Is your air conditioner working properly? Summer time heat isn’t pleasant and your air conditioning is running double overtime, right? For most homeowners summer is the hardest time for air conditioning units because of the hot heat and in some regions high humidity. If you’ve been trying to find easy ways to cool your home off this summer, take a look at these HVAC tips that will keep your home cooler. Whether you need air conditioner repair to help your unit run more efficiently or your home needs better sealants, take a look at these simple ways to use your air conditioner less this summer.

How to Use Your Air Conditioner Less this Summer

Consider air conditioning repair before replacing your unit

While you may think that your older air conditioner isn’t working because of its age, it could just need to be serviced. Deepchill air conditioning Gold Coast recommends, “A fully cleaned and efficient air conditioner will ensure your air conditioner is working to its full capacity giving years of comfort and energy savings.” . This concept applies to homes of all sizes, especially large home that may be overworking one unit and may need to create separate zones in the home and install another unit. Consider having a repair service clean out your HVAC unit. Energy.gov recommends getting your air conditioner filter and coils maintained regularly. Read more tips on how to care for your air conditioning unit here.

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Consider a portable air conditioner for your cooling needs this summer

Instead of turning on the air for your entire home, a portable air conditioner in just the room you will be working in could be ideal. For homeowners that have a home office for example and spend 5-6 hours in one room a portable unit could keep you cool while saving on your energy bill. Portable units or a window unit could also help smaller homes that don’t need a central HVAC system always running. Air Reflect has the pros and cons of using a portable unit for your home.

Adjust your thermostat to come on less often during the day

Let’s face it; your air conditioning running 20 hours out of the day is going to result in a higher energy bill. Instead, consider turning your thermostat warmer during the hottest parts of the day so your unit doesn’t run as often. Consider having an energy audit performed by your local electricity or energy company. They will help you see how much energy you’re using each month and will give you helpful tips. From adding better sealant around your windows and doors to adding more insulation to your attic space, you may be surprised how much you can save. Energy.gov features a good video on what to expect from an energy audit at your home.

This summer use these helpful tips to help you save energy and run your cooling systems less. For many homeowners just leaving the house during the warmest times of the day to run errands, go shopping, or to go the library and use their air conditioning is a great option! You don’t have to suffer this summer with high heat and an overpriced electric bill.

For more summer home maintenance tips on Stagetecture, click here.

3 Easy Ways to Save Energy with Ducted Air Conditioning

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1. Invest in a smart thermostat to control your air conditioner

First things first, saving energy largely depend on the individuals in your home. If each of members of your home keeps manually turning up and down the indoor temperature your energy bill will always be high. To keep your home comfortable with ducted air conditioning consider investing in a smart thermostat. There are many brands on the market from a Nest thermostat, Honeywell and Lennox are top brands that will learn your family habits such as when you wake up and when you are cooking, and when you leave the house to help you save energy. Help the thermostat learn your habits by taking a week and setting the temperatures to the high and lows of your heating and air conditioning that are comfortable for your family. For more tips on saving energy with a smart thermostat take a look at these top 5 brands of smart thermostats from LifeHacker.

2. Keep your HVAC temperatures comfortable and not extreme

If your house is always an icebox in the summer or a furnace in the winter depending on the season, your HVAC unit is working harder than it needs to. Teach your family members that setting your air conditioner to be comfortable rather than extremes will help save energy. The benefit of ducted air conditioning is the ability to control temperatures in multiple rooms at one time. The downfall of this is your family may think the entire house needs to be ice cold or very hot. This mentality will keep your HVAC unit constantly on and can create your central a/c unit working too hard day and night.

3. Try Pre-cooling with your air conditioning the night before it’s hot

If the forecast is calling for extreme heat the next few days consider pre-cooling your home the night before. This method works best in brick homes or homes that have good insulation and high ceilings. The brick will help retain the coolness of the home and when the heat rises the next day your air conditioning unit won’t need to run as long. This method can also help in the winter time but works in the reverse – try running the heat during the daytime before you will have a cold spell for consecutive days, then at night, you can bank down your ducted air conditioning and heating unit to come on less.

This season give your HVAC unit a break and learn why your ducted air conditioning could be working less this season. From teaching the members of your family to getting your HVAC system serviced regularly by an air conditioning specialist your energy bills will thank you each month.

For more ways to save energy in your home look at these HVAC posts.

Home Renovation: Saving Money with your Heating and Cooling

Contact a Professional HVAC Contractor:

Your heating and cooling efforts need a professional to review your current HVAC services. Call a heating and air conditioning professional today, and see about getting an energy audit done within your home or business. Not sure what an energy audit is? Take a look at what an energy audit is from

Installing Energy-Efficient Lighting

Light Emitting Diode (LED) and Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) bulbs have changed the energy industry. Both bulbs are extremely efficient. Older bulbs emit so much heat that they not only raise your lighting bill but also raise your HVAC bill because your system is constantly working against the heat trying to cool off your home. This is one of the cheapest and simple ways to lower your energy bills.

Control Heating and Cooling with Insulation & Air Sealing

This is one of the most overlooked renovations when it comes to improving your HVAC consumption. Maybe because if it’s out of sight it’s out of mind. In this case, you do not want to overlook insulation & air sealing installation.

Where to insulate:

• Unfinished attic spaces
• Between & over the floor joists
• Between the studs of “knee” walls
• Slab floors built directly on the ground
• Cathedral ceilings

Where to seal off air:

• Around recessed lights
• Open stud cavities
• Gaps around chimneys
• The attic access door
• Skinny gaps

Over time, these areas experience wear and tear. This will end up meaning that you are not only paying to heat up your house but the areas around your house as well. In our opinion, that isn’t the best use of your finances. Installing proper insulation, and air sealing will increase the efficiency of your home.

Installing Storm Windows can keep Heating and Cooling Bills lower:

Installing window film, caulking, cleaning, and replacing parts are always to make sure your storm windows last their entire expected lifetime.

Install Window Film

This is another form of energy efficiency that is completely overlooked by homeowners. Roughly one-third of a building’s energy load is from solar heat- sunlight coming in through windows. Window film, more commonly known as window tint, can reduce up to 80% of solar heat by absorbing and reflecting it back outdoors.

Install Programmable or Smart Thermostats

Making a regular use of programmable thermostats, Timing automation systems, and demand & occupancy sensors are all great ways to save your home or business money. These tools optimize your HVAC system during peak hours, and when your home or business in unoccupied. This is a great way to cut back on heating or cooling your home/business unnecessarily. We love these smart thermostats from LifeHacker. They give you the top 5 they would recommend.

This season improve your energy bills through your HVAC unit. Your heating and cooling bills could be drastically changed by using these simple home tips.

For more home maintenance tips, look to our archives.

How to Increase Home Efficiency with Energy Savings Tips

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Home Efficiency: Consider Getting an Energy Audit 

You can’t address problems you don’t know exist. That’s why the first thing you should do when looking for ways to increase the efficiency of your household is to get an energy audit for your home. Many local utilities offer homeowners audits at no cost. Having a professional assess your house for wasteful conditions caused by things such as bad or degraded insulation and window leaks could help you identify areas for improvement that the U.S. Department of Energy says could save you up to $600 in a year. If you would prefer to have a do-it-yourself home energy audit, the U.S. Dept. of Energy show you how in this article.

Homeowners who want more in-depth audits can opt to pay for a more rigorous check that usually costs between $300 and $500. The added expense covers more specific testing using specialized equipment and typically lasts several hours. Tax credits are often available as incentives for pursuing energy-efficient home improvements. Brian Castelli of the nonprofit Alliance to Save Energy points out that the cost is further justified by energy savings that could exceed 30 percent.

Energy Efficient Appliances Could Save Money & Help Home Efficiency

Appliances are big energy hogs that are often overlooked. Perhaps it’s because they’re designed to work without being thought about much. Whatever the reason, paying special attention to your home appliances is an important step to decreasing your carbon footprint.

Helpful Ways to Save Energy & Appliance Power Consumption:

• Look for appliances that have been tested for energy efficiency and rated under the Energy Star program.
• Set your freezer’s temperature between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit (-17.7 and -15 degrees Celsius) and your refrigerator’s temperature between 38 and 42 degrees Fahrenheit (3.3 and 5.5 degrees Celsius).
• Keep oven and refrigerator doors closed when in operation, opening them only when necessary.
• Check seals for refrigerators, freezers, and ovens to make sure they work properly.
• Use power strips that can be switched off to provide power to multiple devices that don’t need to remain on.
• If you’re not using a device or appliance, unplug it, especially if you won’t use it for a long period.
• Don’t run the dishwasher or washing machine for partial loads.
• Keep your dryer’s lint filter clear.

Have Your Heating and Cooling System or HVAC Checked:

As the temperatures get hotter or colder, your resolve not to use your heat or air conditioning is likely to be tested severely. Even the notorious HVAC system can be coaxed into providing greater energy efficiency, so you can stay comfortable with minimal impact on the environment. Having heating and cooling experts check your system for proper performance and give it a tune-up could help keep it running as efficiently as possible. They may also be able to recommend more efficient options for your space that take advantage of modern home improvements. If you need guidance for looking at your HVAC system, DIY Network gives you some HVAC tips.

Every extra watt your home draws as a result of inefficiency puts a little more carbon into the environment. Doing your part to control your energy waste not only helps the planet, but also your wallet. For better home efficiency use these helpful tips throughout your home.

For more energy savings tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Last week I was getting my air conditioner fixed for the warm weather, and this week we are pulling out jackets and long sleeved shirts for the cooler weather, here in Jacksonville, Florida. For many of you the cooler Autumn months have already creeped in, and that means winter won’t be far behind. Today’s Guest Blogger gives tips for getting a jump start on winter maintenance for your home.

Image courtesy of Criagwood

Winter has a way of sneaking up on many homeowners. There’s nothing worse than being unprepared for cold winter weather when it finally hits. Be ready this year with these home winter preparation tips. You will be ready when Jack Frost comes blowing your home’s direction.

 Is Your Furnace Ready to Keep you Warm?

There is nothing worse than turning on your home’s furnace on the first really cold night in fall and having nothing happen.

1. If it’s been awhile since your home’s heating system has been checked, do it before the cold weather hits. HVAC professionals get booked at that time and you don’t want to be shivering.
2. Make sure the area around your furnace is free of debris and contains no flammable materials.
3. Go to the store and get stocked up on furnace filters and be ready to change them monthly. It keeps your furnace running more efficiently and assures you’re breathing cleaner air.
4. If you haven’t already done it, get a programmable thermostat installed.
5. If you use hot-water radiators to heat your home, bleed the valves.

 No More Energy Leaks!

Is your house drafty? You can save up to 30 percent on heating and cooling costs in your home by being sure your energy leaks are plugged, (US Energy Department).

1. Use caulk around cracks and joint areas like windows, door frames, plumbing pipes/fixtures, and even ceilings. You can also install weather stripping around windows and doors. Caulk is great around areas where you need a flexible seal.
2. Other important areas to check for leaks are around electrical outlets, pipes, and vents that go outdoors.  Check more removed places like closets for drafty locations. You might be surprised where you find drafty spots.
3. A big part of your home that can have undiagnosed air leaks are the air ducts. You may want to have an HVAC professional check your ducts and if needed seal and insulate them. It can save you lots of money and wasted energy.

Image courtesy of Pixdaus

 Insulate or Hibernate

Since we don’t hibernate like the bears, it’s never a bad idea to consider putting more insulation in the walls and attack.

Insulation will help your home stay cooler in hot summer temperatures and warmer in the cold winter months. Insulation comes in lots of forms fiberglass to cellulose, rigid foam board , and even spray foam. The best location to add insulation is in your attic, and experts recommend about 12 to 15 inches for the most efficiency.

Get Your Roof Ready

Is your roof ready for 12 inches of wet, cold snow? Are you gutters clear and ready to get unwanted water away from your house? It’s time to check your roof, gutters, and downspouts to be sure they are in good condition and ready to take on Jack Frost.

1. Check roofing to be sure it’s in good repair. Loose shingles should be removed and replaced.
2. Check your gutters and be sure they are clean of any debris.
3. Get out your hose and spray out downspouts to be sure they are ready for water.
4. If you have lots of trouble with falling leaves getting into gutters, consider getting some leaf guards to cover your gutters and keep them free of plant debris.
5. Make sure your flashing is also in good shape. You don’t want water getting into the wrong places.

This post was written by Derek Dasher from YourLocalSecurity.com, your source for ADT home security systems.

For more home maintenance ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

As the summer ends and we start moving into the cooler months, your rising energy bill will always be a concern. For many homeowners we always assume that a high energy bill must mean that your thermostat isn’t set properly or that you HVAC unit isn’t working properly. While these can be causes as well, your air ducts throughout your home may be a bigger issue.  My Guest Blogger gives tips for checking your ducts in your home to help you save on your rising energy bill.

Image courtesy of Goldline Glass

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What’s a duct?

Ducts comprise the series of air passages that deliver or remove air for heating, ventilation, and cooling. Most ducts are found in the basements, attics, and crawl spaces of the home.

Ducts can leak?

Think there are only air leaks in your windows and doors? Leaks in the duct system are more common and harder to detect because of their out-of-sight locations. The impact of these leaks is most severe in locations such as the attic, where the temperature can reach a blistering 140° in the summer. There are several types of leakage: equipment air leaks, leaks from damage, connection leaks, diffuser box and grille leaks, return leaks, and leaks in the filter housing.

Image courtesy of High Craft Home Services

Damage Leak:

Leaks that occur as a result of physical damage. Often ducts become damaged from contact with people when they are found in common storage areas in the home.

Connection Leak:

Leaks that occur from openings in duct seams or loose duct-connecting equipment.

Diffuser Box & Grille Leak:

Leaks that occur from loose or improper fittings in the equipment that releases the conditioned air into the home.

Return Leak Leaks that occur where the air is returned to the duct system. This can be one of the hardest leaks to locate because of the negative air flow.

Filter Housing Leak:

Leaks that occur in the equipment that houses the filter. These leaks are very common because filters are often changed or cleaned, so the filters themselves can begin to leak air.

An estimated two-thirds of ducts in the U.S. are leaking badly enough to warrant repair and sealing.

Image courtesy of Comfort People

So, my ducts are leaky. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Wrong. Leaks cause the conditioned air we spend so much money on to end up in uninhabited spaces like the garage and attic. In a time when becoming energy conscious is critical, and we’re all tightening our metaphorical belts, taking care of duct leakage is imperative. An estimated 50% of your annual electric bill is spent on heating and cooling systems. Duct leakage accounts for as much as 25% of total energy loss in homes. With 25% of energy costs back in your wallet, that vacation might not seem so far-fetched.

All economic value aside, duct leakage can seriously impair heating and cooling systems from doing their jobs. Leaks in the return ducts cause the air from the outside to be pulled inside. So, in the summer, that means the hot, humid air you go indoors to avoid will be filling your home. Humid air being pulled through return leaks can drain the air conditioner’s ability to dehumidify. In the winter, it means that the dry, frigid air will be pulled into your living space, which is the last environment you want to be in during flu season. Also, pulling cold air through the leaks drastically increases the heat pump’s use of electric trip heaters, which is what racks up the heating bills.

A leaky wallet and a sticky living room aren’t the only consequences. Duct leaks can cause dangerous pollutants and irritants to be pulled directly into the home. Pulling air in from crawl spaces and garages can bring in car fumes, mold spores, insulation fibers, dust, and other irritants that build up in these untouched places. Duct leakages can be a major reason that you or your family’s asthma or allergies are acting up. Even more dangerous, depressurization as a result of duct leakage can allow combustion products, like the byproducts of fuel oil, coal, and wood from heating systems, into the home.

Can my ducts be fixed?

There are two simple ways professionals can detect and measure leakages in your duct system; a blower door and a flow hood.

Blower door: A blower door is a method used to measure duct leakage for the entire house. By pressurizing the house to a standard testing pressure before and after the house is sealed, the blower door detects leakage to the outside. While the blower door is running and using a smoke puffer or a pressure pan, specific locations of the leaks can be found. An advantage to using a blower door is that it can also pinpoint leaks in the house’s casing, which can result in significant energy loss.

Flow hood: A flow hood is commonly used in combination with a blower door to measure the specific flow of air in the supply and return ducts. Using a flow hood can provide a more accurate representation of duct leakage because it specifically measures the pressure within the ducts, whereas the blower door measures the pressure of the entire house. The blower door, therefore, is more susceptible to any outside factors that could affect the overall pressure of the house.

Once the locations of the leaks have been found, they can be easily tightened and sealed, and the cost of repairs will usually be made back within a year.

There you have it. Leaks hidden in the attic and storage spaces are causing you to pay unnecessary electric bills, wearing out your heating and cooling systems, exposing you to dangerous matter, and leaving your rooms overly hot or cold. These simple detection tools can easily allow the leaks to be found and sealed and all just with some of the money that would have been spent on accidentally air conditioning your crawl spaces. Hidden leaks are walking away with your money, your comfort, and your health, but patching it up is just a phone call away.

This is an article from WellHome, which provides Energy Audits and home Assessments. They offer you the ability to upgrade HVAC, Windows, and Home Insulation and can also perform Duct Tightening and Air Sealing to allow for a more comfortable and well balanced home. WellHome Home Energy Assessments allow the homeowner see the bigger picture of home efficiency and its ability to maintain comfortable temperatures and air flow.

For more green living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Happy DIY Saturday! The heat is rising as summer gets into full swing and this usually means increased use of your air conditioning system. For many homeowners, knowing when to replace their air conditioning unit is a foreign concept, and often wait too long before the unit is inoperable.

Today, our Guest Blogger gives helpful tips to know when to replace your air conditioning system. See a You Tube which shows you helpful guidelines and parts of your air conditioning unit to understand when is the right to replace your unit.  As the summer months continue, these tips will be invaluable.

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You Tube Video – Things You Should Know Before You Repair or Replace Your Air Conditioner

Guest Blog – How to Know When to Replace your Air Conditioning System

When it comes to replacing your central air conditioner system it is no wonder that many home owners are reluctant to act – it is expensive!  And unlike a car where you get to flaunt it about to your friends, a new air conditioner is about the least sexy thing you can do in your life that will set you back thousands of dollars.  That said there are times when it simply comes time to replace your air conditioner and live with the impact to your wallet.  Understanding what these signs are will go a long ways to helping you sleep at night.

Outdated SEER ratings

It may seem like the standards for air conditioner units hasn’t changed much in the past few years, but the truth is that the efficiency of all the HVAC in homes has taken a decided jump forward.  Only a decade ago the standard among AC unit SEER ratings was around 8 SEER.  If you check out central air conditioner reviews today you will see that the minimum level is 13 SEER and units north of 20 SEER are available from just about every major brand.  Depending on where you live the upgraded efficiency can pay for itself in five to eight years, or even sooner if you cool a lot of volume due to large homes and vaulted ceilings.

AC breakdowns

The most obvious time to change out your AC system is when it breaks down.  If the unit is older than 10 years and it breaks down you should likely look at replacing.  There are still people who get 20+ years out of their units, but as a general rule it is more likely to die sooner than that (average life expectancy is more like 12-17 years).

Flaky systems in mild weather

If your unit is acting flaky when it is only a little bit warm outside, expect to have major problems when the weather turns very hot.  The HVAC technicians world is pretty low key except during temperature extremes.  It is at these times that the rates go up and you don’t want to be without your AC.  Doing a preemptive replacement is a good way to avoid several hundreds of dollars of repairs when it gets steamy and humid this summer.

Flattened Fins

When you look at your outdoor unit look at the fins that allow the air to flow from outside through your outside unit and into your home are the fins allowing air to move through?  Are they flattened?  Sometimes there is just a bunch of debris which can be cleaned off and in that case you should just clean the unit.  Other times the fins themselves are damaged and won’t allow the proper airflow through the unit.

Don’t let the AC blues hit you this summer.  Be well aware of the warning signs of an aging AC system that are going to signal a replacement is pending.  At least then you will know to save money for that upcoming air conditioning unit.  Just keep in mind that 12-17 years is all you should expect for a useable lifetime of a central air conditioning system.

Darin Hansen is an HVAC veteran who has seen the insides and out of the HVAC industry.   You can read more about all topics surrounding HVAC on his site including a look at the top rated central air conditioners of 2011.

For more DIY ideas on Stagetecture, & Stagetecture’s YouTube Channel, click here.