What Are Energy Efficient Curtains

April 5, 2021

Energy-efficient curtains are something that saves you money on heating and cooling your home. Since heating and cooling your home accounts for half of your energy costs, these curtains are an effective way to save money. What Are Energy-Efficient Curtains? These curtains are drapes that have a lining on the back, which is heavy and sponge-like. The lining blocks the sun in the summer and keeps heat from escaping out the windows in the winter. You can also buy a curtain that goes between the drapes and window to serve the same purpose. Summer Choose a curtain with a light color to prevent the sun from warming your home in the summer. Light colors reflect sunlight rather than absorbing it. You should keep your windows closed when it’s sunny out to reduce the cost of cooling your home. Winter Open your curtains in the winter when it’s sunny out. This will allow the sun to heat your home for free. Close the curtains when it’s not sunny or it’s dark outside to prevent warm air from leaving through your windows. You can save up to 10% on your energy bills by following this practice. Repair Windows To get the most...

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Are Electric Furnaces Energy Efficient?

December 14, 2020

When you’re searching for a heating system for your Solon, OH, area home, an electric furnace is an affordable option. These systems are ideal for homes without a gas connection. They’re also a good choice if you want a low-maintenance heating system. Here are three features of electric furnaces that make them energy efficient. 1. No Flue In a gas furnace, up to 30% of the heat is lost to waste gases dispersed through the flue. Because electric furnaces don’t burn fuel, they have no flue. The lack of a flue means there’s no wasted heat sent to the outdoors. No flue also means fewer parts to go wrong, repair, or maintain. 2. Variable-Speed Motor New electric furnaces offer variable-speed motors. These motors work at the lowest capacity needed in order to blow warm air across the electrical resistance heating panel. By operating at a lower speed for a longer period of time, they ensure a more consistent temperature in your home and reduce energy usage. 3. Convert Nearly All Input Energy Into Heat Furnace efficiency is measured with the annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers. The AFUE...

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How To Save Energy Dollars in the Summer

June 16, 2020

Most people expect to pay more on their energy bills during the summer, as they consistently use their air conditioning system when the temperature continues to climb. However, there are things you can do to keep summer energy bills down, and many of them require little to no money. Here’s how to save some money this summer. Use Your Thermostat Wisely It feels great to come home to a cool house after spending time outside or working out. You won’t enjoy paying inflated energy bills, though. You can save almost 3% in cooling expenses for every degree you set your thermostat above 72 degrees. You should set your thermostat higher when you’re going to be away from home. If you buy a smart thermostat, this will happen automatically. Cooling an empty residence is costing you money while providing no benefit. Keep the Sun Out You should utilize your curtains and blinds, especially on the south side of your house. The sun beating through your windows dramatically increases the temperature in your home and, thus, the amount you spend on air conditioning. Closing the blinds costs nothing but a few moments of your time. Use Your Ceiling Fans Ceiling fans make...

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All About SEER Ratings

July 17, 2019

If you are shopping for cooling systems, you probably come across the term “SEER.” This is an acronym that stands for “Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio.” How The Ratio is Determined The ratio is calculated for a unit by taking one season’s typical cooling output and dividing it by the season’s total energy input. It shows the efficiency of the unit. Just like when you consider miles per gallon in your vehicle, a higher rating is better. A Range of SEERs? The government has set a minimum of a SEER of 13 for all air conditioners currently being sold. Ratings could go up to 21 or 22. Ratings of 16 or 18 would be fairly efficient, with anything above 20 being ideal for those who are very energy-conscious. Most older air conditioning systems have SEERs below 10; that’s perfectly acceptable in many cases. It doesn’t mean that anyone with an old unit needs to run out and buy a new one immediately. It just shows how standards have improved and how advancements have allowed for greater efficiency. Units with higher SEER ratings usually have a variable-speed blower and either a two-stage or variable-speed compressor. These components allow them to work at...

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3 Tips for Furnace Efficiency

October 15, 2018

When people are looking to heat their homes during the cooler winter months, it is important to make sure that a reliable furnace is available. With many different styles and options to choose from, it can be a challenge to find the right one. There are a lot of different factors to keep in mind and everyone needs to make sure that their furnace is working efficiently. Furthermore, it is vital to make sure that the furnace is reliable and will not break during the months that it is needed most. With this in mind, what are a few of the tips furnace efficiency? 1. Clean the Flame Sensor Most furnaces have a flame sensor that it uses to make sure that the flames are at the right temperature. If the sensor is dirty, the measurements become inaccurate. This can cause the heating system to work harder than it has to, driving up the utility costs. Clean this sensor to make sure that the furnace is taking accurate measurements. 2. Keep the Filters Clean Perhaps the most important tip to make sure that the furnace is efficient is to make sure that the filters are clean. The furnace relies on...

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