Cooler weather has come to Central Virginia and many of us are starting to turn on the heat in our Charlottesville homes. Not only are we looking for ways to reduce our energy bills, but we also are aware that saving energy is the eco-friendly way to live.
The following are some ways that you can increase the effiency of your heating system and conserve energy:
Change your filter every one to three months depending on how quickly it becomes dirty.
Seal leaky ducts in your forced air system. This improvement offers one of the biggest impacts on the costs of operating your forced air system. Heat leakage from ducts can result in 35 to 40% of heat loss from your home especially if the ducts are placed in unconditioned attics and crawlspaces.
Balance the air distribution of your system. If the system is out of balance, some of the rooms in your home mat be either too hot or too cold. In order to make these rooms comfortable, you may be overheating the rest of the home, and thus waisting energy. You can adjust the heat flow throughout the house by adjusting the flow-control dampers in the registers.
Insulate hot water pipes and ducts. Insulating the ducts will ensure that the air inside them will stay warm. You will particularly need to insulate ducts and pipes that run inside unconditioned spaces in your home; be sure to seal any leaks in the ducts before insulating.
Have your system checked and cleaned by a licensed professional yearly. This will make sure that it is operating at maximum efficiency and will also extend the "life span" of the appliances.
Make sure that the outside unit of your heat pump is adequately ventilated so that it can work efficiently.
Whether you are selling your Charlottesville home this winter or are working on making your existing home "go green", it is important to focus on "saving energy, money, and the environment".
If you are interested in a complete guide to how you can make your home energy efficient, check out The Virginia Energy Savers Handbook prepared by the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy. You may obtain copies from your city or county cooperative extension office.
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Contact Pam Dent, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161 , pam@JumpintoGreenerPastures.com, to list your property for sale or to buy a property in the following areas in Central Virginia: Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Keswick, Glenmore, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Free Union, Cismont, Scottsville, Fluvanna County, Troy, Palmyra, Lake Monticello, Louisa County, Louisa, Mineral, Spring Creek, Orange County, Gordonsville, Orange, Barboursville, Greene County, Ruckersville.
To view all of the Charlottesville, Virginia and Central Virginia Homes for Sale click here and click on the mls search button.
For more information on Central Virginia and the Charlottesville real estate market, also read my other blog Charlottesville Horse Farms and Country Homes.
Contact Pam Dent, e-PRO, SRES, NHD, REALTOR®, Real Estate III, Charlottesville, Virginia at 434 960-0161 to buy a property in the following areas in Central Virginia: Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Keswick, Glenmore, Ivy, Crozet, Earlysville, Free Union, Cismont, Scottsville, Fluvanna County, Palmyra, Lake Monticello, Louisa County, Louisa, Mineral, Spring Creek, Orange County, Gordonsville, Orange, Barboursville, Greene County, Ruckersville. Email Pam Dent.
View all of the Charlottesville Virginia homes for sale.
View my website Charlottesville Horse Farms or visit my other blog Charlottesville Horse Farms and Country Homes for more information on Charlottesville Virginia horse farms, homes, events and real estate.
