Are you a new home owner in Anacortes, Burlington, Mount Vernon, La Conner or surrounding areas in Skagit county? If so, you understand how much those utility bills can impact your budget. The average household spends more than $2,200 a year on energy bills, with nearly half of this going to heating and cooling costs. It’s important to make smart decisions about your home’s heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system that can help save on energy costs, improve your overall comfort at home, and help fight global warming.
Did you know the energy used in the average house is responsible for twice as many greenhouse gas emissions as the average car? When power plants burn fossil fuels to make electricity,they release greenhouse gases. By using less energy at home, you help reduce the emissions that contribute to global warming. ENERGY STAR is the government-backed program that helps us all save money and protect our environment with energy-efficient products and practices. Whether you are looking for recommendations about energy-efficient equipment, getting a quality installation, HVAC maintenance, or ways to make your heating and cooling system operate more efficiently, EPA’s ENERGY STAR program can help!
Consider giving Alpine Heating and Cooling a call if any of these statements apply to you:
- Some of your rooms are too hot or cold.
- Your home has humidity problems, excessive dust, or rooms that never seem to get comfortable.
- Your equipment needs frequent repairs and your energy bills are going up.
- Your heating and cooling equipment is more than 10 years old.
- You leave your thermostat set at one constant temperature.
- You used EPA’s Energy Star Home Energy Yardstick to compare your household’s energy use to others acress the country and your score is below five.
1. Study up — Find out about license and insurance requirements for contractors in your state. And before you call a contractor, know the model of your current system and its maintenance history. Also make note of any uncomfortable rooms. This will help potential contractors better understand your heating needs.
Tip: Alpine Heating and Cooling License and Insurance Information
2. Ask for referrals — Ask friends, neighbors, and co-workers for contractor referrals. You can also contact local trade organizations for names of members in your area.
Tip: Alpine Heating and Cooling is a proud member of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce
3. Call references — Ask contractors for customer references and call them. Ask about the contractor’s installation or service performance, and if the job was completed on time and within budget.
Tip: Check out Alpine Heating and Cooling reviews.
4. Find special offers — A heating and cooling system is one of the largest purchases you’ll make as a homeowner. Keep your costs down by checking around for available rebates on energy-efficient ENERGY STAR qualified heating and cooling equipment.
Tip: Check out Rebates for Washington State Homeowners
5. Look for ENERGY STAR — ENERGY STAR qualified products meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and offer significant long-term energy savings. Alpine Heating and Cooling can show you calculations of savings for ENERGY STAR heating and cooling equipment.
6. Expect a home evaluation — Alpine Heating and Cooling will spend significant time inspecting your current system and home to assess your needs. A bigger system isn’t always better; Alpine will size the heating and cooling system based on the size of your house, level of insulation, and windows. Alpine Heating and Cooling will inspect your duct system (if applicable) for air leaks and insulation and measure airflow to make sure it meets manufacturers specifications.
7. Get written, itemized estimates — When comparing contractors’ proposals (bids), be sure to compare cost, energy efficiency and warranties. A lowest price may not be the best deal if it’s not the most efficient because your energy costs will be higher.
8. Get it in ink — Sign a written proposal with a contractor before work gets started. It’ll protect you by specifying project costs, model numbers, job schedule and warranty information.
9. Pass it on — Tell friends and family about ENERGY STAR. Almost one-quarter of households knowingly purchased at least one qualified product last year, and 71% of those consumers say they would recommend ENERGY STAR to a friend. Spread the word, and we can all make a big difference.
10. Get the ENERGY STAR Guide.
Tip: Click here for the Guide to Energy Efficient Cooling and Heating
As much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling. So making smart decisions about your home’s heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can have a big effect on your utility bills — and your comfort. Take these steps to increase the efficiency of your heating and cooling system.
Change your air filter regularly
Check your filter every month, especially during heavy use months (winter and summer). If the filter looks dirty after a month, change it. At a minimum, change the filter every 3 months. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you warm or cool — wasting energy. A clean filter will also prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system — leading to expensive maintenance and/or early system failure.
Tune up your HVAC equipment yearly
Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling system can improve efficiency and comfort.
Install a programmable thermostat
A programmable thermostat is ideal for people who are away from home during set periods of time throughout the week. Through proper use of pre-programmed settings, a programmable thermostat can save you about $180 every year in energy costs.
Seal your heating and cooling ducts
Ducts that move air to-and-from a forced air furnace, central air conditioner, or heat pump are often big energy wasters. Sealing and insulating ducts can improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling system by as much as 20 percent — and sometimes much more.
Focus first on sealing ducts that run through the attic, crawlspace, unheated basement, or garage. Use duct sealant (mastic) or metal-backed (foil) tape to seal the seams and connections of ducts. After sealing the ducts in those spaces, wrap them in insulation to keep them from getting hot in the summer or cold in the winter. Next, look to seal any other ducts that you can access in the heated or cooled part of the house.
Consider installing ENERGY STAR qualified heating and cooling equipment
If your HVAC equipment is more than 10 years old or not keeping your house comfortable, have it evaluated by a professional HVAC contractor. If it is not performing efficiently or needs upgrading, consider replacing it with a unit that has earned the ENERGY STAR. Depending on where you live, replacing your old heating and cooling equipment with ENERGY STAR qualified equipment can cut your annual energy bill by more than $115. But before you invest in a new HVAC system, make sure that you have addressed the big air leaks in your house and the duct system. Sometimes, these are the real sources of problems rather than your HVAC equipment.
Contact Alpine Heat to ask about Proper Installation of your new equipment
Replacing your old heating and cooling equipment with new, energy-efficient models is a great start. But to make sure that you get the best performance, the new equipment must be properly installed. In fact, improper installation can reduce system efficiency by up to 30 percent – costing you more on your utility bills and possibly shortening the equipment’s life.
Today, more than ever before homeowners are concerned with the overall air quality in their homes. That said here are a few simple and easy ways to keep the air in your home is clean as possible. While everyone knows that it is important to change air filters regularly, here are some other ways of keeping your home clean that sometimes go overlooked. For example, adding a humidifier or dehumidifier to your home can actually help to stop the growth of mold and mildew.
Ensure That Mold and Mildew Do Not Grow Over Time
In many cases these systems can work in tandem with a regular HVAC system. Keeping the humidity level in your home below around 55% will help to ensure that mold and mildew do not grow over time. In homes where the air quality is poor and when there is mold and mildew growth, occupants can end up having dry skin, sore throats, allergies, itchy eyes and even bloody noses. Also important to note is that fungus can grow in damp environments such as in a basement or bathroom.
These Are Natural Filtration Systems
Checking for plumbing leaks is another great way to make sure that undesirable microscopic growth is not occurring someplace in your home. Another uncommon solution for keeping the air in your home as clean as possible is to add a generous amount of houseplants throughout the interior of your house. These are natural filtration systems that do wonders for indoor air quality. They remove toxins from the air and provide much-needed oxygen. This is one of the least expensive ways to improve the overall quality of air in your home. Contact Alpine Heating & Cooling today to learn more about HVAC system maintenance and care located in Burlington, WA and serving all of Skagit County.
Summer is a wonderful time of year especially for those who enjoy the great outdoors. That said coming home to a cool and comfortable home sometimes requires a little bit of proper maintenance, care and management when it comes to a residential HVAC system. Here are a few simple ways to maximize the efficiency of your HVAC system. For example, it is best to make sure that your HVAC system is balanced. Balancing a system of this nature simply involves making adjustments with regard to what are known as volume control dampers as well as registers.
Only Requires Moving a Lever
While not all systems have these components, the ones that do would be best served by having a quick inspection and balancing performed. Registers are perhaps the easiest to deal with and only require moving a lever to make an adjustment. Registers simply control how much conditioned air is allowed to enter a particular room or space within your home. As a note, registers that are positioned the farthest from the main HVAC system should always be kept full open.
Call An Expert To Adjust Registers
Conversely, those that are located close to the central system can be adjusted to be partially closed or completely closed as necessary. While homeowners can do this on their own, it is sometimes best to call upon an expert to adjust registers. This is simply due to the fact that professional technicians will have unique and special instruments that can measure airflow and temperature more accurately. The end result is energy savings and lower utility bills.
Replace Any Items That Have Proven To Be Defective
In addition, most experts recommend establishing a preventative maintenance program for your valued HVAC system. This includes routine changing of air filters as well as inspections at least annually or bi-annually. Having the heat exchanger surfaces cleaned as well as refrigerant coils, condensers and evaporators checked will ultimately be worth it over the short and long-term. Leaks should be repaired and coils, ducts and piping as well as fitting should all be inspected regularly. Always replace any items that have proven to be defective. Contact Alpine Heating & Cooling today to learn more about HVAC system care and maintenance in the Skagit Valley including Anacortes WA, Mount Vernon, Burlington and La Conner.
Most people would agree that the quality of the indoor air that we breathe has a direct impact on short and long-term health. That is why it is so important to take the time to consider these simple and important tips on how to improve the indoor air quality within your home. For example, something as simple as vacuuming and dusting regularly can greatly improve overall air quality. This helps to eliminate pet hair, dirt, debris and dust.
HVAC Air Vents Are Fully Open
It is best to also clean all overhead light fixtures as well as ceiling fan blades. Even cleaning behind furniture and under beds as well as other similar places throughout your home will eliminate dust and dirt and can also ultimately serve to improve air quality. As an added note, always make sure that all HVAC air vents are fully open to keep airflow movement continuing throughout your home. This is another easy way to make sure that the air quality in your home is always maintained at its best.
Proper Movement Of Air
It should also go without saying that air ducts throughout your home should be cleaned regularly. Most experts recommend having ducts cleaned at least once every five years while others recommend having it done every two years. The air ducts in your home are absolutely essential to the proper movement of air throughout the house. They move heated or cooled air to where it is most needed. However, as air moves through the duct system it can easily pick up pollen, mold, dust, dirt and even bacteria or viruses.
Professional Duct Cleaning
When these items are sent airborne throughout your home, you ultimately end up inhaling them causing health related issues. As debris builds up in ducts in your home the situation can only get worse over time. A professional duct cleaning service has the right tools and the right equipment as well as experienced and knowledgeable technicians who are able to professionally clean ducting in the most efficient way possible. Keep in mind that just because you can’t see inside the ducts in your home doesn’t mean that there is not a problem.
Cleanliness Of The Ducts
Finally, if you are unsure of the cleanliness of the ducts in your HVAC system it may be worth taking a quick look. All that is usually required is a screwdriver to unhinge an air vent. Once this is done simply use a flashlight to determine the overall cleanliness of the ducts in your HVAC system. If this is not something that you prefer to do it may be best to just have a professional take a look. A small investment in duct cleaning can pay for itself many times over by improved health and more efficient HVAC system operation. Contact Alpine Heating & Cooling today for HVAC services in Mount Vernon, WA and the Skagit Valley.
Spring has arrived and summer is not far off. It is worth considering some simple yet highly effective ways of saving money on your monthly energy bill as it relates to your HVAC system. For example, a very simple and often overlooked strategy that can greatly improve the efficiency of an HVAC system is to simply install an inexpensive programmable thermostat. One of the biggest benefits of using a programmable thermostat is that your HVAC system can be controlled even when you’re not at home.
Exact Temperatures Can Be Programmed
A thermostat that is easily programmable can be designed to operate an HVAC system around your schedule. Exact temperatures can be programmed for specific times of the day, greatly reducing the amount of energy that is used when you’re not home. In addition, ceiling fans are another inexpensive way of greatly improving overall energy efficiency around a home. Home Depot in Burlington and Lowes in Mount Vernon sell attractive and multi-functional ceiling fans at a very reasonable price.
Ceiling Fans
Because heat rises expect the heat in your home to accumulate around the ceiling. This is especially true when talking about a home that has more than one floor. One of the best ways to evacuate hot air out of your home is to make use of the airflow that is provided by a ceiling fan. In lieu of using a ceiling fan a regular standing fan can produce similar results. Good air circulation provides for better temperature control and takes a lot of stress off of a typical residential HVAC system. Never underestimate the benefits of installing ceiling fans throughout your entire home.
Vents and Returns
Finally, make sure that all vents and returns related to your HVAC system are always open and clean. Obstructions and the blockage of vents and returns simply mean that a system has worked harder than is necessary. Lowering your energy bill on a monthly basis especially during the summer months means more money in your pocket for you and your family. With so much to gain from a few easy tips, now is the best time to take full advantage of maximizing the efficiency of your HVAC system. Contact Alpine Heating & Cooling today to learn more about HVAC system care and maintenance in the Skagit Valley!
While not every home in the Pacific Northwest and the Skagit Valley has an air conditioner, many newer homes do indeed have some type of air conditioning system. For those Skagitonians with AC, there are some easy and effective ways of saving energy when it comes to keeping your home cool during the hottest days of summer. For example, having an air conditioning tuned up and cleaning or replacing filters on a monthly basis can improve efficiency and save money over the short and long-term.
Keep Your Home Just A Little Bit Cooler
Also important is to make full use of window treatments like blinds and shades during the day to keep the heat of the sun under control. This is a free way to keep your home just a little bit cooler during the hottest times of the summer. Another great way of saving energy when it gets warm in the Pacific Northwest is to make full use of ceiling fans.
Reduce The Amount Of Heat That Accumulates In Your Home
Ceiling fans are great way of keeping airflow moving throughout a home while also reducing the temperature by just a few degrees. Another great tip for reducing energy usage during the summer is to use appliances like the dishwasher and washer and dryer at night in order to reduce the amount of heat that accumulates in your home. Many people today also choose to set their water heater temperature at around 120°F. This is a safe temperature and will also help to reduce energy usage as compared to keeping it at a hotter temperature.
A Few Pennies A Day Can Add Up
If you have additional freezers or refrigerators in your garage consider deactivating them, unplugging them or turning them off when not in use. This will reduce the amount of energy that these appliances use even when they are not actively keeping something cold. Along with appliances unplugging anything including TVs and DVD players can also save money. While it may not be a substantial amount of money, a few pennies a day can add up over a year’s time. Contact Alpine Heating & Cooling today to learn more about cooling your home during the summer and saving money on energy!