Simple Steps to Ensure HVAC Efficiency

Your HVAC system contains some of the biggest mechanical components in your residence. Its efforts to heat and cool your house can account for as much as 50% of your total energy usage each month. Keeping this system operating at peak efficiency will not only ensure that you are comfortable in your home, but it can also result in significant savings.

The professional HVAC technicians from [company name] in Burbank have put together a list of signs that your HVAC components may be in need of an efficiency boost. These indicators include:

• An HVAC system that seems to be running more than usual
• Inconsistent temperatures throughout your home
• Unexpected increases in your utility bills
• Increased humidity in your residence

If you are experiencing these or other comfort issues, then read on for five ideas on how you can improve your HVAC performance. Please also feel free to reach out to us. We’ve been assisting customers with professional and reliable HVAC evaluations, maintenance and installations since 2001.

1. Seal and Clean Your Ductwork

The ducts and returns are the lifeblood of your HVAC system. They take hot or cold air from your furnace, air conditioner or heat pump and carry it throughout your home. Unfortunately, gaps or tiny holes can appear in your ducts over time.

These gaps will allow air to escape, which reduces the flow rate throughout your space. As a result, your HVAC system has to work harder to compensate for the lost air, which in turn, lowers its efficiency and drives up your energy costs.

Even if your ducts are sealed properly, dust, dirt, pet hair and other debris can collect in them over the years. This contaminant buildup reduces the airflow in your home and may be a significant contributor to temperature variations in your rooms.

We recommend having your ducts professionally cleaned periodically to ensure that your home’s airflow is maximized. Our team at [company name] can help assess if duct sealing or duct cleaning would increase your overall HVAC efficiency rating in Burbank.

2. Have Your System Serviced Twice Yearly

There is simply no substitute for having a professional HVAC technician routinely review and maintain your system each year. We suggest having it checked out twice annually.

The best times for this maintenance would be once in the fall before you switch from cooling to heating and then again in the spring before you turn on your air conditioner for the first time. Consistent care will ensure that your system is operating as efficiently as possible.

In addition, these visits will allow our highly experienced and trained technicians to find and replace any worn-out parts. Failing parts can not only cause efficiency losses but also result in total system failure if not repaired. Doesn’t it always seem as though these failures occur on the hottest day of the year?

3. Consistently Monitor and Replace Air Filters

We have already talked about how dust, pollen, pet dander and other contaminants can build up as air circulates throughout your home. Fortunately, most HVAC systems these days have filters on the furnace, air handler or other key components to stop airborne particulates from damaging the units.

HVAC filters typically have honeycomb mesh or pleated folds that capture and trap dust, dirt and other particles. This process prevents these particulates from being recirculated through your system and dispersed throughout your home.

As you can imagine, these filters can only capture so much debris before they become clogged. When that happens, the airflow in your system will be restricted and your HVAC’s efficiency will decline.

Higher-efficiency pleated filters can capture smaller particulates and remove more contaminants from your home’s indoor air supply. However, the downside is that these filters do need to be replaced more often.

We strongly advise replacing traditional fiberglass filters at least once every three months to reduce the likelihood of blockages. You may need to change out pleated filters every month or two to maintain optimum performance.

4. Size Does Matter

Having an HVAC system that is too small for your home may cause the components to run constantly to keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Yet, bigger is not always better. A system that is too big might use more energy than needed to heat and cool your property.

If you have concerns about the size of your current HVAC, call the team from [company name]. Our HVAC professionals can assess your home’s square footage, layout and other metrics. This information will enable us to calculate the appropriate system size for your residence.

5. Upgrade Your HVAC System

Regrettably, even regular professional maintenance of your system’s critical components and your ducts may not be enough to achieve your desired efficiency targets. In those instances, upgrading to a new HVAC solution may be the way to go.

For example, if you currently have a single-speed heating and cooling system, it may be possible to upgrade to an extremely efficient variable speed unit. These high-efficiency systems have variable speed fans on the air handler or other components to increase adjustability.

Traditional single-speed systems run at the same speed all the time. They do not have the ability to change fan speeds to meet your home’s specific heating or cooling needs on any given day. This lack of flexibility results in lost potential efficiencies.

Adding speed variability means your new system can run at a speed that provides just enough hot or cold air to achieve the desired temperature you set. On a cooler summer day, your air conditioner would have the ability to run at lower speeds and use less energy. Yet, if a heat wave comes along, it can immediately run at higher RPMs to provide more cold air.

Newer systems also feature programmable thermostats. Gone are the days of selecting only one target temperature for your system to maintain. These next-generation control units allow you to set different temperature points depending upon the time of day or the day of the week.

Are you normally away from home for large parts of the day? A programmable thermostat will allow you to set a higher temperature while you are gone. Best of all, many newer programmable models have apps so that you can use your smart phone to lower the temperature back down before you get home.

If a new system for your Burbank home would be of interest to you, then reach out to us at [company name]. We are a Dave Lennox Premier Dealer. Lennox regularly evaluates us to ensure that we meet the highest technical and professional standards to maintain our premier status.

Conclusion

The ideas outlined above are only a few ways you can potentially enhance the HVAC efficiency in your home. There are many other elements that could affect your furnace, air conditioner or other components and reduce their efficiency. Our team would love the opportunity to share our expertise with you and develop an effective solution that will meet your needs.

Do you have concerns about your home’s indoor air quality? The team at [company name] can also perform air quality analyses to determine if there are steps you can take to improve the air that you breathe every day.

We also offer detailed energy audits in the Burbank area that may identify other areas of your home that are compounding your issues with efficiency and energy loss. Call us today to see how our technicians can help your home be as energy-efficient as possible. We perform a full range of maintenance, repair and installation of cooling, heating and indoor air quality equipment.