I am always searching for new and better ways to increase the energy efficiency of my home.
I live in an area where the summers are hot and humid, often bringing temperatures in the upper eighties or low nineties.
The winters are especially long, cold and snowy. Temperatures below freezing or even in the negative digits are expected. We typically rely on the furnace for eight months of the year. The air conditioner runs for approximately three months. Heating and cooling accounts for around fifty percent of our household utility bills. The expense is a significant drain on the budget. I have installed new windows, caulked, weatherstripped and insulated, hoping to tighten up the thermal envelope. I upgraded to a smart thermostat to take advantage of energy saving potential. The smart thermostat automatically caters to my family’s schedule and avoids heating or cooling an empty home to the perfect temperature. I’ve also signed up for a professional maintenance plan. A licensed HVAC contractor comes to the house to provide troubleshooting, cleaning and tuning of the furnace in the fall and the air conditioner in the spring. This past September, the HVAC technician asked when was the last time I’d had the ductwork serviced. My answer was never. I had never given the ducts a thought. I knew for sure that the system hadn’t gotten any type of attention for the eight years my family had already lived in the home. When the technician tested the ductwork, he found a considerable accumulation of debris concealed inside. This build up was restricting airflow and causing the heating/cooling system to run longer and work harder. Because of this, the furnace and air conditioner were using more energy, experiencing greater wear and tear and costing me more in monthly bills. The technician recommended duct cleaning. The process was completed in a couple of hours and resulted in no mess. I immediately noticed that the furnace wasn’t running as often or for as long of cycles. The house is more comfortable and my monthly expenses are lower.