How to Best Conserve HVAC Energy

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With winter coming up, your HVAC system will soon be working hard to keep your Broken Arrow home heated. This can lead to high energy bills all winter, but there are ways to prevent this from happening. Read on to find out how you can conserve HVAC energy during winter while having a warm and comfortable home.

Schedule Routine HVAC Maintenance

HVAC maintenance helps ensure that your HVAC system is working right. HVAC technicians check for problems with your HVAC system during maintenance visits and take care of any issues that come up. This helps lower the risk of your HVAC system needing major repairs during the winter. With regular HVAC maintenance, your system will also run more efficiently, which means it won’t need to run as often or as long in order to heat your home. Having an efficient HVAC system is a good way to conserve HVAC energy and lower your energy bills.

Switch Your Thermostat

Replace your manual thermostat with a programmable or smart thermostat. These types of thermostats allow you to easily adjust the temperature in your home and have your heating system come on at certain times. With a smart thermostat, you can control your thermostat from anywhere on your smartphone or tablet. Being able to lower the temperature during certain times, such as when you’re out during the day, can help you conserve HVAC energy and save money on your bill.

Replace HVAC Filters

Don’t let your HVAC filters go too long without being changed. Otherwise, your HVAC system will have a harder time heating your home during the winter. Check your HVAC filters each month and replace them with new ones. This helps prevent you from having dusty or dirty HVAC filters in your home.

Prevent Drafts

Drafts of cold air can cause your HVAC system to run more often in order to heat your home. Seal up gaps that can let cold air in during winter and you’ll save energy when it’s cold out.

If you’re ready to schedule HVAC maintenance or you need more advice on how to conserve HVAC energy in your home, please contact Air Assurance.

Programmable Thermostats Can Handle Oklahoma's Temperature Shifts

Proper insulation may be the first thing you think of as you get ready for the upcoming Oklahoma winter, and it's certainly important. However, programmable thermostats should also be included in your energy efficiency arsenal. They can help you maintain indoor temps easily and automatically -- just "set and forget." Even better, these thermostats can save you significant money on your energy bills. How?

Set automatic temperature settings for different times of day

Programmable thermostats can help you save energy by letting you set different temperatures for different times of day. You can save as much as 10 percent on your energy bills with careful use. For example, setting your thermostat for 68 degrees during the day and a few degrees lower at night is advised during Oklahoma's winter months, while setting it to 78 degrees around the clock during the summer months will help you reduce your energy bills almost effortlessly. (These thermostats easily store multiple temperature settings to be used at various times of day or night -- no need to keep track yourself.)

Heat or cool individual rooms with zoning systems

Install a zoning system, and you can set programmable thermostats to individual temperatures for each room or zone. If you don't spend a lot of time in certain areas, you can set thermostats in those zones to more energy-efficient temperatures (or even shut them off altogether), but keep often-used rooms like the living room at more comfortable temperatures.

Choose your temperature set points, and then leave them be

Programmable thermostats conserve energy and save you money because they seamlessly keep indoor temperatures steady once you set them. If you are constantly "playing" with your thermostat and changing temperature settings, your system won't be able to do its job properly. In fact, you could lose any cost savings you might otherwise see if you do so. Choose temperature settings for Oklahoma's fall and winter temps, and then leave them be until spring rolls around.

For more information and advice on programmable thermostats or other needs, please contact us at Air Assurance. We've been serving Broken Arrow and the Tulsa area since 1985.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock