Don't Forget to Look at Your Heating and Cooling Systems

It really doesn't matter what type energy saving appliances you use in your home if you don't do something about the costs associated with the air-conditioning or heating system that you have in your house. In fact, the cost of heating and colling accounts for 50% of your energy bill. In light of this fact, a wise consumer will need to know the facts behind what they can do to save money and reduce the cost to themselves over the years. Along with saving money, a person can also do their part in ‘going green’ to limit the emissions that they put out each year into the atmosphere. It's estimated that each year heating and cooling systems in the US will put out over 140,000,000 tons of carbon dioxide into this ever shrinking bubble in which we live. So, we would like to share with you a few tips on how to reduce the emissions that these parts of life put out and save you money along the way.

For your heating needs during the winter, begin by placing radiator reflectors between the radiator and the exterior walls. It's not a bad idea to open the shades or drapes in the daytime -- to let sunlight in, and then of course close them at night -- to reduce the cool dew on the windows from cooling the house. Always set your thermostat heater at a low temperature during the winter, but of course make sure that it is adding enough warm temperature for you so as not to get too cold. It's also very important to ensure that your baseboard heaters, radiators, and warm air-registers are always kept clean to avoid blocked heat and the risk of fire dangers. When cleaning the heating devices take a few extra minutes and replace your air filter, and then on a regular basis, install a new one every two months.

Let's now take a look at how to keep your house cool during the summertime and reduce the costs of your air-conditioning needs. If you do have air-conditioning set up, and it seems to be costing you as much to heat your house during the winter time as it does to cool it during the summertime, then we need to look at ways to save you money here as well. Coincidently, you want to do the opposite with your window drapes or shades in the summertime, and decide to keep them closed during the daytime to eliminate the heat of the sun from getting into your living quarters. Once again, you need to look at your air filters and replace them if necessary. Another issue is, that lot of folks will use exhaust fans in the bathroom and kitchen areas and simply run them too long. A great way to combat this is to turn off these fans after about 15 minutes, or when either of these two rooms has aired-out.

So far we've listed some of the great ways to save on heating and cooling around your home, but I think that we need to include some of the long-term saving tips as well. If either your heating or cooling system is older than ten years, then it might be time to consider getting an energy efficient product for your home. For the proper long-term savings plan it might be best for you to think about getting a professional HVAC technician out to your house to ensure the utmost in savings. In the past several years the government has instituted new energy regulations for people to abide by, and one of their main criteria is to go with the Energy Star brand models. A lot of good tips for seeing that everyone is doing their part can be found at this website sponsored by the Energy Star program.

What about taking a look around your heating and cooling air ducts that you have on your furnace and/or air-conditioning units -- and at the same time -- around your entire house? There are large areas to look for such as ventilating drafts of air-loss and unnecessary outside air coming into your home. You can simply run down to your local home improvement shopping mart and pick up some duct tape, insulation fabric, and an epoxy sealant to remedy these troublesome spots. Some of the main areas that you'll want to look at are; underneath your house, an unfinished basement, in your bathroom -- around the base of the toilet, the back of the sink (where it is attached to the wall), and all around the bathtub or shower --, your garage and garage door, all of the interior and exterior window seals, and of course the attic or above the second floor.

It is essential to save money and reduce the emissions that we are putting into our atmosphere. You can do your part by making sure that your being as energy conscience as you can. A technician and or contractor can help you get to the ideal settings that your home needs. A specialist like this can also go through your house and properly determine the calculations for your heat gain and loss; saving you and the environment money and future generations’ prosperity.