Losing Energy Because Of Leaky Ducts?
You may have the most energy efficient heating and cooling equipment available, but you will still waste money if that heated or cooled air is leaking out of the duct system before it reaches the rooms in your house. Your home may also be less comfortable, with some rooms never becoming cooled or heated to the desired temperature. Proper duct sealing and insulating can help reduce the loss of cooled air and energy through leaks, rips, tears, and holes. Don’t forget to look for kinks in the duct work, as well. Check the attic and garage first, as these places are easiest to access. If duct sealing in those areas doesn’t fix the problem, it may be time to check crawl spaces and walls. Often overlooked are the spots where the ducts connect to the vent; connections can become loose here and cooled air will be lost. Anyone who lives in San Diego and San Diego County knows how important it is to keep the house cool in summer. If you do not have proper duct sealing, rooms can become too hot or too cold, causing you to be uncomfortable in your own home. You may already be losing up to 20 percent of the air that passes through the ducts. Those dollars add up fast, especially when you have to run your system more frequently to reach the desired room temperature. There’s no reason to spend valuable money to heat your attic or crawl spaces. Make sure your air conditioning system is as efficient as possible by checking your ducts today. If you’re not sure what to look for when checking your duct sealing, call us and we’ll look at all the seams and connections in the ducts. Blockages and leaks may not be easy to spot with an untrained eye, but that’s why we’re here to help!
Posted in Efficiency | 2 Comments »
Updated Tax Incentives for Homeowners
Part of the tax extender bill passed by Congress in December 2010 made significant changes to tax incentives for federal taxpayers who install qualified energy efficient retrofits in their home, including higher efficiency heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment in their primary residences. An eligible taxpayer may claim up to $500 in tax credits, subject to caps based on the type of equipment installed.
You may now qualify for tax credits equal to 10% of the costs (up to a $300 limit) for installing a high efficiency central air conditioner, heat pump, or hot water heater. You may also qualify for tax credits equal to 10% of the costs (up to $150 limit) for installing a qualified furnace or hot water boiler. A smaller tax credit of 10% of the installed costs (up to $50 limit) is available for installing a system with an advanced main air circulating fan.
But you have to hurry because these tax credits are only available for improvements made in 2011. Not taking advantage of this incentive just leaves money on the table.
Posted in Incentives | 1 Comment »
What Can a Maintenance Contract Do for You?
Should you consider a maintenance contract for your heating and cooling system? If your system could take care of itself there would be no need for regularly scheduled maintenance. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Like all the equipment that keeps your South California home running smoothly, your heat pump and A/C system need regular attention. Having a maintenance contract in place will keep them in peak condition and prevent costly repair bills down the road.
Keeping your home comfortable accounts for almost 50% of your yearly energy costs. Scheduled maintenance is one of the best ways to save money on your energy bills. Generally, we come out at least twice a year do a checkup on the following components:
1. Electrical- If your electrical connections are not tight and secure, it could shorten the life of your equipment and cause unnecessary repairs. Regular maintenance checkups are the ideal opportunity to check voltage and tighten all connections.
2. Lubrication- Friction is the enemy of your system’s moving parts. Without proper lubrication, components wear down and have to work harder. Your technician will lubricate as necessary to reduce electricity usage.
3. Thermostats- Thermostat settings can affect your energy costs. We make sure your thermostats are set for maximum energy efficiency. If you have programmable thermostats, this can save you almost $200 per year!
4. Controls- Your technician will put the system through all of its cycles, to ensure that it starts up, operates and shuts down properly.
5. Drains- Clogged condensate drains mean higher humidity and possible water damage in your home. Regular flushing and cleaning will catch these problems before they turn into major issues.
A maintenance contract for A/C units will include an inspection of condenser coils and refrigerant levels. Blower components are cleaned and adjusted for proper air flow. Your heat pump is checked for dirty filters or improper settings. Debris is removed and coils cleaned. This improves fuel efficiency, lowers your energy costs and prevents future repairs.
The benefits of a maintenance contract for your home include:
- Reduced energy costs- When you keep your heating and cooling system properly maintained, you can save up to 20% on your energy bill. For the average South California homeowner this could add up to about $200 per year.
- Extended system life- A maintenance contract extends the life of your system by ensuring that all components are kept clean and operable.
- Lower repair bills- Regular maintenance prevents costly repairs to your heating and cooling system. The longer you can avoid these repairs, the less your system costs you to operate in the long run.
If you want to make sure your home comfort systems are working at peak efficiency for as long as possible, consider a maintenance contract. When we come out, we cover all important mechanical and electrical components. It’s all about making sure that your system is running safely and economically.
Posted in Efficiency, Maintenance | 31 Comments »
How Often Do You Change Your Air Filters?
Are the return air vents in your house covered with dirt and dust? How about the rest of your house, for that matter? If so, you’re probably not cleaning or replacing your HVAC air filters often enough!
As a rule of thumb, you should replace or clean your filters at least twice a year and more often depending on your particular circumstances. It’s important because air filters are your system’s first line of defense against airborne particulates. In forced air systems, air coming from the interior of the home to the blower first passes through the air filter, which is designed to catch dust and debris and help clean the air before it cycles through the home again.
When filters become dirty or clogged, the efficiency of the system is reduced. Over time, dirty filters can even cause parts to wear out faster.
Remember to check your owner’s manual for the recommended filter type. A disposable filter is made of a fiber mesh inside a frame. You can find the size of the filter printed on the edge of the frame. There are several kinds to choose from; however, the pleated panel filters are usually much better at removing dust particles because there is more surface area to filter with.
When installing your air filters, make sure to follow instructions carefully regarding placement and orientation. Washable air filters should be washed and treated every month. If they go much longer than that, there’s a good chance that the air flow through your ducts will become restricted, reducing energy efficiency and putting a strain on your HVAC equipment.
Posted in Air Quality | 8 Comments »
Sealing Ducts Improves The Efficiency Of Your HVAC System
Duct sealing saves you money by allowing your heating and cooling system to operate more efficiently. In addition to saving energy, sealing ducts improves the air quality inside your home.
Ducts are essentially pipes that deliver the flow of heat and air throughout your house and they control contaminants that enter your home. Ducts that have leaks or holes, or are not connected properly, cost you money and allow dust, allergens and other pollutants to circulate throughout your home.
You may have leaky ducts if you:
- have rooms in your house that seem colder or warmer than other rooms
- have rooms in your house that seem stuffier than other rooms
- have high utility bills
- feel you have to dust more than normal
- feel that you or someone in your home is suffering from more allergies or headaches than normal
Ducts that are located in the garage, attic, crawlspace, unheated basements or other areas that are not heated or cooled can be of particular concern. Duct sealing helps prevent the loss of heat and air, keeping you cooler or warmer at a lower cost by allowing your HVAC System to operate efficiently. It also helps prevent loss of quality of your ventilation air which is part of the air delivered into your home.
Leaky ducts can cause you to lose up to 20% of your heat and air, sometimes even more. Optimizing your airflow system with duct sealing will keep you more comfortable and provide you with better air quality while saving you money.
Posted in Air Quality, Efficiency | 9 Comments »
How Bad Is The Air In Your Home?
Indoor air quality is not something most people worry about on a daily basis. However, there can be serious consequences to poor indoor air quality. Dirty air often contains toxins and mold spores that can lead to allergy symptoms and even illness in some cases. We highly recommend taking certain steps to maintaining quality indoor air.
One of the easiest ways to keep your indoor air quality high is to replace the filter on your home heating or cooling system frequently. If you have not changed the filter in the last six months, chances are the air in your home is becoming laden with dust and mold spores. We recommend having the filter replaced at least twice per year. If you have pets, you may need to change the filter even more frequently as dander and hair build up in the system.
Another way that homeowners can keep their air clean is by cleaning the evaporator coils of interior and exterior systems. This is a job that may require some professional assistance and should be done every 2 to 3 years. Also, watch for any ice buildup on the coils. This is a sign of serious malfunction and you should contact a professional immediately if you spot this.
Another common cause of low indoor air quality is an obstructed condenser. The condenser pulls air in around it to allow for heat transfer, and if objects are blocking it, air flow may be restricted. Keep any vegetation away from the condenser to avoid obstruction.
A lack of regular maintenance of your air conditioning and heating systems can easily lead to dirty air. If you haven’t performed these tasks in awhile, be sure to get started as soon as possible.
For more information, go to http://www.sandiegoheating-airconditioning.com/products/indoor-air-quality/ and check “Trane Clean Effects”.
Posted in Air Quality | 28 Comments »
The 7 Essential Components Of A Home Comfort System
We depend on our home comfort systems to keep us toasty in the winter and cool in the heat of summer. When it comes time to purchase new heating and cooling equipment there are some critical guidelines to follow to ensure that we choose the optimal system for our home. Let’s review seven essential components of efficient home comfort systems.
- Efficiency – If you choose an Energy Star rated system and have your heating and cooling expert properly size the unit for your home, there are several ways that you might be able to take advantage of significant savings. First, Energy Star rated systems typically save homeowners up to 20% off the total of their yearly energy costs. That can really add up! Additionally, many local utility companies offer discounts to homeowners who purchase one of these systems and last but not least, you may qualify for a substantial tax rebate.
- Reliability - Home comfort systems are one of the most costly investments that homeowners make in their homes. When purchasing such a critical and expensive piece of equipment, you want to be sure that you choose a reliable unit from an industry leader.
- Quiet Operation – Besides having a reliable and energy efficient home comfort system, you want one that is quiet. Air conditioning units can be quite loud in general, so you want to look for one that takes advantage of sound-reducing technologies.
- Optimized Air Flow – Typical HVAC equipment motors function at one speed and produce a steady stream of air. This requires the equipment to have to keep cycling on and off. Choosing a unit with a variable speed motor provides the most efficient air flow.
- Stable temperatures – Single-speed air conditioners also cause significant variations in temperature between the thermostat and actual indoor air temperatures. A variable speed or two-stage system will assure accurate temperature control.
- Balanced Humidity – To ensure optimal moisture levels in your home, it is wise to choose a thermostat that balances temperatures and humidity.
- Healthy air – Attaching an air cleaner to your equipment will greatly reduce indoor air pollution.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
10 Ways to Save Money on Your Utility Bill
Below you can find usefull article from Claes Bell.
Although the green movement has been trumpeting the importance of energy conservation for years, it popped up on Americans' radar screens in a major way after oil-price spikes in 2008 caused utility companies to add fuel surcharges to customers' bills.
Add to that droughts and water shortages in many regions of the country that forced strict water use restrictions, and homeowners have plenty of incentive to save money on their utility bills any way they can.
Here are 10 large and small changes you can make to help your home be more energy efficient and cut utility bills for years to come:
1. Paint Your Roof White
A 1999 study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Heat Island Group found that in sunny climates, buildings with white roofs required up to 40 percent less energy for cooling than those with black roofs. At current utility rates, that means you could save $120 or more per year in cooling costs.
An inexpensive white, elastomeric coating will do the job and can be found at most hardware stores in states in the southern half of the U.S. Elastomeric coating is a blend of polymers that is durable, flexible and waterproof, and offers the fringe benefit of helping to increase your roof's life span and water resistance. All you'll need to apply it is heavy-duty paint rollers on an inexpensive old paint roller frame, with an extension pole attached to save wear and tear on your back.
2. Install an Irrigation Meter
Do you know that you are charged twice for the water you use every month — once to pump it into your house and again to pump it out as sewage?
"The assumption is every gallon of water that you run out of your faucet is going to go back down the drain," says Eric Liskey, deputy editor for garden and outdoor living at Better Homes and Gardens magazine.
But if you use water to irrigate your lawn or garden, that water never makes it into the sewer system.
To save money by making sure you're only paying for the sewer capacity you're using, many utilities offer the option to get a separate meter to measure water usage for irrigation, swimming pools and other outdoor uses, says Liskey. Once installed, the meter will be read every month by your utility company and its reading subtracted from your sewage bill.
The meter will cost you several hundred dollars upfront. But since you'll no longer be charged for sewage capacity you're not using, it should pay for itself within a few years, especially if you use a significant amount of water in the yard.
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3. Do a Nightly Energy Sweep
We all have left fans, lights or appliances on at night while we sleep, but doing so wastes increasingly expensive energy.
To save money, do a nightly sweep through the house to make sure all your electric devices are turned off before you go to bed. It may be a pain, but the savings from simply turning everything off can add up quickly. It takes about $9 per year to run just one compact fluorescent lightbulb through the night, $21 for a conventional bulb and $35 for a big ceiling fan on high, according to the energy calculators at MichaelBluejay.com.
4. Set Your Water Heater at 120 Degrees
Not only does heating your water too hot create the danger of scalding, it can cost you cash.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that a heater set at 140 degrees or higher can waste $36 to $61 annually in standby heat losses to keep water at that temperature, and more than $400 to bring fresh water up to that high temperature. To save even more money, you can turn your electric heater off or turn your gas heater down when you go on vacation to save even more.
5. Use Reusable AC and Furnace Filters
How many times have you put off changing out the filter on your heating, ventilating and air-conditioning system because you didn't want to buy a new filter?
Problem is, waiting a long time to change your filter makes your HVAC system less efficient and costs you more in electricity. Dirt and neglect can even cause your expensive HVAC unit to die an untimely death, said Maria Vargas, spokeswoman for the EPA's Energy Star program. Instead, spend a little more to get a reusable filter than you can simply hose off when it gets clogged up with dust and other particles.
Using a permanent filter, you'll save money in the long run, cut your utility bill and prolong the life of your HVAC unit. If the disposable AC filters that must be changed every three months are around $4 each, you can recoup the $20 to $40 cost of a permanent filter in as little as 15 months.
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6. Upgrade Your Appliances
Many state and local governments and utility companies offer financial incentives for homeowners to upgrade their appliances to newer, more energy-efficient models.
These incentives usually take the form of rebate checks for homeowners who can provide proof of purchase. To save money, find incentives offered in your area by checking the online Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, or DSIRE.
For instance, searching within the state of New York, DSIRE shows 47 separate tax incentives, grants and rebate programs. That includes a state program that offers a rebate of $105 for an energy-efficient refrigerator if you recycle the old one, $75 for a freezer and $100 for a clothes washer.
7. Don't Let Cash Slip Through the Cracks
When you add up the cumulative effect of all the small leaks in your home, it has the effect of leaving a window open all year long, the EPA's Vargas says.
To save money, you can use inexpensive expanding foam or caulk available at your local hardware store to seal cracks in the following areas where cold or warm air typically escapes. Those places include:
• Around windows and doorframes.
• Around the top of the basement wall where the cement or block contacts the wooden frame, known as the rim joist.
• Around the holes in walls where pipes enter and exit your home.
8. Do Your Meter and Utility Bill Match Up?
Utility workers make mistakes just like the rest of us, and when they make mistakes reading your meter, it can be costly. While you'll probably notice a big error on your utility bill, you may not catch more subtle errors.
Make sure you're only getting charged for the electricity you actually used by comparing the meter reading on your utility bill to what you actually see on your meter. If the amount on your meter is lower than the one on your bill, that's a dead giveaway that you're being overcharged. Reading a meter isn't exactly child's play, but the Jacksonville, Fla., utility company JEA has a handy primer.
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9. Buy Energy-Star Certified Products
You've probably heard of Energy Star, the partnership between the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy that identifies energy-efficient products, especially as it relates to energy-intensive items like water heaters and clothes dryers. But Energy Star labels won't just help you save money on big, expensive appliances, says Vargas.
"Energy Star now offers the label on over 60 different kinds of things, so lightbulbs, TVs, clothes washers, refrigerators, furnaces, fans — all those — can earn the Energy Star rating," says Vargas.
And while an Energy Star lightbulb won't yield as much savings as an Energy Star refrigerator, those savings do add up, she says.
What's more, many of the Energy Star-qualified products don't cost any more than conventional products, says Vargas. If they do, the EPA won't grant the Energy Star label unless its figures show you'll recoup that extra outlay within five years or less on electricity and water costs.
10. Buy a Programmable Thermostat
Growing up, you probably had a frugal relative who enforced strict limits on how high or low the thermostat could be set. If you don't have one now, a programmable thermostat can play this role for your home automatically. Based on your family's schedule, you can program it to automatically set the target temperature higher in the summer and lower in the winter when your family won't be home.
Prices on the thermostats have come down so much — you can buy one at a hardware store for as little as $25 — that installing one is a no-brainer, especially because the EPA estimates the average homeowner can save $180 per year with a properly programmed unit.
Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments »