How Your Thermostat Can Affect Heating Efficiency: A Frederick, MD Heating Guide

Getting the Most From Your Heating System

When most homeowners are having trouble with their heaters, they tend to think that it is a problem with the furnace or boiler itself. It is important to remember that your home heating system in Frederick, MD consists of a number of individual components, though, and that a subpar or faulty performance from any of these components may disrupt the efficiency of your heater. If you are concerned about poor efficiency, or you’re contemplating heating repairs contact Larry & Sons. A professional service technician will be able to pinpoint the problem with your heater and resolve it. Sometimes the cause of your heating inefficiency can even be the thermostat.

Thermostats & Heating Efficiency

Your thermostat is the central control system of your heating system. In order for the heater to know that more heating output is necessary it must receive that signal from your thermostat. This means that the thermostat must register the temperature in the room to restart the heater should the temperature slip below the target goal. If the thermostat is faulty and reads the temperature wrong it can cause the heater to run too often or short cycle frequently. More energy will be used for a lesser performance and energy efficiency will suffer.

Your thermostat does not need to be working improperly in order for it to affect heating efficiency. Even if it is doing its job perfectly it is still controlled by the homeowner, and many homeowners do not know how to use their thermostats properly. To get the most out of your thermostat it is important to familiarize yourself with the device and its features.

If you have a programmable thermostat, for instance, you can use it to set up heating cycles specifically designed for your personal heating habits and schedule. You can save energy by keeping your home cooler during the work day, but still have a comfortably warm home waiting for you when you return. This means you will not be tempted to crank the heat up when you get home.

Before you For more information about how thermostats can affect heating efficiency in your Frederick, MD home, contact Larry & Sons. We can answer all of your questions. Let us help you cut down on your energy costs.

Larry & Sons Offers Tips on How to Save Energy Costs

HAGERSTOWN, Md., Feb. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Although temperatures are seemingly warm one day and cold on the next, winter is hardly over. Larry & Sons, a leading air conditioning, heating, and plumbing company serving Hagerstown and Frederick is offering homeowners tips on ways to save energy and keep utility bills low for the remainder of the winter.

“Swapping out light bulbs, turning on ceiling fans, and replacing air filters are a few easy ways to save energy,” says Eric Corbett, president and owner of Larry & Sons. “Even the smallest problems with your furnace or inconsistencies in heating effectiveness throughout your home can cause your energy bill to skyrocket during winter.”

Corbett offers the following tips on how to save energy and lower utility bills during winter:

  • Seal the doors and windows. Homes are built to protect you from the elements. However, over time the seals around doors and windows can become weak. You may find that the seals between your doors and window frames are not as tight as they once were when the home was brand new. Weakened seals allow cold air to enter and warm air to exit. Therefore, heating your home isn’t working if your seals are weak.
  • Run your fans. Turning on the indoor fans will help to move air around the room. This evens out the temperature in a room instead of the hot air accumulating near the ceiling. It also helps to eliminate any cold spots in corners of the home.
  • Swap old bulbs for LED lights. Swapping out old incandescent lights for LED lighting can save you extra money over time. In addition to being more energy efficient, LED lights last up to 50 times longer than incandescent lights and up to five times longer than fluorescent ones. This saves you time and money replacing burnt out bulbs.
  • Turn down your thermostat and water heater if you’re leaving home. If you are traveling, turn down the thermostat and water heater before leaving your home. Don’t completely shut them off, just turn them down to save energy. If you shut your thermostat and water heater off, pipes can freeze without sufficient warmth.
  • Install a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat allows you to set the temperature for various times of the day so that your furnace turns on to warm your house before you wake up, or it shuts off to save energy when everyone is asleep.
  • Call a professional. Your HVAC is a complex system. If it’s malfunctioning and runs without repair, it could potentially lead to greater damage and a more expensive repair. Invest in routine low-cost maintenance and tune-ups to save money in the long run.
  • Clean your furnace filter. The simplest thing to do is to replace your air filter often. An HVAC unit drives air through a filter into the ductwork to the rest of the house. This keeps your air clean and filtered for impurities. As the filter removes impurities and dust from the air, it blocks airflow causing the furnace to work harder, which draws more energy.

For more information on home energy efficiency and what homeowners can do to lower their monthly utility bill, contact Larry & Sons at (301)-733-5428 or visit www.larryandsons.com.

About Larry & Sons, Inc.
Larry & Sons, Inc. has served Tri-State area homeowners since 1960. With experts for nearly any home service needed, Larry & Sons offers full-service plumbing for repair and installation of water heaters, sewer systems, drain services and water treatment systems. The company also has solutions for central heating and air conditioning, geothermal, or general indoor air quality control systems. Team members at Larry and Sons, Inc. are licensed and trained to handle any job from leaky faucets and clogged drains to full remodels of bathrooms. For more information about Larry & Sons, Inc., visit www.larryandsons.com or call 301-733-5428.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Heather Ripley
Ripley PR
865-977-1973
hripley@ripleypr.com

SOURCE Larry & Sons, Inc.

Related Links

https://larryandsons.com

Save Energy with These 5 Easy Tips!

2017 is here, and now is the perfect time to make New Year’s Resolutions and put them into action. While most people are starting on diets and exercise plans that are likely to fail, why not do something different this year?

Resolving to reduce your energy consumption is easy, and the payoff is huge. There are several small ways to use less energy, and these small changes are much easier to stick to than an entire overhaul of your diet!

Check out these tips to save energy in the New Year!

5 Easy Ways to Reduce Energy Consumption

Reduce Energy Consumption
Resolve to reduce energy consumption in 2017 with these easy tips!
  1. Kick your old thermostat to the curb. Upgrading to a programmable thermostat can save you up to 10% on your annual heating and cooling bills by simply adjusting the temperature when you’re asleep or not at home. You stay comfortable, and your energy bills drop. What’s not to love?
  2. Get rid of your old appliances. Old appliances could be wasting tons of energy. In fact, your appliances and electronics account for about 20% of your home’s energy consumption. By upgrading to Energy Star certified products, you could drastically reduce your usage. As a bonus, upgrading could make you eligible for valuable tax incentives.
  3. Take advantage of the sun. During the winter months, opening up your curtains to let the sun in gives your heating system a bit of a break. Opening up the blinds also lets light in, meaning you need to use less electric lights. Remember to keep the blinds and curtains closed during the summer, though.
  4. Pick up a power strip. Did you know that your electronic devices and chargers draw power even when they aren’t in use? Known as “energy vampires,” these things could be costing you up to $100 per year. Plug them into a power strip, and turn off the strip when the devices aren’t in use.
  5. Schedule a home energy audit. Not sure what’s driving up your energy bills? A home energy audit is a great way to find out. During the audit, you’ll learn where you’re wasting energy and find out how to lower your consumption.

At Larry & Sons, we can help you discover ways to reduce your energy consumption all around your home. From sealing air ducts to prevent warmed or cooled air from escaping to helping you upgrade to a programmable thermostat to replacing your old energy hog of a water heater with a new tankless water heater, we’re here to help you make small changes that make a huge difference!

Contact us today to learn how to make your home more energy efficient in 2017! Call 301-733-5428.

Martinsburg Heating Guide: Home Energy Audits

One of the most effective ways to ensure the efficiency of your Martinsburg  home’s heating and air conditioning systems and reduce your total energy consumption is to have a home energy audit performed. Such audits check for common signs of energy loss and for simple ways to improve overall efficiency. Here are some things you can do on your own to audit energy consumption and some others that a professional will do to get a better idea of total energy use.

 At Home Energy Audit

  • Check for Air Leaks – Do a visual inspection for air leaks, checking windows, doors and outward facing walls for leaks. A professional can be more thorough but often you can find a number of them.
  • Monitor Your Meters – Keep an eye on your meters and check for sudden increases or changes in water, electricity or natural gas consumption.
  • Check Insulation – Inspect and check your insulation for rips, breaks or other issues that might make it less efficient.
  • Check Your Lighting – Replace your light bulbs with newer CFL bulbs or LED bulbs. These are more efficient and last much longer than older incandescents.
  • Inspect Appliances – Check your appliances for efficiency ratings and other common problems that might reduce their efficiency.

Professional Energy Audit

  • Blower Test Doors – Blower test doors allow a professional to pressurize and check your home for leaks. This process will thoroughly catalog any weaknesses in your ventilation and insulation.
  • Ductwork Inspection and Testing – A ductwork inspection will find and repair any cracks or leaks in your ductwork and ensure it is as efficient as possible.
  • Thermographic Inspections – A thermographic inspection uses advanced infrared technology to check for heat or cooling loss due to gaps in insulation, leaks or holes in weatherstripping or insulation.

If you are serious about cutting your energy consumption and improving the overall efficiency of your home’s heating and cooling systems, consider a home energy audit from a Martinsburg professional that can provide accurate readings of your total usage. For more information about home energy audit, call Larry & Sons today!