The bulk of a typical Castro Valley home’s energy costs comes from heating and cooling. In light of that, it makes sense to prioritize your HVAC system in your home’s energy-saving strategy. Fortunately, beating the summer heat and the winter chill doesn’t mean having to choose between comfort and energy savings. Use the tips below to promote energy savings without compromising on comfort.
Keep Up With Your HVAC System Maintenance
Dirt and negligence will make your heating and cooling system work inefficiently, leading to expensive repairs and premature failure. Make sure you change your HVAC filter at least once every three months. Clean or replace it every month during the heavy use summer and winter months. You should also schedule a yearly tune-up for both your heating and cooling equipment. If your HVAC equipment has lasted more than 10 years and isn’t keeping you comfortable, replace it with the energy-efficient Energy Star-qualified equipment. This can reduce your energy costs by over $115 a year.
Upgrade Your Thermostat
If you have a manual thermostat, consider upgrading to a programmable thermostat. It will allow you to automatically lower the temperature in your home when no one’s around and increase it when you come back from work in the cold season (or vice versa during the summer). Proper use of a programmable thermostat can help you save around $180 on your energy bill annually.
Reduce Air Leaks
Air leakage through improperly sealed ducts, doors, windows, appliance vents, and electrical outlets allow your indoor air to seep out and outdoor air to find its way inside. Inspect these likely locations for air leaks. In most cases, you can seal leaks with caulk and weatherstripping. Seal duct seams and connectors with metal-backed tape or duct sealant.
Increase Insulation
Insulation forms a barrier that stops heat transfer across itself, helping keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. You also save on your heating and cooling costs as a result. Some of the areas of your home that may need more insulation include the attic, ceilings, floors, walls, as well as your ducts. Sealing and insulating all your ducts can improve your home energy efficiency by up to 20 percent, or even more.
Install Energy-Efficient Windows
You can enjoy more energy savings by replacing your current windows with high-efficiency models that both effectively block solar heat and retain warmth in the winter. Energy Star-qualified windows can reflect radiant heat back to your home in the winter and block up to 70 percent of the summer heat.
Install Ceiling Fans
Installing ceiling fans is an excellent way to enhance your comfort and help your HVAC system achieve a higher efficiency. You should run your fans counterclockwise in the summer to push cool air downwards and create a constant breeze. In the winter, reverse your fans to push down warm air, which naturally rises.
For more tips that will keep you comfortable and frugal all year round, please contact us at B.A. Morrison. We’ve proudly served Castro Valley and the East Bay Area for more than 25 years.
Our certified technicians are trained and experienced in professional HVAC equipment installation, replacement, and service that helps you boost system efficiency and reduce utility bills.
We also do home energy audits to help you find out the problem areas and make your home more energy efficient. Contact us today at 510-538-9817 or email us to schedule an appointment, get more energy-saving ideas, or ask any question about your HVAC system.
