The average home spends about $1900 annually on energy bills. Heating and Cooling accounts for a much as half of the home's energy usage. The EPA ( U.S. Environment protetion Agency) provides important recommendations for energy efficient equipment,
incluiding proper sizing, quality installation  and maintenance, and other home improvement consideration to help you get the most out of the heating and cooling  products. Save energy and save as much as 20% and contribute to a cleaner environment.
 

ENERGY STAR qualified products prevent greenhouse gas emission by meeting strict energy efficiency guidelines set by EPA and DOE U.S Department of Energy.

QUESTION TO ASK YOURSELF

When is it time to change ( Product or Entire Equiptment )

Maintaining Equipment

Improving Comfort

Sealing your Ducts

Being the RIGHT HVAC contractor

Choosing the right equipment

And properly sizing equipment
 

When is it Time for Change?

• Some of your rooms are to hot or cold.
• Your home has humidity problems and/or excessive dust.
• your coolling system is noisy.
• your equipment needs frequent repair and your energy bills are going up.
• your heat pump or air conditioner is more than 12 years old.
• your furnace or boiler is more than 15 year old.
• your leave your thermostat set at one constant temperature.
• your score on the ENERGY STAR Home Energy Yardstick is below five.

• Check thermostat setting  to ensurethe heating and cooling system turn on and off at the programmed temperatures.
• Tighten all electrical connection and measure voltage and current on motors, faulty electrical connections can cause unsafe operation of your system and reduce the life of major components.
• lubricante all moving parts. parts that lack lubricantion cause friction in motors and increase the amount of electricity you use. it can also cause equipment to wear out more quickly, requiring more frequent repairs or replacements. 
• Check and inspect the condesate drain in your central air conditioner, furnace and/or heat pump ( when in cooling mode). if plugged , the drain can cause water damage in the house, affect indoor humidity levels, and breed bacteria and mold.
• Check system control to ensure porper and safe operation. check the starting cycle othe equipment to assure the system starts, operates, and shuts off properly.
• Inspect, clean, or change air filter in your central air conditioner, furnace, and/or heat pump. Your contractor can show your contractor can show how to do this yourself. Depending on your system, your filter may be found in the duct system versu the heating and cooling  equipment  itself. A dirty filter cause energy costs to be greater than they should be and can damage your equipment, leading to early failures.
   

Improving Comfort

• Seal air leak to reduce draft and get the full performance out of insulation. Always seal air leak before adding insulation.
• Benefits of ENERGY STAR Home sealing
• Improved comfort, especially during periods of hot or cold weather
• Lower energy use, which mean lower energy bills
• A quieter home due to less noise entering from the outside
• Fewer hole where pollen, dust, pollution, and insects can enter your home
• improved durability of the building structure trough the reduced movement of moist air.

• Begining  October 1, 2005, you must have your home's dust tested for leak when you have a central air conditioner or furnace installed or replaced. ducts that leak 15 percent or more must be repaire to reduce the leak. After contrator your test and fixes the ducts, you choose whether to have an approved third-party field verifier check to make sure the duct testing and sealing was done properly or to have your house included in a random sample where one in seven duct system are checked.
• Check, measure, and identify leak with diagnostic equipment.
• Repair or replace damaged, disconnected, or undersized ducts. straighten out flexible ducts that are tangled or crushed.
• Seal leaks and connections with mastic, metal tape, or an aerosol base sealant. Duct tape should never be used because it will not last. test airflow after sealing ducts.
• Seal all registers and grills tightly to the ducts.
• Insulate duct in unconditionned area, like attic and crawl space, with duct insulation that carries an R-value of 6 or higher.
• Incluce a new filter as part of any duct system improvements.
• Conduct a Combustion Safety Test after ducts are sealed to ensure there is no backdrafting of gas or oil- burning appliances.
   

• Perform an  on-site inspection of the job you want done and provide a detailed bid in a timely manner.
• Demostrate to you that they are licensed and insured to repair or install heating and cooling equipment ( many state require this ).
• Be able to provide their certification for refrigerant handling, required since 1992.
• Have several year of experience as a business in your community.
• Provide example of quality  installation of energy - efficient heating and/or cooling equipment work, with names of customer that you can contact.
• Complete and submit the warranty information card on your behalf.

•  A system that is too large will cool or heat your house quickly, but you may not feel comfortable. That's because it will satisfy the thermostat before it can adequately remove sufficient moisture from the air during the cooling mode, leaving you feeling sticky and humid. This could even lead to moisture and mold problems. And, the stress of short-cycling (too many starts and stops) will shorten the life of your equipment and increase your heating and cooling bills.

  On the other hand, a system that is too small just cannot get the job done, especially in extreme weather conditions. The air conditioner will run constantly in the summer and the furnace will do the same in winter.

  
  And properly sizing equipment
  
  
  But a correctly sized system isn't just based on the size of the structure. Many factors go into determining the size of the system. Including type of house and walls, type and size of windows, insulation, basement and attic conditions, house orientation, and so on. A Salesman must visit the house and take detailed measurements and notes while conducting the survey.