Certain telltale signs indicate it's time to consider replacing
heating and cooling equipment, or improving the performance
of your overall system. It may be time to call a professional
contractor to help you make a change if:
- Your heat pump or air conditioner
is more than 10 years old. Consider replacing with ENERGY
STAR qualified equipment
that
uses 20 percent less energy than new standard models.
- Your furnace or boiler is more than
15 years old. Consider replacing with an ENERGY STAR qualified
furnace,
which is
15% more efficient than a conventional furnace. If
you have a boiler,
consider replacing with an ENERGY STAR qualified boiler
that is 10% more efficient than a new, standard model.
- Your equipment needs frequent repairs
and your energy bills are going up. Your cooling or heating
equipment
my have become
less efficient.
- Some rooms in your home are too hot
or too cold. Improper equipment operation, duct
problems or
inadequate insulation
could be the
cause.
- No one is home for long periods of
the day and you do not have a programmable thermostat. Install
an ENERGY
STAR qualified
programmable
thermostat or have a good contractor install
one and instruct you on its use--to start saving energy
and
money while they're
away or sleeping.
- Your home has humidity problems.
Poor equipment operation, inadequate equipment, and leaky
ductwork can cause
the air to be too dry in the winter or too
humid in the summer.
- Your home has excessive dust. Leaky
ducts can pull particles and air from attics, crawl
spaces
and basements
and distribute
them throughout your house. Sealing your
ducts may be a solution.
- Your heating or cooling system is
noisy. You could have an undersized duct system
or a problem
with
the indoor coil
of
your cooling equipment.
- Your score on the Home Energy Yardstick
is below five. That means your energy
use at home
is above
average and you're
probably
paying more than you need to on energy
bills.
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