John A. Kinkaid Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.

Energy-Saving Tips for Throughout the Year

energy-saving tips

We’ve covered ways to help you save energy in the past. But there’s always other things to cover. For everything you can do to waste energy, there’s another thing you can do to save energy. So don’t break your bank by making some simple, but common mistakes. Keep costs down. Control your home’s temperature. Feel more comfortable. Check out some of the energy-saving tips that you can use throughout the year.

Energy-Saving Tips for Your Thermostat

First, let’s cover some basic tips about your thermostat. Most people know that it’s cheaper to maintain a room at a certain temperature than it is to constantly heat it up or cool it down. But what about beyond that? Consider the following:

  • Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible during the summer. The less your A/C has to work, the more energy you’ll save.
  • It’s a myth that your home will cool faster (or heat faster) if you set the temperature lower (or higher) than you would normally. Instead, set it to the exact temperature you desire.
  • Avoid placing lamps or TVs near your thermostat. The thermostat will sense heat from these appliances, which can cause problems.
  • Also, keep your thermostat out of direct sunlight.

Use Daylight Effectively

Second, this brings us to the next energy-saving tip: using daylight effectively. Please, consider the following:

  • Install storm windows over your normal windows. This helps sunlight come in during the winter days, and helps keep sunlight out during the summer days.
  • Get effective window treatments that utilize the right shades or drapes. A quality window treatment not only helps your home look better, but also effectively saves energy.
  • In addition to a quality window treatment, close your drapes during cold nights to help seal in the heat.

Energy-Saving Tips for Appliances

Third, you can actually use your appliances to save energy! Here’s how:

  • DO NOT use your oven to heat your home. If you have a gas oven, that releases carbon monoxide into the air.
  • Install efficient lighting. Only about 10% to 15% of the electricity that incandescent lights consume results in light—the rest is turned into heat.
  • Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes. Consider air drying both dishes and clothing.
  • Take short showers instead of baths.
  • Use your ceiling fans effectively.

Use Kinkaid Heating and Air Conditioning

Finally, the best energy-saving tip we can give is to use Kinkaid Heating and Air Conditioning! For all of your HVAC needs, contact us today.

The Home Heating Mistake That is Costing You Money

number one home heating mistake

Most of us are looking to save money where we can on bills. You would be amazed how many simple mistakes you might be making that drive up the cost of heating your home. However, there is one mistake in particular that so many people fall victim to. Here is the number 1 most costly home heating mistake you should avoid, explained by the experts at Kinkaid.

The Number 1 Mistake: Cranking the temperature way up when you get home

It is becoming fairly common knowledge that turning the temperature down when you leave the house can save you money. However, it also seems to be a common instinct to crank the temperature up by many degrees as soon as you get home. This is probably the biggest mistake people make when trying to save money on their home heating bills. Some people think that cranking the temperature up to 90 degrees will heat the house faster than setting it at a more reasonable 75 degrees, so it seems more efficient. However, it isn’t!

The speed of heating your home does not increase exponentially according to the temperature you set. No matter what temperature you set the thermostat at, the speed at which your home reaches that temperature stays the same. The only difference is that if you crank it up high, that house becomes over heated, expending all that extra energy as you heat your entire house an extra 15 degrees past what you actually want. Then you crank the thermostat back down and suddenly you’ve bled all that energy out of the system for nothing.

Heat is money. Throwing out an extra 15 degrees every day is the same as throwing that money out the window. It’s even worse if you try to save money by turning down the heat over night, then cranking it back up when you get up in the morning. Now you’re wasting those 15 degrees worth of heat in the morning and another 15 degrees when you come home from work in the evening. The same principle applies to air conditioning in the summer. Energy is money.

It IS reasonable to turn the heat up and down by a few degrees depending on whether anyone is home. A temperature range that is comfortable for many people is between 65 and 72 degrees.

Cranking up your heat too much creates unnecessary wear and tear on your HVAC system

Extreme, unnecessary fluctuation of temperatures puts more wear and tear on your HVAC system. It is important to get your system a routine checkup every year to prevent any emergencies, so you don’t come home and find yourself with no heat at all. Your technician might identify issues that wouldn’t become apparent to you until it’s too late.

Contact us in the Willow Grove area at 215-657-1262 and in the Ambler area at 215-646-5577. Or, contact us online to request an appointment today!

Save Money on Air Conditioning This Summer

save money on air conditioning

Summer is here and we finally have a break from all that cold. But that doesn’t mean homeowners can let their guard down when it comes to their HVAC systems. Many homeowners crank up the air conditioning when the weather gets hot, but this can get expensive. Here are a few important tips for saving money on air conditioning this summer.

Ensure Your House is Properly Insulated

That’s right! Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean insulation isn’t important. In winter, we insulate to keep the heat in. In the summer, that same insulation is vital to keep the heat out.

It is just as important to check all of your doors and windows for gaps that allow drafts through. We spend a lot of money on cooling our homes in the summer, so you don’t want that money steadily draining out through a crack under your door or window.

Seal Off Unused Rooms

Air conditioning is expensive. Depending on your system, you may be able to avoid using the A/C in rooms that you don’t use (or rarely use). If you have an A/C system that can be used to cool individual rooms, close off the rooms that are not frequently used, just like when you are trying to conserve heat in the winter. If there are cracks under the doors, seal them off with rags or towels.

Put Your Air Conditioning on a Timer

There is no need to leave the air conditioner on full blast when you are at work all day. Turning the air conditioning off, or at least significantly lowering the settings, while no one is home will save you a lot of money. If you have a pet that needs air conditioning while you are away, consider confining them to one room to reduce the need for air conditioning throughout the house.

Make Sure Your HVAC is in Working Order

Your don’t want to be in the middle of a heat wave and suddenly lose air conditioning just because you didn’t get the HVAC system inspected properly. Contact John A. Kinkaid Heating and Air Conditioning today to set up an appointment. Make sure your HVAC system is in the best condition, and provide your family peace of mind this summer.

7 Ways to Save Money and Stay Warm This Winter

stay warm this winter

Temperatures are dropping and winter is closing in fast. Here are some quick tips from the experts at John A. Kinkaid Heating & Air Conditioning on how to stay warm while saving money this winter.

1. Break out the storm windows

Storm windows are especially important for older homes that may not have properly insulated windows. A lot of heat can seep out through the cracks around old windows. A set of quality storm windows will help you cut down on that heating bill while staying toasty warm.

2. Turn on the ceiling fan

Most people know to turn on the fan during the summer. But did you know that the fan can also help during the winter? Hot air will rise, collecting at the top of the room. Reversing the fan pushes that hot air down, providing better circulation and keeping you and your family much warmer.

3. Before you turn up the heat, consider putting on some extra layers

Too many times we get in the habit of just cranking up the heat when we get cold. But before you start turning up the heat this winter, consider putting on a sweater and a pair of wool socks. You’d be surprised how much a little extra warm clothing can shave off your heating bill this winter.

4. Close off unused areas

Not using the guest bedroom? What about that attic? Or the basement? Close it off. There is no point in paying to heat parts of the house that aren’t even being used. Close the doors and stuff some old rags in the cracks under the doors to prevent the heat from the rest of the house from leaching out through unused rooms.

5. Take advantage of the sunlight

You don’t have to have solar panels or fancy equipment to take advantage of solar energy. You can use passive solar energy to help heat your house by opening all of your curtains and drapes during the day, then closing them at night to preserve the heat that was collected. It is a simple, but efficient way to shave a little bit more off that energy bill.

6. Cook up some heat

Do you love to cook? Turn down the heat in the kitchen when you’re cooking. The stove and oven will often give off enough heat to make up the difference. Every little bit you can save helps.

7. Don’t leave the heat on when you’re gone

Why would you pay to heat an empty house? Turn the heat down while you’re at work. If you have a pet who might get cold, only keep the heat turned up in one room.