Research shows that Heating and air conditioning in our houses account for over 65% of energy use in the house and that most homes’ heating and cooling bills can be significantly reduced by making sure you follow a couple of simple rules of thumb. Using high-efficiency HVAC equipment as well as HVAC equipment that is sized right to your home square footage is the basic requirement to reduce your heating and air conditioning bills. But the reduction of your heating and cooling cost can come from other places as well:
Proper heating and cooling (HVAC) equipment size
Older homes have been using older home heating and cooling equipment that are usually too big so that it can heat or cool the home quickly. But oversized heating and cooling equipment goes through what’s known as “short cycles”, or fails to run long enough to reach its most efficient levels. The efficiency of air conditioners is low when they first start and increases gradually, reaching peak efficiency in about 10 minutes. Bursts of warm or cold air from oversized units can trick the thermostats into shutting off the system before the whole house is warm or cool. Using the right size of heating and cooling equipment means immediate savings first by not buying a bigger, more expensive furnace or air conditioner. The other benefit is a quieter home as the right sized heating and cooling equipment delivers the right volumes of air over longer periods which in turn reduces indoor noise caused when conditioned air moves through ducts and registers at high speeds and when systems frequently start and stop.
In addition, Installing right-sized air conditioners requires smaller compressors and fan motors which reduce indoor and outdoor noise when these components are operating.
High-efficiency HVAC equipment – Energy star-rated HVAC equipment Energy consumption increases with the size of heating and cooling equipment and decreases with system efficiency. Installing high-efficiency, energy-star-rated furnaces, and air conditioning equipment means that the HVAC product has been designed and tested to work and perform at a high-efficiency level that is proven to reduce electricity and gas costs.
This equipment is usually more equipment but is an investment that pays for itself within several years and then turns into a pure profit proposition.
Moisture control – Controlling the house humidity is important too Humidity and moisture levels are important aspects of the heating and cooling system and if the HVAC system is not designed properly some problems can arise should the heating or cooling cycle not run long enough to properly pull moisture out of the air.
In order for air conditioners to dehumidify or dry the air, they have to cycle long enough for moisture to condense on the coils and drain away. With oversized units, short cycling reduces the amount of condensation that drains off the coils and even allows some moisture to evaporate back into the air. Air that is not properly dehumidified can be uncomfortable and promotes the growth of mold and mildew indoors.
HVAC equipment location – Your furnace location, ductwork location, return air location, and most importantly thermostat location are key factors to the proper flow of air in the house and the perfect temperature in all rooms of the house. Having the furnace in the middle of the house is key to perfect air flow to all rooms and having the thermostat located in a middle room, not near a door, a window, or high traffic area will also mean more accurate reading and thus controlled, even operation.
Tropic Air is one of Toronto’s most reputable Heating and air conditioning companies and we provide in-home Furnace equipment tuning, service, and repairs to adjust your heating and air conditioning equipment to make sure you save your money. Call us today!
