As you’re thinking about your New Year’s resolutions, make sure you include some HVAC resolutions — in other words, concrete steps to save energy and money in your Calgary-area home throughout the year. Following are several effective tips and HVAC resolution ideas.
- Get a programmable thermostat for your home. This will allow you to program energy-saving temperatures ahead of time for when you’re away at work during the day or sleeping at night. Once the program is set, you can stop worrying about adjusting the thermostat.
- Take steps to save on water heating bills. Wrap the hot-water pipes connected to your water heater with special insulating tape. If the tank isn’t already insulated, wrap it in an insulating jacket.
- Remember to change the air filter on your forced-air heating and cooling system on a regular basis (a monthly check is usually frequent enough). With a clean filter, your HVAC system will operate more efficiently with less stress on the equipment and improved indoor air quality.
- Manage window coverings, such as drapes and blinds, to your advantage. In the winter, open them to the afternoon sunlight to take advantage of solar heating. During cold nights, close curtains to add a layer of insulation. Keep curtains and drapes closed against the afternoon sunlight in the summer.
- Find any remaining incandescent light bulbs in your home and replace them with CFL or LED bulbs.
- Schedule twice-yearly preventive maintenance on your HVAC systems. This improves energy efficiency, lowers utility bills, minimizes needed repairs, and extends the life of equipment.
- Use ceiling fans to make rooms feel cooler in the summer (by setting the blade rotation to counterclockwise) and to help redistribute warm air that collects near the ceiling in the winter (by setting the rotation to clockwise).
For more HVAC tips and information, please contact us at Arpi’s Industries, providing quality HVAC and plumbing services in the Calgary area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide.
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