Heating and Cooling your Home
Posted on 17. Sep, 2009 by Grace in Energy Efficient Homes
Whenever you heat or cool your house, you use a lot of energy just to make your home comfortable. However, at the same time, you can easily drain twice the energy you need.
Experts say that cooling and heating systems are accountable for almost half of the average utility bill – actually, this can easily account for 2/3 of the bill. The amount of energy used varies widely, depending on your geographical location. Aside from that, over 150 million tons of CO2 (carbon dioxide) emitted into the atmosphere are reported to come from the cooling and heating systems in United States alone. This is said to be one of the main reasons for climate change around the world.
But that’s not all. The carbon dioxide generated by the heating and cooling systems in the United States also lead to increased levels of nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide, which cause acid rain.
Regardless of the system you use (air-conditioning, vents, or another heating system), you can actually achieve the comfort that you need without spending so much money at the same time. You will need to maintain the system properly and upgrade the equipment as possible. But you should know that you won’t have the full benefits of having an energy-efficient home unless your method includes having a completely energy-efficient house.
If you combine the costs of both the upgrading and the maintenance of the equipment, along with the cost of acquiring proper insulation, sealing the air, and setting the thermostat, then you are on your way to an energy-efficient home whenever you heat or cool. Furthermore, you also save the environment by reducing your emissions by as much as 50 percent.
Below are some tips that can help you cut your cooling and heating expenses:
- During the winter, set your thermostat relatively low, and during the summer, set it relatively high.
- The filters on the furnaces must be cleaned or replaced at least once every month.
- Clean all baseboard heaters, warm-air registers, and radiators regularly. These machines should also be free from obstructions such as drapes, furniture, and wall carpets.
- Radiators of hot waters can trap air too. You can bleed the trapped air yourself, or call a professional to do this for you every winter.
- A few minutes after you cook, bathe, or perform other activities which require the help of exhaust fans, the fans should be turned off.
- When looking for a replacement for an old exhaust fan, look for low-noise models, and those that have the highest efficiency.
- During the winter, you can open the draperies and the shades of your windows that are faced toward the south. Welcome the natural sunlight in your home during the day. Just close them during the night, to minimize the chill that cold windows can give.