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.

The Stewart Heating & Air Blog: Being Uncomfortable Is a Matter of Degrees

The Stewart Heating & Air Blog: Being Uncomfortable Is a Matter of Degrees: Thermostat settings on your air conditioning system are most times directed by personal preference as well as energy saving preference. For...

Being Uncomfortable Is a Matter of Degrees

Thermostat settings on your air conditioning system are most times directed by personal preference as well as energy saving preference. For example, the Energy Star program recommends a setting of 78 degrees for conserving energy and staying comfortable while you're in the home - plus, programming your thermostat for higher temperatures when you're away during the day. Others might be more comfortable at 75 degrees, or lower. Again, it's a balance between your personal comfort and your desire to save on energy usage. Then there are those very unfortunate times when the temperatures in your house are not at all what you want them to be. And with growing discomfort, you watch those temperatures inside your house rise to 80,85,88... Not good. Not good at all. However, there's one solution we recommend as your best option to avoid this scenario. Please take a moment to look at this report, Why Your Air Conditioning System Needs Prep Work for Summer's Long, Hot Run.

Extreme Weather Patterns and Your Home Comfort

Have you ever noticed life feels like you're going from one extreme to another? Like, low, high, cold, hot. We've certainly seen those extremes in weather this year - and will be seeing even more. you'd think that serious cold would be followed by a milder summertime. But that's not what the weather people see happening. Instead, after a really cold winter pretty much across the country, we're moving right into another extreme: a really hot summer. So those really low temperatures are headed really high, and those uncomfortable cold days are about to become uncomfortably hot. But here's the good news. The fact of weather life does not mean that you have to be uncomfortable, especially in your own home. In fact, there's an important step you can take right now to ensure that your home comfort stays steady whatever ups and downs the thermometer shows. This info tells you lots more. Please take a look.