8 Need-to-Know Tips for Heating and Cooling Your New Construction Home
In 2018 alone, approximately 1.23 million new homes were built across the country. That's a lot of opportunities to find your dream home.
Once you do, you'll need to start thinking about making the house as efficient as possible.
Believe it or not, heating and cooling costs are some of the biggest expenses homeowners face each year. And they cannot be avoided.
Wondering how to make your house as efficient and budget-friendly as possible? Take a look at these simple tips!
1. Make Sure the Unit Fits the House
HVAC systems are not all the same size. This allows homeowners to find an option that works with their exact square footage.
However, it does make it a bit more difficult to choose the right system in the first place.
If the unit is too big, your house will be overly humid and won't stay at the right temperature throughout the day.
If the unit is too small, it has to work overtime just to keep your house comfortable. This results in high energy bills and can lead to excessive wear and tear on the system.
Speak with your heating and cooling expert to make sure your system fits the house. If it doesn't, you may want to consider replacing it.
2. Pick an HVAC System with an Energy Star Seal
Some heating and cooling units are not as efficient as others. Energy Star ratings on products can help you find the most efficient unit for your needs.
The Energy Star program is a voluntary government-backed program designed to help homeowners make the best decisions on appliances, building materials, and all things home improvement.
The seal indicates that the product meets certain requirements for energy efficiency so you can save money in the long-run.
With your heating and cooling system, the more efficient the unit is, the more money you'll save on energy costs. Over the course of a year, this could easily be hundreds of dollars.
3. Choose the Right Thermostat
Programmable thermostats are the best way to keep your home comfortable no matter how bad the weather gets outside.
If your new construction home has a programmable thermostat system in place, great! If not, you may want to upgrade.
Programmable thermostats allow you to set the temperature throughout the house and essentially forget about it. The HVAC system will kick on as needed and your house will stay at that temperature whether you're home or not.
Depending on the system, you may even be able to program different temperatures for different times of day, further boosting your unit's efficiency.
For example, you can set the thermostat slightly cooler in the winter or warmer in the summer while you're away from the house. Then, tell the system to bring the house temperature closer to your ideal level just before you get home.
This allows your HVAC system to work less frequently, saving you on wear and tear and repair costs.
4. Stay On Top of Maintenance
Having your centralized heat and air system break down right when you need it most is a major hassle. The easiest way to prevent those breakdowns is to schedule routine maintenance.
Let your heating and air conditioning contractor inspect your system at least twice a year. Schedule an air conditioning tune-up in the spring and a heating system tune-up in the early fall.
This will keep your unit running properly and allow you to address minor repair issues before they become a major problem.
Remember, just because the system is new doesn't mean it won't need a little TLC throughout the year.
5. Give Your System a Helping Hand
An energy efficient heating and cooling system can easily be made more efficient if you take a few simple proactive steps.
During the summer, close the blinds during the hottest part of the day to keep the heat out of the house. In winter, cover the windows with plastic film or use heavy curtains to keep the cold outside at night.
These simple changes will keep the interior of your house more comfortable and reduce the number of times your system turns on each day.
6. Change the Filters
Every home heating and air conditioning system has filters that remove contaminants, dust, allergens, and debris from the air. This helps keep your indoor air quality as healthy as possible.
Over time, these filters get clogged and can make your unit work harder just to keep your home comfortable.
Change your filters once every three months. This will keep your system running efficiently and reduce the number of contaminants in your indoor air.
7. Use Your Ceiling Fans
When you have an energy efficient HVAC unit, it's easy to forget about your ceiling fans. But these little additions can make a huge dent in your energy bills.
During the summer, turn on the ceiling fans in rooms that you're using. This will circulate the air and make the room feel cooler without turning the air conditioner on.
In winter, reverse the ceiling fan cycle so the blades rotate clockwise. This pushes the warm air from the ceiling down to the part of the room you actually use.
8. Update Your Lighting
Many new construction homes lack energy efficient lighting and this can have a major impact on your heating and cooling bills throughout the year.
Older incandescent bulbs burn hot. When they're left on for a few hours a day, they can raise the temperature in your house by several degrees.
Switch your bulbs to energy-efficient LED options. These bulbs provide the same amount of light as standard incandescent bulbs but do so without putting out a lot of heat. Best of all, they use less energy, saving you even more on your electric bill!
Schedule a Heating and Cooling Consultation
Making sure your heating and cooling system is right for your new construction home can be a challenge.
Contact us to schedule a consultation with our dedicated contractors today. We'll make sure your HVAC system is working properly no matter how bad the weather is outside.
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