Posts Tagged ‘Milton’
Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
Are you looking for inexpensive ways to save money on energy bills this winter? Now is a great time to tackle these home projects and each of them is very affordable.
1. Add weather stripping to your doors and windows. Keeping warm air from escaping and drafts from blowing in can make a 5% to 10% difference in your energy use.
2. Seal exposed ductwork in attics and basements. Check for gaps in seams and joints, holes, or other places where warm air can escape. Use high quality mastic, rather then silver or duct tape that won’t hold as well or be efficient. Experts say that as much as 20% of warm air can escape through leaky ducts, so this is a great way to save money!
3. Put an insulation blanket on your water heater. The water tank warms up 30 or 40 gallons of water and then it starts to cool off, wasting money. An insulating blanket will slow down the heat loss substantially.
4. Program your thermostat so that the system runs less when you are nott there. Let the temperature fall 10 degrees or so when the house is empty, and you can program it to warm back up before you get home
5. Run full loads of laundry instead of several small loads. You’ll reduce your water use and your overall electrical use.
6. Add insulation to the attic. In winter, heated air escapes through the ceiling into the attic and out of the house. In summer, the attic gets hot and that air pushes down into the house, causing the air conditioner to work harder. A layer of insulation (minimum R19) in the attic will help year-round.
7. Have your furnace or heat pump cleaned and tuned up for winter. A dirty furnace or heat pump coil can waste 20% or more of the energy it uses. Having your entire HVAC system serviced before winter is a cost that might pay you back very quickly.
These are very good ways to reduce energy use on a limited budget. They are easy to accomplish and you will notice immediate results — lower energy bills every month going forward!
Tags: Acworth, Alpharetta, Atlanta, Austell, Bridgemill, Buckhead, Canton, Cartersville, Cherokee County, Clarkdale, Crabapple, Cumberland, Dallas, East Cobb, Euharlee, Holly Springs, Kennesaw, Kingston, Lake Arrowhead, Lost Mountain, Mableton, Marietta, Mars Hill, Milton, Mountain Park, Northpoint, Powder Springs, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Smyrna, Taylorsville, Townlake, Vinings, Waleska, White, Woodstock
Posted in Energy Savings, Gas Heaters, Heat Pump Systems, Heat Pumps, Heating, Home Savings, Insulation, Maintenance Plan/Comfort Club, Rebates & Tax Credits, Tax Credits, Trane, Winterizing | Comments Off
Wednesday, November 30th, 2011
Winter is coming fast, and it certainly doesn’t let us forget it! Blustery winds that chill through to your bones, iced up car windows, and snow days, this often means that the temperature outside has reached as low as 30 degrees or colder when wind chill is considered!
A large reason that we are able to live comfortably in this weather is because of a special appliance that is often tucked away in your house and not really considered on a daily basis: your furnace.
Furnaces consist of three major components: the burners, a draft inducer, and a heat exchanger. When you bump up your thermostat or it detects that the temperature of your house/building has dropped below its designated temperature, it send a signal to the furnace to ignite its burners.
After the burners are ignited, the draft inducer kicks into action, and sucks the hot gases from the burners towards the heat exchanger. A draft inducer looks similar to a cars turbocharger, and works in a similar manner also. While the hot gas is moved through the heat exchanger, the furnace also brings air from your house through the heat exchanger in order to warm it. If the draft inducer is dirty in any way, this could cause the unit from igniting or staying lit.
And there you have it! Now you understand the basics of how a furnace works. Always use a professional to carry out maintenance and repairs to keep it running at peak efficiency and safe for the whole family.
Tags: Acworth, Alpharetta, Atlanta, Austell, Big Creek, Bridgemill, Buckhead, Canton, Cartersville, Cherokee County, Clarkdale, Cobb County, Crabapple, Cumberland, Dallas, East Cobb, Euharlee, Holly Springs, Kennesaw, Kingston, Lake Arrowhead, Lost Mountain, Mableton, Marietta, Mars Hill, Milton, Mountain Park, Northpoint, Powder Springs, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Smyrna, Taylorsville, Townlake, Vinings, White, Woodstock
Posted in Energy Savings, Gas Heaters, Heating, Home Savings, Maintenance Plan/Comfort Club, Rebates & Tax Credits, Tax Credits, Trane, Uncategorized, Winterizing | Comments Off
Friday, November 18th, 2011
Your home is a haven for you and your family. You do all you can to keep it comfortable and safe. If you live in a cold climate, you know how important it is to keep your home warm during the cold months. Being unsure whether your heating system will work properly through the winter can cause serious worry for a homeowner. Hiring a professional home heating service to do a yearly check-up is a great way to catch problems and make repairs before they turn into serious problems
Heating contractors have the expertise and training to handle any size of repair, and they deal with furnace issues and ductwork on a regular basis. They will evaluate your needs and give you an estimate for the repair before they begin it. You want to contract with professionals who have the skills and abilities to detect and repair problems to your heating and air conditioning system. Because they are experienced, they have worked on many different types of units, which give them important knowledge that the average homeowner simply doesn’t have.
Reliable heating contractors work hard to provide affordable bids quickly so that you can have them do the work that gets you back to status quo. It is a good idea to locate a contractor before you have a problem so that you will know who to call if an emergency were to occur. It is a good idea to have a company come out for a basic service call so you can see how easy they are to work with and how well they do their job. This way if problems arise later you know you have someone to call that you can trust and knows your system. If you try to fix a problem with your heating or air conditioning system on your own, you could actually make it worse and cause your home to be without heat for a longer period of time.
Choosing professional heating contractors will keep this from happening. Be sure when you call for your emergency that you accurately describe the problem with your system so that your heating contractors will have a better idea of where to start. This may reduce the total time they must spend and can save you money, since they get paid by the hour.
Tags: Acworth, Alpharetta, Atlanta, Austell, Bridgemill, Buckhead, Canton, Cartersville, Cherokee County, Cobb County, Dallas, East Cobb, Euharlee, Holly Springs, HVAC, Kennesaw, Kingston, Lake Arrowhead, Lost Mountain, Mableton, Marietta, Mars Hill, Milton, Mountain Park, Paulding County, Powder Springs, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Smyrna, Taylorsville, Waleska, White, Woodstock
Posted in Gas Heaters, Heat Pumps, Maintenance Plan/Comfort Club, Trane | Comments Off
Monday, November 14th, 2011
When the heater starts to malfunction, many homeowners debate whether they should call for furnace repair or buy an upgraded system. There are pros and cons to each choice and every individual will have to do some research and thinking to decide for himself or herself. Reparation can be the ecologically sound thing to do — or not. Many appliances are designed to go kaput at a certain age and to be hauled away to the dump.
Purchasing a new system can be good for the planet due to increased energy efficiency. If a system is so old that it guzzles energy like a hungry monster, this will make a large carbon footprint on the earth. Using a minimum of energy will be best for the planet and best for a consumer’s wallet. Here are some things to think about:
- Maintenance: An ounce of preventative maintenance is worth a pound of repair. Want to keep that HVAC working seamlessly for many years to come? Then perform regular maintenance and servicing. Replace the filter every month like clockwork.
On a specific date, such as the first of each month or every full moon, take out the old dusty one and discard it. Slip the new one into place, you have just extended the life of your furnace. Having a service technician come in at the beginning of every season to perform service will be a wise step, too.
- How old is your heater? Ancient furnace systems that clunk, clank and guzzle may be hopelessly outdated. When this old dinosaur breaks down, it may be wise to give it a decent burial. If it’s only a few years old, however, it would be wiser to call the repair person out to fix it.
- Energy star products: The government has given the “energy star” label to a variety of green products that are proven to cut energy consumption by 10 to 15%. The average family spends a couple thousand dollars to heat their home each winter and this savings can accumulate quickly. Not only will the utility bills be lower, but the government offers tax breaks to homeowners who install energy star products.
- Your repair person: It’s smart to establish a relationship with a tech before a breakdown occurs. Having an annual seasonal service performed will be the perfect opportunity to get this business relationship cemented.
When the heater goes kaput, it may be wise to call for furnace repair or might just be a wakeup call to purchase a new system. Doing a bit of homework and comparison shopping will provide answers for making an informed decision. Always choose a licensed professional.
Tags: Acworth, Alpharetta, Austell, Buckhead, Canton, Cartersville, Cherokee County, Cobb County, Dallas, East Cobb, Euharlee, Holly Springs, HVAC, Kennesaw, Kingston, Lost Mountain, Marietta, Mars Hill, Milton, Paulding County, Powder Springs, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Smyrna, Townlake, Vinings, White, Woodstock
Posted in Energy Savings, Gas Heaters, Heating, Home Savings, Maintenance Plan/Comfort Club, Tax Credits, Trane | Comments Off
Friday, July 22nd, 2011
A ten year old home is likely to be in great condition, presuming the previous owner(s) treated it well. But, there are some things you should watch out for that can arise in newer constructions, even if they were treated well.
Poor Craftsmanship
While it is possible for a 100 year old home to have poorly crafted parts, it’s highly unlikely if the house is still intact and is being sold this long after it was built. Newer homes, however, wouldn’t show signs of cheap materials or shoddy work until a bit later in their life. That’s why it is important to pay for a thorough inspection of the property as soon as possible – definitely before it is purchased and possibly again afterwards to check for possible improvements.
Specific things you should check for include roofing, your heating and cooling systems, the insulation and the drywall used. Especially in freshly renovated or built houses it’s impossible to be sure a home was built with the highest standards of modern craftsmanship.
Proper Maintenance
For a home that is only 10 years old, there is a good chance you can get the original records for the heating and cooling system, any appliances in the home and all maintenance performed on them since their installation. If not, don’t fret – a good technician will be able to easily check the status of a piece during an inspection.
You should also check to find out the last time the sewer lines and plumbing were inspected. Owners of new homes often forget to have these things checked because they never deal directly with the contractors after the home is bought. To avoid falling into that trap, you should make sure the maintenance plans have been followed carefully and kept up with since the system was installed.
Overall, if your new home is only 10 years old, you are likely in a very good place. The home will be in good condition, the parts will be new, and your heating and cooling system should be efficient. Original parts installed during construction may need to be replaced, but otherwise, if everything else checks out, you can count on having a comfortable, wonderful place to live for some years to come.
Tags: Bartow County, Milton, Mountain Park, White
Posted in Home Savings | Comments Off
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011
When you incorporate a dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) into the cooling system for your building, you’ll need to supplement it with another parallel cooling system. DOAS systems are important because they ensure a proper and consistent influx of fresh air, but they can’t typically handle the entire cooling load of a building on their own. Luckily, there are a number of options for a supplemental system. Specifically, when you want the right system to supplement a DOAS, you have two choices – air based or radiant cooling.
Air Based Parallel Cooling
In an air based parallel cooling system, reconditioned air from the building is used to compliment the fresh air supplied by the DOAS. This reconditioned air can be mixed with the DOAS and then circulated throughout the building, or the two types of air can be circulated separately through their own ductwork systems.
It’s easy to see how putting in two systems of ducts could increase your initial installation costs if you go that route. But by keeping the two types of air separate, you’ll always have the right combination of fresh and recirculated air in each area of your building.
Combining these two air sources prior to building-wide circulation, on the other hand, can both save you on initial installation costs and on operating costs, as the fan power needed to circulate air from a single supply is much less than what you would need for two separate supplies.
Radiant Parallel Cooling
However, there is another option entirely when you’re trying to supplement your DOAS – radiant parallel cooling. This involves installing a system of radiant cooling panels throughout the building. These panels are cooled continuously so they absorb heat from people and objects in each room.
As the panels absorb heat and carry it away, the change in air temperature near the panels leads to the development of natural convection currents that gradually spread the cool air throughout the room. Radiant cooling is ideal for use with a DOAS because it requires very little additional energy usage and no fan or ductwork.
Particularly if you are installing a system in a building for the first time and have no ducts or other features in place yet, radiant ceiling panels can be the ideal choice from both a functional and budgetary standpoint.
The system that works best for you will depend largely on the current layout of your building, the specific cooling needs of tenants or employees, and your target installation costs. Make sure to do your research well in advance before choosing your cooling method and you’ll be set for years to come.
Tags: Cherokee County, Kennesaw, Milton, Woodstock
Posted in Air Conditioning | Comments Off
Monday, March 28th, 2011
If you’re like most people, you probably focus on how to keep the living areas of your home warm and comfortable in the winter months. Of course, you want to do this with as little expense as possible and so insulating and heating all of the rooms of your home naturally makes sense. The main goal of this is to eliminate any areas where heat might be able to escape, thereby causing you to spend more and run your heating system for longer to keep the temperature indoors at an acceptable level.
What you might not often think about, however, is the fact that the crawlspace under your floors is probably not insulted at all. Of course you and your family don’t spend much time there, but if you’re trying to keep your home comfortable for as small a price tag as possible, this is something you should think about addressing.
There are actually several reasons that heating and insulating your crawlspace can save you money in the long run. For one thing, the ducts and pipes that carry your heated air and water to various locations throughout your house generally run right through these very crawl spaces. Even with an average amount of insulation surrounding those pipes and ducts, you’ll still be losing heat to the outdoors as the air and water travel through the crawl space.
Of course, pumping heat directly into the crawl space would be a waste too, since there is no insulation to keep it there. With the proper amount of insulation, however, you can easily heat your crawl space with very little energy and potentially save a ton in the long run.
When your ducts and pipes are traveling through a heated space, they’ll retain the heat they started with and bring that to the rest of your home. You’ll pay very little to keep the crawl space warm and you’ll save a lot by conserving the heat and hot water that you do generate to keep your house comfortable.
Plus, because your crawl space is generally located directly underneath the floor, you’ll be protecting the actual rooms of your home from heat loss as well. And you floors won’t be so cold to walk on either. Overall, there really is no reason not to take the time and have your crawl space properly insulated and heated.
Tags: Atlanta, crawl space, Milton, Roswell, Smyrna
Posted in Energy Savings | Comments Off
Join Us Online