Tag Archive for savings

Kate Miller | December 3, 2012
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Power Down Your Home While You are Away

No one likes to pay for something that they aren’t going to use. We opt out of extended warranties and rental car insurance for this very reason, yet every time we leave our homes empty we are left footing the bill for electricity and gas that we weren’t around to use. Many homeowners will attempt to diminish these costs by turning off the thermostat and all of the lights before leaving for work or vacations. However, this action doesn’t eliminate use of energy in the home completely and what happens if you forget to turn everything off?

While researching this topic, I stumbled upon an interesting design concept that could save homeowners money on their energy costs and eliminate a major source of energy waste in this country if it were to be implemented on a large scale. It is called “Off” and it is a handle that has the ability to turn off the gas and electricity supply to the home with just one turn of a handle. Read more

Category: Go Green and Energy Efficiency, Money Saving | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | June 26, 2012
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Maintaining Your Air Conditioner’s SEER Rating

Air conditioners have a variety of features that are designed to attract a homeowner to the benefits of the system. These days, the air conditioner’s SEER rating is often a major selling point because of the recent emphasis on the importance of energy efficiency. The system’s SEER rating is a representation of the unit’s energy efficiency. The higher the number, the greater the energy savings will be when the system is in use. However, this number can be easily lowered if the unit is not installed or cared for properly. If you want to get the most out of your cooling investment this summer, you must take extra care in choosing your contractor. Making the wrong choice could seriously impact the energy efficiency of your new air conditioner.

Installing the Air Conditioner

Installing a central air conditioner is much more difficult that simply hooking up a few lines. It takes real skill and understanding of how air conditioners work in order to get it right, and choosing a bargain basement contractor or local handyman is not likely to get you the expertise the unit needs. From sizing the system to balancing and charging the unit, any mistakes made could impact the energy efficiency of the system for the life of the unit. So, unless you want to pay more every month in cooling costs, we suggest that you do some research. Find out how your company trains their technicians and what kind of guarantees they have to ensure your satisfaction and a job well done. Read more

Category: Air Conditioning, Contractors | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | June 8, 2012
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Avoid Air Conditioner Maintenance Scams this Summer

There is no end to the number of scams illegitimate HVAC companies will come up with in order to make a quick buck off of unsuspecting customers. Unfortunately, this season has already seen the emergence of a scam that takes advantage of homeowners that want to have the air conditioner cleaned at the most affordable price possible. Everyone is looking for ways to save, but in your search for maintenance services this summer, be careful who you trust!

Fishing for Customers

The next time you get a stack of coupons in the mail, take some time to flip though them and see what you find as advertized prices for air conditioner maintenance. What we have found is that many illegitimate companies are fishing for customers by putting out attractively low prices on their coupons. When customers call and schedule a service, they have no idea that the technician will be leaving their home with hundreds of their hard earned dollars in hand. Read more

Category: Air Conditioning, Consumer Protection, Helpful Tips | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | March 19, 2012
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Maintain Your Air Conditioner to Control Noise

There are plenty of homeowners out there that tell all of their friends that yearly maintenance is a waste of their time and money. If you ever run into one of these people, take a look at their air conditioner before you take them at their word. Odds are the unit is in bad shape and the homeowner doesn’t even know it. The noise generated by the unit alone is the dead give away to the problems that lie beneath, but you can spare your air conditioner from meeting this fate by realizing the value of having your yearly tune up performed each and every summer season.

Don’t Learn the Value of Maintenance the Hard Way

Poorly cared for air conditioners often break down frequently and the need for maintenance becomes very obvious. However, there are some homeowners that have air conditioners that continue to cool the home despite the lack of maintenance. These units may cool the house down, but they are not problem-free. An air conditioner can still run with dirty, rusted fan blades, clattering bearings, and a worn down compressor, but it can’t run quietly and it cannot run efficiently. Keep your air conditioner well maintained to prevent your air conditioner from becoming a menace to your neighbors and your wallet.

Category: Air Conditioning, Money Saving | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | March 7, 2012
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Protect Your Home from a Turbulent Spring

The intense weather that has hit the middle of our country reminds us all of the power that nature has during the spring months. One moment you are enjoying a gentle breeze and the sunshine on your face and then the next moment the sky is black as night and pouring down buckets of water. These fast intense storms can make it very hard for your home to stay dry inside. Without adequate protection, you could see your valuables destroyed and any system that may be in the basement, like the furnace, hot water tank, washer and dryer, could be damaged as well. There are two rather affordable ways to boost protection this spring:

  • Clean and Repairing Gutters: The gutters on your roof are the first line of defense against flooding. If they are packed with leaves or if they have insufficient downspouts, you could be saturating the ground around your home with every rainfall. Have your gutters cleaned and inspected for problems or weaknesses. A few nails and a few hours spent getting the gutters empties could be all that is needed to protect your home. Read more
Category: Home Repairs, Home Services, Money Saving, Plumbing, Safety | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | February 8, 2012
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Stop Relying on Space Heaters and Window Units

Do you use window units to cool your home or maybe an addition? Do you find yourself raising the volume on the TV when the window unit is running? Are you tired of putting the window units in and taking them out? Have you ever had bugs get into your house through the window units? Are the window units damaging your windows? What about heat? For many homeowners, space heaters have become their way of saving money on the heating bills. These units are not designed for prolonged use and using them this way could be disastrous for the home. Luckily, there is a solution to both your heating and cooling problems.

Ductless Mini Split Systems

A ductless mini split system is the answer to all these problems and could even lower your heating and cooling bills. These systems are often less expensive to run than the window units and space heaters, and they are also virtually free of sound. Today’s heat pump options are able to heat your home when temperatures are below zero. There is no need for costly and difficult installation because these units a hung on the wall and as their name suggests, they do not require the use of duct work. Read more

Category: Air Conditioning, Heating, Money Saving | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | February 1, 2012
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Chicagoans Can Still Save Big on HVAC!

The thick of winter in Chicago didn’t show up until January. For many of us the mild winter meant less use of the furnace and odds are the system really hadn’t been put to the test until the first big snowfall of this year. Now you may be faced with the need to replace that old furnace. For many this is their current predicament and they are kicking themselves for not acting sooner. The federal tax credits and rebates ran out at the end of 2011. Many homeowners have accepted the fact that they are going to have to pay full price, but wait a second! There are still substantial savings out there to be had, but you need to know where to look!

Two Ways to Save:

  • Gas Company Rebates: The local gas companies in Chicago, Nicor and People’s Gas, are still offering rebates on high efficiency furnaces and air conditioners. Replacing both units can get you up to $800 in rebates, and even if you can only afford to replace the furnace, you could still get up to $200 back on your purchase. Every penny counts and the savings could be enough to make buying that high efficiency furnace worth it.
  • Lennox Home Comfort Systems: If the furnace and air conditioner you plan to purchase are from Lennox Home Comfort Systems, you could stand to save even more! They are currently offering manufacturer rebates up to $1450! Read more
Category: Air Conditioning, Go Green and Energy Efficiency, Heating, Money Saving | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | January 16, 2012
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Can You Afford to Go Green?

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

Category: Air Conditioning, Furnace, Go Green and Energy Efficiency, Heating, Helpful Tips, Money Saving | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | January 9, 2012
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Going Green and Eliminating Water Waste

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

Category: Go Green and Energy Efficiency, Home Services, Money Saving, Plumbing | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Kate Miller | December 19, 2011
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Quiet Performance from a Variable Speed Furnace

We have all had that feeling when we are home alone that someone else was sneaking around upstairs or in the basement. Every house makes noises that can trick the imagination into thinking something scary is lurking around the next corner, but for the most part, these noises can be ignored. However, if you have an old furnace with a traditional single speed motor in it, you may find that the sound of the furnace kicking on is one noise you simply can’t ignore. It is a whooshing, whistling noise that rattles through the ducts until your mind can tune it out. For many, the noisy furnace even interrupts their sleep, and at some point they decide they have had enough!

Why is My Furnace So Noisy?

The reason why furnaces with these types of motors are so noisy is because they only run at one speed: high speed. There is no in between and there is no time wasted working up to top speed. Instead the fan immediately starts up and a sudden blast of air is pushed out into the home creating the noise that wakes you in the night. This problem can be solved with a simple fan upgrade or you would make sure that your next furnace is built to not experience this problem. Read more

Category: Furnace, Go Green and Energy Efficiency, Heating, Money Saving | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
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