Want a More Efficient Cooling System? Take These Steps Now

Room registers that connect to your heating and cooling system occasionally blowout dirt or debris. Identify exactly what comes out of your registers.

A successful thief can earn about $15 to $20 selling the scrap metal parts from a stolen air conditioning unit. The victimized homeowner, however, is left with thousands of dollars in repair costs. Air conditioning systems are prime targets for desperate criminals looking to earn quick cash. Is your air conditioning system protected? Leaving your system unguarded only makes the perpetrators' job easier. Take actions to protect your unit.

As a homeowner, you probably want to keep costs as low as possible. Unfortunately, you could be spending more than you need to on your HVAC unit. Watch for these signs that you're overspending on your HVAC system and use these tips to start saving money.

Spring is almost here, and if you are like most homeowners, you are beginning to compile a list of spring cleaning tasks you want to complete in the coming months. In compiling this list, make sure you do not overlook your heating and cooling system. A little cleaning and care right now will prep your system for air conditioning season and minimize your need for repair calls. Here are five HVAC-related tasks to include on your spring cleaning checklist.

The mercury is dipping, but your heating bills are on the rise. What's going on? The colder it gets, the more your heating system needs to work if you want to keep yourself and your family warm and comfortable. Winter heating bills are no joke. Even if it's not anywhere near Arctic-level temps, you'll still notice a jump in your energy usage. But that doesn't mean you have to sit back and keep writing out checks. Of course, you do have to pay your electric and gas bills. What you don't need to do is pay more just because you have an inefficient heating system. How can you improve your home's energy efficiency while making sure that everyone inside still stays warm? Take a look at some of the easiest ways to lower your heating bills and improve energy efficiency. Proper HVAC maintenance, using energy-efficient appliances and insulating may reduce your overall energy cost by up to 30 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

One of the most aggravating things in the world is dealing with a broken furnace in the middle of the winter. It's cold outside and you have nothing to heat your home with. What makes it worse is that, if you would have just dealt with the maintenance of your furnace during the fall, you probably could have prevented this from happening because you would have known the furnace needed to be repaired or replaced. ​ So, since it is nearly fall, it is time to call an HVAC professional to perform maintenance on your furnace so that it is ready to keep your home warm this winter. But what do you do if they come back and say that there is something wrong with your furnace? How do you know if you should make the repairs or if it just time to get a new furnace? Read on to find out three questions you need to ask to make that decision.

Summer is a popular time for vacation-goers across the nation to hit the road and have fun with friends and loved ones. But before you leave your HVAC system behind, it's important to have it prepared to be left unattended for days, weeks or even longer. Not only will preparing it to ensure that your HVAC system and your home both remain in great shape while you're gone, but it'll also keep you from wasting unnecessary energy. There's plenty you can do to prep your HVAC system before setting off on your summer vacation. Here are a few great ideas to get you started.

When you're baby-proofing your house, you probably go for the most obvious targets: outlets that small fingers could probe, steep basement stairs that curious crawlers might attempt and shelves that could topple over when given just the right push. With so many safety hazards to address, it's easy to overlook some invisible dangers that could risk your baby's health — namely your home's air quality. Babies spend most of their time indoors, and the air they breathe can stunt their lungs' development — along with their mental and physical growth. Luckily, it's easy to make your home's air breathable for babies and parents alike. Follow the tips listed below to ensure that your air is just as safe as other aspects of your home.

Buying a home is a major investment and it’s important to keep it in good shape with routine maintenance. But many homeowners neglect to remember their furnace, which is often working silently behind the scenes. That can result in the furnace needing replaced, which can be costly. Here are the top five furnace problems homeowners may face.