Energy Star

Qualifying for energy star rebates mean products meet the criteria efficiency guidelines set by the US Enviromental Protection Agency. By choosing ENERGY STAR qualified heating and cooling equipment and taking steps to optimize its performance, you can enhance the comfort of your home while saving energy. Saving energy helps you save money on utility bills and protet the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the fight against climate change. You may be familiar with the Energy Star Label on energy efficient heating and cooling equipment, but did you know there are also Quality Installation guidelines to help ensure that heating and cooling equipment is installed properly. Nearly half of all heating and cooling equipment is U.S. homes never performs to its advertised capacity and efficiency due to incorrect installation, this means you pay higher operating costs over the life of the unit.

Half the energy used to in your home goes to heating and cooling. So making a decision about your homes heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system can be critical.

Maintenance

Tune up your HVAC system yearly. Just a tune up canhelp maintain the comfort and efficiency. A typical maintenance checkup should include checking the thermostat settings to ensure that cooling and heating system keeps your comfortable when you are home saving energy while you are away. All electrical connections should be properly fastened; faulty electrical connections can cause unsafe operation of your system and reduce the life of components. All moving pieces of equipment should be lubricated to stop friction in motors and minimize the use of electricity. Leaks in the condensate drain can cause water damage and affect the humidity levels, so checking all drains will be needed. Checking the controls of the system is another reminder to typical maintenance. To ensure proper operation check the starting cycle of the unit and confirm the system runs and shuts off properly.

Checking the air filter

Change your air filter regularly and check your filter every month, especially during heavy use months like the winder and summer. If the filter looks dirty after a month, change it. at the minimum, change the filter every three months. A dirty air filter will slow down the air flow and make the system work harder to keep you warm or cool.

Sealing heating and cooling ducts

Seal your heating and cooling ducts. Ducts that move air to and from a forced air furnace, central air conditioner, or heat pump are often big energy wasters. Sealing and insulating ducts can imporive the efficiency of your heating and cooling system by as much as 20% and sometimes even more! Focus first on sealing ducts that run through the attic, crawlspace, unheated basement, or garage. Use duct sealant or metal backed tape to seal the seams and connection of ducts. After sealing the ducts in those spaces, wrap them in insulation to keep them from getting hot in the summer or cold in the winter.