVAC contractor will need to run new coolant lines and do some electrical work, but sometimes just moving it a few feet can make a big difference.

Finally, when it comes time to replace your HVAC system, look for quiet running unit.  Central air conditioners are rated for noise and some models are much quieter than others.

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Avoid Closing Vents to Save on Air Conditioning

March 12th, 2012 Posted in Reducing HVAC Energy Costs
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Many homeowners faced with onerous summertime energy bills attempt to save energy and money by closing off parts of their home or shutting some of their central air conditioning vents.  It makes sense that closing the vents in unused areas of the home would direct more cool air to other areas of the home and would result in lower energy usage and reduced electric bills.  However, studies have shown that closing more than just one or two vents did not result in a cost savings and can even cause damage to the system.

Most HVAC systems installed in the past twenty to thirty years were carefully designed to meet the needs of the home.  Efficient operation of these systems depends on the right amount of air flowing through the system.  If a homeowner closes some of the supply air vents, the air flow within the system is restricted and duct pressure rises.

As the pressure inside the ducts increases, so does the amount of conditioned air that leaks from the ducts.  Studies have shown that this increased duct leakage offsets any benefit gained from closing some of the home’s air supply vents, especially if the ducts are run through non-conditioned space such as an attic or crawlspace.

In addition, the reduced airflow through the system can cause ice accumulation on the coils.  This ice further blocks the airflow and reduces the cooling airflow.

Your heating and air conditioning system was designed to operate most efficiently with all of the air supply ducts open.  To save money on air conditioning costs, talk to your HVAC technician about duct sealing to reduce duct losses and having an HVAC system efficiency analysis performed to find ways to improve efficiency of your heating and air conditioning  system.

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Why Can’t My Air Conditioner Keep Up?

March 12th, 2012 Posted in HVAC Maintenance
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If you turn on the air conditioning system this year and discover that it is running more than it used to or runs constantly and still can’t keep your home cool, it may be time for a new HVAC system or at a minimum, to schedule an appointment for HVAC system maintenance.  However, before you spend the money on a new system, have your current system checked out by an experienced HVAC contractor.  You may be able to increase the operating efficiency of your existing system and avoid the cost of a new system.

The first thing to do is to check your air filter and clean or replace it if needed.  A dirty air filter can not only reduce your cooling system’s efficiency, but it can cause the system to work harder and wear out sooner.  Cleaning or changing your air filter regularly will help keep your system in top operating condition.

Next, have your duct system inspected and sealed if necessary by a professional heating and cooling equipment contractor.  Leaky, inefficient duct systems are very common and according to EPA estimates, they account for a reduction in system efficiency by as much as 20 percent.  Sealing your ducts will not only increase the efficiency of your cooling system and make your home more comfortable, it will also reduce energy consumption and help protect the environment.

Finally, have your system serviced by an experienced HVAC technician.  Your system could have low refrigerant levels, malfunctioning expansion valve, or some other problem that is causing the system to work poorly.  You HVAC technician has the training and skill to identify and correct the problem and keep your system in top operating condition.

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Air Conditioner Spring Tune Up

March 12th, 2012 Posted in Air Conditioning Service and Repair
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Warmer weather is on the way, but before it gets here now is a great time to schedule a Spring tune up for your central air conditioning system.  Just like a tune up on your car can help you save gas and keep your car running well, regular maintenance of your air conditioning system will help it operate at peak efficiency, saving you money on your energy bills and extending the life of your system.

Spring is a great time for scheduled residential HVAC maintenance to get your system ready for summer and avoid any unpleasant surprises. Your HVAC technician will handle most of the work such as checking and adjusting the refrigerant level, cleaning the coils, lubricating the moving parts, cleaning the blower components, testing the intake and output air temperature differential, and checking for proper thermostat operation.

In addition, there are a few tasks that the homeowner can do themselves if they are so inclined.  Changing the air filter regularly is one of the most important things a homeowner can do to protect their HVAC system and keep it operating efficiently.  Dirty air filters make the system work harder which consumes more energy and reduces the life of your cooling system.

In addition, clear away any leaves, pine needles, branches, and other materials that may have accumulated around your outdoor unit.  The unit needs good air flow to operate efficiently.

When the hot weather gets here, your HVAC contractor will be very busy.  By having your air conditioning system serviced now, you can avoid the rush and prevent delays waiting for your technician to arrive.

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Causes of Air Conditioner Icing

March 12th, 2012 Posted in HVAC Maintenance
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Air conditioner icing is a problem often encountered on central air conditioning systems.  Ice that forms on the coils inside the air handler (the unit inside your home) is an indication of a problem with your air conditioning system that needs to be addressed.  Since these coils are hidden inside the air handler, most homeowners are not aware of the ice formation.

Instead, the homeowner will notice that their air conditioning system is not cooling as well as it used to.  A symptom that points to ice formation is a system that seems to operate properly at first, but cooling air output becomes progressively worse the longer the system is operated.

What is happening is that the longer the system runs, the more ice that forms on the coils and the greater the blockage of the air flow.  If the system doesn’t run much during the night, the ice may melt and the next day, the system will seem to operate normally at first, but lose efficiency throughout the day.

Lack of sufficient air flow and improper refrigerant levels are two basic things that can cause ice to form on the coils.  A dirty or clogged air filter or blocked return vents can cause this problem.  If your air filter is clean and there are no obstructions in front of the air return vents, then it’s time to call an experienced HVAC technician.  You could have a leak causing low refrigerant, a blockage, a malfunctioning expansion valve, or some other problem.  A good HVAC technician with experience in residential HVAC service and repair will be able to identify and repair the problem and get your system running at peak efficiency.

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Heat Pump Misconceptions

March 12th, 2012 Posted in Heat Pumps
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When it’s time to replace your old heating and air conditioning system, don’t overlook heat pumps as an energy efficient alternative to a central air conditioning system coupled with a traditional gas or oil fired furnace.  Many homeowners don’t even consider installing a heat pump because they have heard that heat pumps are unreliable and heat poorly, especially in temperatures below freezing.

These misconceptions are based on heat pump systems that were marketed twenty and thirty years ago.  When heat pumps were first introduced to the residential heating and air conditioning market during the energy crisis of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, they had some problems that earned them a poor reputation.

A heat pump is essentially a central air conditioner that can operate in reverse.  In air conditioning mode it absorbs heat from inside the home and moves it outside the home.  In heat mode, the cycle is reversed.  Early residential heat pumps were rushed to market during the energy crises and used standard modified air conditioner compressors that were not robust enough to handle this double duty and as a consequence, compressor failures and other breakdowns were common.

As the years went by, it became clear that heat pumps were far more energy efficient than a traditional furnace and manufacturers set about making them more reliable.  As a result, modern heat pumps are equipped with compressors and other components specifically designed to withstand the demands place on them by a heat pump.  Modern heat pumps are not only the most energy efficient home heating system on the market, but they are every bit as dependable as a central air conditioning system or furnace.

Talk to your heating and air conditioning contractor about whether an energy efficient heat pump makes sense for your home.

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