Welcome to HVAC Tips

Digital Thermostats Offer Savings and Climate Control

Most thermostats are easy to use. A lot of people just crank up the dial when they want more heat, or drop it for a blast of cool air. But this method of heating and cooling wastes energy and money. You're also less likely to get the temperature you need. The premiere home thermostat is digital, with touch-screen controls that are easy to read and more responsive than standard thermostats. These digital thermostats allow you to pre-set temperatures for every day of the week to match your schedule. You avoid high-energy temperature swings as you enter and leave the house.

Look for the SEER Rating on Air Conditioners

Before you buy a new air conditioner, you need to learn some of the industry language. It will help you find an efficient model that does not waste energy and saves money on monthly utility bills. Look for the SEER rating on new air conditioners. SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. The higher the rating, the more efficiently the air conditioner operates.

The federal government requires a minimum SEER of 13 out of a maximum rating of 20. Why does the government set standards? Higher-efficiency air conditioners save energy and cause less pollution.

Consumers also save money on electric bills. Well-designed new air conditioners are up to 70 percent more efficient than the current average. This can yield significant savings for consumers over the service life of their air conditioner.

Efficiency and Energy Savings Key to Home Heating

Home heating bills can run $600 or more each winter. Better insulation and changing your furnace filter monthly can help lower costs. But if your heating system is old and expensive to operate, it may make sense to invest in high-efficiency home heating systems that do not waste energy or money. Check out these cost-saving features in home heating services:
* Fully insulated furnaces, which provide quiet and efficient operation.
* Two-stage operation, which enables the furnace to run at an energy-saving low speed most of the time. Temperatures don't need to drop considerably for the heat to switch on.
* Low-speed fan that continuously keeps warm air flowing throughout your home.
* Variable-speed humidity control to manage the flow of heated and cooled air throughout your home.

Customize Home Comfort With Climate Control, Efficiency

Every day we make purchasing decisions - from choosing a favorite soft drink or buying a new car. Choosing your comfort is the trend in home heating and cooling services. Gone are the days when cooling a home meant wedging a heavy ac unit into the bedroom window, or heating meant enduring another winter in stuffy living areas. Today Americans can choose a home comfort system to meet year-round needs for climate control, energy savings, air quality and noise reduction.

Air Quality, Noise Affect Home Comfort

When shopping for home cooling and heating services, look for these features for optimal comfort and savings:

1.) Home climate control. High-efficiency devices include zoned heating by rooms and programmable thermostats set to match your schedule.
2.) Efficiency. Energy savings result from high-efficiency systems sized and installed correctly in your home. Invest in the highest efficiency system you can afford for the greatest energy savings. Ask the service professional to calculate your home's cooling and heating load to get the proper fit for your new system. An over-sized or undersized system wastes money and needs repairs.
3.) Air quality. Air pollution levels often are highest inside homes. A quality heating and cooling system will dehumidify and filter the air to reduce moisture and prevent mold and other pollutants.
4.) Noise reduction. You want to relax at home, and not hear the radiator clang or the air conditioner drone. Shop for home comfort systems that provide quiet and efficient methods for cooling and heating.

Identify Indoor Air Quality Problems and Comfort Concerns

Take this quiz to find out if you have air quality problems at home:
1.) Does the air in your home feel clammy or wet?
2.) Does your home overheat or get too cold?
3.) Does your home get stuffy?
4.) Do you suffer from indoor allergies?
5.) Do odors linger in the kitchen and other rooms?

Answering yes to one or more of these questions can be a sign of problems with the atmosphere and comfort of your home. Perhaps you need extra dehumidification to reduce moisture or sensitive filtration systems to clean mold spores from the air. Identifying air problems is the first step to finding a residential HVAC system that meets your needs.

Innovative Features Offer Cooling Efficiency

Some Americans refuse to use air conditioning in their home, even as they swelter through another summer. Their image of an air conditioner is a noisy window unit that makes the air feel clammy indoors and drips water outside. Today's AC is not your grandmother's room air conditioner. Check out these new features:
* High-efficiency units. They lower monthly cooling bills and waste less energy. Look for air conditioners with the ENERGY STAR label, and a high SEER rating. Both are industry standards for efficient energy use.
* Non-polluting Freon, or refrigerant. It's now possible to buy environmentally responsible, chlorine-free refrigerant that provides cooling comfort but does not harm the environment.
* Direct-drive fans. They reduce the noise of outdoor condensers for central air conditioners.
* Programmable thermostats. Preset the thermostat to match the hours you are home or away. Set the thermostat to a warmer temperature to save money on cooling services when no one is home. Program the temperature to start cooling 15 minutes or a half-hour before you are due home.