Expert Advice on Home Improvement TV Host of Emmy®-Nominated Today's Homeowner® and home expert for The Weather ChannelBrought to you by:
Living green isn't just about recycling, minimizing waste and saving energy. 'Green' is also about being healthy and comfortable in our environment, especially when it comes to our homes. Our clean air solution, Trane CleanEffects™, is a whole-house air filtration system that attaches to your heating and cooling system -- removing up to 99.98 percent of particles and allergens from the filtered air in your home, and studies show it also removes more than 99 percent of the common flu, or influenza A virus, from the filtered air.
The average homeowner spends over $2,000 a year on energy, almost half of which goes to heating and cooling the home. Reducing the demands on your HVAC system and making sure it performs at peak efficiency can result in big savings. Here are several ideas for lowering your energy costs.
Every degree you lower your thermostat during the winter or raise it during the summer saves about three percent on heating and cooling costs. While that might not sound like much, if you spend $900 a year on heating and cooling, a four degree change can save over $100.
Programmable thermostats, like the TRANE XL800, can be set to automatically raise or lower the temperature of your home when you’re away. They’re easy to install and can shave about 10-15% off of your heating and cooling bills for an average annual savings of around $100. Programmable thermostats can pay for themselves in one to two years.
Have your HVAC system professionally serviced regularly to ensure that it’s running efficiently. Oil-fired systems should be serviced every year, gas furnaces every two years, and heat pumps every three years. This not only increases the life of the system, but can improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution.
If your furnace or air conditioner is more than 10 years old, consider replacing it with a newer energy efficient model such as the TRANE XV95 gas furnace or the TRANE XL19i air conditioner, for a savings of 15% or more on heating and cooling costs.
A dirty air filter prevents your HVAC system from working efficiently and can add 5% or more to your energy costs. Using a high quality filter also helps to reduce dust and improve indoor air quality. For the ultimate in indoor air quality, consider upgrading to a TRANE CleanEffects filtration system which can remove particles down 0.1 microns, 1/1000th the diameter of a human hair. It’s the first central air cleaning system to remove up to 99.98% of particles and allergens from the air, including 99% of flu viruses, which can reduce the incidence of airborne illness.
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