Having guests over, particularly all in the same room, can make balancing comfort harder than balancing your aunt's three-tier pie surprise.
But don't worry – we have a few tips to help you make your get-together all gravy. We hope your holiday is happy, comfortable and full!
Seven Things Homeowners Can Do Each Year To Keep Their Home's HVAC System In Great Working Order
When was the last time you thought about your HVAC system's air filters? Or how the outdoor part of your home comfort system is doing? Have you even considered your return vents? Truth is, lots of us don't think about our HVAC systems because when they work correctly, they are easy to forget. But spending just a little bit of time doing routine, at-home maintenance on your HVAC system can help keep your home comfortable for years to come. Check out this article from Good Housekeeping to learn a few HVAC-related maintenance tips, and give your home comfort system the attention it deserves! https://on.jci.com/3srXKZy
Home Heating Systems
Heating your home uses more energy and costs more money than any other system in your home -- typically making up about 29% of your utility bill.
No matter what kind of heating system you have in your house, you can save money and increase your comfort by properly maintaining and upgrading your equipment. But remember, an energy-efficient furnace alone will not have as great an impact on your energy bills as using the whole-house approach. By combining proper equipment maintenance and upgrades with recommended insulation, air sealing, and thermostat settings, you can save about 30% on your energy bill while reducing environmental emissions.
Heating Tips
Set your programmable thermostat as low as is comfortable in the winter and lower the setpoint when you're sleeping or away from home.
Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month or as recommended.
Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed; make sure they're not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes.
Eliminate trapped air from hot-water radiators once or twice a season; if unsure about how to perform this task, contact a professional.
Place heat-resistant radiator reflectors between exterior walls and the radiators.
Turn off kitchen, bath, and other exhaust fans within 20 minutes after you are done cooking or bathing; when replacing exhaust fans, consider installing high-efficiency, low-noise models.
During winter, keep the draperies and shades on your south-facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.
Select energy-efficient products when you buy new heating equipment. Your contractor should be able to give you energy fact sheets for different types, models, and designs to help you compare energy usage. See the efficiency standards for information on minimum ratings, and look for the ENERGY STAR
when purchasing new products.
Principles of Heating and Cooling
Principles of Heating and Cooling
Understanding how heat is transferred from the outdoors into your home and from your home to your body is important for understanding the challenge of keeping your house cool. Understanding the processes that help keep your body cool is important in understanding cooling strategies for your home.
Principles of Heat Transfer
Heat is transferred to and from objects -- such as you and your home -- through three processes: conduction, radiation, and convection.
Conduction is heat traveling through a solid material. On hot days, heat is conducted into your home through the roof, walls, and windows. Heat-reflecting roofs, insulation, and energy efficient windows will help to reduce that heat conduction.
Radiation is heat traveling in the form of visible and non-visible light. Sunlight is an obvious source of heat for homes. In addition, low-wavelength, non-visible infrared radiation can carry heat directly from warm objects to cooler objects. Infrared radiation is why you can feel the heat of a hot burner element on a stovetop, even from across the room. Older windows will allow infrared radiation coming from warm objects outside to radiate into your home; shades can help to block this radiation. Newer windows have low-e coatings that block infrared radiation. Infrared radiation will also carry the heat of your walls and ceiling directly to your body.
Convection is another means for the heat from your walls and ceiling to reach you. Hot air naturally rises, carrying heat away from your walls and causing it to circulate throughout your home. As the hot air circulates past your skin (and you breathe it in), it warms you.
Cooling Your Body
Your body can cool down through three processes: convection, radiation, and perspiration. Ventilation enhances all these processes. You can also cool your body via conduction -- some car seats now feature cooling elements, for instance -- but this is not generally practical for use in your home.
Convection occurs when heat is carried away from your body via moving air. If the surrounding air is cooler than your skin, the air will absorb your heat and rise. As the warmed air rises around you, cooler air moves in to take its place and absorb more of your warmth. The faster this air moves, the cooler you feel.
Radiation occurs when heat radiates across the space between you and the objects in your home. If objects are warmer than you are, heat will travel toward you. Removing heat through ventilation reduces the temperature of the ceiling, walls, and furnishings. The cooler your surroundings, the more you will radiate heat to the objects, rather than the other way around.
Perspiration can be uncomfortable, and many people would prefer to stay cool without it. However, during hot weather and physical exercise, perspiration is the body's powerful cooling mechanism. As moisture leaves your skin pores, it carries a lot of heat with it, cooling your body. If a breeze (ventilation) passes over your skin, that moisture will evaporate more quickly, and you'll be even cooler.
Home Heating Systems
Heating your home uses more energy and costs more money than any other system in your home -- typically making up about 29% of your utility bill.
No matter what kind of heating system you have in your house, you can save money and increase your comfort by properly maintaining and upgrading your equipment. But remember, an energy-efficient furnace alone will not have as great an impact on your energy bills as using the whole-house approach. By combining proper equipment maintenance and upgrades with recommended insulation, air sealing, and thermostat settings, you can save about 30% on your energy bill while reducing environmental emissions.
Heating Tips
Set your programmable thermostat as low as is comfortable in the winter and lower the setpoint when you're sleeping or away from home.
Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month or as recommended.
Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed; make sure they're not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes.
Eliminate trapped air from hot-water radiators once or twice a season; if unsure about how to perform this task, contact a professional.
Place heat-resistant radiator reflectors between exterior walls and the radiators.
Turn off kitchen, bath, and other exhaust fans within 20 minutes after you are done cooking or bathing; when replacing exhaust fans, consider installing high-efficiency, low-noise models.
During winter, keep the draperies and shades on your south-facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.
Select energy-efficient products when you buy new heating equipment. Your contractor should be able to give you energy fact sheets for different types, models, and designs to help you compare energy usage. See the efficiency standards for information on minimum ratings, and look for the ENERGY STAR
when purchasing new products.
What is the Inflation Reduction Act?
Signed into law on August 16, 2022, the federally funded Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) gives you an opportunity to save on the cost of replacing or upgrading your HVAC system with higher-efficiency equipment that can reduce energy consumption and lower utility bills. The purpose is twofold:
To help homeowners obtain higher-efficiency equipment that helps reduce energy consumption and lower utility bills
To reduce the environmental impact of carbon emissions across the United States by 40% by 2030
Whether you’re thinking about installing a heat pump in the future or you installed one in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act includes rebates you can use:
The Energy-Efficient Home Improvement Credit (also known as the 25C Federal Tax Credit) took effect on January 1, 2023, and covers:
Up to 30% or $1,200 annually for qualifying equipment
A $2,000 annual limit for heat pumps
The High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Act (HEEHRA) offers rebates up to $14,000 per household for the installation of high-efficiency heat pumps and other efficiency improvements
The HOMES rebate program, a $4.3 billion program that is part of the IRA, isn’t restricted by income level and is based on the actual performance of your whole-home energy efficiency and electrification improvements; the HOMES rebate program cannot be combined with the HEEHRA program, so talking with your tax consultant is important to determine which program works best for you
What the Inflation Reduction Act means for you
The IRA includes cost-saving credits and rebates when you purchase qualifying energy-efficient equipment for your home. By making improvements that electrify and/or reduce energy use, you may qualify for these tax credits and rebates while improving your home’s overall energy efficiency. Qualifying improvements include weatherization efforts, installing new electric appliances and installing electric heat pumps.
These benefits go beyond improving your month-to-month heating and cooling bills — many new, efficient heat pump systems that qualify for the IRA have features that improve indoor air quality through built-in humidity control.
Forget The Weather
Our systems include industry-leading, manufacturer-backed warranties – so you can spend more winters staying comfortable in your home without worrying about unexpected HVAC repair costs! Learn more: https://on.jci.com/3LD1huK
It’s National Energy Awareness Month
Take control of your energy usage and energy costs by getting a home energy audit.
What’s more, tax credits are available for professional audits. Go to the “Home Improvement” tab at energy.gov/save/homeowners.
