Energy Saving Tips for Summer

After a fleeting spring, another energy-guzzling season is here: Summer, when air-conditioning costs threaten to break the bank. However, don't despair. There are many energy saving tips available for homes, and most of them are relatively simple to put into effect.Summer Energy Saving Tips

• Program for savings. There's no reason why your A/C has to be cooling your home at a comfortable temperature 24/7. If you don't already have one, install a programmable thermostat, then set it to higher temperatures (low to mid-80s) for times when you're at work or away from home. Program the temperature to return to a cool and comfortable level shortly before you expect to arrive home.

• Use ceiling fans. A ceiling fan can make the temperature in a room seem like it's several degrees lower than it actually is, as long as the fan is blowing air at people in the room. You can turn up the thermostat several degrees and save energy, while not sacrificing comfort. Just remember to turn off the fan when the room is empty. The fan's cooling effect is useless if nobody's around to feel it.

• Open the windows. When the outside air isn't too hot or moist, open windows and doors and let natural ventilation cool off your home. Open them at nighttime, then seal the house in the mid-morning before it gets hot. That cool morning air should allow you to delay turning on the A/C a few hours.

• Weatherize the house. Seal air leaks in the home's envelope, using weatherstripping, caulk or spray foam depending on the size and type of leak. Make sure the attic is well insulated to keep heated air from gravitating downward into your living spaces.

• Schedule preventive maintenance. Before summer really heats up, schedule an A/C maintenance visit. This will ensure that your cooling system is ready to perform efficiently and effectively all summer long. Perform air-filter maintenance yourself at least monthly during the summer.

For more energy saving tips for this summer, please contact us at Air Assurance, providing quality HVAC services in the Broken Arrow area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Ondrej Supitar/StockSnap”

How to Reduce the Load on Your Furnace

You've probably heard the terms "heating load" or "cooling load" in reference to the furnace and air conditioner. Sometimes experts advise reducing these loads on the HVAC system to save money on utility bills. Heating and cooling loads will also affect the size of the furnace or air conditioner you need. Here's a brief explanation of these terms and how understanding them can help you save.

Defining Heating (and Cooling) Loads

Load refers to how much heat has to be added or removed in a space to achieve a desired temperature range. When you're planning to upgrade your heating system, your HVAC consultant will refer to your home's heating load, or how much capacity a furnace must have to heat the home to the desired temperature. Reducing the load means finding ways to make the home more efficient so a system with a lower capacity can be installed. It also means preventing heated air from escaping the home — and cold air from infiltrating — so that the furnace works efficiently to achieve the temperature set points.

Heating and cooling loads are determined by software calculations, based on input from data collected on the home, including square footage, how many and what size windows, the home's orientation, insulation and many other factors. The software calculates the home's heating or cooling load so that the consultant can determine what size HVAC system is needed. The more efficient the home, the smaller the heating or cooling load, and the less heating or cooling capacity an HVAC system will need.

Increasing Efficiency

Here are a few things you can do to reduce your heating load this winter and lower your bills:

• Caulk or install weatherstripping around windows and doors to keep out drafts.

• Install a door sweep on exterior doors.

• Install insulation around pipes, cables and wiring that enter through holes in exterior walls.

• Insulate electrical switches in exterior walls.

• Add insulation in attics and walls. Attic insulation should be above joists.

To learn more about reducing the load on your furnace, contact Air Assurance. We've served the Broken Arrow area for 30 years.

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Could a Zoning System Save Energy in Your Home?

If you're using just one thermostat to regulate temperatures in your Oklahoma home, you're likely losing energy. Your house also isn't as comfortable throughout its interior as it would be with a zoning system. This is particularly the case with larger homes or those with more than one level.

How Does a Zoning System Work?

First, the house is divided into separate climate zones. This might be as simple as creating a separate zone for each floor of the house. This is usually a good plan, since upper floors tend to heat quicker than the main floor or a finished basement. For example, in the summer, while the basement family room is cool and comfortable, the bedrooms upstairs will likely need extra cooling due to heat rising. On the other hand, in the winter, the finished basement will need more heat than elsewhere in the house, while upper floors will warm up relatively easily. Other good reasons for separate zones include rooms with lots of windows or southern exposure, or rooms added onto a house. It's virtually impossible to effectively heat and cool all parts of a larger or multi-story house with just one thermostat.After the zones are established, a programmable thermostat and controllable duct dampers are installed in each zone, so that if one zone requires heating or cooling, the HVAC system will direct conditioning to that zone without affecting the heating or cooling in any other zone.

Benefits of a Zoning System

You'll save energy with a zoning system, since it guarantees that only parts of the house that need conditioning will receive it. In a single-thermostat house, the whole house receives cooled or heated air, regardless of whether all rooms need it.Comfort and convenience also will be served, since a family member in one room can set the temperature to his or her preference without affecting the temperature in other rooms, where a family member there might have different ideas about comfort.

To discuss adding an energy-saving zoning system in your Broken Arrow area home, please contact us at Air Assurance.

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Lower Your Energy Bill by Lowering Your Water Heater Temperature

In today's world, saving even a few dollars a month is important, and so is being "green" in your home. You may not have realized this, but lowering your water heater temperature, even by just 10 degrees, can make a positive impact on your energy bill as well as the environment.On most traditional water heaters, the water is warmed using gas or electricity, then stored in a tank and maintained at the temperature that you have set. The amount of electricity or gas needed to keep this temperature constant is higher when the temperature is increased.

What is it Set for Currently?

Your water heater temperature is typically set at about 140 degrees when it comes from the manufacturer. This high temperature is not only unnecessary for most households, but it can be downright dangerous. When the temperature is set this high, turning on only the hot water with a faucet can scald skin, especially for children and the elderly.

A temperature of 120 degrees is recommended for most households, though 130 degrees can be used for those that have dishwashers that aren't capable of heating their own water.

How Do I Change it?

Thankfully, turning the water heater temperature down isn't difficult, and is something that most people are able to do on their own. Just follow these simple steps.

For gas heaters, locate the control dial somewhere on the outside of the unit. On electric heaters, there may be two dials - one at the top and another at the bottom, which need to be turned separately, but evenly. If there are no temperature indications on the dials, then turn the knobs a little at a time, wait about two hours, and test the water from the tap nearest the water heater by pouring it into a cup and checking the temperature with a thermometer.

For more information about how to save money on your electric bill by lowering your water heater temperature, as well as other expert advice about heating and cooling your home, contact us today. Air Assurance proudly serves the greater Tulsa metropolitan area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Serenethos/Shutterstock”

Why You Should Have a Pro Seal Your Air Ducts

You may not think about your home's ductwork often since it's hidden from sight, but deficiencies in this critical HVAC system component can erode your comfort. If ducts aren't properly sealed and insulated, up to 40 percent of the system's conditioned air output can escape before it reaches the registers. Duct sealing can solve this problem and prevent other serious issues as well.

Benefits of Professional Duct Sealing

When you hire an experienced professional, you'll have peace of mind that the air ducts in your home are thoroughly inspected and any damaged or disconnected sections are repaired. A pro seals the seams with fiberglass mesh and mastic and then wraps the ducts with R-8 insulation. Taking these steps is especially important in hard-to-access areas like the attic, garage, and crawl space where air losses often occur. Some of the major benefits you'll gain from the process include:

• Greater comfort — When duct deficiencies are corrected, conditioned airflow from the registers improves. You'll experience fewer hot and cold spots in different rooms, and you'll find it easier to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the house.

• Lower energy bills — Heating and cooling devours roughly 45 percent of the energy used in your home each year. Reducing air leakage in the duct system by 30 percent can result in energy savings of up to 16 percent and help curb high yearly heating and cooling costs.

• Better indoor air quality— When the ducts are properly sealed, unhealthy contaminants can't enter the air supply from the attic, wall cavities, or other unconditioned spaces.

• Enhanced safety — Eliminating leaks in the duct system lowers the risk of carbon monoxide exposure from a back-drafting gas water heater or furnace.

• Longer equipment life span— Compensating for air leakage puts added strain on the HVAC equipment, which can shorten its service life. Sealing and insulating ducts reduces this unnecessary wear and tear, and it also helps keep out debris that can build up on sensitive components and cause a premature failure.

To learn more about the many benefits of duct sealing, contact the Broken Arrow HVAC pros at Air Assurance today.

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It's Time for Fall HVAC Maintenance! Here's What You Need to Know

Emergency repairs to your HVAC system are not only expensive, they are often very inconvenient. You may have to wait for hours on the hottest or coldest day of the year for a technician to have time to address the issue. No one can second guess all of the things that can go wrong with an appliance, but regular maintenance can often spare you many uncomfortable hours. Follow these basic steps for fall HVAC maintenance to minimize your frustrations.

Address basic housekeeping tasks first.

Visually inspect air filters monthly. Clean or replace them as necessary. Dirty air filters force the fan to work harder, draining energy and wearing out the motor. An added benefit of a clean filter is cleaner air, helping you breathe easier. Remove dirt and debris that has collected around the unit. Sweep, vacuum, or dust around the coils and exposed parts. Black stains around air registers can indicate dirty HVAC ductwork, poor air filter maintenance, or furnace malfunctions. Add weather stripping to doors and windows to eliminate cold drafts.

Check thermostats.

Adjust settings as dictated by the weather to ensure that the system maintains a comfortable temperature in the home. Install a programmable thermostat to automatically adjust temperatures during periods when the home is unoccupied to save energy and money. In colder months, set the temperature to 68 degrees during waking hours and as low as 60 degrees while sleeping.

Schedule a maintenance check.

An HVAC professional will inspect electrical connections to make sure they are secure and delivering the correct voltage and current for optimal performance. The technician will lubricate moving parts to eliminate friction in the motor and extend its life. The technician will also check fuel connections for dirt, damage, leaks, and safety hazards, as well as inspect the condensate drain to make sure it is not clogged.

When it's time for you to schedule fall HVAC maintenance, contact the NATE-certified professionals at Air Assurance. Be sure to ask about our Extended Service Protection Plan. Our team includes the largest full-service HVAC fleet in the Tulsa metropolitan area, making our customers comfortable for 30 years!

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Your Landscaping Could Help Your Cooling Bill this Summer

Homeowners tend to use their cooling systems at full blast during our hot Oklahoma summers. Cut the necessity of this by strategically landscaping and placing plants and arbors near windows to shade your home, which will help to cut your energy bill by significant amounts.

Consider Your Climate

Oklahoma is in a temperate climate zone and, according to Energy.gov, homeowners need to make the most of what shade they can grow around their residences. In addition, the microclimate or climate immediately surrounding your home also needs to be taken into account when landscaping a yard. Your home may be in a sunny belt, located on a southern slope, or built near a body of water, which can all affect your home's microclimate.

What to Add to the Landscape

If your home is very hot in summer, plan to include the following in your yard:

• Deciduous trees—which lose their leaves in winter—that have large, spreading tops and which are planted on the south side of your home will give you shade in summer but not block the sun in winter.

• Lower growing trees on the western side of your home will provide shade against the afternoon sun.

• Shrubs and groundcovers protect paved areas from exposure to the sun and cut down on reflected heat.

• Arbors and trellises are ideal for climbing vines, which also help to protect your home from the sun.

Check how large trees and shrubs are going to grow as you don't want to cause problems with roots interfering with drains, sidings, or foundations. Choose plants that are native to the region as they will grow to be hardy and healthy.

Servicing of Equipment

Of course, the other way to save energy is make sure that your HVAC systems are working efficiently by servicing them regularly. When you sign an Air Assurance Extended Service Plan, you become a VIP, receiving benefits such as 24/7 service, discounts, and peace of mind.

Contact Air Assurance today for advice on how to lower your energy bills through thoughtful landscaping and other methods. We've proudly served the Broken Arrow area since 1985.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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