Maximizing Your Energy Heating Solutions Explained
For homeowners, many factors go into deciding how to heat their house. From your household budget to your preferred materials to the type of HVAC features your home includes, there are several things to consider when choosing the right heating solution for your family. If your current heating solution seems ineffective or your heating bill is too high, exploring other options can be the next best step. In the article below, we’ll explore different heating solutions and explain their unique features to help with your decision-making process.
Standard Propane
For fans of propane heating, you may be surprised to learn that there are HVAC systems that run on propane gas. These systems have plenty of benefits for users. If you’ve ever had propane heating for your home or commercial facility, you’ve experienced these perks. A propane HVAC system tends to be fairly efficient when compared with other systems. It also has noticeably reduced emissions. This makes it particularly popular among those who care about how their HVAC system impacts the environment.
Of course, one of the main things to consider when heating a home or commercial space is how reliable the heat source will be. With standard propane, you can enjoy a pretty reliable heat source all winter long. It’s predictable enough that you won’t need to bring out the space heaters regularly due to heating outages.
Propane is also versatile enough to use in a range of different settings. From medical care facilities to office settings to academic institutions, you’ll find propane heating in plenty of different spaces. If you live far away from a gas line or your business location isn’t close to a gas line, you might worry that your heating options are limited. Thankfully, on-site storage makes propane a popular choice for business owners and homeowners who don’t have access to a natural gas line. Overall, propane is a good choice if you want something reliable, flexible, and tried-and-true. As a proven heat source, it’s hard to go wrong with propane.
Oil Heat
Another tried-and-true heating option for systems with HVAC features is oil. If you own a home or business with oil heat, you’ve probably noticed that the heating oil price can be high. During some winters, heating oil prices surge. This can make it unaffordable for households on a tight budget. It can also make it tough to plan for heating costs from one year to the next. Oil heating is a reliable method for heating your home. However, if the costs become too much, it can be unreliable.
Since heating with oil is so expensive, you may also find yourself keeping temperatures in your home or facility dangerously low to keep up with heating costs. This can open you up to issues such as pipes freezing and bursting. While oil heat prices can be a burden, oil heat is still a popular choice for many families and facilities. If you’re using oil heat, you should simply plan for a wide range in your budget and prepare to pay more than you might initially anticipate. By researching oil heat prices around your region, you might be able to get a better deal or at least know how much you can expect to shell out once winter comes.
If oil heating was affordable last year, you should still look into the costs for oil heating in the current year. Since oil prices fluctuate, you can’t take the current price as the forever price. As another downside, oil heating requires some maintenance. Since it’s a dirty fuel, you will have to do some regular cleaning in your furnace to avoid a build-up of soot and grime.
Choosing a Contractor
Part of taking advantage of all the HVAC features your system has to offer is choosing the right heating and air contractors. A skilled HVAC contractor should be able to make your system run as efficiently as possible. He or she should also be able to advise you on the best type of fuel for your system. If you have particular goals for your HVAC system or you notice issues cropping up, choosing a contractor who can work with your needs in mind is crucial.
When you’re looking for an HVAC contractor, you can start by asking others in your area for recommendations. Usually, a handyman who comes well-recommended through word of mouth is better than the first one that comes up in a Google search. You can also search for a contractor based on their specialty. If an HVAC contractor in your area mostly works with air conditioning systems, then they could be the perfect match for your HVAC system’s cool air problem.
Beyond expertise, you should also factor pricing into your choice of contractor. Some HVAC contractors have a lot of experience and charge accordingly. On the other hand, if you’re strapped for cash, an HVAC contractor who’s still an apprentice might be a little bit easier on your wallet. No matter what contractor you choose, you should ask plenty of questions about their experience and rates before committing to hiring them. You should also explain your problem and make sure that they feel comfortable addressing the issue. If they can’t help you with your specific issue at this time, you should ask if they can refer you to a contractor with skills that are better suited to your situation.
Keeping Warm
Naturally, one of the main reasons why you have an HVAC system and consider heating solutions is because you want to keep warm through the frigid winter months. Beyond maintaining your HVAC system, you can talk to your local heating company options to see what might be the best fit for you. If you’re going through your first winter in a new house or business location, it can help to ask neighbors what they use for their heating company. In some cases, you may only have one heating company that you can use. In other situations, you might have several options for heating companies.
While your heating company is supposed to help you stay warm throughout the winter, it never hurts to prepare for emergencies like running out of oil or propane. Having some space heaters on hand in storage or your garage can make a huge difference in this kind of emergency. Also, having plenty of warm blankets and dressing in layers throughout the winter can keep your heating costs a little lower. Setting realistic expectations about how warm you want your house or business to be can be helpful, as well. For example, if it’s in the negative temperatures outside, keeping warm may be more expensive or taxing on your furnace than it would be if it was only 30 degrees Fahrenheit outside.
Comprehensive Services
When it comes to heating and air services, HVAC Services tend to offer more than just heating and cooling. Some companies will also help you maintain your system, optimize it, and even check refrigerant levels during a tune-up. While HVAC companies might offer plenty of services, the most important one they offer is servicing cooling and heating systems. You should schedule for your HVAC system to be serviced at least once annually. If you notice any issues or strange changes with your HVAC system, you should call in the professionals. While some HVAC features might be completely normal, any change from what you usually experience with your system could be a sign that something needs fixing.
Keeping Cool
Heating solutions are only one side of the HVAC coin. On the other side of the proverbial HVAC coin, you’ll find AC services. While you might be able to get away with only using fans during some months out of the year, the height of the summer heat might force you to find a cooling solution that fits your needs. From getting a new AC unit to fixing issues with your air conditioning unit, HVAC professionals are happy to help you keep your space cool and comfortable as the weather heats up. While cooling can seem optional, it’s just as important as heating your home. If you’re not a huge fan of sweltering summer temperatures, cooling your home or business may feel even more vital than heating in the winter.
When you’re exploring potential cooling solutions, you will want to consider several things. Firstly, your budget for cooling is important. If you want to spend as little as possible on a cooling solution, an inexpensive window AC unit may be your best option. If you are a homeowner or business owner who wants an effective cooling solution at any expense, installing central AC can ensure that your property will be comfortably cool all summer long. Additionally, you might want to think about how much time you have to install your cooling equipment. If you need cooling equipment immediately, a window AC unit might be better than nothing. If you have more time to cool down your space, then you should be able to wait until contractors and HVAC professionals have correctly installed a central air system. If you have an existing HVAC system and you just need to get the cooling part of that system up and running, it can take some time and effort to fix. Still, the right professionals will be able to work efficiently and diligently to cool your home or business.
Power of Insulation
Sometimes, when your house doesn’t seem to hold heat, the issue lies in the insulation. A poorly insulated house can leak hot air during the winter and cool air in the summer. As a result, you might notice that your heating and cooling bills are sky-high with nothing to show. The key to solving this problem may be installing foam insulation. Similarly to how extra pounds keep hibernating animals warm during the winter months, foam insulation surrounds your house with a layer of materials that lock in heat or cool.
Sometimes, folks might think that their HVAC system is experiencing a problem because their home only stays warm for a short period after the furnace runs. They may also notice that their furnace is constantly running with little or no effect. When this happens, checking to see if the structure has proper insulation can be a good idea. Although insulation won’t make your house warmer or cooler on its own, it’s part of a chain of actions you can take to improve the temperature of your home. A skilled HVAC professional should be able to differentiate between faulty HVAC features and insulation problems. Adding some sort of insulation to your home can make such a huge difference that you’ll wonder why you didn’t resolve the issue sooner.
HVAC For Your Business
When you need to find appropriate heating or cooling solutions for your commercial property, you’ll need to call in a commercial HVAC professional. Residential HVAC contractors may not be comfortable taking on a commercial job. What’s more, they might not have the skills and certification needed to do commercial work. From installing a new AC unit to resolving other issues with your air conditioning system, commercial HVAC professionals will be able to ensure it’s all up-to-code commercially.
When your business is either too hot during the summer or too cold during the winter, you might drive away potential customers and clients. When customers and clients aren’t comfortable in your business environment, they may choose to take their business somewhere that makes them feel cozy in the winter or cool in the summer. Creating a welcoming environment that has great climate control can have a huge impact on your customer base. In the summer or winter, customers might want to take refuge in your shop and end up spending money that they would have spent elsewhere. If your HVAC system isn’t working properly, it can have negative consequences on your business. It can present safety and health concerns that could put you out of business if left unchecked.
In conclusion
Choosing the right heating and cooling solution for your home or business matters. By enlisting the right HVAC professionals, you can maintain your HVAC system for years to come. Whether you choose propane, oil, or another heating source, you should service your HVAC system at least once a year to keep it running effectively.
