Measure Your Home's Energy Efficiency

While the Department of Energy recommends having a professional energy audit as the most effective method of accessing your home's energy efficiency, it is possible for DIYers to conduct their own audit to pinpoint some of the troublespots and improve efficiency.

What is Home Energy Efficiency?

Simply put, energy efficiency is the use of less energy to power more things. As a homeowner, the more efficient your home, the less you spend annually in electricity.

Major Problem Areas

Perhaps the greatest problem for most homeowners are the drafts that occur in your home. Air escaping through leaks around door frames, baseboards, and window ledges can reduce home energy efficiency by as much as ten to twenty percent each year. Check for cracks around areas where different materials join together. Simple caulk or weatherstripping will alleviate a majority of these issues.

Insulation

Another common problem is an inadequate amount of insulation. Insulation in the attic and walls helps to prevent energy loss throughout your home. While it is difficult to check and replace insulation in preexisting walls, checking the attic is far less intrusive. Review local building codes to identify the minimum required amount of insulation for your home and measure the amount you currently have. Chances are you can improve your home energy efficiency by simply adding insulation.

Lighting

It may be surprising but lighting your home can account for as much as ten percent of your monthly energy bill. Consider replacing incandescent bulbs with more efficient bulbs like LED or compact fluorescent bulbs. Look for ways to better manage the amount of light you use. Dimmer switches and timers can be a viable option.

Heating and Cooling

Your HVAC system should be inspected annually to ensure proper performance. Change filters on a regular basis to reduce the amount of strain put on your unit. If your unit is older than 15 years, consider replacing it with a more efficient system.

Appliances

Appliances can affect your energy bill whether you use them or not. Unplug all appliances when not in use and always consider energy ratings when purchasing new appliances.

To schedule a professional home evaluation, contact us at Air Assurance. We serve the Broken Arrow area.

5 Reminders for Saving Energy During Tulsa's Hot Summer

5 Reminders for Saving Energy During Tulsa's Hot Summer

Rather than letting your utility bills skyrocket during hot weather, learn a few key tips for saving energy and money. Check your refrigerator, along with other appliances, and enjoy contributing to a greener planet in addition to keeping energy bills down. 

• Lightbulbs: Switch to more energy-efficient lightbulbs, such as LEDs and CFLs, both of which use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs, and generate a lot less heat. Energy-efficient bulbs also last longer and will save you about $6 per year in energy costs.

• Appliances: Unplug appliances, especially those you do not use frequently. Most appliances use energy when plugged in even if not in use, so be sure to unplug or use devices that will "power down" these items. Unplugging appliances and utilizing devices such as game consoles and set top boxes can save up to $100 a year in energy costs.

• Refrigerator: Prevent your refrigerator from working harder during heat and humidity waves by keeping coils and gaskets clean. Refrain from having the door open while deciding on food and drink as well. Cover food and drinks, which release moisture when left uncovered, as the unit's compressor works harder as a result. Ensure the fridge is not pushed up against the wall, which will prevent air from circulating and therefore dispersing heat from the condenser. Avoid overloading the unit as well, as this will make it work harder to stay cool.

• Air Conditioner: The right-sized air conditioner is important for removing humidity as well as heat. Research unit sizes for saving energy.

• Thermostat: Raise your thermostat a few degrees any time you are not at home to save energy and money. Programmable versions are best for keeping costs down, because you can set the thermostat for a higher temperature when you're away from home or sleeping.

For more expert advice on saving energy and keeping your Tulsa home comfortable, please contact us at Air Assurance. We have proudly served the Broken Arrow and Tulsa areas 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). Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Buttoning Up Your Home For Winter? Have You Considered Heat-Recovery Ventilation?

Do you have a tightly sealed home? This is great for saving energy on heating costs in the winter, but how does the stale, moist indoor air escape from your home? After all, actions like washing, cooking and even breathing generate warmth and moisture. If you don’t have a ventilation system in place, chances are the warm, moist air will build up in cold areas like the attic where mold and rot can then set in. Because of this, it’s clear that sealing up your home for winter energy savings isn’t enough if you want to benefit from fresh air in your home as well.Fortunately, there’s a simple solution to your problem in the form of heat-recovery ventilation. Vents that lead to the exterior of the home are installed in prime moisture-generating locations like the kitchen and bathroom. On the way out of your home, the air passes through a metal box with multiple air channels. At the same time, fresh, cold air from outside is sucked into the building. The streams of air don’t mix, but they pass each other and a heat exchange occurs that pre-treats the inbound air with some of the warmth from the outbound air. This process allows you to ventilate fresh air into your home without paying the energy bills to heat it from scratch.Any home with a ducted heating system can have a heat-recovery ventilation system installed. With a heat-recovery ventilator, you can recover as much as 80 percent of the heat energy in outgoing air for use in heating inbound air. You also benefit from the removal of offensive odors and damaging moisture, and enjoy the comfort and health that comes with fresh air in the home. While these systems are particularly effective in northern climates, research shows that warm climates depending primarily on air conditioning can also benefit. This makes heat-recovery ventilating systems beneficial year-round.If you are interested in what heat-recovery ventilation systems have to offer, contact Air Assurance Heating, Cooling & Air Qualityin Broken Arrow for more information.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!      

Make The Most Of Your HVAC Equipment With A Zoning System

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.