Your air conditioner and furnace cost more to operate than any other appliance in your home. Water heater, washing machine and refrigerator combined all rate second fiddle to the cost of maintaining a comfortable temperature.
If you would like to know more about how to reduce this cost a bit spend a few more moments here.
Conditioned air, be it cool or warm, is delivered by a central system to each room in the home via insulated ducting that terminates at a small rectangular grille known as a supply register.
As a matter of system design-practicality the supply register is normally about 12 inches long and about 5 inches wide. This is definitely not a lot of real-estate allocated to a device that’s expected to cool or heat a room consisting of several hundred cubic feet.
To compensate for its small size, air flow is shot through the system like a clown out of a circus cannon. The result is a remarkable volume of air being forced through a tiny opening into a gigantic room.
In a reasonably well engineered system it gets the job done. Conditioned air does make it into the room in a manner that is sufficient to provide the level of comfort requested at the thermostat.
What happens to the air once it enters the room is the ticket to savings. We all know that insulation and infiltration control (sealing air leaks) is a major factor in losing expensively generated conditioned air.
Zoned heating splits and controls two or more systems of ducting from the same source, providing comfortable temperatures where needed and none where not. Portable units cool or heat a single area at a time. Such devices are unquestionably a viable alternative. They are practical and reasonably inexpensive to purchase and maintain.
What we haven’t stated with each of our previous suggestions that we’ve made here is that a decorative ceiling paddle fan should be installed and used regardless of which other heating or cooling option that you choose to reduce your utility bill.
Zoned heating, portable units, insulation, infiltration control, additional return air ducting, new energy efficient windows, you name it: Any of these systems can be significantly improved by simply circulating the air for which you have already paid so dearly.
Circulating the air in a room mixes the conditioned air with air that is either trying to get in during summer or get out in the winter. By mixing the air there are no hot/cold spots, the thermostat is notified more quickly that temperature is reached and the return system gets to recirculate the air more effectively because the air gets to the inlet sooner.
An added benefit to all of this is that circulating air also is more likely to reduce condensation and therefore reduce mold and mildew. You may not get it all, but we will guarantee that you will notice a remarkable difference.
We recommend a decorative paddle fan in every room of your home. They are less expensive, quieter and more efficient than ever. They look good, save you money and can be managed by wall mount or portable remote control.
Use your central system efficiently and save money, improve comfort and reduce mold allergens.
For tips from James and Morris Carey, go to www.onthehouse.com or call the listener hot line, 800-737-2474, ext. 59. The Careys are also on KRKO (1380-AM) from 6 to 10 a.m. every Saturday.
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