Heating and Cooling
Natural gas heating
Is your electric heat pump giving you the cold shoulder? It’s time to warm up to natural gas. The higher delivery temperatures of natural gas furnaces makes them winners because they’re much more comfortable, supplying immediate toasty warm heat. Contractors and builders have learned first-hand that customers are not happy with heat pumps because the air feels too cool. Heat pumps deliver air at a chilly 95 degrees, and the temperature isn’t able to change like a thermostat. In contrast, a natural gas furnace delivers air at a much warmer temperature of 120 degrees. Natural gas heat feels warmer than heat produced by an electric heat pump.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heat pumps often require higher maintenance costs due to low airflow and leaky ducts, and have a shorter life span than gas furnaces. When it’s cold outside, you don’t want to wait for the repairman to fix what’s broken. Natural gas furnaces are less likely to require repairs and are a more economical, cost-saving choice. When properly maintained, a natural gas furnace will provide more than 20 years of service.
Natural gas furnaces produce less carbon dioxide, and natural gas is the cleanest burning fuel. It’s less harmful to the environment than oil, wood, or electricity and allows you to reduce your impact on the environment without sacrificing comfort.
Overall, natural gas furnaces are the clear choice for value, comfort and convenience. Make the switch and get rebates up to $800.
Natural gas air conditioning
In recent years significant advances have been made in developing and manufacturing natural gas refrigeration, cooling and humidity control equipment. Explore more on this topic here.
Energy saving tips to keep your house cold/warm:
- Use duct tape to inexpensively repair any cracks, holes or separations at joints in duct work.
- Weather-strip or caulk any cracks or gaps around doors and windows.
- Keep all equipment, vents and chimneys clean and in good working order.
- Check your HVAC filter once a month and clean if necessary. Replace the filter every three months. (Hint: on the filter, write the date it was installed.)
- Remove dust/lint from return air grills, floor and ceiling registers.
- During winter, use the sun to provide heat to your home by opening drapes in the daytime and closing them at night to help retain heat.
- Since warm air rises, direct warm air flow across the floor when possible. Don’t block radiators with drapes, furniture or other obstacles.
- Close the damper on your fireplace when not in use.
- Don’t go in and out of doors unnecessarily.
- Install a humidifier to add moisture and comfort if the air in your home is unusually dry.
- In a home that is built offgrade, close crawl space vents in the winter and reopen them in the summer.
- Consider natural gas space heaters as alternatives or additions to central heating, as well as for emergency heating. They’re practical and economical when you want to heat certain rooms but not the whole house, and they don’t require electricity to operate.
- In winter, keep the thermostat at 68 degrees during the day and in the 60- to 65- degree range at night. Keep it at 55 when you’re away from home for several days.