• Power to us for our massive amount of renewable resources!  (Get the pun?)  Washington state is the largest producer of hydroelectric power in the nation.  And get this– In November 2006, Washington adopted a renewable energy standard that requires all utilities serving at least 25,000 people to produce 15 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2020.
• If you’re thinking of leaving on a jet plane, you’re not the first.  Washington is among the highest users of jet fuel, mostly due to the military bases in the area.
• Your South King County heat pump might just be run on power from the Columbia Generating System, which generates 1/10th of the state’s power.  And you might also have a gas furnace like 1/3 of the state who uses gas as their primary source of home heating.

While I have provided you with some scintillating facts, I’m sure that you will want to read even more yourself.  Head on over to the U.S. Energy Website for more thrills.

Which makes us wonder… how many bulbs would it take to heat your house without a furnace?  That would be an interesting study to do.  Anyone up for trying it for us?

Replacing your old heating and cooling equipment with new energy-efficient equipment is guaranteed to save you money on your utility bills.  However, you need to make sure that the company that is installing your new equipment is doing it properly.  Improper installation can reduce system efficiency by up to 30%!  Make sure you ask the following questions before committing to a company:

• How did you size the equipment for my home?  If the system is too big or too small, it will work harder than it should and shorten the length of its life.  You want to make sure that a heat loss calculation has been performed on the house by your contractor to determine exactly what the right size of equipment is for you.
• Do I have any leaks in the duct system?  The contractor should evaluate the duct system to identify leaks and then seal them.
• How do you ensure a proper refrigerant charge?  If your cooling system has an improper refrigerant charge, it can cause failure of components, which results in costly repairs.
• Do you have a Quality Installation Checklist?  A contractor that has a checklist to ensure that the installers are doing the install correctly is definitely a company you should look for.

Next week in our series on ENERGY STAR:  Rebates and Tax Credits

Source: www.energystar.gov

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission announced the approval of the increases on Friday.  The decision will allow PSE to raise electric rates by 2.8 percent and natural gas rates by 0.8 percent.  The new rates will kick in on Wednesday.  PSE’s basic charge for electric service will also go up a quarter to $7.25 a month.  The basic charge for natural gas service will remain the same, at $10 a month.

If you’re concerned about how the rate increase might affect your heating or cooling bills, you might want to consider a heat pump.  Much more efficient than an electric or gas furnace, a heat pump will lower your energy bills and bring you year round comfort.  If you are interested in finding out how much energy you can save with a heat pump, call our Kent Heating and Air Conditioning office at 253-630-9224 to get a free analysis for your home.

Glen J., AAA Heating & Air Conditioning Senior Technician

Q:  We recently moved into a newly built house and noticed that our furnace turns on and off frequently.  It will quickly get the house to the temperature we want it and shut off, but then turn back on again shortly afterward to start heating again.  Is this something we should be concerned about?  — Samuel Z., Maple Valley

A. It is possible that the furnace the builder put in the house is improperly sized.  Quite surprisingly, many homes, both new and old, have furnaces that are too large or too small for the space.  If the furnace is too small, it will run constantly because it is trying to keep up with the demands for heat that are put on it.  However, if a furnace is too large, it heats the home quickly and then shuts off quickly.  Because it is an inconsistent heat, the temperature falls soon, and the furnace is forced to come back on briefly to put out more heat.  It sounds like that could possibly be the problem at your home.  I would recommend scheduling a service technician to perform a full diagnostic on your furnace to determine if that truly is the cause or if there is more to the issue.  I would be happy to come out and take a look at it for you.  Just call our Kent Heating and Air Conditioning office at 253-630-9224 and they can set up an appointment for you.

If you have a question for Glen, our knowledgeable Senior Technician, submit it using our communication form and you might just be featured on our blog!

If you are looking to replace or install new ENERGY STAR high-efficiency heating or cooling equipment, you need to find a good company to work with.  Reputable companies will:

• Perform an on-site inspection of the work you want completed and provide a detailed proposal in a timely manner
• Demonstrate to you that the company is licensed and insured to repair and install heating and cooling equipment
• Have many years of experience as a business in your community
• Provide examples of quality installation of energy-efficient heating and/or cooling equipment work, with names of customers you can contact
• Complete and submit warranty information on your behalf
• Leave all equipment manuals and provide documentation of installation procedures, such as an AHRI certificate
• Clearly explain the benefits of regular maintenance and help you set up a schedule to keep your system operating at its best

Next week in our series on ENERGY STAR: Energy Star Quality Installations

Source: www.energystar.gov

1. Make a list of each room and what needs to be done in it.  You will feel great checking things off as you go along.
2. Add to your list anything that might not reside in a specific room—changing your furnace filter, sweeping your porch, changing the batteries in your smoke alarms, etc.
3. Make sure you have all your cleaning supplies on hand.  There is nothing worse than starting a project and then having to run to the store for something you forgot!
4. Listen to upbeat music as you clean.  You’ll go faster and can dance along as you’re scrubbing.  Trust us, it makes it much more fun.
5. Tackle one room at a time and work first on the room that will make you feel the best once it’s done.  Work from top to bottom in each room to ensure maximum cleanliness.

We hoped this helped get you jump started on your spring cleaning.   In a few weeks, we’ll also share some simple homemade cleaners you can make to replace the toxic ones you have in your cupboards.

If you take a look at the numbers of how much pollution is being produced, it is staggering.  The typical gas furnace produces 0.00005 pounds of pollution an hour.  Compare that to an oil furnace at 0.001 pounds an hour, a pellet stove at 0.127 and all the way up to a wood stove at 0.825!  The numbers show that gas furnaces reduce pollution emissions significantly.

If you have tried all of the other steps shown in our previous posts and you still continue to experience problems, or if your heating or cooling system is over 10 years old or not working, you might want to consider replacing your equipment with a high-efficiency unit that has earned the ENERGY STAR.  Here are some facts to help you in your decision making.

Furnaces

Furnaces are the most commonly used heating system in the United States.  Those that have earned the ENERGY STAR have a higher AFUE rating, which is the measure of the efficiency.  Most furnaces that can qualify for the ENERGY STAR will be the condensing furnaces where the transfer of heat is so thorough that water or condensate is a byproduct of combustion.  Systems that are over 90% efficient have earned this distinction.

Central Air Conditioners

Most residential central air conditioners are called split-systems because they have an outdoor component and an indoor component.  It’s very important to replace both of these units at the same time to maximize efficiency and prevent premature failure of the system.  ENERGY STAR qualified central air conditioners have a higher SEER rating, which is the measurement of efficiency.

Heat Pumps

Heat Pumps provide both heating and cooling in one integrated system.  They use the difference between the oudoor and indoor air temperatures to cool and heat.  ENERGY STAR qualified heat pumps have higher SEER ratings than conventional models.  They also have a higher Heating and Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF), which measures the heating efficiency of the heat pump.

Next week in our series on ENERGY STAR: Working With A Heating & Cooling Contractor

Source: www.energystar.gov

• Portable space heaters need to have a 36-inch clearance between them and anything that can burn.  They also need to be turned off every time you leave the room or go to bed.
• Only use a licensed heating contractor to install new furnaces or heat pumps in your home.  They will be able to install them with the correct ventilation according to code, which will prevent fires.
• Do not use your oven to heat your home
• Have your wood & coal stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, and furnace or heat pump inspected annually by a professional, and cleaned as often as is suggested.
• If your power goes out, avoid using candles.  Use flashlights instead.
• Make sure your fireplace has a sturdy screen to prevent sparks from flying into the room.
• Test your smoke alarms monthly and install a carbon monoxide alarm in a central location outside of each sleeping area.