Posts Tagged ‘save money’

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Quick Tips to Save Energy

September 28th, 2011

With the rising cost of energy, it is very important and practical to conserve electricity as much as we can. Conserving energy not only helps us lower our electric bills, but it also helps protect our natural resources as well. There are a lot of ways to conserve energy. Most of them are so simple, even your kids can do it. Here are just a few to get you started:

5 Tips to Start Saving Energy

1. Turn off the lights when leaving a room at night. Electrical lights consume a large amount of energy especially if you are using incandescent lights which are energy inefficient kind of lights. Make it a habit to turn the lights off and see how much you could save on your electricity bills.

2. Unplug your appliances when you’re not using them. Appliances that are plugged still consume energy even if they are turned off so to avoid this from happening, unplug everything that is not in use. » Read more: Quick Tips to Save Energy

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Posted in Go Green, Information, Money Saving

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Get in for Your Furnace Cleaning!

September 14th, 2011

We may have one or two more warm days on the schedule but for the most part, fall weather has arrived and winter’s chill is soon to follow. As we enjoy these few months of HVAC free comfort, it would be easy to forget about these important systems all together. However, you don’t want to find yourself testing the furnace or boiler for the first time when the temperatures start to drop. Instead, take this time to dedicate some of the money you are saving on your energy bills from not using the system and spend it on your yearly maintenance check up.

The Consequences of Procrastination

            Many homeowners find themselves in a bit of a pickle when they put off having the furnace cleaned early in the fall. HVAC companies prepare for an onslaught of calls once the first frost hits and every year without fail, they are not disappointment. Thousands of people across the country scrambling to have their heaters looked at because they neglected to have them checked when the weather was more mild. Those that don’t have a problem with the unit find themselves forced to work around the very tight schedules that these HVAC companies are now operating under. If they had simply called a few weeks prior, they could have had free pickings of their preferred date and time. Instead they must change their schedule to fit in with what the company can now offer. » Read more: Get in for Your Furnace Cleaning!

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Posted in Boiler, Furnace, HVAC Repair, Heating, Maintenace

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Make Your Contractor Fight for Your Business

September 7th, 2011

 If you are one of the many homeowners that are currently looking for a new HVAC system you may feel like it is you against the HVAC contractor that diagnosed your unit as faulty. It would be easy to simply take them at their word and replace the system with whatever they have to offer, but wouldn’t you rather take control of the sale? Well, you can. All you have to do is get a few estimates. Many homeowners don’t want to bother with the hassle of having 3 different companies out for an estimate on a new furnace or air conditioning system, but not doing so could cost your hundreds and maybe even thousands of dollars.

Taking Advantage of a Desperate Situation

The first way you loose money by not getting multiple estimates is by purchasing the unit right off the bat from the company that diagnosed the system as faulty. Many times the unit breaks down when we need it most and in our desperation for comfort we may agree to anything. Some companies will take advantage of this desperation and do little to nothing to save you money on your system. Instead, step back, take a breath, and give it some thought. Don’t jump into a sale without assessing all of your options. » Read more: Make Your Contractor Fight for Your Business

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Consumer Protection, Contractors, Heating, Money Saving

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Imbalanced Blower Motors

August 24th, 2011

Furnaces and air conditioners can make many different noises, but when the source of the noise is your furnace, odds are the blower motor is having a problem. This fan is probably the one part of your HVAC system that is worked the hardest and longest. Whether you are using the air conditioner or the furnace, the blower motor is up and running pushing air throughout the home. The slightest disturbance in the rotation of this blower can devastate the part and require replacement.

Costly Part Replacement

What kind of things can disturb your blower motor? Well, years of caked on particles and small pieces of debris that find their way into the blower compartment are enough to throw the blower off balance. These find their way to the blower through your ducts, and more often then not, the problem is caused by a lack of maintenance to the HVAC system. The slightest imbalance will cause the part of burn out much earlier than it would if it were balanced, and trust us, you don’t want to replace that blower motor more than necessary. » Read more: Imbalanced Blower Motors

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Duct Cleaning, Heating, Maintenace

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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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How Much Heat Gain Do You Have?

August 1st, 2011

Do you have a room that isn’t cooling as well as it should? Is there air coming from the vent? If you answered yes to these questions, chances are you have too much heat gain in that part of the home. Now the other two questions you should be asking yourself are: where is that heat gain coming from, and when did it start?

Time and Your Attic Insulation

Time is your attic insulation’s number one enemy! Over the years attic insulation has a tendency to settle and compact. This is a major factor of heat gain in older homes. As time rolls on and your insulation becomes denser (more compact), and the R-Value decreases. A decrease in R-value is a decrease in efficiency, and excess heat from the attic will seep into the rooms below.

The air flow from the vents in the effected room may not have changed over the years, but the amount of heat it has to over come may have. If you think your air flow has been diminishing with time, duct cleaning could be a solution, but chances are the problem is heat gain. » Read more: How Much Heat Gain Do You Have?

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Home Improvements, 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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Too Small to Keep Up

July 13th, 2011

Sizing an air conditioner for your home can be a tricky task if you do not know what you are doing. A mistake of choosing either too big or too small a unit can end in disaster, but more often than not, homeowners that try to buy a new air conditioner without the assistance of a trained professional purchase a unit that is too small for their home. Why is that? Well, a smaller system will typically be cheaper than a larger one. Everyone is looking for ways to cut costs these days, but the installation of a new air conditioning system is not an area you can afford to make drastic cuts. Doing so and making a mistake could cost you more in the end than hiring a professional and having a system properly sized.

Comfort

Air conditioners are designed to cool only a limited number of square feet. When a unit that is undersized for a space is installed, it encounters many problems. Since the unit is designed to cool a much smaller space, it will have to run for a longer period of time in order to meet the temperature set on the thermostat. The thermostat will not trigger the unit to shut off until this happens, so your unit could have cycles that are several hours long. In some cases, the home never gets to the desired temperature and rooms that are furthest away from the system receive little to no cool air. » Read more: Too Small to Keep Up

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Contractors, HVAC Repair

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Is Your Air Conditioner the Right Size?

July 11th, 2011

When it comes time to replace your air conditioner, make sure that you are purchasing the new system from a reputable company. Selling an air conditioner to a customer means big money for the business and as a result, some less scrupulous contractors like to take advantage of the customer’s ignorance of the HVAC industry. How do they do this? Well, one way they increase their profit is by selling customers a unit that is too big for their home. This may not seem like that big of a deal, but when you consider the problems that can be caused by oversized air conditioners, you may think twice about who you trust with your next air conditioner installation.

Years of Problems to Come!

Some illegitimate contractors will tell you anything to get you to purchase a more expensive unit. They will promise more cold air and lower energy bills, and before you know it, you have purchased a unit that is twice the size of the unit you need for your home. Once that unit is installed, the real problems begin. Not only did that contractor scam you out of hundreds of dollars, he also left you with years of problems to come! » Read more: Is Your Air Conditioner the Right Size?

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Posted in Air Conditioning, Consumer Protection, Contractors, Money Saving

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