Are you worried about the high cost of running your home’s HVAC equipment and you want to improve efficiency to save energy? If so, bringing your household systems and components into sync is an ideal way to get started.
Here are some key steps to take toward syncing HVAC systems and boosting your home’s efficiency:
Make Preventive HVAC Care a Priority
For HVAC equipment to run efficiently it needs timely preventive maintenance. Scheduling spring and fall system tuneups with your HVAC professional can keep everything operating at optimal efficiency, and it can let you catch developing issues before they cause a decline in the equipment’s performance.
Plug Up Air Leaks in the Shell
Fixing sources of air leakage through the exterior shell can bring you a significant improvement in your home’s overall efficiency. Look for cracks, holes and gaps around your exterior doors, windows, the sill plate/foundation juncture, and wherever vents, pipes and wires piece the exterior, and seal them with weatherstripping, expandable foam or caulk.
Improve the HVAC Ducts
You can save 20 percent (or more) of your HVAC equipment’s output that’s now being lost through ductwork deficiencies by sealing and insulating. First, check that all your accessible ducts have tight connections, seal them with mastic, and wrap them with R-6 insulation.
Seal and Insulate Your Attic
Air leaks and insufficient insulation can also cause significant energy losses in the attic. You can stop this waste by sealing air leaks around any penetrations through the attic floor, the access hatch, and around the entire floor perimeter. Afterwards, bring the insulation level between the floor joists up to R-49 or R60.
Upgrade Your Older Windows
You can gain control of drafts and heat losses through the glass by upgrading to energy efficient windows. The most efficient ones for our climate are Energy Star-certified units with a solar heat gain co-efficient (SHGC) between 0.35 and 0.60, a U-factor of 0.25 or lower, and an air leakage (AL) rating of 30 or less.
To learn more about syncing HVAC systems in your Middletown home, contact us at C.R. Wolfe Heating & Air Conditioning.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Middletown, New York about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy efficiency and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 845-367-4482.
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CR Wolfe
1 (845) 343-5803
Serving Middletown, NY area since 1945