Selecting a thermostat for your HVAC system can be a simple and very rewarding experience. If you pick the right type, you will enjoy energy savings for years to come. The cost of the new thermostat will more than be made up in the money that you save on your gas and electric bill.The first thing you must do is match your new thermostat to the type of heating and cooling system that you have. Most homes are equipped with a forced-air system that delivers heated or cooled air throughout the house using a series of ducts. The system might be powered by gas or electricity, and the thermostat tells the air handler when to cycle on and off.The best type of thermostats are the ones which give a digital readout of the temperature. They are simple to set and easy to understand. You can choose from a manual unit, which you set yourself, or a programmable one, which controls the temperature in your home for an extended period of time. The manual unit is good for someone who is home all the time, and the programmable one is best for people who work outside the house.A programmable thermostat gives you the option of automatically raising or lowering the temperature when you are not home. Why waste money heating or cooling an empty house? The Department of Energy estimates that you can save at least 10 percent off your energy bills just by switching to a programmable thermostat. The programmable models come in several varieties to match your schedule. There are ones that can be programmed for each day of the week, and others that have one setting for weekdays and another for Saturday and Sunday.Now, what about "High Tech" thermostats? Did you know they have remote controls now available? Now, you don't have to get off the couch or out of bed to change the temperature. And most of those read the temperature from the controller, so wherever you're sitting is the exact temperature you want it!!Or, maybe you want to control your thermostat from your smart phone, tablet, or laptop? Choose a thermostat in which you can control when out of town by just installing an App!Air Assurance can answer any questions you have about which model is best for your home, and we can ensure that your thermostat is properly installed and working correctly to maximize your energy savings. Contact us today, we have over 30 years experience taking care of the heating and cooling needs of Broken Arrow-area residents just like you.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our current promotions and get started today!
Want to get a better handle on your heating costs this winter? Oklahoma’s long and often harsh winters can mean much higher energy bills just to maintain home comfort. However, it’s possible to lock in energy savings without investing significant amounts of money by following a few of the tips below. Here’s what you can do:
If you have a manual thermostat, choose a lower indoor temperature for the day time. Energy Savers estimates that most homeowners can save 1 percent on their energy bills if they lower the home’s temperature by just one degree. Higher setbacks reap higher savings!
Install a programmable thermostat to guarantee savings from setbacks. Most models allow you to choose several temperatures throughout the day, and pre-programming this type of device ensures that your home temperature stays within an energy savings range at all times.
If you have exhaust fans, use them sparingly. If left on for just one hour, these fans can draw out a lot of warm air from your home.
Use a lower temperature on your water heater. You’ll still get comfortably hot water and ensure energy savings by lowering the dial to 115 degrees.
Check vents regularly. Your home’s duct supply and return vents were designed to distribute the conditioned air that your furnace generates. If these vents are blocked, you’ll inhibit a balanced flow of air, and perhaps cause your furnace to work harder.
Curtains on windows that face South can be used to your advantage. Open them to let the sun assist daytime heating. During the night, every curtain should be closed to keep as much heated air inside as possible.
Keep your heating bills in check this winter, and ensure energy savings by following these tips. The more tips you implement, the higher your energy savings. If you’d like expert help to assess your home’s overall efficiency, contact Air Assurance Heating, Cooling & Air Qualitytoday! We’ve been serving homeowners in the Greater Broken Arrow area for more than 30 years, and we know how to get the kind of results you want and deserve. Just give us a call!Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. Visit our websiteto see our current promotionsand get started today! Energy Savings image via Shutterstock
One of the greatest advances in home comfort was the introduction of zoning systems. A home can be fitted with separate thermostats to monitor heating and cooling in different "zones," or areas, of a home. These are tied to a central thermostat control that can distribute cool and warm air in a more controlled fashion. Dampers placed in ducts control the temperature for the different areas. For example, if a south-facing area of the home has a bank of windows and needs more cool air in the summer, dampers will open more for that area. North-facing areas with more shading would require less, and dampers would constrict that air flow. Zoning systems thus direct warm and cool air into areas where they are needed most.The floor plans of most homes are not logically designed for optimum air distribution. Hot air rises, cool air falls. Therefore, the same amount of cooling is not needed for downstairs areas as it is for upstairs. Rooms farther away from the HVAC system can also receive less air flow than is required. Zoning systems address that lack of balance and create a more even heating and cooling pattern throughout the home.In addition, rooms or sections of a home that require less heating or cooling due to limited use can get less air flow, thus saving energy. A properly designed zoning system can not only maximize home comfort but also reduce energy costs. Think of it as like a light switch for different rooms of your home. Of course we have those, but who would have only one light switch that controlled every room's lights? Same principle with zoning systems. You don't have to cool all of your house, just to be comfortable in part of your house.If you would like to investigate the advantages of zoning systems for your Oklahoma home, contact the comfort experts at Air Assurance. We can explain all the benefits and logistics of zoning. We're always ready to give you the information that you need in order to take better control of your home comfort.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information, click here. Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.
Programmable thermostats are an excellent way to increase the energy efficiency of your home and save money on your monthly utility bills. They work especially well for anyone who is gone from their home for a specific period of time during the week. With a programmable thermostat you can set the temperature of your home and have your heating/cooling system operate only when it's needed.Programmable thermostats possess a temperature-sensitive switch that enables them to maintain the temperature you set. When choosing a programmable thermostat, you should take your weekly schedule into account. There are three different kinds of options that you can choose from:7-Day Model7-day models are the most efficient option if you or your family members have varying schedules throughout the week, therefor allowing the optimum schedule to be set for any day of the week. For example, if you work later than usual on Tuesdays, or have children that arrive home from school earlier than usual on Wednesdays, a 7-day model will allow you to program specific times for your heating/cooling system to kick in.5+2-Day Model5+2-day models are the way to go if you have the same schedule each week and have a separate schedule on the weekends. So, for instance if you arrive home at 5 o'clock each day during the week, you can set your thermostat to start running each day shortly before you return, so the house is comfortable when you arrive. On the weekends, you can set an entirely different schedule that will be the same for both two days.5-1-1 Model5-1-1 models are similar to 5+2-day models, except that they allow you to have a different schedule for each weekend day. So, you can have the same schedule set during the week, as well as a different schedule for Saturday and a different schedule for Sunday.Some other options that can be found on programmable thermostats, are:
Touch-pad screen programming
Voice/phone programming
Vacation settings
Dirty air filter alerts
Equipment malfunction alerts
I-Phone or smart phone controlled
If a programmable thermostat is used correctly, it can pay for itself within four years. If you are having trouble deciding what thermostat would be best your home, contact the professionals at Air Assurance today. They have been serving Oklahoma's Tulsa and Broken Arrow region for more than 30 years and will be happy to help you with all of your home comfort needs.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information, click here. Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.
