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Keeping Our Homes Green – Roofing Options

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 16:04:53 +0000

By Herbert Norton Looking for a way to reduce your energy costs? If you consult your local energy company, you will likely receive a brochure explaining how to wrap your pipes, put a blanket around your hot water heater, plugging cracks and holes through which drafts can flow, and adding reflective coatings to your windows. No harm in any of that, and it’s a good start. But for homeowners, there is a better place to start – start at the top, with your roof. Why start with the roof? For the same reason that your mother tells you to wear a hat outside in snowy weather – just as most of your body heat is lost through your head, most of your home’s heat is lost through the roof. Heat rises. Likewise, your roof is the part of your home that is most exposed to the sun, so the question of whether your home will absorb the sun’s heat or reflect it back into the atmosphere is decided right there – on the roof. Homeowners don’t like to mess with their roofs, and for good reason – roof work can be expensive. But there are a range of options, and if you are considering an ecofriendly option such as installing solar panels, you may qualify for state or federal tax subsidies that will help to defray the cost. (To find out what subsidies exist in your area, check the Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, DSIRE , or try this calculator ). If you are considering making your roof a part of your home’s energy efficiency plan, you will need to begin by answering the following questions: What material do you want to use for your roof? What color should your roof be? Do you want to add solar panels or solar shingles to your roof in order to capture solar energy for electricity or to provide heat for water? Materials These days, homeowners have many roofing materials to choose from. Most Americans (about 75 percent) go for cheap asphalt shingles – but cheap is the best that can be said of asphalt as a roofing material. It doesn’t insulate well, it is generally not recyclable at the end of its life, and its life is not long. On the other end of the economic spectrum, affluent homeowners will often choose wood shingles, such as cedar shakes, or slate. These options are all natural, insulate well, and are expensive. But cedar often comes from old-growth forests and slate is a non-renewable resource. Moreover, wood shingles will swell and shrink over time, producing cracks and resulting in moisture damage. Clay tiles are more durable and are made from a renewable, sustainable material, but they are so expensive that most homeowners can only manage to use them as accent materials along the edges of roofs. Somewhere in the middle, you have metal roofs. Metal roofs insulate well, they have high solar reflectance (meaning they stay cooler in the summer), they last a long time, and they are frequently made from recycled metals (and can be recycled themselves at the end of their lives). But they can be somewhat expensive. Nowadays, there is another option: recycled roofing materials. Believe it or not, you can now make your roof from recycled plastic, carpet, or tires. You can also opt for reclaimed or sustainably grown wood. Make Your Electric Meter Spin Backward If you want to generate electric power on your roof, or at least collect enough heat to warm up water, you may want to start with a basic metal roof. A standing-seam metal roof can work well as a base for thin-film photovoltaic panels. You’ll be following in reputable footsteps – President Barack Obama is adding solar panels to the White House roof this year, as is Texas Governor Rick Perry. Solar panels can be expensive – most solar panel systems cost at least $2,000 to $3,000 to install, and many cost more, depending on the system and the particular circumstances at your home. Solar panel systems pay for themselves within a few years, but that doesn’t help when you are trying to scrape together the money for the installation. There is also another solar roofing option – solar shingles. Solar shingles may be an ideal solution if by chance you have a roof that is already shingled, but is losing shingles in (preferably) a south-facing location where you can free up 300 to 400 feet of roof space. If you need to replace shingles anyway, you may as well replace the old shingles with matching solar shingles (they are designed to blend in with the asphalt shingles that most American homes use). Like solar panels, solar shingles can be connected to your local energy grid, so that if you produce excess electricity, it can go back into the system and your electric company can reimburse you for it. By absorbing heat from the sun, solar shingles can also reduce the amount of heat that your home absorbs, so you may find that you do not need to run an air conditioner as much in the summer. Don’t expect to go entirely off-grid with solar shingles – shingles do not store solar energy (unless you have also added batteries to hold stored energy, but adding batteries can add as much as $10,000 to your shingle installation costs), so you will need your regular electric grid at night. Homeowners who choose this option find that the solar shingles pay for themselves in about 8 to 10 years, while they last for 20-40 years (depending on climate and maintenance). Solar panels and shingles not only pay for themselves over time by allowing you to sell power back to your electric company, but they add to the value of your home. According to a recent study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 72,000 California homeowners who added solar panels to their roofs saw their home values rise by an average of $17,000 when they put their homes on the market. Consequently, you may be able to roll the cost of installation over into your mortgage. Caution Unless you are a roofing contractor yourself or have equivalent experience, don’t try to install your own roof. Find a contractor who is experienced in the kind of roof that you plan to put in place. If you are adding solar panels or solar shingles, you will also need an electrician. Be aware, as well, that if you are replacing a roof that was originally installed between 1940 and 1975, you may need to hire someone to do asbestos remediation. Finally, don’t forget to check your local building codes (or better yet, work with a contractor who is intimately familiar with them). Be sure, as well, to check with your homeowner’s insurance company to find out if the change in roofing materials will affect your insurance premiums. Do your homework and use common sense. If you can find a contractor and a roofing system that you are happy with, chances are that you will be very pleased with the results. About the Author Herbert Norton is a roofing contractor that started a website on roofing in the winter months to help educate his clients. Roofery.com has extensive information on many different types of roofing shingles, such as slate, tile, solar and metal shingles , to help consumers make an educated decision. Recently Herbert has been researching the “greening” of asphalt shingles , which are not normally eco-friendly.

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Keeping Our Homes Green – Roofing Options

10 Totally Tranquil Bathrooms

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 23:55:38 +0000

Our contractors never cease to amaze me. The diversity these pros bring to bathroom design is simply astonishing. From modern bathrooms to eclectic and transitional bathrooms as well, they’re keeping homeowners happy with quality remodeling. Take a look at some of their recent bathroom remodels below. You can find more in our Ideas Gallery , or get in touch with CalFinder contractors directly to talk pricing and sketch out some ideas. 10 Totally Tranquil Bathrooms #1 – Contemporary yet transitional bathroom with modern cabinets and chrome-finish hardware #2 – Modern bathroom with shower tiled in soothing natural stone #3 – Uber-contemporary remodel with rich wood panel accents and glass shower wall #4 – Eclectic bathroom f eaturing elegant furniture rather than traditional elements #5 – Stylish bathroom with chic gold accents and Asian cultural influence #6 – Excellent example of transitional bathroom #7 – A Zen-minimalist and oh-so-tranquil haven #8 – Lovely modern bathroom in white tile and stone #9 – Simple but powerful minimal bathroom #10 – Zen-luxury at its finest with a round soaking tub and ornate decor – What are your favorites from this collection? Which are you most likely to pick for your own home? Let me know in the comments!

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10 Totally Tranquil Bathrooms

Eco-Friendly Roofing Cuts Your Utility Bills

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:44:03 +0000

As you may have heard, CalFinder’s all about saving you money . To that end, we’re happy to share a guest post from Herbert Norton of Roofery.com . The focus? Better-insulating roof + eco-friendly materials = money in the bank. Take it away, Herb! Greening Your Roof Going green can do more than save the environment — it can save you money in the long run. So why not start at the top? Green roofing is a thriving industry and the options now vary from recyclable shingles to rooftop gardens. Green roofs can add an aesthetic appeal to your home, maximize energy efficiency and save you the pains of high energy bills. Follow these tips to choose the best green roof for your home and environment. What Should You Look for in a Green Roof? Before delving into a new roofing project, there are several variables to consider in the search. A green roof should be: Dependable A barrier against the elements Highly insulating to cut your energy bills Aesthetically appealing The biggest consideration when choosing a green roof is environment . You’ll want a roof that performs best in your climate. For example, if you live in an area with harsh winters and cold temperatures, look for a resilient roof that can hold up under snow, and probably a roof darker in color so that it will absorb heat rather than reflect it, keeping your heating bills low. Aside from color choice, an important greening feature is roofing durability and life span. Replacing your roof every 10 years or so is a huge cost to you and to the environment, as it requires manufacturing more roofing materials regularly. Another way to green your roof (and to save a lot of shipping costs) is to buy locally. The farther the shipping distance, the worse the carbon emissions and the greater the environmental impact. With these basic guiding principles in mind, consider the different types of green roof. Natural Clay Tiles A tiled roof can be a great energy efficient option. Clay tiles are the greenest tile of them all. They are excellent energy-savers in warmer climates, since they are usually light in color to reflect the sun’s rays, and provide greater air circulation to naturally cool your home . A drawback is that clay tiles are very heavy, so before you install them consult with an engineer to evaluate whether your home will need extra structural reinforcement. Fiber-cement composite tiles are made from recyclable materials but are very durable. Since these tiles aren’t as heavy as cement tile, they don’t require any extra structure reinforcement, and can be installed as is on your home. Check out some more recycled tile options here . Recycled Synthetic Shingles This traditional roofing material can be a great green option. Although standard asphalt shingles are a cheap roofing option, they only last about 15 years, making them one of the least green roofing materials. An better option is recycled synthetic shingles, which are made from a mixture or plastic, rubber and wood waste. The synthetic shingles are much lighter than asphalt and can last up to 50 years, three times the lifespan of asphalt. The synthetic shingles also come in a variety of styles, mimicking cedar shakes, slate or even clay tiles. The synthetic shingles are also comparable in shape and size to asphalt, so it is easy to replace asphalt with synthetic. Biodiverse Green Roofs Rooftop gardens are gaining in popularity in cities, but they are also a fantastic green roof option for any suburban home. A green roof is a vegetated rooftop covering that insulates your home, while the vegetation helps absorb carbon dioxide. Although commercial green roofs often sport trees, bushes, and irrigation systems, a green roof on your home only calls for 2-5 inches of soil to support small plants, grass and shrubs. The lower-scale green roofs don’t require much maintenance. Depending on your home, you may not need any extra structural reinforcement to support the green roof. – Herbert Norton is a roofing contractor that started a website on roofing in the winter months to help educate his clients. Roofery.com has extensive information on many different types of roofing shingles, such as slate, tile, solar and metal shingles , to help consumers make an educated decision. Recently Herbert has been researching the “greening” of asphalt shingles , which are not normally eco-friendly. Photos via Flickr

How Much Can You Save with Green Remodeling Tax Credits?

admin — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:23:07 +0000

Staying on top of the latest remodeling tax info is tough, but you can still take advantage of every federal tax break available before they expire. Some federal incentives have ended for 2010, some have been extended through 2011, and certain credits last all the way to 2016. Tax Credits for Basic Home Improvements Many of these projects are also pretty standard for home upkeep. Things like installing new windows , insulation, and a better air conditioning or heating system all qualify for federal tax credits. For upgrades made in 2010, you can get $1,500 back, or 30% on the first $5,000 spent. For improvements in 2011, the credit decreases to $500, or 10% of the first $5,000 you spend. This requires IRS form 5696 and receipts from your purchases. State rebates may also be available. Find out what improvements cost in your area by clicking here . These credits will be available in most cases until 2016, and most apply to both first and second homes. In the Non-Business Energy Property Credit , the overall credit caps at $500 for approved energy-efficient improvements, but within that blanket cap, certain green remodeling projects have their own caps, such as more efficient windows and doors, better insulation, and roof improvements. Homeowners can still deduct 10% of the purchase price of materials, but the cap is set at $200 for these types of deductions. Certain appliances, however, such as an upgraded hot water heater or an energy-efficient heating and cooling system , can earn a $300 tax credit. Solar Panels, Wind Turbines and Geothermal Rebates The second green tax break for homeowners is a big one. The Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit is a 30% credit off the cost of clean energy systems, including home solar panels , wind turbines , geothermal , and fuel cell systems . There is no cap on this credit, and installation and labor charges are also included in the credit, except for fuel cell upgrades. To qualify for the credits, homeowners would be wise to get estimates quickly before they expire, and to investigate what rebate programs currently exist in their state. Important Information on Green Tax Credits Keep in mind that for any green home improvements , you should do careful research to verify a manufacturer’s tax credit certification statement before purchase and installation of certain appliances or energy technology systems. When it comes to replacement windows and HVAC , only certain Energy Star products and appliances are approved for qualification. Other eligible home improvements include certain window films, duct sealants, pigmented metal roofs, and asphalt roofs with cooling granules. New additions to the tax credit plan are biomass stoves and ground-source or geothermal heat pumps. A solid source for more information is the Tax Incentives Assistance Project (TIAP) website, and the Department of Energy offers a helpline, at 1-800-dial-DOE, for consumers with questions about green tax incentives. Most states have their own incentive programs in place, but with many states experiencing severe budget shortages, much of what was previously available in rebate programs has been reduced or cut completely. In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act was put forth to stimulate energy efficiency practices in the green economy with expansion of existing home energy credits, which directly increase refunds or reduce a total tax bill. Photos via Flickr

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How Much Can You Save with Green Remodeling Tax Credits?

Increase Your House’s Value By Renovating

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:27:11 +0000

Filed under: Exteriors & Facades , Essential Skills , Know-How , Outdoors Before you list your home, try these renovation tips so you can up the asking price! Check out this piece from our partners at Fox News Home & Garden ! Want to increase your home’s value? Try landscaping. Photo: Corbis. When it comes to boosting your resale value, not all home renovations are created equal. Big-ticket items like hardwood floors, flagstones around the pool, or a water feature might be great for the homeowner, says Kris Anderson, a Re/Max agent in the Phoenix area, but these improvements do little to increase the asking price. Instead, homeowners should focus on more humble renovations and steer clear of the flashier upgrades. “The key when remodeling is to think in terms of ‘resale’ always,” Anderson said. “I find most homeowners overlook their front door and garage door and the windows. They get sucked in by the showroom at Lowe’s or Home Depot.” So which upgrades pay off the most? Curb Appeal Not all renovations need to be big, expensive undertakings. Tackling a few modest DIY projects can be a great way to add value on the cheap. Basic landscaping can cost less than a weekend’s worth of sweat and effort, but may dramatically boost your house’s curb appeal, that all-important first impression your home makes on a potential buyer. “Curb appeal is a very important thing to remember. When a potential buyer comes to see your home, the first impression is the front yard,” said Candice Cerro of Realtor.com. “Planting flowers and painting the front door can go a long way.” Similarly, a new coat of paint indoors and outside can give a house a fresh look. But before you run out to purchase a few gallons, heed a realtor’s advice: Keep it neutral. You may love lime green or pink, but that doesn’t mean your buyer will. “This is not about what you like, but what the buyer likes,” said Cheryl Bare, a realtor with Century 21 in the Washington, D.C., area. Sticking to neutral tones will allow a potential buyer to envision the space as their own, while minimizing the risk that they’ll be turned off by your color choices. Sweat the Small Stuff Many homeowners often overlook the nickel-and-dime stuff, like light fixtures, faucets and door knobs. While it won’t pay off to splurge on high-end fixtures and faucets, at the very least you want to ensure that the house has a uniform look and feel. So pick a style and stick with it throughout the home. Check out the other four ways to increase your house’s value over at Fox News or All DIY Infoup about… Finding the Right Flowers for Mom Cities Where $80,000 Buys a Real Home Or check out AOL Real Estate’s guide to increasing your house’s value through bathroom and minor kitchen renovations . All DIY Info | All DIY Info | Linking Blogs | All DIY Info

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Increase Your House’s Value By Renovating

Need to Slim Your Energy Bills? CalFinder to the Rescue!

admin — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 23:46:01 +0000

Great news! CalFinder has been working out ways to save you big money on utility bills. We know that remodeling can be costly, and after seeing what our contractors have done to cut utility bills across the country, we’re proud to announce a focus on energy-saving upgrades. As of now, CalFinder.com is connecting you with quality installers for: Window Replacement Home Solar Power HVAC Siding All trades are designed to seal up the envelope of your house, a concept we’re super excited to explore. With Earth Day just around the corner and Spring Remodeling Season kicking into high gear , there has never been a better time to cut energy waste and reduce your carbon footprint. So, grab your free estimates for efficiency upgrades, and find out just how much you can save in 2011.

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Need to Slim Your Energy Bills? CalFinder to the Rescue!

Help Your Kitchen Go Green

admin — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:04:32 +0000

image from http://fireflyblog.org Sustain Your Life, Sustain Your Appliances In a world filled with sustainable living ideas, it is difficult to think past recycle bins of bottles and cans. Why not live a green lifestyle and actually seeing some green growing in your pocket, too? This month, make an effort to break old habits and take a step away from energy-waste to energy-smart. “By maintaining your appliances regularly, you can extend the life of your investment and save energy,” said Doug Rogers, president of Mr. Appliance Corp.® “The harder an appliance has to work to do its job, the more energy it consumes in the process, which puts a strain on the appliance, the environment and on your energy bills.” Follow these simple tips from Mr. Appliance Corp. to make your appliances not only benefit planet earth, but also your pocketbook. Open the Door to More Savings • Give your refrigerator some breathing room by keeping the appliance at least two or three inches away from the wall. Also, place your refrigerator away from direct sunlight and appliances that produce heat to make your refrigerator run more efficiently. • Do you crave a midnight snack, but can’t decide what to eat? Keep your fridge full, not only to satisfy all of your midnight munchies, but also to help the fridge save energy after recovery from the door being open. • Check and care for the rubber seals surrounding the inside of your fridge by using mild soap twice a year to help prevent cracked and torn seals. Use your money to test the seals by placing a dollar bill halfway inside the refrigerator door. If the dollar pulls out easily, then your losing money in more than one way and it may be time to replace the rubber seals. • Enjoy a night of leftovers and defrost your fridge regularly. The frost build-up wastes energy by making the compressor run longer. Keep the Heat Inside of Your Oven and Out of Your Pocket • If you notice your food cooking unevenly or it is taking longer than before, it may be time to replace cracked or torn door seals that can allow up to 20% of heat to escape. • When cooking up your favorite meal, turn off electric burners two to three minutes before you finish cooking and let the residual heat sauté the rest to perfection. • Save yourself a step by planning out your cooking schedule to only bake in the oven instead of preheating. Sometimes there is no need to preheat if the food requires more than an hour in the oven. • When tidying up your kitchen don’t forget about your electric and gas burners. Clean burners allow for a more efficient use of energy. Wash, Dry and Ring out the Best Savings For Your Wallet • Use the high-speed cycle to toss out more moisture from your clothes, which allows for less time in the dryer and more time for you to spend your money saved. • It’s okay to air our your laundry, just make sure it is clean. Line-dry your clothes as much as possible, and you can see up to 5% saving on your energy costs. • Clean your dryer lint screen after every use. Dryer efficiency decreases as lint collects over time. More importantly, lint build-up can be a fire hazard, so make sure to have it cleaned periodically by a professional. • Refresh your clothes by washing a load in cold water. This saves on energy costs and helps lengthen the life of your clothes by preserving the color and the fabric. Clean Plate, Clean Mind • Save up to 20 gallons of water by hand -scraping your dishes, instead of running water for your pre-rinse. • Give your dishes a breath of fresh air by turning your dishwasher setting to air-dry or open the dishwasher after the rinse cycle. • Hold off on washing you dishes until you have a full load. Your dishwasher uses the same amount of water per cycle, so fill it up with all of your hand-scraped plates. • Give your dishwasher a wash of its own by running an empty cycle with a citric acid-based cleaner. The cleaner will remove soap and calcium build-up that makes your dishwasher worker harder than it has to. Follow these do-it-yourself energy efficient tips periodically by adding them to your family calendar. To help prolong the life of your appliances, combine these tips with regular visits from your local appliance repair professional. Through the use of simple maintenance tasks you can extend the life of your appliances, your bank account and most importantly, our planet. For more appliance and energy tips, visit www.mrappliance.com and follow us on Twitter @MrApplianceCorp and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MrApplianceCorp . About Mr. Appliance®: Mr. Appliance® is North America’s largest appliance repair franchise system. Established in 1996, its franchises feature full service residential and commercial appliance maintenance and repair. Recognized by Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500, Top 101 Home-Based Franchises and ranked Top Home Repair Franchise System, Mr. Appliance® has 130 locations throughout the United States and Canada. Mr. Appliance® is a subsidiary of The Dwyer Group, Inc. For more information, visit www.mrappliance.com .

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Help Your Kitchen Go Green

Green on the Outside: Siding for the Eco-Conscious

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:25:48 +0000

The home siding market is saturated with cheap, toxic, hard-to-justify products. Take, for example, the vinyl siding options that promise easy maintenance, durability and an incredibly low up-front investment. While vinyl and other plastics may be eye-catching, it’s important to remember that they’ll be around in dumps and landfills for thousands of years after they’ve adorned your home. Luckily, when it comes to green siding, you’ve got plenty of options. To check pricing in your area, click here . Wood Siding Wood siding is long lasting when properly maintained, and from the right suppliers it’s a plentiful, renewable raw material. If you’re thinking about wood siding for your home, you’ll want to make sure that it’s certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). FSC certified wood is harvested by socially and ecologically responsible companies that work to give back as much as they take. On the down side, wood siding eventually rots and needs to be painted every few years. Engineered Wood Engineered wood is manufactured by pressing wood fibers together with waxes and resins. It’s long-lasting, affordable, and bio-degrades nearly as quickly as natural wood. Some engineered woods are manufactured with formaldehyde, but you can avoid that pitfall by simply selecting a formaldehyde-free variety. Engineered wood looks great and lasts a very long time. It’s best in dry climates where it won’t warp and swell. Metal Siding Metal siding will easily last a lifetime and is virtually maintenance-free. It can sustain all kinds of temperatures and inclement weather, and shakes off extreme humidity and aridity like nobody’s business. Unfortunately, metal siding is considered a high embodied energy product. That means that its manufacture, marketing and disposal consume a questionably high amount of resources. Metal siding types should only be used as a long-term siding solution that really justifies their costs. Fiber Cement Fiber cement siding is very long lasting, demands little or no regular maintenance, and can be surprisingly affordable. It’s lightweight, easy to install and easy to transport. But be cautious. While some fiber cement products are made with a high volume of recycled materials, they sometimes contain epoxy as well, which does not bio-degrade. Eco-Friendly Stucco Most stucco is made with cement and epoxy, but some eco-friendly stucco can be found that uses earth and lime mixtures instead. Eco-friendly stucco sports a basic, no frills look and feel, and is both affordable and long-lasting. Keep in mind that any stucco will probably need repainting every couple of years. Eco-friendly siding is a win-win for all. Find out what new siding would cost for your own home by clicking here . Photos by Truwood Siding

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Green on the Outside: Siding for the Eco-Conscious

Modular Outdoor Pizza Oven Makes Installation Easy

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:18:34 +0000

Have you ever dreamed of making pizza at home…from your back deck or patio? You might think having an outdoor pizza oven installed is a huge project that requires a landscaping or remodeling expert. Well, a little expertise never hurts, but the folks over at Forno Bravo are making it feasible to install a pizza oven on your own. Their modular kits mean the pieces can be shipped to you and assembled in your yard. No need to whip out the bricks and mortar to build an oven from scratch (though the company does have a neat guide online , if that’s something that piques your interest). The residential modular pizza oven shown below is from the Casa2G series .

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Modular Outdoor Pizza Oven Makes Installation Easy

Is HVAC Inflating Your Energy Bills? 7 Signs It Needs Help

admin — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:05:54 +0000

HVAC is such a gift. If you’ve ever doubted what an amazing invention it is, just visit relatives that don’t have central air in the middle of summer. You’ll vow to never neglect yours again. To keep your home nice and comfortable as it should be, here’s how to lower your energy bill with a better-working HVAC, as well as seven red flags that indicate a problem with your little piece of paradise. Tune it Up Studies have found that AC units lose about 5% of their efficiency every year. This can mean a huge bump in your utility bills. Spending a little money on a tune-up can help you maintain 95% of the unit’s efficiency, helping you save money on the bill and making your unit last longer. An HVAC tune-up should consist of cleaning the coils, checking the compressor, oiling belts and checking pressure levels. On your end, good filters are important. Change them regularly to keep your system running smoothly. Cut Your Energy Bill You can lower your electric bill by blocking sunlight. Keep curtains closed until the sun has passed by the window. Close off vents to unused rooms, and keep those doors shut. Cool air descends, so the vents in the lowest level of the house should be closed. Teach your kids to close the door behind them every time they go in or out of the house. Finally, invest in an automatic thermostat so you can cut your A/C costs this summer , and your bill. 7 Signs Your HVAC Needs Help 1. Ice forming on the unit or lines If you look at the lines coming from your unit into the house and see condensation or ice, call a technician. It’s not normal, and it’s not good. 2. Unit is running but not cooling The A/C is on, you hear the fan going, but the air coming out of the vent is lukewarm. The problem could be anything from a serious freon leak to a minor fuse. Either way, it’s a good time to call the specialist in . 3. HVAC unit is running for hours on end Listen to your unit, pay attention to when it’s running and when it’s not. If you realize yours has been running for three hours and the temperature in the house has only dropped one degree, it’s time for a service call and possibly a new unit. 4. Mysterious noises Take time to listen to your unit. It should sound smooth with a nice, steady hum. If yours is clanking, rattling, and rolling then you might want to call for an inspection. There should not be any grating noises or rubbing sounds. 5. Scary electric bills Most people open their electric bills and have a good idea of what it will be. If yours is suddenly much larger than expected, your HVAC unit might be the culprit. Check pricing for a new heating system here . 6. Water leaks You should never see water puddling around your exterior unit. If you check your unit and find a collection of water near it, call a service technician for an inspection. 7. System is more than 10 years old The average life span of an air conditioner is only 10 to 12 years. The industry is constantly making advancements in unit efficiency . If yours was installed more than a decade ago, the chances are good that it’s nearing the end of its life. Installing a new one will save you money on the electric bill every month. If a new unit just isn’t in the budget right now, an inspection and tune-up could help you get a few more years out of it. Regular Maintenance You probably don’t give your air conditioner a second thought. But once it dies, that’s all you can think about. Having regular maintenance done will help you keep it running in top condition. Just as your furnace should be inspected annually, your air conditioner should also be inspected. Have any good HVAC tips of your own? Let us know in the comments. Images via FriendlyElectric

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Is HVAC Inflating Your Energy Bills? 7 Signs It Needs Help