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With oil and natural gas prices rocketing,
stoking terror of long, cold and and expensive winters,
a renewed interest in keeping heating costs under
control has has been sparked. Homeowner's have an
ignited passion in understanding energy saving methods.
If you're in this boat, stuck in cold waters, here are
some tips for energy saving tricks of the trade.
La Joya TX
If you're living in a home with a furnace that's more
than 20 years old, you may have already attempted the
"buy a sweater" method of keeping warm. This is
certainly one approach, but these days upgrading your
home's conditioning system is a much better option, and
will bode well for you in the here and now, and in the
long term, should you decide sell your home. More and
more, homebuyers are looking for homes with energy
efficient systems already in place. So, think of these
upgrades as a long term investment in the resale value
of your home, as well a cost efficient and green
alternative to your current conditioning system.
Now, with that old choker of a furnace huffin' and
puffin' away, guaranteed it's not as efficient as it
could be, no matter what fuel type it uses. The newer
gas furnaces are mid-efficiency (78-82%) or high
efficiency (89-96%). Although the higher efficiency
products can cost up to $1000 more than the
mid-efficiency products, extra costs will be re-couped
in a couple years, as they will burn less fuel. And,
you'll be the greenest frog on the block, sending less
harmful emissions out into the atmosphere. "It's so easy
being green", murmured Kermit, once he upgraded his
furnace.
With oil furnaces, there are again, much more efficient
products on the market as of late. But, a oil furnace
does need to partner with a good chimney, and so this
may be an additional cost to keep in mind
La Joya TX
Take note, it's still the case that electric heat is
more expensive than oil and gas, although a smart
combination of central woodstove heat, supplemented by
electric heat can be cost efficient.
Let it Flow: Change Your Filters!
Whether disposable or washable, all forced-air
heating/cooling systems use filters. And, these filters
need to be maintained and changed. Some filters require
monthly changes while other last up to three months, and
much depends on the conditions within your home. A dirty
filter will restrict air flow and with clogged filters
you're blocking heat that would otherwise be keeping you
toasty warm. Do yourself a favor and keep on top of the
regular changing of your heat filters. This is a pretty
easy way to boost your energy efficiency and cut costs.
Pump it up: Install a Heat Pump
Air source heat pumps are the most common and they are
generally used with a back-up heating system. In terms
of function a heat pump works by extracting heat from
the outside and bringing it in, (in heat mode), and by
removing heat from the inside of the house and releasing
it outside. ( in cooling mode).
The king of heat pumps, though, are ground and
watersource, or geothermal. And while the initial
investment may be great, the saving will be substantial
in the long run. These pumps will use 25-50% less energy
than conventional conditioning systems.
At the end of the day, another simple method to help
with soaring heat bills, is to keep an eye on the set
temperature levels in your house, What is normally
described as room temperature is around 68 Fahrenheit
(20 degrees celsius). Of course, only you can decide
where to set the dial. But, if you'd rather avoid the "
put on a sweater" method of winter energy conservation,
you might consider investing in an improved conditioning
system that'll bring you warmth today, and will be a
smart investment in the re-sale value of your home.
La Joya TX
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