Making your home more sustainable is a multi-step process. If you’re considering ways to improve your home’s eco-friendliness and easy solutions to decrease your monthly energy bill, look no further than your HVAC system. In the past 10 years, HVAC systems have greatly improved, and there are now much more energy-conscious models available to install in your home. However, there are also several ways to make your existing HVAC more energy-efficient, from using fans and monitoring the thermostat to changing out your HVAC filters regularly. Discover a few eco-friendly improvements you can make to your own HVAC system that will keep it running efficiently.
Eco-Friendly Heating and Air Conditioning Systems
Geothermal Pumps
If you’re in the market for a new HVAC, consider installing a system that uses sources other than electricity to heat and cool your home. For example, geothermal technology has gained popularity in recent years and is currently the most energy-efficient option for heating and cooling your home. This technology works by extracting heat from the ground and using it to heat your home, then drawing heat out of your house and into the ground when you need to cool it.
Radiant Heating Systems
Similar to geothermal heating, radiant heating systems are an innovative solution that relies on water to heat your home. The heat is distributed by hot water tubes that run through the walls, floor, or ceiling of your house, which evenly warms the surface of your home without relying on electricity. While these systems tend to be on the expensive side, they offer consistent savings on your monthly energy bill.
Zoned HVAC Systems
This type of HVAC system divides your home into separate heating and cooling zones so you can separately control the temperature in each. These mini zones can help you heat and cool only the parts of your home that you’re actively using, meaning you don’t have to waste energy heating or cooling other parts of your house.
How to Improve the Energy Efficiency of Your Existing HVAC System
Even if your HVAC system isn’t ready to be replaced yet, or you’re not quite ready to splurge for a new one, there are plenty of ways you can increase your current HVAC’s eco-friendliness.
1. Use Fans to Move Air Through Your Home
Regardless of the season, using fans to move air through your home can keep your heater or air conditioning from doing too much work and wasting too much energy. In the summertime, hot air collects and gets stuck in your home, causing your AC unit to do extra work in order to lower your home’s temperature. In winter, warm air will rise to the upper levels of your home, leaving your furnace to heat up any rooms on your home’s lowest levels.
Instead, using fans can effectively move around this trapped warm air, allowing your home to cool down in the summertime and warm up in the winter without overworking your HVAC. Just remember, in order to effectively use fans in your house, they must run clockwise in the winter and counterclockwise in the summer to keep the air moving.
2. Regularly Change Your HVAC’s Air Filters
Another simple way to ensure your HVAC is operating at an optimal level is to replace dirty air filters frequently. Most HVAC filters should be cleaned or replaced once a month, or according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. If your HVAC filters are clogged with pet hair, dirt, or allergens that it picks up in the air, it will have to work harder to clean and redistribute fresh air into your house. By changing out the air filters regularly, you can ensure that your HVAC is working as efficiently as possible, saving you money on your energy bill and contributing to a more eco-friendly home.
3. Install Blinds and Window Shades to Manage Your Home’s Temperature
Use window shades and blinds to your advantage when it comes to heating or cooling your home by opening and closing them depending on the season. In the wintertime, use the sun’s warm rays to help warm your home by opening the shades. In summer, try to close the blinds as much as possible, preventing the sun from adding extra warmth to your house. Even an action as small as this can help decrease your energy bill.
4. Schedule Seasonal Tune-Ups
The best way to make sure your HVAC unit is running efficiently is to schedule a tune-up once or twice a year. This allows a professional to make sure that everything is working properly and that you aren’t overspending on your energy bill if there’s a problem with your unit. Scheduling this tune-up right before the summer and again before winter ensures that you don’t end up with a broken unit in the hottest or coldest times of the year! If your heating and cooling system is in need of a tune up, the experienced team at Wyckoff can help. We’ll provide you with peace of mind that your HVAC system is working properly and help you proactively care for your unit.
Contact Wyckoff Heating and Cooling
Whether you’re looking to install a new heating and air conditioning system in your home in the near future, or you’d like to schedule a tune-up of your existing unit, the experts at Wyckoff are willing to help you. Please reach out to us today to request a service, and we’ll get back to you within one business day!