As a homeowner, your heating and cooling expenses are often a large majority of your regular bills each month. While having a comfortable home is absolutely essential, it is helpful if you can cut down on your bills by reducing energy waste and saving money. Here are a few helpful, low-cost home heating and cooling tips that you can implement in your home for wonderful benefits.
First, a great way to keep your home comfortable is to use ceiling fans. Fans help to circulate the air for an even temperature. In the summer months you can set your ceiling fan to turn counterclockwise so that cool air is circulated and lifted into the air. In the winter months you can simply flip a switch on your fan to change the fan direction from counterclockwise to clockwise. The clockwise motion will help to send any hot or warm air that has risen to the ceiling, down toward the floor where you can feel and enjoy it.
Another way to cut back on heating and cooling system use is to close off any rooms that you do not need to regulate. You may have an office that is rarely used, and so you can reduce how much energy your heating or cooling system cranks out to warm or cool the house by shutting this off. This way heat or cool air will not be wasted on a room where people will not be present to enjoy it.
You may also consider installing multiple thermostats in your home. This is especially helpful if you have a multilevel floor or if one area of your home is significantly warmer or cooler than the rest of your space. Having more thermostats installed will help ensure that your heating and cooling systems only supply the necessary amount of air to a specific area. You can even choose to “zone” your home by compartmentalizing similar spaces together so that they are regulated by one thermostat.
Finally, always make sure to maintain your heating and cooling systems regularly and appropriately. These systems typically need to be cleaned at least 2 times per year. You can clean and replace vents on your own, however it is often benefits to hire a professional to inspect and repair your units in order to improve the longevity of the unit and ensure it is working optimally so as to not waste energy.
When considering your heating and cooling systems, it is essential that you have a few tricks up your sleeve to keep your unit in top condition and to cut back on spending. All of these tips are affordable, inexpensive ways to help ensure that your heating and cooling systems are working properly, conserving energy, and reaching the appropriate areas of your home for over comfort and evenness in temperatures throughout your home. You should always work with a professional to keep an eye on the condition of your unit or to deal with more complex issues such as information about maintaining rooftop units.