Home efficiency upgrades can increase comfort and keep more energy dollars in your pocket. Smart upgrades should address all areas of your home to effectively block all heat gain/loss and to boost efficiency with long-term savings. Here are some smart tips to enhance your energy-saving efforts:
Programmed Savings and Comfort
Good thermostat temperature settings can make or break your energy budget. Use turn-back/up energy-saving settings of 10 to 15 degrees to save energy while your home is unoccupied and during sleep hours. A simple way to save energy with turn-back/up settings is to use a programmable thermostat to do it for you automatically.
Tighten the Envelope
Your home’s ceiling, walls and floor can help protect indoor rooms from outside elements and unconditioned spaces, such as your attic, wall cavities and crawlspace. To maximize envelope efficiency, make sure to:
- Check attic insulation and ensure it rises above the joists.
- Seal air leaks using caulk and spray-in foam around protrusions through the envelope from pipes, wiring, venting and cables.
- Use caulk to seal window frames.
- Add foam weatherstripping around entry doors and your attic access door.
Upgrade With Energy Star
When it’s time to upgrade your home appliances and HVAC equipment, use the Energy Star certification program to quickly identify products that have met strict efficiency and performance criteria. For example, an Energy Star-certified modulating furnace may perform 20 percent better than a standard model.
Home Efficiency Tips
If you’re not in the habit of scheduling professional preventive maintenance, you can consider this a home efficiency upgrade. Be vigilant about other energy-saving tasks around your home, including:
- Changing and cleaning your air filter regularly. Make sure to use high-efficiency filters appropriate for your HVAC equipment.
- Turning back your water heater temperature to 120 degrees. You should schedule water heater maintenance to flush your tank and inspect components.
- Using window treatments to block sunlight as needed to minimize heat gain/loss.
For more home efficiency information for your Elyria and Oberlin home, please contact Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about home efficiency and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area