Tag Archives: thermostat settings

Energy Savings to Yield by Adjusting to Optimal Temperatures

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saving energyWhen it comes to comfort on a hot summer’s day, nothing does more for your comfort than air conditioning. If you’re looking for energy savings without sacrificing that comfort, consider these energy and money saving tips.

Manage the humidity. Lower humidity always feels more comfortable when the weather is warm because the moisture on your skin evaporates quickly, which cools you off immediately. The ideal humidity during the summer should range from 30 to 50 percent.

If you’re unsure about the humidity, invest in a hygrometer, an inexpensive device that measures humidity. If it’s high, instead of turning on the air conditioner to lower it, start using the bathroom and kitchen fans to lower it. Once you’re finished bathing or cooking, turn the fans off. Despite their small size, they pull out a lot of air you’ve paid to cool off.

A dehumidifier attached to your HVAC system will keep the humidity level healthy automatically and help save energy. High humidity fosters bacterial and mold growth, along with dust mite proliferation.

Turn the temperature up gradually. Instead of going from the low 70s to 78 all at once, do it degree by degree. Once you’re comfortable at a warmer temperature, bump it up another degree until you reach your energy savings goal.

Increase your comfort by using ceiling fans. The fans move a good deal of air in the rooms where they hang and use little electricity. Moving air helps you cool off by drying the moisture on your skin quickly. When you leave the room, be sure to turn the fan off, since fans don’t actually cool the air.

Use a programmable thermostat. If you’re away during the day on a routine schedule, install a smart or programmable thermostat and set it for warmer temperatures when you’re gone. Program it to start cooling your home down just before you normally return.

If you’d like more ways that will help you with energy savings, contact Powers Heating & Air, providing trusted HVAC services for Peachtree City homeowners.

Bad HVAC Habits Homeowners Need to Kick

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Bad HVAC Habits Homeowners Need to KickIt’s easy to take your home’s HVAC system for granted and develop bad habits about its use and care that affect your comfort, energy bills and the equipment’s reliability and longevity. If you identify with any of the following bad HVAC habits, now’s the time to kick them:

Neglecting the Air Filter

Your air filter is in place to trap debris so it can’t accumulate on and harm sensitive components. Running your HVAC with a clogged filter can cause a loss of energy efficiency and premature equipment wear that leads to breakdowns or failures. You can easily prevent these costly problems by checking your filter monthly, and replacing it whenever there’s visible debris accumulation, or every three months at minimum.

Fiddling With the Thermostat Settings

If your living areas frequently feel too hot or too cool and you’re in the habit of changing the thermostat temperature settings to compenstate, you’re wasting energy and adding to the equipment’s workload needlessly. A better alterntive is to use your programmable thermostat to make temperature adjustments based on your usual daily routine. If you’re still experiencing discomforting temperature variations, get your HVAC pro’s advice about installing zoning to give you greater control.

Putting Off Routine Maintenance

Having your HVAC system professionally serviced twice a year is essential to keep it operating efficiently and minimize the likelihood of breakdowns and failures. If you often forget to schedule maintenance appointments, opting for a preventive maintenance agreement with a trusted, local HVAC company is a hassle-free way to keep your equipment in peak condition.

Not Paying Attention to Airflow Issues

Failing to maintain good airflow through your HVAC system can cause serious problems with its performance and reliability, and erode your comfort too. Actions to avoid to keep the system’s airflow healthy include shutting registers in some rooms, intentionally or accidentally blocking the return air vents, and allowing airflow through the outdoor unit to be stifled by tall vegetation and/or yard debris.

For helping identifying and kicking bad HVAC habits so they don’t comfort and efficiency in your Peachtree City home, contact us at Powers Heating & Air.

 

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree City, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 770-487-2040.

What Thermostat Settings to Maintain When You Leave for a Fall Vacation

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What Thermostat Settings to Maintain When You Leave for a Fall VacationWhenever you leave for fall vacation, you’ll have a number of things to take care of, from cleaning out the refrigerator, to setting the dimmer switches for the lights to come on at night, to making arrangements for the pets. But one thing you should not forget has to do with the thermostat settings for the HVAC.

Hot or Cold?

It can be a toss-up this time of year as to whether to turn on the heat or the air conditioner when you’re away. Weather predictions can help, but admittedly, if you’re gone for a good chunk of time, things may change.

 

Set your programmable thermostat about 5 degrees up for the air conditioner or 5 degrees down for the heating, depending on which you think you’ll need to run. The main thing, when it comes to heating, is that you don’t want your pipes to freeze, so never set the heater lower than 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit. If you think your home will require air conditioning, make sure it will turn on so indoor temperatures are low enough not to stress plants or damage electronics.

 

You may want to request a friend or neighbor to come over periodically to check the temperature, particularly if weather conditions change drastically. Make sure the friend/neighbor knows how to change over the thermostat if you need to switch from one mode to another, or to adjust the temperature. You’ll always want to be alerted if there’s a malfunction.

Why Wi-Fi is Better

A Wi-Fi thermostat may be an even better choice than a programmable model for vacationers as you can control your HVAC from near or far through an app on your smart device. Need to switch to heating mode when temperatures plummet? No problem with this type of thermostat. Receive weather alerts and adjust the temperature as needed. You may even opt for a system that senses humidity, so that you can adjust it as needed in the home.

 

Want to learn more about thermostat settings for your fall vacation? Contact Powers Heating and Air. We serve Peachtree City and the surrounding area.

 

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree City, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 770-487-2040. 

 

Maintain Your A/C Mid Season with These Easy Tips

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Maintain Your A/C Mid Season with These Easy TipsThe best time to perform maintenance on your air conditioner system is during spring, just before the peak usage in the summer season. It is important to maintain your A/C to improve efficiency and to prevent breakdowns and costly repair bills. Regular preventative maintenance will improve the efficiency of your A/C, thereby saving you money, and will prolong the lifecycle of your unit.

What Should an HVAC Contractor Check?

  • All the electrical connections should be checked, tightened or replaced. The voltage and current on the motors should also be checked.
  • The lubrication of all moving parts is a crucial part of the preventative maintenance service.
  • The contractor should check the safe operation of the system and the system controls.
  • The air conditioner and evaporator coils have to be checked and cleaned for maximum efficiency.
  • The refrigerant level should be checked and adjusted if needed and all leaks should be repaired.
  • The blower components should be checked and cleaned to ensure proper airflow.

What Can You Check?

  • Dirty air filters can impede the airflow and cause damage to equipment. Air filters should be replaced monthly during peak usage.
  • Check and inspect the condensate drain for debris or blockage.
  • Check the thermostat settings and change the batteries on battery operated thermostats.

Preventive maintenance can save money by reducing costly repairs and improving the efficient operation of the air conditioner system, thereby saving money on energy bills. It is important to use a qualified HVAC contractor for any tasks that you are not comfortable performing. Please note that only qualified technicians are allowed to work with the refrigerant in your air conditioner.

For more expert advice about how to maintain your A/C and other issues related to home comfort, please contact us at Powers Heating & Air. We proudly serve the Peachtree City, GA area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree City, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “GreyParrot/Shutterstock”

Holiday Energy Saving: Plan Now With These Tips

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Holiday Energy Saving: Plan Now With These TipsHomeowners looking for ways to cut expenses this holiday season should look no further than their energy spending. In addition to decorations, holiday gifts, and additional food expenses, the energy you spend to light up your home can cost you extra. However, with a few thoughtful energy saving changes to your routine, you can get your holiday season utility bills back in check

Here are energy saving strategies your family can use this winter:

  1. Switch to LED. Have you made the switch to LED lights? If not, it’s time to make the change. LED lights are 90 percent more efficient. Keep on the lookout for offers from home improvement stores, your local municipality, and even some chain grocery stores. They may offer rebate incentives, so trading in your old incandescent lights will give you a discount on your new LED lights.
  2. Install timer systems. Have your lights set on timers so the holiday lights turn on when it gets dark, and turn off when you go to bed. Once your interior holiday lights are on, see how much additional light is necessary and turn off any regular lights you don’t need.
  3. Invest in fiber optics. Fiber optic holiday decorations use a series of filaments to conduct and magnify the light source. Many of them use a single bulb; as a result, they are very energy efficient.
  4. Maintaining your heating equipment. Have you scheduled your HVAC fall maintenance yet? Do so now before the holiday season gets underway. In addition to ensuring it will work when you need it, maintenance is the key to an energy-efficient heating and cooling system.
  5. Try adapting to cooler temperatures. Lower the thermostat setting a few degrees and see if you can adapt to the cooler environment. You’d be surprised how quickly the human body can adapt to lower temperatures. Plus, they make sweaters for a reason.
  6. Vacation setting. If you’re going to be out of town, make sure you lower your thermostat settings and put just a light or two on a timer so you aren’t spending money on unnecessary energy.

Please contact us at Powers Heating & Air to learn more energy saving strategies for your Peachtree City area home.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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