Posts Tagged ‘Go Green’

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Can You Afford to Go Green?

January 16th, 2012

When energy efficient home improvements first exploded onto the home improvement scene, many of them were excessively expensive. Yes, they offered beefy long term savings but not many homeowners could afford the initial investment that it took to have these improvements installed. Nowadays, things are different. Green improvements are more popular these days, and manufacturers are bending over backwards to give the consumer what they want. This results in the ability to go green on a budget. One of the bigger investments that you could make in your home is the replacement of the HVAC system, and most of the major HVAC manufacturers have put out energy efficient systems that nearly anyone can afford.

Get More than the Minimum!

Replacing the furnace or air conditioner with a high efficiency system could save you hundreds yearly on your energy bills, but to maximize the savings you need to upgrade to the highest efficiency unit that you can afford. In the past this meant going with the minimum efficiency requirements and right now that would mean that you would purchase an 80% efficient furnace. Just because you operate on a budget doesn’t mean you have to settle for the minimum standard. » Read more: Can You Afford to Go Green?

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Furnace, Go Green, Heating, Information, Money Saving

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Going Green and Eliminating Water Waste

January 9th, 2012

If your home was built before 1990 and you haven’t replaced any of the original fixtures, odds are you are wasting tons of water with every flush of a toilet and turn of a dial. Old toilets and faucets use much more water than truly necessary for the needs of the home. An old toilet alone will waste around 17,300 gallons per year! That amount of waste not only takes a toll on your wallet every month, it also takes a toll on the condition of our planet. These appliances need to be upgraded to new low flow fixtures.

Traditional Vs Low Flow

The traditional toilet will use between 4 and 6 gallons with every flush, and that is way more water than is truly necessary to get waste out of your home. Nowadays, toilets must meet a government regulation that requires them to use only 1.6 gallons or less per flush of the toilet. You may have heard the many rumors that claim that these new toilets can’t handle the waste that they are intended to get rid of, but that is simply not the case. Early low flow toilets did have their fair share of problems, but these days, low flow toilets function as well if not better than your traditional wasteful toilet. » Read more: Going Green and Eliminating Water Waste

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Posted in Go Green, Home Services, Money Saving, Plumbing

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Conserving Energy without Sacrificing Comfort

October 24th, 2011

More and more Americans are becoming energy conscience from both a conservation and a cost standpoint. A generation ago our grandparents would have sacrificed comfort to save a few dollars, but today’s modern family looks for better more efficient ways to keep energy usage and energy cost down. Most homeowners look for the products with the ENERGYSTAR logo when purchasing household appliances. You can find the ENERGYSTAR logo on items such as high efficiency furnaces and air conditioners also.

High Efficiency Furnace and Air Conditioners

Today’s furnace and air conditioner models conserve more energy which in turn leads to a lower cost on your energy bills. You no longer have to sacrifice comfort, and instead you can look for other ways to make your home more energy efficient. For the interior of your home, you can either buy a high efficiency furnace, or you could save a few bucks and just add attic insulation to your home. » Read more: Conserving Energy without Sacrificing Comfort

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Go Green, Heating, Home Services, Insulation

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Outrageous Electric Bills!

August 15th, 2011

The heat wave is over but some people are still hot under the collar. Why? They just got the electric bills. More than one couple is sitting there drinking their morning coffee and blaming each other for the outrageous electric bill that just came in the mail. In most cases it wasn’t because they had their thermostat set too low it’s because they have problems with the efficiency of their air conditioner or their home isn’t insulated correctly.

How Much are You Wasting?

These two simple problems that no one seems to see until we get extremes in weather will causes high electric bills and homes that are uncomfortable in the late afternoon. This wake-up call shouldn’t be ignored. If your air conditioner is using that much electricity in extreme weather, how much is it wasting in moderate weather? » Read more: Outrageous Electric Bills!

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Go Green, Home Improvements, Home Repairs, Insulation, Money Saving

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High Efficiency Air Conditioners Offer Worthwhile Savings

July 27th, 2011

I was surprised the other day by how many of the highest efficiency air conditioners HVAC contractors are keeping in stock. Usually they seem to stock a few of each size and model, and more often than not, many companies will carry lower efficiency units in bulk. This is due to the fact that, in the past, many homeowners would only want to purchase the bare minimum in energy efficiency. They didn’t care about long term savings, and the initial out of pocket cost was more important than the potential for future savings.

Going Green Despite the Economy

Today, things are different. I was surprised to find out that more customers are “going green” than in years past. I know the economy isn’t healthy, so why would people want to spend extra to go green? I guess the answer has to be the rising cost of utility bills. Utility costs are driving the high efficiency air conditioner and furnace market to an all time record high. » Read more: High Efficiency Air Conditioners Offer Worthwhile Savings

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Go Green, Money Saving, Value

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What’s All this Talk about SEER Ratings?

July 18th, 2011

SEER ratings seem to be the deciding factor these days when it comes to replacing the air conditioning system, but few actually understand the concept of this energy efficiency rating system. So, I’ve been surfing the web to see what everyone was saying about SEER ratings, and I found that most people are talking a lot about the differences between a 10 SEER and 13 SEER air conditioners. What they don’t explain, at least to my satisfaction is what that means as far as how much you will save per year in the Chicagoland area.

Calculating Watts Per Hour

First off, a 10 SEER air conditioner gives you 10 BTU’s of cooling per watt hour of electricity. 13 SEER air conditioners would give you 13 BTU’s per watt hour. What does that mean? Basically, if you have a 3 ton air conditioner rated at 36,000BTU, it is assumed that at a 10 SEER this unit will use 3,600 watts in an hour. This would mean that a 13 SEER AC at 36,000 BTU would use about 2,770 watts in an hour. That would equal 830 watts of electricity you are saving per hour of run time. Its all a bit technical, but the difference between the watts use per hour between each unit determines how much you could save. » Read more: What’s All this Talk about SEER Ratings?

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Go Green, Money Saving

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Does Energy Efficiency Really Matter?

June 22nd, 2011

My next door neighbor and I built our homes at the same time back in 1996, and our layouts are about the same. However, when it came to the heating and cooling equipment, he chose to go with the builders’ choice and I decided to get the newest technology at the time. His furnace was an 80% efficient up flow gas unit and I decided to go with a 92% up flow gas furnace.

Same House, Substantial Savings

I wish I knew exactly what he spent in gas and electric over the past 15 years, but all I do know is that my gas bills are about 12% less than his every month. It boggles my mind to think about how much more he’s been paying than me on his gas bills for the past 15 years! Since we live in similar homes you would think that our costs would be the same, but the energy efficiency of the HVAC system really does matter! » Read more: Does Energy Efficiency Really Matter?

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Heating, Money Saving, Value

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Window Air Conditioner Waste

June 20th, 2011

Choosing a window air conditioning unit over a central air conditioning system can in some cases be a much more energy efficient option. However, many people do not use these systems properly and actually end up wasting loads of the energy they were hoping to save through the purchase of the window air conditioning system. Saving energy is easy, and knowing where to locate the energy loss is the first step. Here are a few tips to keep in mind while setting up your window air conditioner this summer season:

  • Seal Around the System: Cracks around the window in between the air conditioning and the frame can allow large amounts of cold air to be lost to the outdoors. Sealing these gaps with insulation will increase your comfort and your energy efficiency.
  • Change Filters: Many window air conditioning systems have air filters that need to be changed regularly. Not changing the filter will decrease air flow, decrease efficiency, and decrease your comfort. It could even lead to a system breakdown if the problem is left unchecked. » Read more: Window Air Conditioner Waste

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Go Green, Maintenace, Money Saving

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Sun Powered Air Conditioners

May 30th, 2011

Are you still making excuses not to “go green” in your home? Of all the complaints we have heard about going green, cost has got to be number one on that list. However, we think that in the case of sun powered air conditioners, the money you will save defiantly outweighs the cost of installation. Grid tied sun powered air conditioners are more affordable than ever, and installing one this summer will cut a huge chunk of your electricity costs for years and years to come.

Saving Money by Going Solar

Building a solar powered system in your home is best done in pieces. Adding a couple panels at a time will help spread out the cost of insulation, and the first appliance you should hook up to the panels is your air conditioner. Of your home’s entire energy consumption, the air conditioner usually eats up about 12 to 17% of the energy you pay for. That percentage translates into a lot of money just for a little relief from the summer heat, but you can cut that cost by having the sun generate energy for your air conditioner. » Read more: Sun Powered Air Conditioners

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Go Green, Home Improvements

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Energy Conscious Water Heating

March 31st, 2011

When it comes to energy conscious home improvements, picking an effective place to spend your money is often the most difficult decision. Not all of us have money to blow on improvements that aren’t really going to make our home more energy efficient, so it is important to take a moment to look at your options. The HVAC system is always a good place to invest a little money in the replacement of outdated systems, but there is one other unit in the home that consumes tons of energy all year round. It is your hot water tank, and odds are you haven’t replaced yours in ages.

The hot water tank consumes between 14 and 25% of the energy in your home, so replacing this system will a new high efficiency unit could save you tons on your energy bills and decrease your home’s carbon footprint. However, you shouldn’t just run out and buy the first tank you see, keep the following tips in mind while you shop, and you are sure to find the perfect hot water tank for your home and your needs. » Read more: Energy Conscious Water Heating

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Posted in Go Green, Home Improvements, Hot Water Tank

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