Expert Tips for Optimizing Your HVAC System to Improve Overall Energy Efficiency at Home

Introduction

Everyone knows that the steep energy bill you're seeing each year is due to creeping increases in cost, and that the main culprit is often the HVAC systems. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning account for a majority of household overall energy use more than any other single system in the house. Upgrading an entire system can be costly, but luckily there are a host of helpful tricks that can be employed on a system to improve HVAC efficiency without sacrificing comfort.

This particular guide helps people navigate quick, efficient, and easy at home tricks for HVAC systems and how to best implement them on older and newer systems alike. Tips will focus around eliminating waste, reducing comfort system burden, and saving money.

Understanding What it Means for an HVAC System to be Efficient

In order to understand some of the more advanced techniques to decrease an HVAC systems burden a basic understanding of system efficiency is helpful. A system, whether it is an HVAC system or not, that is considered efficient accomplishes its goal with the minimum amount of energy consumption. An inefficient system is one that consumes a high amount of energy and takes a long time to accomplish its goal. This system places a lot of demand on itself and ultimately draws a large utility bill and shortens the life of the equipment.

There are many reasons that HVAC systems have varying degrees of efficiency. One is age, and older systems were built with lower efficiency standards. Poor maintenance also sacrifices efficiency. For example, if the filters get dirty, the coils get clogged, or there are gaps in the ductwork, the system must work harder to compensate. Other, less noticeable factors include improper thermostat settings or inadequate insulation.

Efficiency is the joint result of the system, the home, and the habits. That is why the tips that follow are not just about the unit itself, but also the other components of the system.

Section 1: The Importance of Routine Maintenance

By far, the most cost-effective way to maintain efficiency of an HVAC system is through routine maintenance. Neglecting a system leads to inefficient energy use, as well as a system that will break more easily and at inconvenient times. As described earlier, a dirty filter obstructs airflow, causing the system to work overtime, and also places added strain on the motor.

One of the easiest ways to tell if a system's filter needs to be replaced is if the system has a build-up of dust. A good rule of thumb is replacing it once every one to three months, based on system use and household factors, like pets.

Book two professional HVAC tune-ups each year. Small HVAC problems can quickly lead to expensive repairs. For air conditioning, schedule a tune-up in the spring, and for heating in the fall. Refrigerant levels, electrical connections, moving parts, and thermostat calibration are some of the items that HVAC technicians check during routine tune-ups.

For central AC and heat pump systems, the outdoor unit must have adequate air flow to function properly, so keep it clear. This means trimming vegetation, leaf and debris removal, and at least 2 feet of clearance on all sides.

It's important to remember to have air duct cleaning as well. Even if it is not necessary each year, having air ducts cleaned can improve the air quality of the indoor air, as well as improve airflow, if you notice excessive dust or uneven airflow between rooms.

Section 2: Maximize Efficiency by Optimizing Thermostat Settings

The way you set your thermostat can have unclear, but important, effects on the efficiency of the HVAC system. Making slight behavioral changes can save money year round.

Smart thermostats come outfitted with technology to help you save energy. Programmable thermostats remove the burden of remembering to adjust your temperature. Once you set up your thermostat, smart thermostats will take note of your daily habits and automatically suggest energy savings.

The “7 to 10 degree rule” indicates you can set your thermostat to 7 to 10 degrees cooler during the hours that you’ll be away from the house. The savings from this small adjustment during the day add up to significant savings on your utility costs at the end of the year.

Saving energy isn’t just about the psychologically uncomfortable temperature. It’s about not using more energy than necessary. If you change your thermostat setting by 15 degrees several times each day, not only will you feel uncomfortable, your HVAC system will have to work harder, and will actually incur greater energy usage. Avoid large temperature differentials, and set your temperature consistently.

You can also set your thermostat a few degrees higher in the summer. With the use of a ceiling fan, you can fake a cooler room by creating a windchill. Fans don’t actually cool the air, but combined with a higher thermostat, you can enhance energy savings. In the winter, you can reverse the ceiling fan to push warm air that collects at the top of the room back down.

Section 3: Upgrading Home Insulation and Sealing

Even a well-maintained HVAC system can struggle to accomplish its function if the home itself does not offer sufficient resistance to the flow of air. Leaving gaps and cracks through which heated or cooled air can escape forces your system to work harder and longer.

It is important to weather strip your doors and windows. You can also apply caulk to small gaps that let out conditioned air. DIY window improvements only take an afternoon and save you money on your energy bill in the long run.

As with your wall insulation, having good attic insulation is extremely important because it helps maintain the overall temperature of the house. It also reduces the amount of time that your HVAC system has to compensate for the heat transfer.

Check your ductwork too. Since leaky ducts lose a good deal of the conditioned air, it is important to check and insulate your ducts. Insulating ducts that run through a space that is not conditioned helps achieve the goal of directing all of the conditioned air to your living space.

Purchase the right window treatments. One way to help your HVAC system is to buy window treatments that help control heat gain in the summer and help retain warmth in the winter.

Section 4: Upgrades and Smart Technology

While behavioral changes and maintenance can get you only so far, the right upgrades can enableyou to attain a greater level of efficiency, especially for those with aging or improperly sized HVAC systems.

Consider the size of your system. An oversized system wastes energy and wears out components due to shorter runtime. An undersized system leads to higher energy costs. If you've never had a load calculation on your home, it is wise to get one done to ensure the HVAC system installed matches your home.

Look into zoning systems. A zoning system allows you to divide your home into separate temperature zones and control each zone individually rather than treating the entire home as one temperature zone. This works well for larger homes or multi-story homes with temperature differentials.

When you do a replacement, opt for a high efficiency unit. If your system is over 15-20 years old, it is operating at a significantly lower efficiency compared to newer systems. Look for units with high SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) ratings for cooling and high AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) ratings for heating.

Smart Vents and sensors. These can change airflow in rooms based on occupancy and temperature, and can even be triggered by a sensor network throughout the home. Rather than just basing temperature decisions on one room, your thermostat can make decisions based on a variety of readings.

Conclusion

You do not need to spend a lot to drastically enhance your HVAC system. There are numerous small enhancements that can be made to your system. All you need to do is consistently keep up with maintenance, replace your thermostat with a more efficient model, and improve the envelope of your home with better seals. Finally, you should know when to upgrade individual components of your system. While these changes are small, they can reduce your energy bills and prolong the working life of your equipment.

Sara,

Digital marketing consultant, writer, freelancer, WorldPress enthusiast, and coffee lover.

 

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