Reducing Heating And Cooling Loads Also Reduces Energy Costs

Did you know that there’s a fairly easy way to cut energy spending in your home? If you lower your home’s heating and cooling load, you will automatically spend less year-round. The secret is finding the most effective ways to improve your home’s performance.

What is load?

“Load” is an industry term used by heating and cooling technicians to label how much heated or cooled air a home requires in order for its occupants to remain comfortable.
This involves two calculations: The cooling load and the heating load. The actual math can be complicated, but the general factors that influence the load include heat gain through windows, the home’s seal, and the amount of insulation in your home.

How can you reduce the load?

You should always have a load calculation performed before installing any new equipment, but even if you don’t plan to upgrade, taking steps to reduce the heating and cooling load will help lower energy costs. Two of the most cost-effective steps include:

• Creating an airtight home – If your home leaks air through its exterior walls, attic or basement, you’re likely losing valuable conditioned air through every season. During winter, if your home leaks, warm air will be drawn to cooler spaces, so heated air will leak outside. In the summer, warm outside air will be drawn into the cooler indoors. In both cases, air leaks cause your HVAC equipment to work harder to compensate for the losses. You can seal leaks easily with a tube of caulk.
• Upgrading insulation – Insulation helps to create a barrier that stops the transfer of heat. So boosting the levels of your insulation, particularly in the attic — an easy job for most homeowners — will prevent heat from infiltrating the space during summer, and heat from escaping during winter.

By effectively implementing these steps to lower your home’s heating and cooling load, you’ll instantly see the benefits of these efforts on your heating and cooling bills. Need help? Simply contact your local HVAC experts at Ace Hardware Home Services today. We’ve been serving homeowners in the Dayton area since 1978.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about heating and cooling and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Ace Hardware Home Services services the Ohio’s Miami Valley. Visit our website to see our special offersand get started today!