The DIY Energy Audit: A Saturday Project With Long-Term Savings Potential

The DIY Energy Audit: A Saturday Project With Long-Term Savings PotentialDuring a time when energy prices continue to skyrocket, it’s worthwhile to have an energy audit performed. This helps you determine where your home’s energy efficiency could improve to give you a better handle on energy savings. Here are four steps to completing your own do-it-yourself energy audit. Read More »

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Sizing Your Replacement A/C: The ABC’s Of Manual J

If you have made the decision that this is the year you’re going to install a new air conditioner, you should be aware that having your system correctly sized is a must. You expect the best from your climate control upgrade, and to get the most out of it, you will need to have your home’s cooling needs calculated with Manual J. This tool was developed by experts in the HVAC industry to accurately determine the specific cooling needs of individual living spaces. The ways that proper sizing through Manual J can benefit you are as plain as ABC. Read More »

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Tend To Your Heat Pump This Spring, While You’re Tidying The Yard

Tend To Your Heat Pump This Spring, While You're Tidying The YardSpring is the time of year that we start spending more time outdoors here in central Virginia. We begin to take more notice of the lawn, flower beds, garden and other foliage. Spring is a great time of year to attend to your hard-working heat pump as well. Spending a few moments on upkeep will pay dividends in lower operating costs and a longer life for your home comfort system. Here are a few things you can do, after cutting power to the heat pump: Read More »

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Freon Prices Are Going Up: Time To Retire That Aging A/C?

Announcement – it’s just become an excellent time for Richmond-area homeowners to purchase new, high-efficiency air conditioning systems. The reason is that most existing A/C systems in the country (about 80 percent) will need to be replaced in the next eight years to comply with new EPA clean-air regulations. Due to the Clean Air Act, the R22 Freon refrigerant which most existing A/Cs need in order to function will soon be phased out. In the meantime, homeowners will be paying as much as triple the previous price for the freon they need to maintain their existing cooling systems. Read More »

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Solar Water Heating: Calculating How Much You’ll Save

Solar Water Heating: Calculating How Much You'll SaveIf you’re weighing the costs and benefits of installing solar water heater, you may find that the long-term return on such an investment is well worth it. To help you get past the initial sticker shock, you need to do some calculations that help you see the true value of solar water heating as a sustainable and valuable addition to your home. Read More »

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Why It Pays To Have A Zoning System, Whether You Want A Single Temperature Or Several

Keeping your home either warm in winter or cool in summer can be a challenge. This is especially the case if you live in a multistory home. You may often find that when you get the first floor just right, the second floor becomes too hot. Because heat naturally rises in your home, the warm air generated on the first floor will quickly seep to the second, while cool air generated on the second will quickly drop to the first. To confront this issue, many people are realizing the amazing benefits of switching their home to a zoning system. Read More »

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When Clean Air’s A Priority, Duct Cleaning Is A Necessity

When Clean Air's A Priority, Duct Cleaning Is A NecessityIf you have allergies, asthma or another chronic condition such as COPD, you know how vital it is to keep your home’s air as free from contaminants as possible. Duct cleaning should be included in any overall plan to improve air quality in a home. The ducts in a home serve as conduits for conditioned air that comes from your heating and cooling system. They’re also a place where minute particles of dust and other pollutants might accumulate. While the federal EPA doesn’t recommend regular duct cleaning, the agency does suggest it be done on an as-needed basis. This would be the case if certain conditions are in evidence such as mold growth on the ducts, insect or rodent infestation, or an accumulation of dust and debris that’s impeding air flow in your HVAC system. Read More »

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Foolproof Ways To Hold Down Your Water-Heating Costs

Saving hot water is an easy way to lower your energy bill. Water-heating costs come right after heating and cooling your home as the largest energy consumers in a typical household. You can reduce your costs by using less and by lowering the water temperature. Read More »

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Did You Nurse Your Furnace Through The Heating Season? Why Now’s The Best Time To Buy

Did You Nurse Your Furnace Through The Heating Season? Why Now's The Best Time To BuyReplacing a furnace during the winter can be costly. This is when contractors are busiest. A business that must work overtime or hire extra technicians to install a unit during heating season will pass that cost on to you. Now that you have nursed your furnace through the final few weeks of winter and spring has arrived with a vengeance, you have the time to consider cost-saving options for a new system. Read More »

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Invest Your Tax Return In A Heat Pump, And You’ll Enjoy The Payoff For Years To Come

If you’re looking at replacing the HVAC system in your Richmond area home, a heat pump is an economical option to consider. Heat pumps offer much greater efficiency than furnaces for heating and rival air conditioners in energy efficiency. This will lead to long-term savings on your energy bill. If you have a substantial tax refund coming your way, this could be a wise long-term investment for your home. Read More »

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