Soon you’ll be seeing it in your yard. Something you’ve been waiting months to see. Green shoots of grass and buds on your trees. Heck, even new green weeds might make you happy after another long winter. But the pending arrival of spring is still a challenging time for heating and cooling your home.
This time of year, it’s not terribly unusual to have the furnace on overnight and in the morning and the air conditioner kicking in by late afternoon or early evening. What Merts Heating & Air Conditioning wants to share with you are some ways to make sure you’re not wasting money on your home heating and cooling options.
The important thing to always remember is, according to energystar.gov, as much as half of all energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling. We want to make sure you are making smart decisions to keep those monthly utility bills as low as possible. Here are some suggestions:
Change your air filter regularly—Gee, where have we heard that before? Despite constant reminders from HVAC professionals, it’s shocking how many times we find dirty filters as the reason for expensive repairs or higher than normal utility bills. At a minimum your filter should be changed every three months, and especially now during your spring heating & cooling maintenance. If you are using the cheaper fiberglass type of filter (which we don’t recommend) it should be changed every month. A dirty filter means your system must work harder, which translates directly into higher monthly bills.
Schedule regular maintenance—This is the only way to make sure your heating & cooling systems are operating correctly and at peak efficiency. Only a professional technician has the expertise to maintain your system according to the manufacturer’s specifications. Hint: If you have trouble remembering just schedule your maintenance appointment during the time change every spring and fall, just like you do with changing your smoke detector batteries.
Install a programmable thermostat—There really is no reason you shouldn’t have this piece of technology in your home. The price is reasonable and if used correctly can be a big money-saver. By programming the thermostat for a higher or lower temperature while you’re away at work or school or while sleeping, you can save as much as $180 a year.
Seal & insulate your ductwork—This can improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems as much as 20%. Typically, this is a job best left to the professionals since much of the ductwork is found in attics and crawl spaces where it can be hard to work on. If you do want to attempt it yourself, you can use duct sealant (mastic) or foil tape to seal seams and duct connections.
Whatever your spring needs are; furnace maintenance, air conditioning maintenance, or a backup generator, you can depend on Merts Heating & Air Conditioning. Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.