Everybody likes saving money, yet we all like using our air conditioners and heaters to keep comfortable in our homes. To help you achieve both, we’ve put together this handy little list of ways you can maximize your heating and cooling systems efficiency without costly investments.
- Adequate Insulation – You can run your heater or air conditioner all you want, but if you don’t have the proper insulation in your home then you’re just throwing your money away. With the right amount of insulation, the heat won’t be able to penetrate through your walls, keeping the temperature within your home controllable and easily managed. Since heat rises, it is very important to make sure your home has a well-insulated attic or crawl space. While the attic is the first place you want to make sure is properly insulated, it is not the only one. You also want to ensure that your outer walls, as well as interior dividing walls, are all properly insulated.
- Seals and Windows – I don’t know about you guys, but I love the windows in my place. The only problem is that they tend to be horrible for maintaining temperatures within the room. During the winter they act as giant cold spots, and in the summer they heat up an entire half of the room. Doors can be just as bad. The best way to combat this is the make sure your home has proper weather seals around the doors and windows – this will help keep the cold/warm air from escaping.
- Clean System – A clean system is an efficient system, and this is especially true when it comes to your ventilation ducts. Over time, dust and debris tend to build up in your air ducts – it’s just part of the game that we all have to live with. As it all builds up, the airflow throughout the vents becomes not only dirtier and more unhealthy, but the whole system ends up working harder to achieve the same results. Do yourself a favor and get them cleaned. Doing it yourself can be very complicated, and can get dirty rather quickly if you don’t have the right equipment.
Be sure to check back soon for part 2.
