Heating & Cooling Overview
Reduce Energy Costs
New Equipment Owner Tips
As your heating and cooling system ages, it can lose its ability to cool or heat your home. If your current heat pump or air conditioner is more than 10 years old; or your furnace or boiler is more than 15 years old, it may be time to replace it with a more efficient system. Inadequate insulation or equipment installation may be the cause of temperature changes from room to room.
Your new system can help keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter while saving you money on energy bills. Let the professionals at Sanders & Johnsons help you determine if your current system needs replacing.
Replacing your current equipment with an ENERGY STARŪ rated heating and cooling systems can help reduce high energy costs as much as 10-30%.
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Have your Air Conditioning system tuned-up for the season, so that you are running at peak efficiency.
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Replace your furnace or air handler filters on a regular basis.
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If you disconnected the power to your central air conditioning system in the winter, wait 24-hours after turning power back on to the system to run it.
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Keep the thermostat constant.
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Flip the fan switch on your thermostat into the "fan on" mode when cooling the house.
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Set air vents on the second floor to receive approximately 75 percent of the conditioned air.
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Keep the shades and curtains drawn to reduce the radiant heat of the sun.
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Install awnings or plant trees that will shade southern facing windows. This keeps the hottest rays of the sun from shining directly into the house.
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Replace older windows with more efficient low-E glass. These windows help to reduce the effect of the suns warming rays. Also, keep storm windows closed.
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Install an attic fan to help ventilate some of the hot air out of the attic.
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Run a dehumidifier in the basement if the basement is humid.
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Clear or cut back shrubs and bushes from the outdoor unit.
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Keep fallen leaves, grass clippings, foliage and other dirt and debris away from your outdoor unit. And keep the a/c coils clean, following manufacturers' instructions.
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Don't block vents or ducts inside the house to assure air flow in the home.
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Caulk and install weather stripping around windows and doors (especially the attic) to close air gaps.
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Avoid using the oven during the day. Run the dishwasher, washing machine and dryer in the evening, when electricity rates may be lower and heat from those appliances won't increase a/c demands.
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Turn off lamps, TV and other appliances when not in use.
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Consider use of a programmable thermostat to automatically increase or decrease temperatures during day and night to suit a family's lifestyle and reduce energy cost.
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Use shades, blinds or curtains to keep sunlight out of the house.
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Keep windows and doors closed when the a/c is on.
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