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HVAC
Can a Water Heater Blanket Save You Money on Your Energy Bills?
There are hundreds of ways you can save money on your energy bills by making your home more energy efficient. One easy way to save on utilities? Using a water heater blanket. It makes a big difference during the colder months, as you can imagine, but it’s also an effective way to save money year-round.…
Other Home Projects
Passive Solar Heating Techniques You Can Use in Your Own Home
Want to heat your home without spending a dime on electricity or fuel? It’s definitely possible. We hear a lot about high performance homes that are built with passive solar designs — building structures that capture heat from the sun and use it to keep homes more comfortable naturally, without burning up fuel. In fact,…
HVAC
What Is an ENERGY STAR Verified HVAC Installation?
Whether you realize it or not, there’s a lot going on beneath the hood of your air conditioner — and HVAC systems get even more complicated when you add in your home’s duct system, registers, heating units, and filters. With that much going on in your system, true efficiency is about more than just purchasing…
HVAC
Want to take control of your HVAC system’s performance and energy use? A smart thermostat is a good start — but it doesn’t tell you everything. It can adjust temperatures and track usage, but it won’t alert you when a component is close to failing or when your system is losing efficiency. That’s where smart…
Other Home Projects
How to Increase the Energy Efficiency of a Fireplace
How to Increase the Energy Efficiency of Your Fireplace Fireplaces generate a lot of heat — when you’re standing right in front of them. Unfortunately, when the fire is out, they can suck warm air from the room and send it up the chimney, which wastes energy and leaves the room feeling cold. But with…
Other Home Projects
What Should I Turn the Thermostat to During the Day?
What’s the ideal temperature to set your thermostat to during the day? Like many homeowners, you might often wonder about just how high or low you need to set your furnace or AC to run when you’re away from home. You probably already know that it wastes money to heat or cool your homes when…
HVAC
Filters 101: HVAC Filtration Options
Many homeowners visit their local home improvement center to purchase a new HVAC filter and find a massive wall of filters in various sizes, types and efficiency ratings. Purchasing the right sized filter that meets your filtration requirements can be a daunting task — this post will explain the different HVAC filter options available as…
HVAC
Heat Pump vs. AC: Which Is Best for You?
When it’s time to install or replace a new HVAC system, you may face the difficult decision of choosing between a heat pump vs. a central air conditioning (AC) unit. While these systems generally work the same when cooling your home, there are some major differences on the heating side. This post will cover the…