Working Out

Every so often I’ll get motivated to start a new exercise plan. Since it’s been a long time in between my workouts, I have to make sure I stretch well and I usually end up sore anyway. It takes a couple weeks to get into the swing of things and back to my normal pace. It’s like this with a lot of things. Football players have off-seasons where they aren’t playing as often so when the season rolls back around, they’ve got training camps, workouts and even practice games. We don’t expect them to take a break and come back performing better than last year. So why do we do this with our home comfort systems? We haven’t used them all year and when the cold comes rolling in, we expect them to work 100%. Our systems are kind of like us; during the summer, they’ve done a lot of “sitting” so when the winter arrives, they need a little bit of help to be in their best working condition. It makes them much more efficient and can actually save you a lot of money. Want to learn how to get your system performing better? Read “There’s No Business Like Slow Business” to find out how to give your home comfort system the “workout” it needs.

The Down and Dirty of Your Home Comfort System

As with most things, the better care you take of your heating and air conditioning unit, the better it will perform and the longer it will last. If you neglect your system, then it could be underperforming, and this can really show on your energy bill. There are simple things you can do to help take care of your system like changing your air filters. This keeps dust and dirt from getting into the system and clogging it up. However, through your system’s months and years of service, it still can collect dust. This dirt buildup reduces airflow through your system which makes it have to run longer to heat or cool your house. If your system is outside, it can also pick up debris from items like your dryer vents, leaves and lawn mower dust. It’s important to get your system cleaned and tuned up at least once a year to keep it running safely and efficiently. Read this report about “The Cost of Neglecting Your Home Comfort System” to see more about the hidden costs of putting off maintenance for your home comfort system.

Did You Know…

About half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling. That means your home comfort system can have a big effect on your utility bills. So taking care of it can save you a lot of money on your energy bills and also improve your home comfort. A good way to keep your system running smoothly and efficiently through each season is to get a tune-up. I know what you’re thinking; that’s what you do for a car. But your home cooling system, like a car, requires maintenance to run well. Just like a tune-up for your car can increase your gas mileage, a tune-up for your cooling system can increase efficiency and comfort. If you are interested in learning more about how to get your system tuned up and ready for the weather change, read “Smart Home Value.” You can get your home comfort system where it needs to be and start seeing instant savings.

Cost of Comfort

With the economy the way it is and rising natural gas costs, we have to try and find a balance of cost over comfort. That’s why being energy efficient is so important these days because it can save you a lot of money on your energy bills. At Stewart heating and Air, we have several ways to check your system to make sure it is running at optimal performance and keeping more money in your pocket. There are also some small things that you can do to cut down on energy costs. Change your HVAC filters monthly during peak heating and cooling seasons. They only cost a few bucks to replace and a dirty filter makes your system work harder and longer. You can also look for any leaks around your windows or doors that could be letting the heat escape. If you want to know more about what to expect come this cold season, read our free report “Predicting the Cost of Your Home Heating.” You can see more about the costs of natural gas and a way to cut down your energy usage by 20% from last year.

Ready for the Winter?

Let’s face it: It seems like it’s getting colder every year. As the temperatures go down, we depend more and more on our home comfort systems. If you’ve got a well-maintained, fairly new, energy-efficient home comfort system, you’re probably thinking “No problem. I’ve got this.” But if your heating and air conditioning system has struggled to make it through the last few winters, then you may be thinking something quite a bit different. Your system may be trying to warn you of a bigger problem. You may have noticed inconsistent comfort, or even more repairs than usual. Your energy bills could even be higher due to your home comfort system underperforming. These colder temperatures are going to put more strain on your system and consume even more energy. And as if that is not enough, we are also going to see an increase in natural gas prices to go along with these lower temperatures. If your system is not working to its full capacity, it can end up costing you a lot come this winter. If you want some help beating these high natural gas prices, then we have some good information that’ll get you through this price surge. Read “Beat Natural Gas Prices” to learn more.

Discovering Cracks in Your Energy Efficiency

The common expression “One thing leads to another” certainly holds true in your household energy use. A cracked door here, an open window there – while your air conditioning system is churning out cool air – will lead you from energy efficiency to extra energy usage. And that leads to higher energy bills. Any number of vulnerabilities in the air tightness of your home can cause your home comfort system to work overtime – needlessly sending your energy bills upward. In your mind’s eye, you can almost picture your nicely cooled air escaping through these various openings. But now with a special test, you don’t have to settle for your imagination or guesswork. You can get a very clear picture of what’s happening with your energy use throughout your whole house. We’ve got some information about how trained technicians employ high-tech equipment to pinpoint trouble spots, and you can find out more in this report, How to Look at Your Energy Use from All Angles. Please check it out

Which Parts of Your Home Are Causing You Problems?

Maybe you’ve heard of the “Butterfly Effect?” I won’t get into all the principles of this incredible idea that a butterfly flapping its wings in a distant forest somewhere causes a hurricane to form many miles away. Too complicated for me. But I do get the point that “one thing affects another.” And sometimes, seemingly small things can set into motion really big results. To be more specific to the kind of problems we see, one part of your house affects another. For example, an open window on a hot day – even a very small open window – affects how hard your powerful air conditioning system has to work to keep you cool. Sometimes you don’t even realize these small things are happening. Fortunately, technology has stepped up to the plate and come up with an incredible solution: infrared thermography. This is how we can pinpoint for sure the places air is leaking in your home and show you what you can do to tighten up these leaks. It’s just a simple fact that the parts of your house collaborate or counteract each other. Basically, that means they work together, or they don’t. To find out which parts of your home are causing you problems, take a look at this whole house solution.