Energy Efficient Heating

As much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling. So making smart decisions about your home's heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can have a big effect on your utility bills — and your comfort. Take these steps to increase the efficiency of your heating and cooling system. Change your air filter regularly Check your filter every month, especially during heavy use months (winter and summer). If the filter looks dirty after a month, change it. At a minimum, change the filter every 3 months. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you warm or cool — wasting energy. A clean filter will also prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system — leading to expensive maintenance and/or early system failure. Tune up your HVAC equipment yearly Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling system can improve efficiency and comfort. Install a programmable thermostat A programmable thermostat is ideal for people who are away from home during set periods of time throughout the week. Through proper use of pre-programmed settings, a programmable thermostat can save you about $180 every year in energy costs. Seal your heating and cooling ducts Ducts that move air to-and-from a forced air furnace, central air conditioner, or heat pump are often big energy wasters. Sealing and insulating ducts can improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling system by as much as 20 percent — and sometimes much more. Focus first on sealing ducts that run through the attic, crawlspace, unheated basement, or garage. Use duct sealant (mastic) or metal-backed (foil) tape to seal the seams and connections of ducts. After sealing the ducts in those spaces, wrap them in insulation to keep them from getting hot in the summer or cold in the winter. Next, look to seal any other ducts that you can access in the heated or cooled part of the house. Consider installing ENERGY STAR qualified heating and cooling equipment If your HVAC equipment is more than 10 years old or not keeping your house comfortable, have it evaluated by a professional HVAC contractor. If it is not performing efficiently or needs upgrading, consider replacing it with a unit that has earned the ENERGY STAR. Depending on where you live, replacing your old heating and cooling equipment with ENERGY STAR qualified equipment can cut your annual energy bill by nearly $200. But before you invest in a new HVAC system, make sure that you have addressed the big air leaks in your house and the duct system. Sometimes, these are the real sources of problems rather than your HVAC equipment. Ask about Proper Installation of your new equipment Replacing your old heating and cooling equipment with new, energy-efficient models is a great start. But to make sure that you get the best performance, the new equipment must be properly installed. In fact, improper installation can reduce system efficiency by up to 30 percent — costing you more on your utility bills and possibly shortening the equipment's life.

Home Heating System Care

When filters become clogged with debris, they cut down on a heating system's efficiency and, over time, can cause parts to wear out faster. A permanent air screen or electronic air filter should be cleaned according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Disposable filters should be checked periodically—monthly during winter—and cleaned or changed as needed. Pleated fabric filters are a good, inexpensive choice for reducing dust and allergens. In addition to regularly inspecting your heating system's filter, brush and vacuum the heat exchanger surfaces every year if recommended by your owner's manual. Before heating season, clean the blower blades and seal any air leaks in ducts with several wraps of duct tape. Here's how to change or clean a filter: 1) Turn off the power to the unit. 2) Look for the door or panel that conceals the blower; sometimes this is marked "Filter." Lift this door or panel off its holding hooks, or unscrew its retaining screws to remove it. 3) Standard filters are mounted next to or under the blower motor. Slide the filter out along its tracks. Check to see whether it is a disposable filter or intended to be cleaned and replaced—this information should be marked on the filter's edge, along with directions for cleaning, if applicable. If it's a disposable filter, its size will be printed on the frame's edge. Make a note of it. 4) Buy a replacement, and slide it into place, noting that arrows stamped on the side indicate the proper direction of airflow; be sure you face these in the proper direction. 5) While you have the furnace open, vacuum out the area around the blower. If possible, slide out the fan unit, clean each fan blade with a toothbrush, and then vacuum with a brush attachment on a vacuum cleaner. 6) Look for oil ports on the motor, normally located near the motor shaft. If the motor has these, apply two to three drops of non-detergent motor oil into each port (you may have to remove a cover plate to do this). Most contemporary motors don't require lubrication, but motors with oil ports should be lubricated once a year. 7) Look for worn belts between the motor and pulleys. Ideally, you would want to have an expert inspect your heating system at least once a year.

A Consumers Guide to Purchasing a New Heating System

Learn how to choose a high efficiency heating system that’s right for you. Efficiency Ratings The Efficiency Ratings standards are set by the U.S. Department of Energy under the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987, which became effective January 1, 1992. All natural gas heating systems have what's called an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating. The rating is expressed in percentages. Minimum Efficiency Standards Furnace 78% AFUE Gas-fired Boilers 80% AFUE Gas-fired Steam 75% AFUE The higher the AFUE rating – the more efficient the heating system – and the less energy needed to heat your home. For example, a new, high-efficiency furnace with a 94% efficiency rating provides 94 cents worth of heat from every energy dollar. By comparison, an older, standard efficiency furnace with an efficiency rating of 60%, provides 60 cents worth of energy for every dollar spent. Annual Savings: Simple Payback If you install a residential warm air furnace at 90% AFUE vs. 80% AFUE, the estimated annual savings in energy costs is $115 with a simple payback of approximately 3 years*. *Analysis of annual savings provided by the Consortium of Energy Efficiency, a national non-profit organization consisting of utilities, government agencies and energy efficiency groups. High-Efficiency Furnaces Furnaces with efficiencies over 90% are called condensing furnaces and offer the most energy savings. These furnaces achieve 90% AFUE rating by sending flue gases through a secondary heat exchanger. This device further extracts heat that is usable energy for your home. Remaining flue gases then exhaust outdoors through special plastic-type vent pipe inserted through the wall of the home. This "direct-vent" piping configuration also draws in outside air for combustion. Since indoor air is not used in the combustion process, cold air leakage (infiltration) is reduced – an added energy savings. High-Efficiency Boilers A boiler can last between 20-30 years, so it is important to choose an efficient model in order to reduce long-term costs. The most efficient boilers forced hot water boilers are considered to have an AFUE rating of 85% or higher. We recommend purchasing steam boilers with an 82% or higher AFUE rating. Venting Your Heating System Often times the installation of a high efficiency heating system requires changes to your venting system. It is recommended that you consult with your contractor for proper venting methods. Guarantees and Warranties A new heating system is a major investment, so make sure you understand the warranties that come with your new equipment. Parts and labor are usually covered by the manufacturer and installing contractor for the first year. Some brands also offer warranties of two to ten years. High-efficiency furnaces are generally the manufacturer's top-of-the-line products and have longer warranties. Sizing Your Heating System Sizing your heating system should always include the help of a qualified heating contractor. A system that is too large can be wasteful and a system that is too small can't provide proper comfort. A qualified heating contractor can help you estimate the heat-loss in your home by evaluating the insulation levels and the square footage of wall, roof and floor space exposed to the outside. Then, using the outdoor and desired indoor temperatures, they can calculate the appropriate capacity for your new heating system, measured in BTUs (British Thermal Units) per hour. Choosing a Heating Contractor Reliable companies will send an estimator to provide a survey and provide a heat-loss calculation for your home. The contractor should also supply you with a written proposal clearly outlining the work to be done with the agreed upon price and many offer service after the installation is complete.