If you’re lucky, you’ll make it through another winter without having to deal with a furnace or heat pump breakdown. Yet, there’s always the possibility, and if you’re aware of a few basic HVAC concepts and terms, you’ll be better equipped to spot signals that your system is breaking down, plus provide more effective maintenance and take steps toward saving more energy. Check out these essential HVAC terms for the current heating season:

Energy Efficiency

Your goal as a homeowner mindful of both the household budget and the importance of conserving energy is to heat and cool your home comfortably with the least amount of energy possible. You can achieve optimum energy efficiency in your home this heating season with 1) a high-efficiency heating system, whether it’s a combustion furnace or heat pump. Look for the federal Energy Star when shopping for a new system. 2) Effective weatherization, including a well-sealed/tight home and insulation of the right amount and type in the right locations. 3) Less energy consumption through strategies such as utilizing ceiling fans to distribute warm air in a room and proper use of a programmable thermostat.

Programmable Thermostat

While you can certainly save energy by making consistent adjustments on a manual thermostat to match you and your family’s schedule, a programmable thermostat makes this much easier, plus the programmed temperature changes can occur when nobody’s home, something that’s not possible with a manual thermostat. Program settings during the heating season so the heat gets turned down significantly when nobody’s in the house, and several degrees lower at night when home occupants are sleeping.

Air Filter

If you use the 30 day filters, change each month. If you use those that last six to twelve months, your HVAC technician will change when he visits twice a year for your system maintenance.

Maintenance

Along with homeowner maintenance (such as montly air filter changes), schedule professional maintenance on your home’s heating system twice a year. Your system will operate more safely, efficiently and effectively.

For more tips on making it the through another Eastern North Carolina heating season, please contact us at Jackson & Sons Heating & Air Conditioning.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Eastern North Carolina (including Wayne, Johnston, Greene, Lenoir, Pitt and Duplin Counties) about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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