Heating and cooling
I want to upgrade my heating system, but how do I pick a contractor who knows what they’re doing?
Ductless heat pump
program to gauge savings
Last year you wrote about ductless heat pumps and that we could be a
test market for them. Did that happen and would my house be a good
candidate? I have electric wall heaters.
Turn up the
savings by installing heat pump
I am going to replace my 16-year-old gas furnace. What are the benefits
if I add a heat pump and how much will that increase the initial
cost?
Ductless
heat pump heating-cooling solution
My home has electric wall heaters. I’ve remodeled so much of the house
that I really don’t want to move, but would like to save on my heating
bill. In addition, the house gets hot in summer so I run two window air
conditioners that use even more energy. Is there anything I can
do?
Read fine print when
buying electric space heater
Over the last several months I have seen advertisements for a new
electric heater that claims to be able to cut my heating bills by 50
percent.
Heating alternative may
save money in the long run
A friend of mine recently moved into a house with radiant floor heat.
It seems fantastic! My older home has electric baseboard heat and solid
maple hardwood floors. Is it possible to install radiant heat in my
home?
Pellet stoves smoke wood
heat competitors
I've been thinking about using wood to help with winter heating. What
should I know before I start shopping?
Tuneup of heat system saves money
My furnace is about seven years old. Is there anything special I need
to do to it before winter?
Prepare your heat
pump for cold weather
I just moved into a house with a heat pump. What do I need to do to get
it ready for winter?
Damper may hold down heat
My two-story house has registers in the ceilings of three upstairs
bedrooms. When I turn on the furnace, hardly any air comes out. I’ve
tried closing registers on the first floor, but that doesn’t seem to
force more heat and air upstairs.
Time to maintain, check
heating
I’m not very diligent about home maintenance. Are there things I need
to do to my furnace? It seems to run OK.
Air flow is
critical to heating systems
My furnace seems to be running a lot. Is there anything I can do to
make it use less energy?
Maintenance key to
efficiency of furnace
My furnace is about eight years old and I know there are more efficient
ones on the market. Would I be smart to change it out for a newer
one?
Air, money slip through
leaky ductwork
I was recently doing some work in the crawl space of my home and
discovered that one of the ducts for my heating system was disconnected
from one of the registers. I’d never thought about the ducts, since I
never see them. What should a homeowner do to maintain ductwork?
Watt is
watt when using space heaters
I’d like to buy a space heater to use in my workshop. I’ve been seeing
ads about a new kind that’s more efficient. What type of heater would
you suggest?
You recently recommended programmable thermostats for heat pumps. What about other heating systems such as an electric furnace?
Faulty
thermostats waste money
When should I replace my thermostat and do those programmable
ones really save money?
Programmable thermostats can pay
off
I’ve read a bit about thermostats that automatically change
the temperature settings for the furnace. Is this a good investment to
save energy?
Cooling
Portable AC units can be cool
solution
I need an air conditioner for my apartment. What do you think about a
portable unit?
Keeping your cool,
affordably
I have electric baseboard heat and no air conditioning. Are there any
inexpensive things I can do to cool my house?
Room air
conditioners can be a cool option
I rent a townhouse with upstairs bedrooms that get really warm and
uncomfortable. I’m thinking it’s time to buy an air conditioner. What I
should look for when shopping?
Keeping
house cool without AC
I don’t want to live through another sweltering summer. Our house faces
east, but our family room is on the back of the house, so the living
area gets really hot. We have an air conditioner in the master bedroom,
so at least sleeping is bearable. Unfortunately I can’t afford to put
in a heat pump or air conditioning. Is there anything I can do to make
the rest of the house more comfortable?
Landscaping
can keep home cool, bills down
The house faces east, which means our living area in the back of the
house gets hot in summer, even though I close the blinds. What kind of
landscaping do you suggest that could help cool the house?
Room AC is affordable way
to remain cool
I’ve decided to buy a room air conditioner. Which model should I buy?
Are there some that are more efficient than others? How large of a unit
should I buy? What about noise?
Keeping your cool this
summer
With the warm weather we had in May and the weather forecasters saying
we are in for a hot, dry summer, is there anything I can do to get my
home and myself ready for the hot weather?
Shady plantings can cool
off summer power use
Last year my husband suggested that we plant something on the west side
of the house to cast some shade during the summer. Can you make some
suggestions on what and where to plant this spring to give us some
relief this summer?
