My husband and I have spent a lot of time consulting with an architect. After living in our cramped, starter home for the past 11 years, we were finally ready to make some needed changes to it. We have added an extra 600 square feet of space onto our house. Before the construction began, we finalized the plans for our new heating and air conditioning unit with our HVAC contractor. Because our home was going to be substantially bigger than it is now, we purchased a larger HVAC system. We also installed a new, digital thermostat inside my home. On this blog, I hope you will discover the best types of HVAC units to buy for mid-size homes. Enjoy!
Residential heating costs are expected to be all over the map this coming winter. If last winter was any indication, you may use more heating energy and/or fuel to heat your home this year. If you are thinking that there is no way you can afford another expensive heating season, here are three ways to reduce your heating costs this winter.
Install a Pellet Stove
Pellet fuel is really cheap, and a pellet stove can heat large common areas of your home so well that you do not really need to run your furnace at all when you are at home. If your house is all one level, the pellet stove might even heat the whole house! In two-story homes, some of that heat will rise and the upstairs will not be quite so chilly either. You will need an HVAC contractor that can build the stone platform on which the stove is usually constructed, and the stovepipe that exits through an existing wall to vent the burning pellets in the stove.
Install a More Fuel/Energy Efficient Furnace
If the idea of a pellet stove in a central room in your home does not appeal to you, you can install a more fuel and energy-efficient furnace. Installing and replacing your current furnace could really help you slash heating bills this winter, especially if your current furnace is a little bit older (e.g., more than a decade or two). The initial cost of updating and changing your furnace may initially be an expense you would rather avoid, but ultimately a more efficient furnace will pay for itself in the reduced costs of heating your home over time.
Tune-up and Cleaning
If either of the above options are not something you can really handle financially right now, then a ventilation cleaning and HVAC tune-up on your furnace can make a dent in your heating bills instead. It will not be as big of a dent as swapping out furnaces or installing a pellet stove, but it will still cut down on your heating costs. Clean ventilation systems allow freer movement of the heated air into your home, while the tune-up and maintenance of the furnace will help it run better than it has in a long time. Additionally, if your HVAC technician notices something out of the ordinary that looks like it should be repaired or replaced, you can do that right away and avoid that bill later on.
Work with your residential heating professional to determine what is right for you.
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