Taking a burden off your HVAC system and achieving energy savings through the whole-house approach saves money immediately and for the long haul. The less your system has to run to keep you comfortable increases its lifespan and lowers energy costs.
Tend to your HVAC system first. As the largest energy user in your home, it’s important to keep it running as efficiently as possible. Change the air filter and clean the area around the outdoor condenser during the cooling system, and have it professionally maintained seasonally. Watch for dust deposits around the registers that may signal a leaking duct, and have them sealed immediately.
The integrity of your home’s envelope impacts your HVAC system. If air leaks exist around window and exterior door frames, your system will have to work much harder summer and winter. You may also find gaps around the pipes, wires and cables that enter or leave your home, or vents and flues that exit through the ceilings into the attic. Inadequate attic insulation increases your heating and cooling costs and adding more is an affordable way to immediately increase energy savings. The most thorough way to discover the weak points is to have a professional energy audit performed. Licensed energy auditors and HVAC pros use powerful blower doors and infrared cameras to detect air leaks and thermal losses. The blower door test measures the amount of air infiltration and its severity. Infrared cameras show exactly where the energy losses occur. You can also do your own by visually inspecting your home or detecting air leaks using a lighted stick of incense and looking for drafts around the exterior walls. Closing all the windows and doors and turning on the kitchen and bathroom fans as you look will make the smoke waver wherever a leak is present. The time and money you invest in your home for energy savings pays you back in greater comfort and energy savings for the long term. To learn more, contact Russell’s Heating & Cooling, serving Hampton Roads homeowners. Our goal is to help educate our customers in Chesapeake, Virginia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about HVAC systems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 757-750-1831. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “monam/Pixabay”