"According to the U.S. Department of Energy, some people who have weatherized their home have saved an average of $300 in annual utility costs while adding an estimated $1,000 to the value of their home.
Did you know that about a third of the unwanted heat that builds up in your home comes in through the roof?
- Apply a reflective coating to your existing roof. Standard roofing coatings are available at your local hardware store. Purchase one that has both waterproof and reflective properties. These are marketed primarily for mobile homes and recreational vehicles, but can be applied over many common roofing materials.
- Plant tall, fast growth trees on the south side of your house. Eventually they will help to shade your roof from the sun.
Do you remember your science teacher telling you that hot air rises?
Check the direction of your ceiling fans.
- In the winter, set fans to turn counterclockwise. The blades will force the warm air downwards.
- In the summer, set fans to turn clockwise. The fans will not only keep the rooms more comfortable by circulating the air but will draw warm air upwards towards the ceiling.
Going up the chimney with a bound may serve as a dramatic exit for Santa, but don't allow your cooled or heated air to use that same escape hatch.
- When your fireplace is not in use, keep your dampers or glass doors closed.
Did you know that an un-insulated attic can raise your heating and cooling costs?
- Install R-30 insulation in your attic.
- Unless you are depending on your dishwasher to sterilize baby bottles, consider setting your water heater to 120 degrees.
- Add an insulation blanket to your water heater. (Check the manufacturer's label for important information).
- Add insulation to water pipes to reduce heat loss in route from your water heater to your showers, tubs, and faucets.
- Use conservation showerheads to eliminate hot water waste.
Is there a star on your horizon?
- Consider replacing old appliances with new energy efficient models. Look for the Energy Star label. Many such upgrades will pay for themselves over time through savings on your utility bills.
- Take care not to position rugs over heating vents or furniture directly in front of heating or return air vents. Efficient cooling and heating depends on free air flow.
Are you throwing money out the window?
You are if air is leaking out your windows and doorways. Roughly 40% of the unwanted heat that builds up in your home comes in through windows.
Weather-stripping the perimeter of exterior doors can keep heated and air conditioned air from escaping. It also reduces the risk of visits from unwanted guests such as snakes and scorpions.
- Apply caulking and weather-stripping to keep heated or cooled air from escaping.
- In the summer, keep drapes and blinds closed during the day.
- Be aware that when you seal doorways and windows, you can increase the risks caused by indoor pollutants such as allergens and carbon monoxide.
Did you know that trees and vines can create a cool microclimate that reduces the temperature by as much as 9 degrees?
During photosynthesis, large amounts of water vapor escape through the leaves, cooling the passing air.
- Vines are a quick way to provide shading and cooling. Grown on trellises, vines can shade the whole side of a house. Set trellises away from your house to allow air to circulate and to keep the vines from attaching to your house's facade and damaging its exterior. Placing vegetation too close to your house can actually trap heat and make the air around your house even warmer.
- Plant deciduous trees; they provide shade in the summer, then lose their leaves and allow sunlight to warm your house in the winter. The taller varieties of trees will shade your roof as well as your walls.
Did you know that a ventilated attic stays about 30 degrees cooler than an unventilated one?
- Ventilating your attic greatly reduces the amount of accumulated heat, which eventually works its way into the main part of your house. Properly sized and placed louvers and roof vents help prevent moisture buildup and overheating in your attic.
Are you paying to heat or cool an empty building?
- In the summer, raise the temperature a few degrees when you plan to be away for several hours at a time. (Do not shut off your air conditioner or raise the temperature too high as heat and humidity can encourage the growth of mold and mildew in your carpet, drapes, furnishings, and clothes).
- In the winter, reverse the process and lower the temperature on your thermostat before you leave home. According to Consumer Energy Information, it requires a lot less fuel for a furnace to warm a cold house back to a comfortable temperature than it requires to maintain a comfortable temperature while the house is sitting empty.
- If your home is regularly empty during the day, invest in an automatic setback or programmable thermostat. These thermostats are also recommended for business facilities which sit empty at night or on the weekends.
Did you know that the biggest users of energy in your home are your heating and cooling systems?
You wouldn't drive your car year after year without changing its oil or taking it in for a tune-up. Yet many people run their air conditioners and heaters for years without having them serviced. The results are unnecessarily high energy costs and a reduced lifespan for their heating and cooling systems.
- If you use standard filters, change them monthly. If you use an electrostatic filter, remember to hose it down regularly.
- Make sure your heating and/or cooling equipment is properly sized for your home. Operating a unit that is too small or too large is highly inefficient. A unit that can't quite keep up on the hottest afternoons or on the coldest nights, may well be a unit that's too small for your home or place of business. An A-All Comfort heating and cooling technician can determine the best size unit for your residence or business facility.
- Have your air conditioner inspected annually. An annual inspection of your cooling system may extend the life of your equipment and save you money by lowering your energy bills. Poorly maintained air conditioners can waste a tremendous amount of energy. "National statistics show that over 70% of all air conditioning and compressor outages could be avoided if the equipment was regularly checked, adjusted, calibrated, and maintained by are qualified technicians.
- Install ceiling fans to boost the efficiency of your air conditioner in the summer and to circulate warm air away from the ceiling in the winter.
- If you have a large home, consider the installation of a zoning system. This system regulates airflow and temperature so that you only have to cool or heat the area of your home that you're using.
- Have a licensed technician check your heating system each fall. A-All Comfort Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc performs heating check-ups in Cuyahoga and Lake County. An annual check up can ensure that your unit is running efficiently, can prolong the life span of your heater, and can guard against dangerous carbon monoxide leaks.
- When purchasing a new air conditioner or heat pump, check its SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating) rating. This rating tells you how efficiently a unit uses electricity. The higher the number, the greater the efficiency.
- When purchasing a new air conditioner, consider selecting a split system.
- If you replace your central air conditioner, make sure that the outdoor and indoor units match. Otherwise, your system won't perform at its promised efficiency.
- When the time comes to replace your unit, consider the purchase of an Energy Efficient System. Here in Ohio, air conditioning accounts for a substantial portion of your energy bill, "up to 60% during the hottest summer months." (Source - Around the Clock: Energy Saving Tips). Replacing your old air conditioning system with a new, energy efficient model is your best defense against high energy costs.
Financial Benefits
If your central air conditioning system is more than 10 years old, energy savings (not to mention savings on repairs) can pay for a brand new, energy efficient Carrier air conditioning system? "Today's super efficient Carrier systems often use 40% less energy to cool your home or business than a system that is just 10 years old. The money you save on energy bills often will recoup your investment in less that four or five years.
Environmental Benefits
Reduced energy usage not only saves you money but also benefits the environment, as less non-replaceable fossil fuels are required to cool or heat your residence or place of business. Furthermore, "New Carrier equipment is super sealed not to leak harmful Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) that have been associated with destruction of the Earth's protective ozone layer. The destruction of the ozone layer is suspected of causing an increase in skin cancers, and an increase in global warming.