Are you sick and tired of pausing every time you want to adjust the temperature at your thermostat, just because you know that your energy costs may wind up higher than you’d like? We believe that you should not have to choose between your own comfort and your budget. We also understand, however, that there is no way to heat or cool your home for free. The more that you use your system, the more it will cost. So what is the budget-conscious homeowner to do?
That is precisely what we are here to discuss today. Our team has some tips to share with you that will help you to enjoy better efficiency from your HVAC systems. We are not going to suggest that you go out with money that you don’t have to upgrade to a high-efficiency system that you cannot afford, either. While doing so will certainly boost efficiency, we have some more practical tips to share today. So read on, and feel free to contact the Columbia, SC HVAC pros on our staff with any questions that you may have.
Seal Up Leaks
Leaks are the true enemy of energy efficiency regardless of where they may form in your home. You may have leaky ductwork that needs to be sealed, lest you let those leaky ducts waste energy as heat is released into unconditioned areas of the house, or should make its way into those ducts when you are trying to cool your home. You could also have leaks in your home’s thermal envelope itself.
By having any such leaks sealed up, you can prevent unwanted heat transfer in both the summer and the winter seasons. Remember, heat is naturally going to seek out a cooler environment. That means that failing to seal your home and your ducts up is going to result in excess strain on your HVAC systems, and your budget, as you try to balance temperatures with that equipment.
Use Your Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans may look nice, but they are definitely not just up there for decoration. Even those homeowners that use their ceiling fans throughout the summer season sometimes fail to realize that they should actually be using them in the winter, as well. While ceiling fans don’t actively cool the air the way that an AC does, they do help to keep cool air circulating.
They are very helpful in the winter too, though, provided that you take a moment to flip the switch on the fixture and reverse the direction in which the blades rotate. This allows the ceiling fan to force heated air back down into the living space, where it belongs. When heat gets trapped at the ceiling, you’ll wind up wasting energy by overtaxing your heater.
Schedule Maintenance
No way were we going to let this topic go by without bringing up HVAC maintenance! If you are serious about getting the most efficient performance possible from your HVAC system, then you need to have it tuned up annually. While this is not going to somehow make your system more efficient than its rating allows for, it will help to keep your system working as close to peak efficiency levels as possible.
Schedule your HVAC services with Fulmer Heating & Cooling.