Spring is a time of renewal, and our East Bay area is especially beautiful this time of year. Spring is also an ideal time for us to help our HVAC customers save money and energy at home without sacrificing comfort.
Top Energy Efficiency Tips for Springtime
- Open the windows: Set up a cross breeze to freshen and ventilate the house naturally. Open windows in the cool of the evening and close them before mornings warm up.
- Close blinds or draw curtains: Purchase insulated drapes and draw them closed during the sunniest part of the day.
- Microwave or grill food: Cook quickly in the microwave or grill outdoors to avoid heating up your home. Consider serving cold dishes, fresh salads, and fruit for a refreshing meal.
- Turn off lights and/or use low-heat bulbs: Lighting can heat up your immediate area uncomfortably and raise energy bills. Remember to turn lights off when leaving a room. Opt for cooler LED bulbs, too.
- Wash only full loads of laundry: Consider letting clothing and dishware air dry. Make sure the dryer vent is clean when you do use it to increase safety and efficiency.
- Take shorter showers: Enjoy shorter, cool-water showers when it’s warm outside.
- Use fans: Ceiling fans make you feel cooler, so you can raise the thermostat a few degrees without noticing. Exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom help banish heat and humidity from their respective areas.
- Perform water heater maintenance: Keep your hot water heater in great shape and operating efficiently by setting its thermostat to 120 degrees. This prevents scalding accidents and cuts energy bills. You should drain a quarter of the tank to help clear out sediment annually, or ask your HVAC technician to inspect and maintain the water heater for you.
- Clean the refrigerator: Dust and vacuum behind the fridge and clean the coils. Toss out old food items for better interior air circulation, more efficient refrigeration, and lower energy bills. You can increase efficiency even more by moving your fridge away from the stove and direct sunlight.
- Set the thermostat higher: Try starting at 78 degrees, which is a popular sweet spot that offers energy savings and home comfort. Raise the air conditioner temperature setting to 88 degrees when you’re not at home (or use a programmable or smart thermostat to handle this automatically or remotely).
- Seal the home’s envelope: Make sure the perimeter of your house is free of cracks that allow conditioned air to escape and let hot outdoor air into the home. Caulk drafty areas around wall outlets, plumbing pipes that penetrate outer walls, around window casings, and more.
- Look for the ENERGY STAR®: Purchase products with the ENERGY STAR® logo, which means they meet the high standards set by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). These products decrease your energy costs and reduce your carbon footprint.
- Get an AC checkup: Before your AC goes into overdrive this summer, invite our expert HVAC technicians to inspect your cooling system and preform annual cooling equipment maintenance. We clean and lubricate components, change the filter, and much more to increase efficiency and avoid breakdowns.
- Consider duct sealing: Leaky ducts waste up to 30 percent of the heated or cooled air that runs through your duct system so that it never reaches your rooms. Ask your HVAC expert to evaluate your duct system to see if sealing is needed.
Schedule a Home Energy Audit in Dublin, CA
Now’s the time to walk through your home with this list and see how much you can save this spring. If you need a home energy audit in the East Bay area, Moore Mechanical is here to help!
For expert home advice and to take care of all of your HVAC needs, contact us online or call (925) 248-4552 today!
