Here are just a few things you can do to help lower your energy bills or help make your home more energy efficient:
- Replace traditional light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs. Energy Star bulbs use one-third less energy. By simply replacing the five most frequently used light fixtures in your house you could save up to $60 a year. These bulbs can last up to seven years. In addition, they distribute light more efficiently and evenly than standard fixtures and come in hundreds of decorative styles.
- Add insulation to keep the cool air inside in summer. Insulation tends to become compacted over the years and loses some of its original efficiency. Another layer over the present one will better insulate the home, bringing back to its original level. There are some "environmentally friendly" products made of newspapers, soybeans and even recycled blue jeans, which you should consider in order to eliminate the possibility of breathing in stray fibers.
- Protect your pipes by covering them with a special insulating wrap. It comes in pre-cut foam that simply slips over the hot water pipes in crawl spaces, garages, basements or attic to keep the water temperature consistent.
- By installing a ceiling fan, you can redirect the cool air in a room and keep it circulating.
- Close draperies on the side of the house where the sun comes in. Otherwise the sun's heat will warm the room and make your air conditioning system work harder, using more energy to keep it cool.
And, here's a sixth tip to help out even more. There's a way to actually paint insulation right on your walls while adding new color to a room. Now, you can mix a nontoxic ceramic powder into the paint that will reduce the amount of conditioned air passing through your walls to the outside. The ceramic particles in the powder make a barrier that reflects the cool air back into the room. What will they think of next?
Posted on: 3/25/2008 4:23:43 PM by Sam
In order to achieve high Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) it's important to understand common sources of air problems. Your home may not have all nine of these factors that contribute to poor air quality, but just about every home has a few. One is not necessarily more important than the other, but it's important that each of these areas are inspected and corrected if necessary.
- Excessive dryness. If you've noticed that your floor boards creak, your house is too dry. Excessive dryness could even cause floorboards to warp and furniture to crack. If you don't have a built-in humidification system, you can add moisture with a room humidifier. Once you get your moisture level stabilized, your home will feel more comfortable and your energy bills may even go down as a result.
- Excessive moisture is just as big a problem as excessive dryness. It promotes the growth of microbes and mildew. The first symptom is usually moisture collecting on your windows and dampness on the walls. A properly sized air conditioning system not only cools indoor air, but also helps reduce humidity. A dehumidifier will do the job best.
- Uneven air circulation is often caused by a poorly sized duct system. Check your ducts to make sure they're tightly sealed and free of debris so they can achieve maximum efficiency and air quality. Have them inspected by a professional once every 3 years to ensure they are clean and operating efficiently.
- Sealing air leaks will virtually eliminate drafts and prevent pollutants from entering your home through the leaks. It will also help minimize energy consumption. Windows and doors can be a source of drafts.
- Irregular maintenance of your heating and cooling system leads to poor air circulation, reduced efficiency and wasted energy. A regular HVAC tune-up of your furnace and air conditioner helps keep tabs on the air quality inside the home.
- Carbon Monoxide is one of the hardest things to detect. A plug-in home CO detector can alert you to carbon monoxide leakage and avert serious health hazards.
- A fireplace adds great atmosphere to a home, but it is a potential source of indoor pollutants, particularly if it is the damper is not properly closed.
- Improper venting can result in condensation It can also be the cause of 'stuffy' air and even contribute to structural damage to your house. Mechanical ventilation systems remove poor indoor air and replace it with fresh, conditioned outdoor air.
- Airborne particles come from almost anywhere and often result in allergic reactions. A good filtering system, such as the highly rated HC16 filter can help provide respiratory relief by removing dirt, pollen and unwanted particles from indoor air.
A Home Health™ Report Card will help you determine your home's IAQ.
Posted on: 3/25/2008 4:23:27 PM by Sam
If you've got sparks shooting off your fingertips when you touch a doorknob or light switch, have a dry through, or cracked wood floors, you've probably got low humidity. If you're lips and fingers are cracked and you're skin is dry and itchy, you need more humidity in your home. On the other hand, if bathrooms or ptjer rooms in your home seem damp all the time, you probably have too much humidity.
The most important objective when attempting to regulate the amount of humidity is getting the right amount. It's just as bad to have more humidity than not enough. Too much can cause condensation on windows, water on walls and the ugly prospect of mildew and bacteria, which may cause allergy and respiratory problems.
So, what's the answer to getting the relative humidity in your home to a comfortable level of 35 to 50 percent?
There are some things that put moisture into the air naturally, but probably don't typically provide enough for an entire house. Plants retain water and release moisture to the air. Boiling water for cooking, baths and showers also add humidity. A number of things can be done to eliminate all these problems in one stroke. Some are easy and relatively inexpensive, while some might require installation of additional equipment to your comfort system.
Placing a portable humidifier or dehumidifier in a central location in your house will go a long way toward solving the humidity dilemma. A house of 2,300 to 5,000 square feet, however, would need several.
The best long-term remedy for humidity is adding a humidifier or dehumidifier to your home comfort system. The water supply is constant and it can be controlled by a humidistat mounted on your wall, properly regulating the humidity in the home. With the right amount of humidity, you'll find that you can be comfortable at a lower thermostat setting. And that will save you money on your energy bills.
Posted on: 3/25/2008 4:22:43 PM by Sam
There are two often-ignored ingredients to selecting a heating and cooling system that does its job well.
- The new equipment must be sized properly to your home in order to provide the right level of comfort. Proper sizing and quality installation allow the system to deliver balanced airflow, so you don't suffer from hot and cold spots inside your home.
To do this, a room-by-room heat loss/gain calculation should be performed on all the rooms in your home by a professional heating and cooling company. The calculation will show the proper size of the equipment needed to properly heat and cool your home. If not done properly, or at all, it can have a huge affect on the everyday comfort of you and your family.
- Air ducts must also be properly sized in order to move the right amount of warm or cool air into all the rooms. The number of angles and the overall length of the ducts will need to be taken into account.
In many of today's homes flexible ductwork (flexduct) is used. These insulated flexible tubes are laid across the attic or under the floors. You know it's there, but probably never check to see if the connections are tight, if a section might have worked loose over time, or if ducts have been punctured by a nail, or kinked and blocked. By making sure your ducts are sealed properly, unobstructed and have no leaks, you can save more of the energy that's required to heat and cool your home.
When the home comfort system is properly designed and maintained, the system works together at peak efficiency, giving you balanced, comfortable heating and cooling, all year round.
Posted on: 3/25/2008 4:22:28 PM by Sam
You never really notice when it's working, but when your HVAC system breaks down, will you have a way to heat or cool your home, especially during extreme weather?
Home comfort systems (HVAC systems) are complicated pieces of machinery. They can be thought of as the engine that drives your home. And like any car, without routine maintenance tune-ups, breakdowns are more likely to occur. Think about when you have gone to the auto mechanic when your car malfunctioned. At these stressful times, just knowing what to expect from the repair process takes half of the anxiety out of the situation. Knowing you can trust the company performing the repairs easily eliminates the rest of the stress. When you happen to suffer a breakdown of your heating and cooling system, here's what you can expect when you call Service Experts.
The Repair Service Process, What to Expect
Our phone lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. When you call to let us know your system is not working properly, you'll always get a live person to answer the phone. Our friendly customer service personnel are trained to process your request as quickly and efficiently as possible.
For repair service requests, the customer service person will give you several available appointment times so you can choose the most convenient for your schedule. If all the times are full on the day of your call and you have an emergency situation, your call will be flagged as emergency service, and we'll strive to send a technician to your home by the end of the day. Our PLUS Maintenance Agreement customers always receive priority service, no matter how busy we are. So if you are interested in becoming a PLUS customer, just ask about our PLUS Service Plans when you call.
Approximately 15-30 minutes before the scheduled appointment time, you will receive a phone call confirming your appointment and to let you know your technician is on the way. After the technician arrives, they will confirm once more the problem you are experiencing, and then, like a family doctor, they will diagnose the system's problem.
After the diagnosis, the problem will be explained to you clearly. First the technician will explain what the problem specifically was. They will then provide you with the repairs that must be done right away to fix that problem. Then they will provide suggestions for future repairs that may need to be done down the road, but are not necessary to get the system functioning immediately. They'll also provide useful information on what you can do to prevent future breakdowns with a PLUS Service Plan. If the home comfort system is near the end of its life span or is costing you more than it should, they will explain how easy and cost-effective it can be to simply replace it with a new system.
All of the pricing for repairs is provided upfront and will not change, no matter how long the repairs might take. Repair prices are also all-inclusive. Besides applicable taxes, there are no additional costs.
After you have authorized the particular repairs you've selected to be performed, the technician will complete the repairs, collect payment, and you and your family will again be comfortable once again. The repairs, as well as any services and equipment we offer is covered by a 1 year, 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
Why You Can Trust Service Experts As Your Home Comfort Company
Now that you know what you can expect when your system goes down, here's how to know you can trust us, the nation's leading heating and cooling service company.
Our Five Standards of Excellence in Heating, Cooling and Indoor Air Quality:
Quality Service Every Visit
We're committed to upholding the highest level of service and installation in the industry, all backed by our written 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
Daytime, Nighttime, On-time
From 24/7 emergency service to routine care, you can always depend on us to answer your call personally and for our technicians to arrive promptly.
NATE-certified Professional Techs
Our professional technicians are licensed, NATE-certified and equipped with the expertise to solve all problems for all brands of comfort equipment
Respect For You And Your Home
We always listen closely, communicate clearly, respect your decisions and treat your family and your home as if they were our own.
Always Easy To Work With
Whether it's flexible payment options, convenient scheduling or personalized customer service, we go above and beyond to make everything easy for you.
Posted on: 3/25/2008 4:21:22 PM by Sam