Heating and Cooling Conservation Tips

by 04/02/07 No Comments

  • Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable in the winter and as high as is
    comfortable in the summer.
  • Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month or as needed.
  • Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed; make sure
    they’re not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes.
  • Bleed trapped air from hot-water radiators once or twice a season; if in doubt
    about how to perform this task, call a professional.
  • Place heat-resistant radiator reflectors between exterior walls and the
    radiators.
  • Use kitchen, bath, and other ventilating fans wisely; in just 1 hour, these
    fans can pull out a houseful of warmed or cooled air. Turn fans off as soon as
    they have done the job.
  • During the heating season, keep the draperies and shades on your south-facing
    windows open during the day to allow sunlight to enter your home and closed at
    night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows. During the cooling
    season, keep the window coverings closed during the day to prevent solar gain.
  • During the heating season, close an unoccupied room that is isolated from the
    rest of the house, and turn down the thermostat or turn off the heating for
    that room or zone. However, do not turn the heating off if it adversely affects
    the rest of your system. For example, if you heat your house with a heat pump,
    do not close the vents-closing the vents could harm the heat pump.
  • Select energy-efficient equipment when you buy new heating and cooling
    equipment. Your contractor should be able to give you energy fact sheets for
    different types, models, and designs to help you compare energy usage. Look for
    high Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) ratings and the Seasonal Energy
    Efficiency Ratio (SEER). The national minimums are 78% AFUE and 10 SEER.
  • Look for the ENERGY STAR® labels. ENERGY STAR® is a program of the U.S.
    Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
    designed to help consumers identify energy-efficient appliances and products.
Larry Cummings

Larry Cummings

Larry Cummings is a staff member of Earth911.com.


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