Greater Cleveland Heating and Cooling Blog

During a home performance assessment a professional home consultant will determine your home’s energy efficiency using a variety of techniques along with very specialized diagnostic equipment, including infrared cameras, a unique device called a blower door, and electronic devices. He or she may also evaluate a year’s worth of energy bills to identify changes you can make to lower your costs, and inspect all your appliances to determine if upgrades are necessary.

If you’re using a steam boiler and radiators to heat your home, you’ve got a system that could last for decades; but it needs proper maintenance and care. That’s why we recommend annual system inspections.

Once you know that your heating and cooling system is working as it should, find out if your home is as energy efficient as possible by getting a home performance assessment. You can conduct a preliminary evaluation yourself, or simply hire an expert to do it for you. If you don’t believe you are capable of diagnosing problems, or if you prefer not to climb up ladders or into crawl spaces, consider hiring a professional to conduct your assessment.

As a homeowner, you might be surprised to learn that the best "first cost" heating system is not necessarily the lowest priced one in the end. First cost refers to the purchase price of a system, and it's the first time you'll spend money on the system – but it won't be the last time. In fact, to find the heating system that makes the most sense financially, you need to work backward: Find the system that will produce the lowest lifetime costs, and then select the system.

A good way to ensure that a service technician will be available when the unthinkable happens is to purchase a service agreement. That way, you’ll have a relationship with a reliable company you trust and are familiar with. As an added bonus, many companies give customers with these agreements priority service, price breaks on parts, or waive overtime fees.

Regardless of manufacturer, cooling and heating equipment is designed to be durable. Regular maintenance can keep it running longer, more efficiently and with fewer breakdowns.  It is a well proven fact that that the money invested in regular preventive maintenance is paid back and then some. To learn how to properly maintain your system, check your manufacturer’s maintenance guidelines. If you no longer have the owner’s manual for your equipment, check the manufacturer’s website and follow the recommendations provided.

If you own a hydronic heating system, you may need to bleed your hot water system to avoid common problems that can occur. Below are three important reasons why you should bleed your equipment.

Bleeding your hot water system will help you:

Families committed to reducing their heating and cooling bills through energy savings should approach it as a whole-house project. While you may find ways in one room to stop air infiltration, for instance, energy-wasting appliances in another room may be draining away what you're saving. Each room contributes to the overall savings of the house. 

A few ways to increase energy efficiency throughout your home:

You rely on your heating and cooling system to keep you comfortable all year, even when the outside temperature soars to 95 degrees or plummets to 10 below. But how can you ensure that your equipment will perform properly when you need it most? If you want your home to remain comfortable all year long, make a thorough check of your system on a regular basis. Doing so will enable you to find and correct any problems that may prevent your equipment from working at optimal capacity.

Home performance assessments are powerful tools that can help Greater Cleveland residents determine how efficiently their buildings are using energy. With comprehensive calculations and sophisticated technology, contractors can find problems and provide suggestions for improving performance. One of the most effective diagnostic tools they have is the blower door test.