For home owners all throughout the country, HVAC system maintenance, which can range from air conditioner filter changes to furnace repair, is hugely important – just as important as the heating and cooling systems themselves. After all, heating and cooling systems are very necessary in the majority of the country, as heating and cooling systems keep us safe in extreme temperatures on both ends of the spectrum, which are common in many parts of this country. But they can cost a lot of money to run, with half of the typical energy bill (around 48% of it, to be a little bit more exact) made up of heating and cooling costs alone.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways to combat this problem. Simply taking good care of your heating services and cooling services can make a big difference. For instance, filter changing is more important than many people realize, and should be done for heating and cooling systems alike at least once every three months. There are likely to be a number of detrimental effects when this step is not taken.
For instance, the efficiency of the HVAC system will drop dramatically. This will drive up overall energy costs, as your systems of heating and cooling will need to work much harder to achieve the desired temperature. In fact, air flow problems such as these can decrease efficiency by nearly 20%, a considerable drop in efficiency by just about any standards. In addition to this, the indoor air quality is likely to drop, and unfiltered air will naturally have more contaminants in it. This can lead to or exacerbate already existing cases of asthma or allergies (or both, depending on the household and the quality of the air in question).
And regular maintenance of your HVAC systems as conducted by an HVAC company and a professional HVAC contractor will help to prevent things like the need for furnace repair. In fact, furnace repair can be almost entirely avoided, as regular maintenance and servicing can drop the chance of experiencing an unexpected break down by as much as 75% – and usually by no less than 70%. And avoiding the need for furnace repair will also avoid some pretty major costs, as furnace repair is going to be much more expensive than a simple inspection, which only needs to happen about twice a year in order to avoid furnace repair, other types of heating and cooling repairs, and to maintain peak efficiency for as long as possible.
Aside from coming with a huge cost, the need for furnace repair can also be quite a dangerous thing, as a home without heat during the winter time can prove perilous. While it’s likely that you’ll be able to get a HVAC contractor in to look at the furnace repair that is necessary sooner rather than later, you’ll likely need to think about a temporary place to stay. After all, houses without heat during extreme cold (such as many places in this country experience during the winter months) can be less than safe for extended stay, particularly during the night hours, when the temperature is liable to drop even more extremely.
But costs can be reduced in even more ways. The addition of insulation, for example, has been found to lower utility bills by as much has 30% – a truly impressive number, to say the least. After all, up to one quarter of heat loss in your home can be directly linked to small cracks and holes throughout the structure, cracks and holes that can easily be filled in when insulation is added to your home. For many people, the addition of insulation is well worth the cost, both of the insulation itself as well as the cost of the professionals who installed it, as this is likely to lead to the best quality of insulation installation that is possible (as opposed to a do it yourself, or DIY, attempt).
Finally, thermostat installation is a small change to make – but one that can save you as much as 10% on your heating bills, at least in the case of the installation of programmable thermostats, to be more specific.
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