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The colder weather is upon us and will require your home’s HVAC system to consistently perform for at least five months. To meet your home’s heating needs over the long term, there are a few easy actions you can invest in as a homeowner to make sure your furnace, boilers and heat pumps will reward you with a warm and comfortable home all season long.
When a snowstorm is predicted, it takes more than a trip to the grocery store and stocking up on food to make sure you can ride out the weather comfortably. Inspecting your heating system and performing some basic preventive maintenance in the home will help make sure your family stays safe and comfortable, no matter the temperature.
The debate went on for years about whether lowering your home thermostat when you’re not at home saves money. (The argument against it states that it takes more energy to bring a cold home back up to a comfortable temperature than it does to maintain it at that level.) Home heating professionals finally concluded that lowering your thermostat even slightly can save money and energy.
The holiday season is meant to be enjoyed relaxing and visiting with family and friends. Before it arrives, make sure your home heating system is in good condition so you can avoid any unplanned expenses for repairs and a house full of cold guests.
Now is the right time to have a home heating specialist service your heating system to make sure it is running efficiently. No machinery can run forever without attention, and an annual inspection is the best way to forestall problems. The fall is the best time to do this, just before winter will put the system to its heaviest use.
Changing your home thermostat setting is an easy way to save fuel costs.
Let’s start off by debunking a common myth that lowering the thermostat and then bumping it up again actually uses more energy. It doesn’t. Lowering your thermostat by just a few degrees in the winter when no one is home, and then again at night during sleeping hours will actually reduce your heating bill about 5 to 10 percent. Turning it down to 55 degrees during times when you will be away for a few days will also save money, as opposed to maintaining the home temperature as if people were present.
Everything old is new again is a saying that fits for homeowners of historic properties. Keeping older heating systems maintained and running well in older homes is an interesting job that is best met by an experienced heating consultant. When it comes time to replace an entire home heating system, the project becomes an even bigger consideration.
So many everyday purchases now come with a maintenance agreement option. Long available on motor vehicles and major appliances like clothes washers and refrigerators, they are now offered on computers, phones and many other electronic devices. Hearing the familiar refrain “would you like a maintenance agreement or extended warranty?” at the check-out counter has become too familiar and not always welcome. Sometimes, the item might be so unlikely to fail, or the extra protection might cost so much, that it just seems like one more scam.
Owners of commercial buildings with multiple tenants are constantly faced with the challenge of economically modifying their properties to meet changing tenant needs. A single unit could change from a retail establishment to a restaurant to a tradesman’s shop to a professional office, each of which might have different requirements for parking, access, utilities, signage and more.
