Upgrading your HVAC system can save energy, lower your utility bills and improve your home’s indoor air quality. Many enhancements will pay for themselves over time through electricity savings. An upgrade can also increase your house’s value and extend your HVAC system’s life by reducing wear and tear. Many energy-saving HVAC upgrades are available for your home in Boulder City, Nevada. Here are four of them:
Ceiling Fans
In spring and summer, ceiling fans create cooling breezes. The moving air helps heat dissipate from your skin faster so that you feel more comfortable even though the temperature doesn’t change. As a result, it lets you save energy by running your HVAC system less.
In cold weather, you can use a small switch near the center of most fans to change the direction of their blades from counterclockwise to clockwise. Instead of pushing air toward the floor, they move it toward the ceiling and walls, circulating the warm air that usually collects there.
HVAC Zoning
An HVAC system with zoning lets you change the temperature of one zone or area in your home without making your other rooms hotter or colder. Like ceiling fans, it lets people adjust the environment nearby without making others uncomfortable.
Each zone has a thermostat, and they usually connect to a central programmable thermostat. You can set an energy-saving temperature schedule for each zone to avoid heating or cooling unoccupied rooms. Some systems can communicate wirelessly with cameras or motion sensors to make adjustments based on your daily routine. You can also make changes from anywhere with your tablet, computer or smartphone.
Some zoning systems use dampers in your home’s ductwork to direct conditioned air where you need it most. Others use two or more separate HVAC systems. You can also choose a ductless system with multiple indoor air handlers connected to the same outdoor unit.
Additional Insulation
If you have an older home, you could be losing conditioned air through leaks in your insulation. You could also be letting outdoor contaminants such as pollen, dust and dirt into your home. Many types of insulation get compressed and become less effective over time. Gaps or leaks can also come from pests or water damage.
Many newer homes can benefit from an insulation upgrade as well. You can get rid of drafty areas, keep your floors from feeling cold when you wake up in the morning, and put away extra blankets or portable fans. You also won’t be disturbed by as many noises from traffic, kids playing outside, or lawn equipment. As a result, you can relax and sleep more peacefully — day or night.
Energy Recovery Ventilator
Adding an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) will help you save energy and keep your home’s indoor air quality high. If your house has plenty of insulation and inadequate ventilation, contaminants could build up over time. These include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as acetone, formaldehyde, xylene and ammonia. Many paints, cleaners, air fresheners and glues emit them. An air filter can’t capture them.
An ERV removes stale or polluted air and replaces it with fresh, filtered outdoor air. It works like a heat pump to transfer energy away from the outgoing air and condition incoming air easily. That way, you can enjoy fresh air even when the weather is too hot or cold to go outside for long. Most units have controls to let you adjust the amount of ventilation as needed. As a result, they enable you to get rid of bad smells easily.
Sun Country Heating & Cooling is a Trane Comfort Specialist with years of heating and air conditioning experience. We can help you choose and install the best energy-savings HVAC upgrades for your home. We’re a family business, and we guarantee 100-percent satisfaction. Call us anytime at (702) 213-2857 for outstanding, friendly service.
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