Does sleeping With the Windows Open Save Energy?

April 14, 2022

Can I Save Energy by Sleeping With the Windows Open? As the summer months fade into fall in O’Fallon, Missouri, the temperatures drop, and the wind picks up. In the evening and at night, it can be downright cool outside. The summer in Missouri is hot, so your air conditioner is running every day. It is expensive, so you might be looking for a way to reduce your energy expenditure now that the temperatures are getting cooler. Some people have considered the option to run the air conditioner during the day when the weather is the hottest outside and then open the windows at night to cool the home. There are definite health benefits to opening your windows and letting fresh air in your home from time to time. If you are strategic about when you open your windows during the summer and early fall, you might be able to save some money on your utility bills. However, there is no 100% guarantee that opening your windows at night instead of using your AC will lower your energy bills. There are several scenarios in which letting the outside air into your home in the evening will increase your energy bill....

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6 Ways To Assess Your New Home’s Heating and Cooling Systems

March 16, 2022

When you purchase a home, there’s always a little uncertainty about what you’re getting, especially if it’s not a new construction. At the top of that list of things that could go wrong are typically the roof and the heating and cooling system. The roof is normally included in the pre-purchase inspection, but the HVAC system may not get that much attention. Given that, consider these six ways to assess the condition of your new home’s heating and cooling system. 1. Review Your System’s Service Life When it comes to evaluating your new home’s HVAC system, you can get a good sense of where it’s at by assessing its current age. The average air conditioner will serve your home for about 10 to 15 years while a furnace may last 15 to 20 years, both with proper maintenance. If you don’t have the paperwork from when your system’s components were installed, you can easily find it on the unit itself. The easiest one to find is the air conditioner. There should be a nameplate on the unit’s housing, which will include the date that it was manufactured. The furnace can be a bit more tricky because you’ll be looking for...

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6 Reasons for Hiring Licensed HVAC Professionals

March 2, 2022

HVAC refers to systems that transport cooled or heated air throughout a home or commercial property to maintain comfortable temperatures for the occupants. An HVAC contractor’s work is to install, maintain, repair, regulate, and upgrade these climate control systems so that the residents can enjoy acceptable air quality and thermal comfort. Cooling and heating tasks aren’t DIY tasks, so it’s important to work with a licensed HVAC professional to make sure everything gets done right. If you have a furnace, air conditioner, heat pump, or air ducts needing repair, maintenance, or installation, you need to call in an experienced contractor to help you with the task at hand. Saving money is important for homeowners and business owners. So, there’s always the temptation to handle the tasks yourself or engage the cheapest contractor to save some cash. However, you might end up with regrets and losses later if that individual doesn’t install, fix, or upgrade the unit the right way. Here are more reasons to hire a licensed contractor for all of your cooling and heating needs. 1. Skills and Tools Licensed HVAC professionals have something you don’t have: training in HVAC care and maintenance and years of experience. The many...

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5 Times to Install a New Air Conditioner

February 17, 2022

Most people begin to think of their air conditioning unit when the temperature rises. If your unit needs replacement, getting a new one at the beginning of the heating season will cost more. Note that most HVAC technicians are usually busy attending to emergency calls in the summer. During this time, air conditioner prices also skyrocket due to the high demand. So, if you want to enjoy a quick replacement, consider getting a new unit during the off-season. The key to getting a great deal is targeting the opposite of the market. Note that AC companies tend to lower the prices when fewer buyers are in the market. You will save both money and time if you choose to buy a new air conditioner when there is less demand for one. However, people have different needs, so we cannot all replace our units at one time. If you want a seamless experience, these are the best times to install a new AC. 1. During Spring One good time to buy a new AC is during spring, especially when the central air conditioning unit will require professional installation. There are fewer buyers in the market in the spring, so you will...

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Heat Pump or Furnace? Choosing Wisely for Your Home

January 18, 2022

Deciding on a new heating appliance for your household isn’t something you can rush into. You have to choose the right installation experts, select a heating unit that’s the right size, and evaluate the efficiency needs of your home. On top of all that, you also have to ensure that you’re selecting the right type of heating system for your specific situation. You may not realize this, but heat pumps and furnaces have quite a few major differences. Some of these differences are minor, such as the amount of noise each appliance makes, but some of them are far more significant. Selecting the right type of heater can have a major effect on your finances as well as your home comfort and lifestyle. Different Heating Principles The major difference between heat pumps and furnaces comes down to the method of heating they use, and this difference is the root of several other differentiators as well. As you may be aware, there are two primary types of furnaces: gas-burning and electric. Electric furnaces warm your house by constantly blowing air over a hot element. Gas-burning furnaces, on the other hand, utilize a combustion process in which they burn their fuel, which...

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Learn More About Your Furnace

January 4, 2022

If you own a house or an apartment, you need to understand how your furnace works. There are many benefits to knowing a little bit about your furnace, including having a better understanding of when something might be wrong and what might need to be fixed. You’ll also be able to get a better sense of who you should trust to work on your heating system and what you can expect when it’s time to buy a new unit. There are many parts to a furnace and the overall system that your furnace runs on. If you’re not entirely certain of what you should expect when you get a furnace or what you need to know, don’t worry because you’re not alone. Most people simply turn on their thermostats when their homes begin to get a little chilly, but you can learn pretty quickly about your heating system when you talk to us about your furnace. The Three Types of Furnaces There are three basic types of furnaces when it comes to how they’re powered. Some use natural gasoline that you pay for through the city or another energy provider. Then, there’s also a way to fuel your furnace with...

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How Do You Know What Size Furnace You Need?

December 20, 2021

Updated March 24, 2026 Unfortunately, furnaces don’t last forever but have an expected service life of usually between 15 and 20 years. While it’s disappointing that you will have to reinvest in your furnace, at least it’s something you can plan to happen. When it is time to replace your furnace, you want to make sure you get the right size for your home. Here’s some information on why size matters and the variables to consider. Understanding Furnace Sizes The very first part of learning about furnaces is understanding how they are sized. When thinking about most HVAC systems, the size is measured in terms of BTUs, which stands for British Thermal Units. One BTU is the amount of energy required to raise one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. Commonly seen among furnaces is also the use of the term tonnes, such as 10.5 or 11.3 tonnes. This is simply another way of referring to BTUs, with one tonne equaling 12,000 BTUs. So if you need a furnace that produces 92,000 BTUs, that’ll be about 7.7 tonnes. Getting the size wrong can cost you thousands in energy bills and repairs over the next decade. Don’t guess—get a professional...

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Top Reasons Why Your Furnace Is Blowing Cold Air

December 6, 2021

Updated March 24, 2026 It can be frustrating when your furnace is blowing only cold air in winter. Several factors may force your heating system to generate insufficient heat. Here are some tips for troubleshooting your furnace. When to call a pro: Is the thermostat set to “Auto” instead of “On”? (The “On” setting blows air even when the furnace isn’t heating). Is the air filter completely clogged? Is the furnace power switch (it looks like a light switch) flipped up? Problems With the Thermostat If your furnace is blowing cold air, the problem could be incorrect thermostat configurations. So start by checking the settings on your thermostat. Ensure it is on “AUTO” mode and not “ON.” Some systems can run efficiently on the “ON” mode. But for most conventional furnaces, it will only make the furnace run continuously. Your furnace will heat your home insufficiently, and critical components will deteriorate faster. You may have a defective or incompatible thermostat. As the center of heating regulation, an incompatible device may not work correctly with your HVAC system controls. But before getting a new thermostat, change the batteries on the device. Also, consider the placement of your thermostat. When the device...

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How to Prepare Your House for Winter Weather

November 17, 2021

The winter weather can do all sorts of damage to a house if it hasn’t been adequately prepared. Fortunately, there are some things that homeowners can do to ensure that their house can withstand the chilly months. Here’s how to prepare your house for winter weather. Make Sure Your Heat Turns On Because most people don’t use their heat once it starts to warm up outside, they may not notice that there’s some sort of issue with it until they try to turn it on during the winter. This is why it’s a good idea to test your heat before the temperatures start to dip outside. Make sure it turns on, and let it run for a few minutes so that you can determine if it’s working properly. If it isn’t, you should call HVAC technicians as soon as possible so that they can figure out what the issue is. You don’t want to be stuck with a chilly house simply because you forgot to make sure that your heat was working properly. Remove Leaves From Your Gutters It’s not uncommon for all of those leaves that fall off of your trees in the fall to end up in your...

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Is There a Correct Temperature to Set Your Furnace This Winter?

November 3, 2021

Updated December 16, 2025 The age-old battle over the furnace setting has divided families and roommates for decades. It’s always a continual negotiation between a temperature that feels comfortable to everyone and saving on your energy costs. There are many opinions on what the perfect temperature should be, but the question remains, is there an actual perfect temperature that will settle the question once and for all? A quick search on the Internet will reveal a plethora of answers. A temperature between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit is typically considered comfortable for most, but there are many variations on this. There is no absolute right answer, but there are a few guidelines that can help you choose the best one that’s right for you. Here are some tips to help you resolve the question in your home. Don’t Go Too Low If you think that sweaters and wool socks provide an excellent solution to the heating problem, it is still recommended that you do not go below 63. Some sources go as low as 55 as the minimum temperature for your thermostat. It takes more energy to heat a home that is too cold. Your furnace will not work any...

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