Home Heating Expert’s Saving Secrets

When outdoor temperatures get too hot or too cold many property owners resign themselves to higher energy bills. But good property managers understand that a penny saved goes straight to the bottom-line, therefore is truly a penny earned.

My name is Dean Gilford, I am a heating and air conditioning contractor, and my customers pay some of the lowest utility bills in Southern California. That’s because I refuse to let their heating and air conditioning costs get out of hand when savings are so simple. I’m going to give you the exact same savings secrets that I give to my customers.

You know and I know that when we talk about energy costs we are talking about more than pennies. Hundreds, even thousands of dollars can be saved with a few simple fixes.  

TOP TIP:  Change Your Filter

A dirty filter in your HVAC (heating/ventilating/and air-conditioning) system makes your furnace work harder, and leads to big scary numbers on your heating bill. Aim to swap your filter out once a month. 

Yearly Tune-Ups

Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling system can improve efficiency and comfort. Properly calibrated and lubricated equipment will save you money consistently on your energy bills and extend the life of your system.

Install a Programmable Thermostat
This is one of the most cost effective upgrades you can make to your HVAC system. I know you intend to turn your heat down when you are sleeping or not home. But you forget, right? Why not have your thermostat do it for you? Programmable thermostats turn off the HVAC systems at predetermined times when they are not needed. This way, the home is only conditioned when it needs to be and the energy consumption of the home is reduced. Programmable thermostats can reduce the amount spent on heating and cooling by 5 percent to 12 percent.

Insulate
You can save up to 20 percent on heating and cooling costs by properly insulating your home. There are different types of loose-fill insulation, which are blown or poured into place using special equipment.  Cellulose, fiberglass, foam or even recycled denim can be used for insulating enclosed walls, new wall cavities, unfinished attic floors and other hard-to-reach areas.

Block that Leak!

The small gaps surrounding windows, doors and other areas in the average home, taken together, are like a 9-square-foot hole in the wall. Plugging them can save you up to 10% on your heating bill.

·       First, find the leaks: On a windy day, hold a lit incense stick to the most common drafty areas: chimney flashing, recessed lighting, sill plates, window and door frames, all ducts and flues and electrical outlets.

·       Buy door sweeps to close spaces under exterior doors, and caulk or tacky rope caulk to block those drafty spots around window frames. Apply weather-stripping to movable joints. Recessed lighting caps and outlet gaskets can be installed where cold air often enters.

Properly Seal Ducts

Nothing depresses me like improperly installed duct. I’ve seen homes lose up to 60% of their warmed air before it reaches the vents because of poorly connected ducts, or ducting that is not well insulated.

Seal and insulate ducts to improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling system.

Focus first on sealing ducts that run through the attic, crawlspace, unheated basement, or garage. Use duct sealant (mastic) or metal-backed (foil) tape to seal the seams and connections of ducts. After sealing the ducts in those spaces, wrap them in insulation to keep them from getting hot in the summer or cold in the winter. Next, look to seal any other ducts that you can access in the heated or cooled part of the house. 

Know When To Replace

Furnaces need the most costly and frequent repairs in the last two years of their life. If you can circumvent those repairs and move seamlessly into a new energy efficient furnace, your new furnace can pay for itself. Maria Vargas is a spokeswoman for Energy Star, a federal-government-backed program that promotes energy efficiency and lends its name to energy-saving products. "If your furnace is over 20 years old, you're probably paying more to use it that it would cost to replace," says Maria Vargas, “Furnaces bearing the Energy Star label are about 15% more efficient than a standard conventional model”

Energy Star Rebates, Tax Credits and Utility Incentives

There are great tax incentives, rebates and utility discounts available for the different types of Energy Star HVAC equipment. Your contractor should be able to explain what is available for the equipment you decide to purchase and help you with the paperwork.

Since 1989, Dean Gilford and his company Kilowatt have provided A+ Rated guaranteed heating, air conditioning and electrical services for Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. www.KilowattHVAC.com

8 Furnace Warning Signs

Discover 8 fast and easy ways to know when to replace your gas furnace before it costs you money or becomes unsafe.

A comfortable and healthy home environment requires an efficient and sound heating system. Such a system heats the home without using large amounts of energy and it does not endanger the indoor air quality by overtaxing the supply of oxygen needed for combustion.

It is important to know the 8 warning signs that your furnace may need replacing. It is especially important not to wait until a crisis occurs.  A cold night in January, with the furnace faltering or failed, is not the time to assess your heating system. Do it now.

Information is the key to making a wise decision. This report will teach you what the 8 warning signs that your furnace may need replacing.

This report is based on research undertaken by the federal Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. It also draws on the training resources of heating and cooling manufacturers, trade associations, and field service personnel.

1. How old is your furnace?
A good place to start is to compare your furnaces age to the national average. The average life expectancy of furnaces in homes today is between 16 and 20 years. If your furnace is close to this age or older, you should begin shopping. Shopping for a replacement furnace in an emergency does not allow time to make your best decision. Most people prefer to replace their furnace as a planned home improvement rather than a panic replacement when your furnace is faltering or failed. For starters, look at your furnace to see if you have a pilot light. If you do, it is almost certain to be over 25 years old!

2. Gas & Electric Bills Going Up?
Rising gas and electric prices are not the only reason for high bills. Furnaces often lose their efficiency as they age especially if they have not been properly maintained. As a result your furnace may run longer to provide the same amount of heat. This will cause your gas & electric bills to go up. The money you pay the gas & electric company every month could be used to pay for new furnace.

3. Any Furnace Repairs in the last 2 years?
Furnaces are like cars. As they age, you can replace one part only to have to replace another part next year. It doesn't take long to spend $500 just to keep the old furnace running. Furnaces incur the most breakdowns in the last 2 years of their lives. Another repair sign is whether you had to wait to get parts replaced. As a furnace ages, it gets harder to get replacement parts. This waiting can really be cold on a below zero night.

4. Does your thermostat keep you comfortable?
Do you feel that some rooms are too cold while others are too hot? Or are you always trying to adjust your thermostat to make your home more comfortable? This is a sign that your furnace lacks the ability to properly distribute the air to keep you comfortable in your home.

5. Is your burner flame yellow instead of blue?
A yellow or flickering flame may be a sign that poisonous carbon monoxide could be created by your furnace. Other possible signs of carbon monoxide are: Streaks of soot around furnace; Absence of an upward draft in your chimney; Excess moisture found on windows, walls, or other cold surfaces; Excessive rusting on flue pipes, other pipe connections, or appliance jacks; Small amount of water leaking from the base of the chimney, vent, or flue pipe; Rust on the portion of the vent pipe visible from the outside.

6. Is your furnace making strange noises?
Old furnaces often start to make some strange noises as they get toward the end of their life. Have you heard any banging, popping, rattling, or squealing noises coming from your furnace? Another noise is when you hear the furnace blower running excessively. Does your blower turn on & off frequently or does it blow cold air sometimes? If so, this is a sign that your furnace may need to be replaced.

7. How have you & your family been feeling?
Furnaces as they age run the risk of developing cracks in the heat exchanger inside your furnace. Carbon monoxide, if present, could leak into your home undetected. Signs of this may be frequent headaches, a burning feeling in nose or eyes, nausea, disorientation, flu-like symptoms. Should you experience any of these, air out your house, open a window to the furnace room and immediately call a gas service technician. Cracks in the heat exchanger can occur undetected which is why no one advises waiting until they occur. 

8. Is your house dry or dusty?
Old furnaces often lack the ability to moisturize and clean the air in your home. Your house air may feel stuffy or stale. Does anyone in your family suffer from allergies to airborne dust, mold, pollen, viruses or dander? Or does anyone suffer from dry nose, dry throat, or dry skin? Other signs may be frequent dust accumulation, static shocks, drooping plants, furniture cracking and musical instruments that do not stay in tune. These signs all suggest that your old furnace is not capable of providing you with the comfort you and your family may want.

Time for Your Home FURNACE Inspection

Have you had your furnace inspection yet? While it may seem like it’s too early, now is the perfect time to have a furnace inspection in time for winter!

Let’s face it – cold weather is on its way, and having a furnace inspection is the only way you can be absolutely sure that your furnace will be able to carry you through the winter months comfortably! The best thing you can do for your furnace every year is to have it inspected early on – we’re talking late September early October. Why? Think about it – would you rather have an HVAC tech come out and spot any problems with your furnace now, or in the dead of winter when it breaks down and the streets are blocked with snow?

Not having a furnace tune up at the beginning of the heating season can cause a number of problems. Not only do you risk your furnace breaking down at the worst possible time, but you also potentially compromise your own personal safety by causing dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide to escape into your home.

A typical furnace tune up and inspection consists of the following:

• Safety test for carbon monoxide (CO)
• Check for hazardous debris in the chimney and flue
• Clean air filters and re-install
• Check operation of thermostat and safety controls
• Check gas pilot safety system and clean as required
• Clean motor and fan
• Check blower operation
• Check condition, tension and alignment of fan belt, and perform required adjustments
• Clean burners and set for proper combustion & ignition
• Check gas piping to furnace

What can you do in lieu of furnace inspection?

There are many things you can do on your own (in addition to having a furnace inspection) that will help keep your furnace in tip-top shape. Some of these things include:

Testing your CO detector – test your CO detector (by hitting the test button) to make sure it works. Replace the battery at this time as well. Don’t have a CO detector? Get one! They are extremely important, particularly during the winter when your furnace is constantly running.

Keeping your furnace clear – make sure there are no clothes, lint or furniture blocking airflow to your furnace. Also make sure there is nothing flammable stored near the furnace that could explode given the chance.

Changing your air filter – this one is extremely important! Clogged filters can significantly restrict airflow to your furnace and seriously hurt its performance. Disposable air filters are pretty cheap, so stock up before you turn your furnace on and change them once a month.

Financing for Furnace Replacement

If you, or someone you know, is purchasing a home or refinancing I have great news for you! You may be eligible for a special type of loan that rolls the cost of an energy efficient remodel into your mortgage. You pay for it solely with energy bill savings! I know it sounds too good to be true. But it is real and not a lot of people know about this great program called Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM). It is funded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

EEM will finance new Windows, new Heating and Air Conditioning equipment installed, a new Solar Panel Energy System, Insulation, Electricity Upgrades, new Water Tank, even new Appliances!

Up to $25,000 worth of home improvements are done during escrow, refinancing, or soon after.

But it gets better! Ask your Realtor to get you started with $250 toward an energy audit. Your Realtor is in a position to give you $250 free money to get an energy audit on the property through REAP, the Realtors Energy Audit Program.

If you are buying a home I urge you to look into this program. I hope you can make it work for you. If you know someone buying a home please feel free to pass along this email.

Best regards,
Dean Gilford

PS - This can also be used for small apartment buildings.

Replacing Your Gas Furnace

Time to replace an old furnace? There are plenty of things to consider. You want to pick the best gas furnace for your needs and not overspend.

When comparing gas furnaces you’ll need to get an idea of their overall efficiency and estimated annual fuel costs in order to determine which furnace is right for your home.

Find out the Annual Energy Consumption of the gas furnace. This is, according to the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association the way to get an estimate for the annual heating requirements. Another consideration is how much it costs to have a gas furnace with a standing pilot light. It’s estimated these costs can range up to 12% of the total fuel costs.  Today a high efficiency gas furnace with a two stage closed combustion chamber can cut those costs more than in half.

Two and three stage gas furnaces use variable speed blowers which help to maintain a more constant temperature. They bring the air up to temperature before they start blowing it into the house making the initial cold blasts of air from your old unit a thing of the past.

Remember you are hiring someone to work with some of the most dangerous elements working in your home; fire, gas, electricity, ventilation for carbon monoxide Don't cut corners and hire an uninsured handyman for this kind of job. You will want to hire a licensed contractor, who is properly certified and insured.

Some or all of the ducting may need to be replaced. This is often necessary for the energy efficiency of the unit to be realized.

Don’t forget to ask about warranty coverage, which can vary between gas furnace manufacturers. The best way to assure you make the right choice is to make an informed choice.

 And one last tip: Don’t wait until the middle of winter. It’s best to be able to take your time and compare gas furnaces and not have to make your choice when it’s an emergency.