When is it time for a change?

As much as half of your household energy use goes to heating and cooling.  With a few simple steps to properly seal and insulate your home, upgrade to energy efficient heating equipment, you can stay comfortable and reduce your energy bills at the same time.  Review the checklist below to decide whether you should consider sealing air leaks, adding insulation, or replacing your old heating system.

• Some of the rooms are too hot or cold.  Duct problems, inadequate air sealing or insulation could be the cause.  No matter how efficient your heating system is, if your home is not properly sealed and insulated against air leakage, you will not be as comfortable and your system will have to work harder costing you money.
• Your home has humidity problems and/or excessive dust.   Poorly operating or improperly sized equipment could be to blame.  Leaky ductwork can also cause these problems, so having it sealed may be a solution.  Monthly maintenance of your heating equipment’s filters may also help.  
• Your equipment needs frequent repairs and your energy bills are going up.  In addition to the rise in energy costs, the age and condition of your heating equipment may have caused it to become less efficient.
• Your heat pump is more than 12 years old.  Consider replacing it with newer more efficient ENERGY STAR equipment.
• Your Furnace or boiler is more than 15 years old.  Consider replacing it with ENERGY STAR qualified equipment.  ENERGY STAR has set high efficiency guidelines for both furnaces and boilers.
• You leave your thermostat set a one constant temperature.  You could be missing a great energy saving opportunity.  A programmable thermostat adjusts your home’s temperature at times when you’re regularly away or sleeping.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT

Furnaces

Furnaces are the most commonly used residential heating system in New Jersey, running most often on gas, but sometimes on fuel oil or electricity delivering their heat through a duct system.  One in four furnaces in New Jersey homes today is more than 20 years old.  ENERGY STAR qualified furnaces use advanced technology to deliver higher efficiency than standard new furnaces available today.

Programmable Thermostats

A programmable thermostat is recommended for individuals and families who are away from home during set periods of time throughout the week, allowing them to use less energy without sacrificing comfort.  Programmable thermostats that have earned the ENERGY STAR label offer the most energy saving potential for your home and, unlike older manual thermostats, contain no mercury.  Through proper use of your ENERGY STAR qualified thermostat, you can save about $100 every year in energy costs.

GETTING PROPERLY SIZED EQUIPMENT and a QUALITY INSTALLATION

When purchasing heating and cooling equipment, choosing energy efficient products is a step in the right direction.  However, asking the right questions and making sure your equipment is properly sized and installed are also important elements to ensure that your new system performs at optimal efficiency.

When it comes to heating and cooling equipment, bigger doesn’t always mean better.  Larger capacity systems are intended to meet the needs of a larger heating or cooling load.  However, if the unit is too large for your home, you will experience less comfort and increased energy costs.  Oversized equipment will operate in short run times or cycles, not allowing the unit to reach efficient operation.  In addition, oversized equipment will not run long enough to remove humidity from the air.  This can leave you feeling cool but not comfortable.

Don’t assume that the size of your new system will be the same as your old equipment.  Changes such as additions or insulation improvements, may have been made to the house since the original equipment was installed; or , the equipment may have been too large from the start.  Expect Freedom Solar Energy to gather information about your house such as the level of insulation, type and size of the windows, and floor area.  Freedom Solar Energy can determine the right size for your heating and cooling equipment by using ACCA/ANSI Manual J sizing calculation tool that takes these and other factors into consideration.