Here’s how it works.  The credits are worth 30 percent of the cost of the upgrades, up to $1500.  For example, if you spend $5,000 on eligible air conditioning, you can get $1500 back.

If your AC is not old (less than 10 years), you can use the tax credit to upgrade your windows or insulation.   (In fact, if your windows or insulation are not up to snuff, you should probably start there first–no matter what an AC contractor might say.  You don’t want to invest in new, energy-efficient AC only to find out that your energy bill stays high because your windows and insulation are “leaky.”)

But if your AC is more than 10 years old, you should look into this.  You can do something to save energy and protect the environment, and Uncle Sam will do something for you!  To learn more, visit http://www.energystar.gov and search for “Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency.”

A:  Actually, you are partly right.  The little drip works, but not because it keeps the pipe from freezing.  It doesn’t.  Opening the faucet and letting it drip keeps the water pressure from building up inside the pipe.  And this is important, because it is actually not the ice that breaks the pipe.  Pipes break because of the build up of excessive water pressure in the pipe between the ice blockage and the faucet.

So yes, it is a good idea to let a faucet drip during cold weather, because this relieves the excess pressure so that even if the pipe freezes, it won’t break.  Here are some guidelines for letting a “drip” be your “hero”:

1. Since a dripping faucet wastes water, you should only open the faucets that are connected to the pipes that you think are vulnerable to freezing (such as pipes that may run through an unheated or uninsulated space).
2. The drip can be very slight.  Even the slowest drip will provide the relief of pressure that you need.
3. If both hot and cold lines feed into one spigot, open both so that they both contribute slightly to the drip (since both could potentially freeze).
4. If the dripping stops, leave the faucet(s) open.  A pipe may have frozen and will still need the pressure relief to keep from breaking.

No, it’s not true.

Very often, the contractor giving the low bid is cutting corners to get the business…and that can leave you stuck in a corner!

For example, some contractors don’t take time to do a thorough analysis of your home before they put together a recommendation.  And, unless you’re very lucky, this can lead to all kinds of problems.

This is why the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) states that you should “only hire a contractor who asks questions, measures windows, doors, floors, ceilings, checks insulation, calculates a heating load, and fixes system problems that may compromise comfort and cost you money.”

Your contractor should never recommend a heating system without first doing a complete analysis of your home and checking a long list of factors such as the size and style of your house, insulation, passive solar energy, how much heat comes from lights and appliances, the condition of your ducts and pipes, and more.

Your contractor should also do a computer load calculation–measuring all the rooms, checking the insulation and doors, and inputting all this data into special industry software to calculate the heat loss/gain.

Finally, your contractor should do static pressure, temperature and flow tests to help determine exactly how your heating system’s current distribution system is working within your home. When you are interviewing contractors, ask them to describe the methods they’ll use for doing an analysis of your home.  Then work with a contractor who does his homework.

It’s so easy to overlook the little things we should do, little things that eventually can build up and cause big problems. And that’s true with our heating systems: it’s easy to overlook the need for annual maintenance.

Right now, before winter strikes, is a good time to trade the overlook for the look over by calling your heating company to come look over your system, clean it and tune it.  A qualified, trained technician can spot and fix small problems before they become big. Of course, the tune-up is actually much more than just a look over.  Let me tell you some of the things we train our technicians to do when they do a tune-up.

• They look over the heat exchanger, a piece of equipment which separates the products of combustion from the air in the house.  Over time, the heat exchanger can get holes in it, and you could end up with a carbon monoxide leak.
• They clean and check the automatic controls.  Clean the burners.  Check the heating controls and their operation.  Check and adjust the thermostat to make sure it’s working properly.  Check and oil the blower, motors and pumps as needed.  And also check the blower belt wear, tension, and alignment.
• They also check the flue, inspect the chimney and vents, and perform a carbon monoxide test on the unit.  Plus, they’ll tighten all the electrical connections, and inspect and clean or replace the air filter.

In short, they make sure the system is running smoothly, at peak efficiency, and ready to take on the worst of winter!  You’ll have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that nothing has been overlooked.

We realize that the cost of tuning up our cars is miniscule compared to the idea of protecting our much larger investment in the car itself. And the same is true of your heating system.  Regular tune-ups are the best way to protect the sizable investment you have in this system. And there are good reasons to have your heating system inspected, cleaned and tuned before winter comes.

• For one thing, you don’t want to be the 100th person to call your heating company on a very cold day when the heat breaks down!  A thorough tune-up will spot and fix small problems before they turn into breakdowns.
• For another thing, you’ll have greater peace of mind.  A qualified technician will clean out dust and particles that could clog and perhaps even start a fire.  He’ll also inspect for any carbon monoxide leaks.

Regular tune-ups will keep your system running smoother, more energy-efficiently, and longer. If your heating system has a few years on it, you should definitely get it cleaned and tuned every year. I know, getting your heating system tuned is easy to forget.  Easy to overlook.  Easy to take for granted.  But it’s a wise move.

Just a few weeks ago I was talking with you about how important it is to change your central air conditioning filter every 1-2 months.  Now summer is over, and it’s time to make the same point for your heating system. There’s no question that changing your filter is one of the simplest and most important things you can do to reduce your heating bill and extend the life of your heating equipment.  And yet, how many people forget to do it?  My guess is most.

If your system runs with a dirty filter, your unit will have to work a lot harder to heat your home.  That drives up energy costs, and it also puts a strain on the system which, over time, can shorten the life of your equipment.

Here’s an example.

If you’ve got a forced air system, your furnace has a fan that pushes the air through your home.  Imagine that you put a fan in your living room to circulate the air.  If you put a plastic bag over the back of the fan, what would happen?  You wouldn’t get much air circulation!  This is, in effect, what happens, when your filter is dirty and clogged.

Your filter should be changed every 1-2 months.  You might also check to see if your return ducts have filters that need to be replaced.  And make sure that you only use a filter that is the correct size for your unit.

Here are 9 things you can do to keep cool, while saving a little money, in the dog days of summer.  (You may already be doing many of these, but a little reminder doesn’t hurt.)

1. Turn off the lights when you leave rooms.  (Your mother was right!)
2. Shut down computers when you leave the house or go to bed.  They put off a lot of heat.
3. Install nightlights in hallways so you don’t have to turn on larger lights when you get up at night.
4. Replace incandescent bulbs with those coiled, curly energy-efficient bulbs.
5. Unplug equipment, such as TVs and stereos, when not in use.
6. Run washer, dryer, and dishwasher on energy-conserve settings.
7. Use window shades or blinds to block out the sun, so solar energy isn’t constantly beating down through your windows and warming up the house.
8. Remedy drafts by caulking gaps in windows and floorboards
9. And of course, when the AC is on, keep windows and doors close.

You’ve heard the saying, “Think globally, act locally.”  Small “efficiency adjustments” like these won’t change the world of course.  But they will help to make things a little cooler and more affordable in your world.

So how can you keep from overheating–and overspending–all at the same time?

Here’s one thought.  Turn up your AC thermostat one degree at a time. Here’s why.  The human body has an amazing ability to adapt, if you give it a chance.  If you’ve been keeping the thermostat at 70, try it at 71 for a few days and give yourself time to acclimate.  Then, try moving it to 72. If you suddenly raise the setting to 78, you will, of course, be very uncomfortable.  But by making small changes, you’ll give yourself a chance to adapt, save money, and stay cool.

Hey, it’s not the most dramatic thing you can do to combat the “energy crisis”, but it’s a start.  And it’s better than nothing.

There are some other simple things you can do to keep cool and save money in these dog days of summer, and I’ll mention them in the next post.

Red State

A state in which you find yourself turning red from the heat, even in your own home, because you don’t have central AC.  This state is commonly accompanied by an uncontrollable desire to jump into any body of water available.

Blue State

A state in which you keep very cool indoors by cranking up the AC, but you worry that the size of your energy bill will exceed your car payment.  So even though you’re comfortable, you feel blue.

And this Red State vs. Blue State divide leads to the big debate: fans vs. central AC.  With your permission, I would like to weigh in on this debate. Many energy efficient experts are fan fanatics: they favor ceiling fans and standing fans over AC because of the “cool to cost” ratio.  And there is certainly some truth to this.  If you can’t afford central AC right now, installing ceiling fans can make you more comfortable for a lot less. However, there are some things to consider.  Some ceiling funs use a LOT of electricity.  And conversely, some AC systems are extremely energy efficient.  So don’t assume one is better than the other: do your homework, ask a lot of questions, check out the numbers.

You may decide that staying cool and comfortable is one of those “family values” that is worth more than money.

I’m not being serious, of course, but I am making a serious point: when you run your central air conditioning with a dirty compressor and evaporator coils, this can strangle the air flow to your system, making it run a lot less efficiently–like trying to run a race with a dirty rag over your face. So one of the simplest things you can do to cut your cooling (and heating) energy usage is to keep your system clean.  This is good for your pocketbook and good for the planet.

According to John Schulte, executive director of NADCA (the HVAC Inspection, Maintenance and Restoration Association), “The American home accounts for almost a quarter of the world’s energy usage, and heating and cooling make up as much as half of the energy cost in our homes.  When we talk about easy ways to increase energy efficiency, it only makes sense to start with the easiest fixes to the biggest costs.  That’s why HVAC cleaning makes so much sense not only for our homes, but also for the planet.”

So the next time you go for a run (if you’re into that), remember to also keep your home heating and cooling system running smoothly by keeping it clean.  This will help win the race for more efficient energy usage.
And if your system needs a cleaning, give us a call!