Do you want to improve the cooling and heating efficiency of your home or business in 2020?
Most businesses or homeowners are nowadays concerned about becoming energy efficient to cut the high utility costs and reduce the carbon footprint. According to a recent survey by the Energy Star, over 50% of average American households utility costs go toward cooling and heating their home.
Fortunately, this post will provide simple tips to increase your HVAC efficiency and reduce your utility bills. If well implemented, these tips will benefit your local community and the environment.
Without further ado, let us find out how you can create an energy-efficient business or home in 2020.
1. Maintaining Your HVAC Equipment Regularly
Do you know that periodic maintenance of your cooling and heating system can minimize up to 90% of breakdowns? Most breakdowns frequently occur due to dirt, dust, and debris that accumulate on your equipment over time. There are some simple maintenance tasks that you can do on your own, while advanced problems need to be handled by a professional HVAC technician.
Here are some of the maintenance tasks that can improve the energy efficiency of your HVAC equipment:
- Changing Your Filter
Changing your HVAC equipment filter regularly helps to make sure that the system has smooth, uninterrupted airflow, thus making it more energy-efficient. - Keep up with annual maintenance
If you don’t have proactive maintenance for your HVAC equipment, then it is advisable to schedule yearly maintenance with a professional technician from a reputable HVAC equipment company. This routine maintenance makes sure that your equipment is operating at its optimal settings and that all parts are working smoothly, thus saving energy. The technician will also remove all the dirt, dust, and debris that might have accumulated in your duct-work.
2. Use Your Programmable Thermostat Properly
When used properly, a programmable thermostat could cut your heating and cooling costs by 10 % or more. The secret of making more out of your thermostat knows how to use them correctly. Most programmable thermostats can automatically adjust the heating temperature up to over six times daily during winter.
The concept behind the use of a programmable thermostat is that you minimize energy wastage when you are away for work or while sleeping. You can adjust the thermostat so that conditions switch off and on at your schedule.
Here are some things you can do to make most of your programmable thermostat:
- Make sure that your thermostat is placed in a wall away from the direct sunlight and not near any heat-producing appliances.
- Maintain the energy-saving temperatures when you are away from home.
- Use your programmable thermostat in conjunction with other ventilation methods.
- Make sure that you check and change the batteries of your programmable thermostats annually.
3. Choose the Right HVAC Unit
Selecting the right HVAC equipment can be an uphill task for most homeowners- but not an impossible one. It is a process that takes careful planning and budgeting to achieve desired results. Several factors are involved when choosing new HVAC equipment, including size, whether split ductless or packaged, and your energy efficiency goals.
There are various benefits that you can enjoy by choosing the right HVAC system, which includes reduced utility bills, minimizing your carbon footprint, enjoy tax rebates from the U.S government, and saving energy on unoccupied rooms.
4. Replace Your Current HVAC Equipment with Energy- Efficient Ones
If your existing HVAC equipment is not keeping you cool in summer or warm during winter, then you need to replace it with an energy-efficient one.
According to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, you should replace your heating and cooling equipment if it has met the conditions below:
- HVAC equipment is more than ten years old
- HVAC system is not working
- Heating and cooling bills have been increasing steadily
- Incurring frequent HVAC repair costs
- Looking for an alternative HVAC technology that is more energy-efficient.
- If you are planning to replace your current HVAC, then opt for units that are Energy star rated.
5. Choose a Professional HVAC Contractor
If you have decided to make some tweaks in your current heating and cooling equipment or schedule routine maintenance, then you need to work with a reputable HVAC Company. But how do you choose the right HVAC contractor? What are the crucial things that you need to look out for?
Here is a list of qualities of a professional HVAC Contractor:
- Must be licensed to operate in your state.
- Should possess both liability and workers compensation insurance.
- Has positive reviews and contact information on their website to solve problems as they arise.
- Provides a detailed maintenance program that ensures your system runs all the time optimally.
If you want to know more about making your home energy efficient, then contact A&A HVAC Services to schedule an appointment today.