You need a certain level of education in HVAC services to become an expert on any heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment. However, you only need your nose to know when something has gone wrong with a unit.
Save Money on Your Heating Bill
The Energy Information Administration reports that heating takes up an average of 9% of a household’s monthly expenses, making it the highest expense for homeowners. Fuel consumption for heating averages almost 24,000 kWh a month for homes that use oil. Alternatively, natural gas heating averages at around 18,000 kWh, while electric heating is about half of that. Regardless, it’s clear that a huge chunk of expenditures is attributed to heating your home.
Understanding Different Home Heating Systems
Buying home heating equipment is trickier than you think. Not all units use the same distribution method, produce a similar output and operate at equal levels of efficiency.
What Is Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency?
AFUE measures how efficient a heating system is by converting fuel to heat. Along with other energy ratings such as Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER), Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF), and ENERGY STAR®, AFUE can help you find the most efficient heating system for your home.
Factors to Consider When Buying New Thermostats
Thermostats have come a long way from being merely a control panel for controlling the room temperature. Today’s thermostats offer a wide selection of options that let you remotely control room temperatures and even save energy by automatically turning your HVAC system on when you’re home. When buying new thermostats, most heating and cooling contractors will keep the following factors in mind. Consider If You Really Need the Additional Features The more features your thermostat has, the more it will cost. Several of these features are genuinely useful and can help you get the most out of your system. Fortunately, certain thermostats cater to every level of requirement. If you follow regular schedules, a simple programmable thermostat may be suitable. More dynamic lifestyles may require advanced features such as wifi control or “learning” capabilities. The idea is to have features that you can actually use, not just for the sake of having a system with […]
