How to Combat HVAC Energy Loss in Winter

In the winter, HVAC heating use naturally goes up to combat the colder weather. During the cooler parts of the year, HVAC energy loss can be an issue. Energy loss not only causes you to have to run your HVAC system longer to stay comfortable, it can also drive up energy costs. The financial costs and increased wear on your HVAC system are things you want to avoid. The following tips can increase your home’s energy efficiency this winter. 

Three Tips to Reduce HVAC Energy Loss

1. Check for drafts. Drafts allow heat to escape from your home and let colder outside air in. Windows and doors are a common source for drafts and are responsible for roughly a quarter to a third of the heat loss homeowners experience every winter. Simple maintenance and replacing your aging doors and windows with newer, more energy-efficient models can address this common source of heat loss.

2. Improve insulation. Another common cause of heat loss is a lack of insulation in areas such as attics and crawl spaces. Adding insulation to these areas can greatly improve your home’s ability to retain heat.

3. Have a professional inspect your HVAC system. Common maintenance needs such as a dirty HVAC unit and clogged filters can reduce your ability to keep your home heated. A professional can perform any maintenance needs, do a proper cleaning, replace filters, and attend to any other issues that can reduce your HVAC system’s efficiency.

When You Need the Best to Prevent HVAC Energy Loss

When you need HVAC service and repair in Broken Arrow, you have many options to choose from. At Air Assurance, we set ourselves apart by offering not only top-of-the-line service but a commitment to your complete satisfaction. If you’re having trouble with HVAC energy loss, we can help. No matter if it's maintenance or repair, we can have your home ready for the winter. Contact us today to learn more and see how we can help you. 

How to Achieve HVAC Savings This Winter

We're fortunate that over the past few winters, the price of energy has been lower than in previous years, and predictions are that this winter, it will be lower still. Furthermore, winters of late have not been as cold as in former times, so homeowners have gotten a break on HVAC savings. Nevertheless, when it comes to our energy bills, we're always looking for ways to extend those HVAC savings.

In fact, if you've noticed that your heating bill has gone up, it's time to look for the reason and do something about it. Sometimes the remedy is quite simple, such as air sealing your home. Otherwise, you may have to make a more serious investment, such as newer, more efficient equipment to replace an old heating unit that's seen better days.

Here are some tips on how you can realize HVAC savings:

HVAC Savings This Winter

1. Air seal your home. Once a year, you should go around your home sealing air leaks that allow heated air out and cold air inside. Using caulk, insulation, and weatherstripping, seal around these spots: window and door frames; baseboards; electric switch plates (install a foam gasket inside the cover); at the bottom of the door; the attic hatch; and around the openings in exterior walls for pipes, cables, and wiring. Also check the fireplace chimney, furnaces, and gas-powered water heater vents, fixing leaks with fire-resistant materials such as Sheetrock, sheet metal, and furnace cement caulk.

2. Schedule maintenance for your furnace. Your HVAC technician can help boost your HVAC savings by servicing your furnace. The tech will ensure that burners are clean and igniting properly, and they can test the blower motor for amp draw. The tech will also inspect the vent system for blockages and make sure the blower is clean and functioning properly.

3. Turn the thermostat down a few degrees. You can save as much as 15% on your energy bill by turning the thermostat down a few degrees at night when the household is sleeping and when the premises is unoccupied.

For more on HVAC savings, contact Air Assurance of Broken Arrow.

How Can Cold Weather Affect Furnace Performance?

Many variables influence furnace performance during the winter, but none is more important than the simple fact that it’s cold outside. Outdoor conditions inevitably impact the indoor environment of a home, whether it’s a sweltering summer day or a freezing winter night.

The science of thermodynamics tells us that heat energy is always on the move from a hot zone into a colder zone. As outdoor temperatures plummet in the winter, heat generated by the furnace indoors is always trying to escape into the frigid outdoors. The potential effects on furnace performance may be hard to miss:

• Indoor comfort control is diminished.

• The furnace runs longer cycles to maintain the thermostat setting.

• Monthly heating costs rise accordingly.

• Wear and tear on heating components increases.

Here are some suggestions to get the upper hand on declining furnace performance during the winter:

• Eliminate air leaks that allow heat loss to the outdoors and degrade furnace performance. Seal structural cracks and gaps with caulking or expanding insulating foam in a can. Replace worn weatherstripping around doors and windows.

• Have a qualified HVAC contractor check the amount and quality of your attic insulation and verify that it meets current Department of Energy standards to prevent heat loss through the roof.

• Schedule annual professional preventative maintenance on the furnace. This includes a checklist of manufacturer-recommended procedures that support optimum furnace performance. Annual professional maintenance is also typically required by a furnace's warranty terms.

• Choose efficient, effective thermostat settings. A much higher thermostat setting in cold winter weather often means increased heat loss from the structure without a great benefit to indoor comfort. Strike a balance between a comfortable indoor environment and excessive heat loss by following Department of Energy temperature recommendations: When people are home, set the thermostat between 68 degrees and 72 degrees. At night or when the house is not occupied, lower the temperature range to 58 to 62 degrees.

For more advice about increasing furnace performance and cutting energy costs this winter, contact the heating professionals at Air Assurance.

10 Ways to Save Energy This Winter

The arrival of winter can put a real dent in your budget. Heating costs can send your utility bill through the roof. Fortunately, there are numerous tips you can use to enjoy energy savings this winter. They include:

1. Open the shades and curtains during the day to take advantage of the warming sunlight. Close them at night to protect your home from cold drafts.

2. If you have a fireplace with an external air intake, install an airtight door on it to prevent indoor air from escaping through the chimney. If you have a traditional fireplace that uses indoor air for combustion, install operable vents on it. Close the vents when the fireplace isn't in use.

3. Use a portable space heater to warm the room you're in and turn down the thermostat by 5 degrees or more. Every degree you turn down your thermostat by contributes to a lower energy bill.

4. Install storm windows over single pane windows to reduce heat loss.

5. Seal gaps and cracks in your doors and windows. These allow warm indoor air to escape and cold air to leak into your home.

6. Add loose-fill insulation to your attic. Heat rises, so ensuring the attic is well-insulated helps keep heat inside your home.

7. Install a programmable thermostat to avoid wasting heat. You can set it low when you're at work and increase the heat just before you return.

8. Decorate for the holiday with LED lights. They're more energy efficient than traditional incandescent lighting. What's more, LED holiday lights last much longer.

9. Lower the water heater if you're going on vacation to reduce water heating costs. If you're planning to be away for more than two days, set it to its lowest setting.

10. Switch off and unplug the electronics that you're not using. They continue to consume electricity even when they're turned off.

Use these tips to take your winter energy savings to the next level without sacrificing comfort. For more useful energy-saving and HVAC tips, contact Air Assurance. Broken Arrow residents have trusted us to handle all their HVAC and plumbing needs 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). For more information about other HVAC topics, us at 918-217-8273.