Seasonal Tips
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Spring/Fall Tips
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Make sure your air conditioner and furnace pipes are free of debris, bushes and clutter. Both Fall and Spring are the seasons where you may need to run both your furnace and air conditioning in the same week! Check for blocked, clogged or dirty condenser coils and furnace flues, all of which can rob your equipment of its efficiency, keep it clean and save some green!
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Set your thermostat to run the fan all the time. This is an easy way to keep all the air in your house a constant temperature. Keeping the fan in the “on” position circulates all the air in the house, eliminating hot and cold spots. By doing this, your furnace or A/C may run less, helping your bills! By keeping your fan “on”, many people also notice their basements are less musty and damp!
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Install a programmable thermostat! By installing a programmable thermostat, and keeping it set correctly can save up to 30% on heating and cooling costs. There’s no need to run the heating or cooling in the house when you’re at work, so set it and forget it!
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Check your furnace filters at the beginning of each season. Many people don’t realize their air conditioner and furnace use the same filter, changing it regularly keeps your whole system running right!
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Use free cooling! Open up windows and let the breeze in to help cool your house. This also helps freshen up the air in your home, and its free!
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Wear your favorite sweater! This may seem odd for a heating contractor to give the advice to just bundle up, but why run the furnace when there’s only a small chill in the air? It keeps your bills down, and everyone loves a comfy sweater!
Summer Tips
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Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be.
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Avoid setting your thermostat too cold. Setting your thermostat lower than normal (70 degrees should be the lowest) will actually harm your air conditioner. Also, it will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and, therefore, unnecessary expense.
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Keep your fan in the "on" position instead of "auto". This way, using your fan and your air conditioner to spread the cooled air more effectively through your home without greatly increasing your power use. Moving the air all the time also helps eliminate musty or damp basements.
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Avoid placing lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
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Plant trees or shrubs to shade your home. Tall, fast growing trees are available at your local nursery to shade your home. This drastically reduces the sun’s warming effects on your home and reduces your cooling costs!
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Always check your filters! No matter what season, a clean air filter will keep your equipment running efficiently.
Winter Tips
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Lower your thermostat. You likely won’t notice a huge difference if you turn it down just a few degrees, a move that can shave 5 percent to 10 percent off your heating bill. It’s especially wise to turn down the heat whenever you leave your home for several hours.
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Watch that water heater. It’s also not likely to be noticeable if you turn down the thermostat on your water heater to, say, 120 degrees from about 140 degrees. It will however help your gas budget.
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Consider a programmable thermostat. They cost between $30 and $100, but that’s money you’re sure to make back over the course of a year because your heating bills will drop. A programmable thermostat allows you to adjust the heat on a predetermined schedule, so you can lower the heat when you’re not home or when you’re sleeping. Our trained service technicians can install one in your home in about an hour!
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Don’t let heat escape unnecessarily. Keep your doors and windows shut when the heat is on. If your home has a fireplace that you aren’t using, be sure the flue is closed and glass doors are in place to minimize heat loss. In addition to those bathroom ventilation fans, turn kitchen ventilation fans off when they aren’t needed.
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Call for a checkup. Proper maintenance will help your heating unit run more efficiently. All furnaces should get professional attention at least once a year.
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Clean Filters. Also, here’s a step you can take all on your own: Remember to check the filters in your heating system and make sure they’re clean and clear. Dirty filters lead to higher heating costs.
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Insulate, Insulate, Insulate! By insulating attics, basements and the walls of your home, your furnace won’t have to work so hard to keep your family comfortable.