Virily Editor
The ability to regulate the temperature in your home can greatly affect your comfort and energy bills, so it’s crucial to understand how these systems work and what options you have available to you when making decisions about them.
In fact, there are key things you need to know about the heating and cooling needs of your home to ensure you’re getting the most out of your investment. Here are eight facts you should know about how crucial it is in your home.
1) Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps – What’s the Difference?
Most people use these terms interchangeably when talking about their cooling and heating equipment, but there is a difference. An air conditioner cools off an area, while a heat pump is designed to both heat up and cool down your home.
This can be helpful if you want to control both areas in your home during different seasons. With that said, there are some major differences between these two HVAC systems; one of them includes efficiency. While both cooling and heating equipment consume energy, a properly maintained heat pump will be more efficient than an air conditioner when it comes to saving on utility bills.
2) Using an Electrician
While an HVAC system may seem like a complex piece of machinery, its core design is relatively simple. It’s made up of four parts: evaporator, condenser, blower, and ductwork. To determine how to best cool your home during summer months or warm it during winter months, let an electrician install new thermostats so you can control them remotely. This will also save money on energy bills by ensuring you’re not paying to keep temperatures perfectly chilled when nobody’s home or freezing when it’s unoccupied.
3) HVAC Maintenance
The best way to keep your air conditioner or heater running smoothly is by keeping it clean. Over time, debris such as dust, pollen, pet dander, hair, lint and dirt build up in HVAC ducts. This can prevent your system from cooling or heating your home properly.
Once every three months, have an expert take care of a HVAC maintenance checkup to ensure that everything is running optimally. During a professional cleaning session, they’ll vacuum out all of your ducts, install new filters and inspect any parts that might need to be replaced soon.
4) Going Green – The Environmentally Friendly Alternative
There are plenty of reasons to consider going green. While energy costs may be a deciding factor for some, many homeowners choose to go green simply because they want to protect their family from harmful pollutants.
In any case, you don’t have to turn your entire home into a living machine or jump on every new bandwagon that comes down the pike: you can make changes one at a time so your budget doesn’t suffer but you still lower your family’s carbon footprint. No matter what reason drives you to invest in green technology, you can improve upon even basic settings with just a few small steps. Here are eight simple ways
5) Get a Quote From an HVAC Company
Your home’s heating and cooling system is not just a luxury; it’s essential to your family’s health. If you don’t have central air conditioning, you might be feeling the discomfort of 100-degree heat on an everyday basis. Get a quote from an HVAC company like AC Plus Heating & Air Conditioning about how best to cool your home for a more comfortable life.
6) Why Can Cooling an Attic Be So Hard?
I’m not going to tell you that installing an attic fan is a simple task. It can be a bit tricky depending on your home, but it’s something that has been done by many homeowners before—so don’t worry if you have no idea where to start.
A guide from DIY Network breaks down what you need to know about cooling your attic and why cooling it is such an important part of home maintenance. In fact, getting an attic fan installed is among one of my home improvement tips for summer as these devices can save homeowners up to 20 percent on their annual cooling costs.
7) Go Green – Saving Money On Utilities
Green options are a great way to save money, especially if you live in an area where they’re offered. In some areas, you can sign up for solar power, which will reduce your electricity bill drastically.
Other green options include going to a low-emission vehicle; installing new windows with better insulation and sealing air leaks in your home; or taking advantage of government rebates on energy-efficient appliances. More tips for saving on utilities can be found at EnergyStar.gov .
There are also ways to save money by heating and cooling your home properly. Here’s how:
If it’s too hot outside: Close off rooms that aren’t being used during certain times of day, as well as closets and cabinets. Make sure all doors open outward (to let cool air flow in) instead of inward (to let cool air flow out).
This is a big one because many people don’t realize that their house acts like a giant convection oven—even when it’s not turned on! By closing off unused rooms, cabinets, closets etc., you allow cool air to travel freely through the rest of your house. And keep those doors open!
8) Change Air Filters Regularly
One of your heating or cooling system’s main jobs is to clean indoor air. While your HVAC system is doing that, it also picks up pollutants, allergens, and other irritants along the way.
Many modern furnaces and AC units have a built-in air filter that helps to reduce airborne allergens such as dust mites, pet dander, pollen spores, smoke particles, mold spores and more. As an added bonus: they can also help save you money on utility bills by keeping your furnace or air conditioner from working overtime.
Conclusion
To protect yourself from extreme temperatures, it’s best to invest in an energy-efficient HVAC system, which can be extremely beneficial for your home. Not only will you save money on utilities, but you’ll also lower your risk of health problems related to temperature extremes. For example, just one day at temperatures between 100 degrees and 105 degrees Fahrenheit may increase your risk of death over a 15-year period by 1 percent.
