Category: Energy Efficiency

Programmable Thermostats: How to Make the Smart Decision

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

Investing in a programmable thermostat will quickly pay you back, as the average energy savings you can expect from using these devices approaches 10 percent. By selecting a model with “smart” capabilities, you can lock in the highest savings possible while providing the ultimate in convenience.

Programming options

Standard and smart programmable thermostats generally allow homeowners to set their devices for up to four daily schedules. But weekly scheduling options differ from one model thermostat to another.

You can choose:

  • 7-day programming, with a separate schedule for every day of the week
  • 5-1-1 settings, with one schedule for Monday through Friday, and one schedule for each weekend day
  • 5-2 programming, with one schedule for the weekdays and one for weekends
  • 1-week settings, with programming that extends the entirety of the seven-day week

Programmable thermostat features

You can also select various features for added convenience, including:

  • Touch screen capabilities
  • Backlighting
  • Reminders to change your HVAC air filters and the thermostat’s batteries
  • Vacation override button

Smart capabilities

A standard programmable thermostat will give you all of the features listed above, but a smart device offers an additional perk: web-based access. Remote access to a programmable thermostat can give a homeowner a multitude of options, including the ability to:

  • Change temperature settings from another location using a phone or computer
  • Adjust temperatures remotely when your schedule changes, so that by the time you return home the temperature will be comfortable
  • Change the time period of an existing setting, allowing you to adjust any of the four daily settings
  • Set a 365-day schedule, a feature available on some smart programmable thermostats
  • Lock out manual adjustments, ideal when you don’t want home occupants, like children, to manipulate the thermostat and make changes to the temperature or time settings
  • Receive a text or email when your smart thermostat senses that the home’s temperature is above or below the setting, allowing you to remotely respond
  • Receive alerts when humidity sensors read levels that are too high or too low

Use the power of “smart” programmable thermostat technology, and boost your overall energy savings and convenience. For help, contact Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical — serving the Greater Charlotte area as a local, family-owned company since 1972.

Designing and Retrofitting Your Home for Passive Solar

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

Homeowners who take advantage of passive solar home design can boost energy savings by lowering the heating and cooling load of their homes. Passive solar design is most easily accomplished when building or remodeling a home, requiring a more manageable investment than investing in active solar equipment, like photovoltaic panels.
There are five basic concepts to using passive solar:

  • Solar collectors – Often called apertures or window expanses, solar collectors are used to access radiation from the sun, which is then used to heat the home. A large window should be positioned on the south-facing side of the home, unobstructed by shade from trees or buildings. This will allow your home to access heat in the winter season during peak sunlight hours between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
  • Absorbers – Inside the home, an absorber is positioned to collect heat from the sun. It is typically a hard surface, made from a dark material—to absorb maximum heat—and can be either a water container, masonry wall or floor.
  • Thermal masses – Also designed to function like an absorber, a thermal mass differs in that it is not an exposed surface area; instead, the thermal mass rests under or behind another surface material, like a wall or floor.
  • Solar distribution – Three natural processes — conduction, radiation and convection — are utilized in passive solar design to distribute, or circulate through the home, the solar heat that is collected or absorbed through other passive solar factors, like absorbers and thermal masses.
  • Controls – While passive solar maximizes heat gain during winter, it is necessary to limit heat gain during summer. You can position roof overhangs or awnings to increase shading, install a sensing thermostat that will run a fan to limit heat gain, and install dampers or vents that alternatively allow or inhibit the movement of heat. Window blinds are also an effective passive solar tool that will reduce heat gain in the summer.

If you’re interested in passive solar design, contact your local solar experts at Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical today! We’ve been serving the greater Charlotte area as a local, family-owned company since 1972.

Is an A/C Tune-Up on Your Spring To-Do List?

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

An A/C Tune-Up should be at the top of your spring to-do list. The largest consumer of energy in your home is your heating and cooling system. Keeping your HVAC equipment running efficiently will help control energy costs.

Having a spring A/C Tune-Up will get your A/C unit ready to operate safely and efficiently throughout the summer cooling season. You’ll also avoid the panic of having to repair a malfunctioning unit in the middle of the hot summer months to come.

When you schedule an A/C Tune-Up, your technician will:

  • Conduct a thorough inspection of the entire system and its related components
  • Test the A/C’s refrigerant. An incorrectly-charged system will waste energy and not cool properly.
  • Test the system for refrigerant leaks
  • Safely capture refrigerant that must be removed, according to industry standards
  • Check the ductwork portion of your HVAC equipment, ensuring that it doesn’t leak and allows for proper airflow
  • Assess the A/C’s airflow over the evaporator coil, and clean it. Improper airflow over the coil will lead to decreased cooling capacity
  • Test the thermostat, ensuring that its controls will deactivate the heating system when you set the thermostat to cooling mode, and making sure that it will meet temperature settings
  • Inspect all electrical elements, lubricating and tightening connections as necessary
    Test the motor, checking that belts are tight, warding off wear and tear, and lubricating the motor, too

As a homeowner, you can participate in maintaining the air conditioner by:

  • Changing the air filter before you start up the A/C
  • Checking the air filter monthly once you begin to use the air conditioner regularly, ensuring that the filter is not dirty, which will restrict airflow and lead to dirt buildup
  • Assessing the conditions around the outdoor unit, cleaning up debris that has accumulated throughout the winter, as well as vegetation that can block the unit and potentially restrict airflow and reduce efficiency
  • Inspecting the registers and grilles throughout your home to ensure that airflow is optimized

Contact the home-comfort experts at Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical to schedule an A/C tune-up appointment, or ask about our annual maintenance plans. We’ve served the Greater Charlotte area as a local, family-owned company since 1972.

The Ductless Mini Split: An Innovative Solution for a Unique Situation

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

A ductless mini split could be the solution to your home’s unique heating and cooling situation. One of its main advantages is that a mini split doesn’t require ductwork to operate, extending installation options beyond where ductwork is located and often minimizing costs, too.

There are several other distinct advantages to using a ductless mini split, including:

  • Flexible installation – You can install as many as four indoor air handlers, which gives you the ability to select four spaces to receive heating and cooling. A separate unit is installed outdoors, and a central conduit connects the indoor and outdoor units. The outdoor unit will need to accommodate drainage, but it can be located up to 50 feet away from the indoor units. To install the air handlers, your technician will need only to drill a small hole to run the conduit, requiring minimal adjustments and construction to your home.
  • Zoned heating and cooling – Each indoor air handler is controlled by its own thermostat, so you can effectively provide zoned heating and cooling to the spaces. With the ability to increase cooling, for instance, to a ductless mini split located in an enclosed porch, you can provide as much cooling as necessary to that space, without also increasing cooling to other spaces in your home—spaces that don’t need more cooling.
  • An efficient system – Heating and cooling systems that rely on forced air through ductwork are susceptible to high energy losses. Because ductless mini splits don’t rely on ductwork, you’ll get a more efficient heating and cooling process.
  • Lower installation costs – Extending and retrofitting ductwork is a costly endeavor, and mini splits bypass that cost. However, to ensure optimal results, you’ll want to hire an expert who’s familiar with mini splits, as their location and size will dictate efficiency and performance.

A ductless mini split is an efficient, flexible solution to your home heating and cooling needs. For more information, contact Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical, serving the Greater Charlotte area as a local, family-owned company since 1972.

Invest That Tax Refund in a Heat Pump System, and You’ll See the Long-Term Payoff

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

It’s that time of year again when excited homeowners make plans for their tax refunds. Even more exciting is deciding to put that investment toward a more efficient heating and cooling system, which will often pay you back for the initial costs through energy savings. An air-source heat pump system is a wise choice for Charlotte-area homeowners, as our climate is conducive for its heat-moving technology.

Heat pump systems are well known for their highly efficient heating capabilities.

In cooling mode, they work just as efficiently as a central A/C system, but in heat mode, they are able to generate as much as four times the heat for every unit of energy they utilize. Generally set at a balance point of 35 degrees, they can effectively source heat in the outdoor air throughout the majority of winter.

No matter the season, heat pumps create a more comfortable home by delivering even amounts of conditioned air throughout the day. When selecting a system, consider efficiency ratings and advanced features to maximize performance:

  • Efficiency ratings – Heat pumps have two ratings, one for cooling and one for heating. For cooling, select a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) rating above 14, and for heating, select a Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) rating above 8. Both of these ratings are for high-efficiency systems, which will net you higher energy savings over the life of the system.
  • Thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) – A TXV will meter exact amounts of refrigerant according to the daily weather, releasing more refrigerant during extreme temperatures.
  • Variable-speed blower – With the ability to adjust the air handler to multiple speeds, these systems consume less energy by operating at a lower speed for a majority of the day, and like a TXV, ramping up to high speeds only when the weather demands it.
  • Two-stage compressor – A two-stage compressor starts out at 70% of its capacity and if this satisfies your thermostat it stays there using less energy. However on extreme temperature days when 70% doesn’t satisfy your thermostat quick enough then the compressor will bump up to 100% capacity. This feature will manage energy consumption, and decrease wear and tear on the system.

Use your tax refund wisely and invest that money back into your home with a highly efficient heat pump system. For expert advice during the upgrade process, contact Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical, serving the greater Charlotte area as a local, family-owned company since 1972.

Lauren Acosta On 107.9 WLNK’S “The Satisfied Life”

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical’s own, Lauren Acosta, joined “The Satisfied Life” radio show this past weekend. As an Acosta Comfort Specialist, Lauren brought her expertise of solar HVAC systems and indoor air quality solutions to Charlotte’s airwaves, offering insights and savings tips that every homeowner can appreciate. If you missed Sunday’s show, you can still listen to her interview by clicking the play button below:

Fresh Air Year Round – With an Energy Bonus

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

The indoor air quality of your home is important when trying to keep your family healthy, hence the need for ventilation. However, ventilation systems can be both practical and economical. Energy recovery ventilation systems vent the home while keeping energy loss to a minimum.

Benefits of home ventilation

Pumping a constant stream of fresh air into your home helps keep it healthy by pushing out stale, contaminated air. Things like dust, mold and bacteria are removed, thus reducing the chances of allergy aggravation and sickness.

There are two major types of home ventilation systems, heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) and energy recovery ventilators (ERVs). The more economical of the two is the ERV because of its heat exchanger. While the HRV only transfers heat, the ERV transfers both heat and water vapor.

Since ERVs transfer moisture to less humid winter air, your home’s humidity is kept relatively constant. During the summer, the ERV also maintains humidity by transferring a portion of the incoming air’s water vapor to the drier air leaving your home. Coupled with homes featuring air conditioners, an ERV home has better humidity control than with a HRV. Some experts suggest turning off the ERV during high humidity weather to keep humidity levels low. The system can be programmed to work only when the air conditioner is on.

Energy bonus

ERVs reduce ventilating cost during winter by shifting heat from exhausted warm inside air to new, yet cold supply air. The reverse is done during the summer. ERVs can recover between 70 and 80 percent of the energy in the home’s air and deliver it to incoming air. They’re most economical in climates with extreme summers or winters and where fuel costs are high.

For assistance in deciding whether an energy recovery ventilation system is ideal for you home, contact Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical.

Air Filters Don’t Get a Break – Change Them All Year Long

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

A clean air filter is vital to the performance of your home’s heating and cooling system. As air flows to and from your system, the air filter traps dust, dust mites, pollen, pet dander and other particles, removing them from your air. Over time, these particles build up on the filter, reducing its effectiveness.

Check the filter monthly. If it appears dirty, change it. At a minimum, the filter should be changed every three months.

Dirty air filters:

  • Affect the air quality in your home.
  • Restrict the air flow into your system, making the fan motor work harder, consuming more energy and costing you more money to stay comfortable.
  • Forcing the motor to work harder will shorten the life of the motor again costing you more money to have the motor replaced prematurely.
  • Reduced air flow across your furnace will cause the temperature of the furnace to rise which will put more stress on the metal heat exchanger and could cause it to crack and even leak dangerous Carbon Monoxide into your home.

There are many types of air filters available. Using the correct size and type of filter for your system will provide optimum results. The most efficient filters may not be the best option for your system. Today’s highly-efficient filters cause an increase in the level of airflow resistance, which can restrict airflow and cause damage to older heating and cooling systems. Consult your system’s operating manual for recommended filters.Here at Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical, we’re happy to answer your questions about air filters, or to offer expert advice regarding your heating and cooling needs. For more information, contact us today!

Duct Sealing Helps Manage Unruly Energy Bills

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

Furnaces, central air conditioners and heat pumps use a series of ductwork to transport heated and cooled air to every room of your home. In most homes, as much as 15 to 20 percent of this air is lost through leaks in the ductwork. You can prevent these leaks by having professional duct sealing completed.

Here’s a look at four benefits of duct sealing.

1. Lower energy bills:

When conditioned air escapes into the attic or garage through which your ductwork is traveling, your energy bills go up. Therefore, by sealing these gaps, you enjoy more of the air that you paid to heat or cool. You might even be able to downsize your heating and cooling equipment to a unit that is smaller and less expensive to operate, saving you even more on your energy bills.

2. Improved comfort:

Many homes have comfort issues that involve some rooms being too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter. The problem is most likely that leaky ducts are wasting air on the way to these rooms. Sealing ductwork ensures that every room is kept at a more constant, comfortable temperature.

3. Better indoor air quality:

Air can certainly escape through gaps in ductwork, but air from unconditioned spaces can also be picked up. This brings dusty air, particles from insulation, fumes and odors into your home. Seal these leaks and prevent your air quality from deteriorating.

4. Environmental responsibility:

The production of electricity is a huge contributor to global warming. You can do your part by having duct sealing done and conserving energy as a result. This is certainly a step in the right direction.

For more information about duct sealing, please contact Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical. We’re happy to answer your heating and cooling questions, and offer to our expert advice and services to Charlotte-area residents.

Increase Whole-House Energy Savings in 5 Quick and Easy Steps

Posted on | by Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical

When you approach energy savings in your house, there are a couple different paths you can take. You can focus on small tasks in each room that add up to energy savings, or you can think big. Consider these five quick and easy steps to maximize energy savings throughout your home.

1. Change your air filters.

Filters get clogged and dirty as they remove dust and other particles from the air. When this happens, your heating and cooling equipment has to work harder to blow air through, which eats up energy and drives up your utility bills. Changing your filters every one to three months eliminates this unnecessary expense. Filters may need to be changed more frequently during the peaks of the heating and cooling seasons.

2. Boost your insulation.

Insulation seals in heat in winter and helps keep your house cool in summer. Your whole house should be well insulated, but the attic is the most important area, since heat rises. Also consider insulating your ductwork to minimize heating and cooling losses.

3. Invest in preventative maintenance.

Stopping problems before they develop is much less expensive than trying to fix them later, and annual service is the best way to keep your heating and cooling appliances running efficiently.

4. Update your lighting.

If you still have old incandescent light bulbs in your house, they are wasting money and should be replaced. Fluorescent bulbs are much more energy efficient, and they also last longer. Of course, it goes without saying that turning off the lights when you leave a room is also essential to energy savings.

5. Install a programmable thermostat.

A programmable thermostat allows you to program a heating or cooling schedule that varies by time of day and from one day to the next, allowing you to save energy by using your furnace and air conditioner less when you don’t need them, like at night or when nobody’s home.

For more information on ways you can save energy in the Charlotte area, contact Acosta Heating, Cooling & Electrical. We’ve been locally owned and operated since 1972.