Saving money is the buzz word these days. Many are looking in every corner to save as much as they can.
If you are among millions of American people that is suffering from the decline of the economy and the rising cost of living via, higher fuel cost, rising cost of food and the list just goes on. Then this article is for you.
Everything listed below is very simple and easy to do.
A word about filters:
The life of your heating and cooling equipment is in keeping a clean filter. It is recommended to change the filter every 30 days. One way to remember this is to change your filter when you pay your utility bill. There are some filters that are rated for 90 days. These filters are generally pleated and are very good in fighting allergens.
If you choose a permanent filter, it is best to choose one that does not have any foam material built into it. The foam on the inside does not come completely clean when washed. Over time this will cause your system to run harder. This will cause a rise in the utility bill and can cause short term life of the compressor and or the fan motors. When choosing a permanent filter it is best to either buy two or a throw away to keep on hand. You never want to put a wet filter back in, it needs to completely dry before use; so place the secondary filter in place while the primary is drying.
A word about thermostats:
One reason for rising utility bills in the heating or cooling season is due to thermostat see-saw or running the stat up when cold or down when hot.
Heating and cooling equipment operate at their peak performance when a desired temperature is set and left alone; this is especially true with heat pumps.
Heat pumps are designed to maintain temperature by heating or cooling the entire house. This includes not only the walls but the furnishings as well. All of this plays a role in the efficiency of the equipment.
Some want the programmable thermostats; these are not economical for the average home. Again playing with the room temperature is playing with your wallet. Thermostats of this nature are best suited for places like churches, and or office complexes.
Condensate drains:
Condensate drains have the tendency to clog up and can cause a mess or severe damage to your home.
If you have a split system you will have what is called an indoor air handler or furnace. Unless it is just a straight electric or gas system without air conditioning these systems will have condensate drains. 90% gas furnaces will also have condensate drain system as well.
These condensate drains are either gravity flow to the outside of the building or will drain into a condensate pump. Condensate drains on heat pumps will over time clog due to the fact in the winter water is not being dispensed out of the system and any water left in the p-traps will dry out and any sludge build up will get hard. This repeated process will cause the drain line to stop up and overflow the unit.
It is best to have a clean out tee installed just before the p-trap. If your system has this then a tablespoon of bleach into the p-trap will help prevent sludge build up. It is recommended to put a tablespoon of bleach in your drain system a couple of times during the cooling season.
Condensate pumps are bad about building up sludge on the inside of the pump tank. These are easily taken apart and cleaned and also placing a couple of tablespoons of bleach during the cooling season will help keep down the build up. Much like a p-trap the pump will set in the heating season and the steady flow of water will cease. It is best at the end of the cooling season to place some bleach in the pump, unless you have a 90% gas furnace, these systems produce condensation during the heating cycle as well as cooling.
If your condensate drain does become clogged there are several methods to breaking the clog free.
- Locate where the condensate drain exits the building. On gravity flow drains this most likely will be a ¾ pvc drain line. Take a water hose with a garden sprayer and back wash the system with short burst of water. Let the system drain, you should see the sludge flowing out of the pipe at the end of the back wash. Do this till you have good clean water flowing back out of the condensate line.
- A safe way to clean out the condensate drain without the use of water and worry about backing to much water into your heating and cooling equipment is the use of a wet-dry shop vac. Locate the end of the drain and take the shop vac and place the nozzle over the end of the drain line. Completely seal of the nozzle to get the most suction out of the vacuum. Make sure the shop vac is set up for water use. By using the vacuum it will pull the clog loose and release any water behind it.
