Three No-cost Ways to Save Money on Air Conditioning This Year

Cooling bills are a drain on your pocket. They can make up over half of your utility expenses. But it is possible to reduce what you pay to your power company each month. Read on to learn four Enertekac’s three no-cost ways to save money on air conditioning this year:

• Curb Humidity

Humidity can make a room feel warmer than it really is. You may feel as if it were 77 degrees Fahrenheit when the thermometer reads 71 degrees. Humidity is not merely an undesired nuisance, it also makes your air conditioning unit work harder. Although the humidity outside your house is beyond your control, you can use the following techniques to reduce the amount of water vapors inside your house:

- Turn on the exhaust fan when you are taking a bath.
- Cover your dirt crawl space with a moisture barrier.
- Cover your pots while cooking.
- Ensure the clothes dryer throws out water vapors outside the house.
 

• Use Thermal Curtains

Thermal curtains are insulators. They are used in winters to hold heat in and they can be used in summers to keep heat out. Unwelcome sunshine inside your house, especially during afternoon, impedes the efficiency of your AC unit and makes it consume more energy to keep indoor temperature comfortable. Do not give in to the temptation to let natural light in during afternoons. Wait until it is evening or leave the drapes open in only in the shady areas of your house.

• Do Not Fiddle With Thermostat

Seventy-eight degrees Fahrenheit is a comfortable temperature for most of us. Some people like to drop it down to 72 degrees every time they get home; hoping that it will produce faster cooling. This is wasteful. Dropping temperatures to below 78 degrees does not produce faster cooling but it makes the AC work more - adding to your energy bill.

To conclude, use thermal curtains, do not fiddle the thermostat, and curb humidity to save money. And if you are prepared to invest a little, a fourth way to save energy is to use efficient ACs, such as Lennox’s XC 25 Air Conditioner.

Happy summers!

Is It Time to Replace the Furnace?

There are three factors you need to take into account to decide if it is time you replace your furnance:

1. Efficiency
2. Fuel costs
3. Heating load

Let’s take a look at them one at a time.

Efficiency

Fuel costs are capricious nowadays. Although petroleum companies tend to price gas competitively, there is still much uncertainty associated with gas prices. Therefore it is safer to keep furnaces that are efficient. For instance, the best condensing-type gas furnaces can capture as much as 97 percent energy of the fuel. If your furnace is worn out, and thus no longer as efficient as it used to be, it is probably the time to buy a more efficient model. But do not be in a hurry. The average life of a furnace is 25 years. Your model may have a lot of life still left in it.

Fuel Costs

An efficient furnace can reduce your heating bills by as much as 20 percent. To figure out if these savings matter, add up look at the fuel bill of the last winter. Then multiply that number with ⅕. After that figure out how much it will cost you to install a new system. Divide the cost with the second number (which you received after multiplying by ⅕). The figure will show you the number of years to recoup the investment in the new system.

Heating Load

Heating load varies between houses. You can get a report on your heating needs through an audit. Ask your energy company for it. After that it is your decision: whether to upgrade the existing system or to purchase a new system to meet the increased heating load requirements.

Conclusion

It is a smart idea to replace your furnace if efficiency, fuel costs, and heating load requirement dictate that. You can ask for help from professionals to find out if your meet the criteria.

Four Tips to Improve the Efficiency of Your Residential Heat Pump

We are in the midst of autumn. Winter will soon knock at our door. If you do not have a heat pump, it is time to scour the internet and local bazaars to find what heat pumps are up for sale. If you already own an air-to-water heat pump, it is time to learn a few tips so that you can stay warm this winter; without blasting your utility bills through the roof.

• Reduce Load Through Improvements In Your Structure

Heat pump will have to work more, or consume more energy, if your house or office is not well insulated. Start with the structure. Make sure there are not heat sinks, places from where the warm air can leak out into the atmosphere. Insulation will reduce energy use.
 

• Do Not Let Snow Fall On Your Unit

Outdoor temperature affects the efficiency of your heat unit. It is a good idea to cover it to protect is from rain and snow. Also it is smart to mount your heat pump at least two feet above ground where snow cannot come into contact with the unit.

• Choose Right-size Pipes

Heat pumps make noise. You will need at least 15 feet of piping to make sure no noise travels from the motors into your bedroom. This holds true for both interior and exterior units. But do not go overboard because excessive piping can make your pump inefficient.

• Purchase High-efficiency Pumps

In colder climates, performance often takes the upper hand and efficiency is compromised. But if you live in a slightly warm region, where temperatures rarely get below 10 degrees Fahrenheit, it is smart to invest in high-efficiency heat pumps, such as Lennox’s XP 25 heat pump. It has an energy efficiency rating (SEER) of 23.5.

Keep yourself warm this winter.