This is a great time to get out and do those repairs on the home we put off all winter. It is also a great time to improve your energy efficiency of your heating system. Why wait until the rush in the fall? Close outs and end of models sales can help as well as availability of contractors. Before you get into your heating system too far don’t forget to check you ducts for leaks. Age will work against ducts and they may need to be resealed. The energy experts at EPA estimate you save up to 30 percent of air loss in a home by sealing ducts. We do want all the heat we pay for to get to the living space. Also duct cleaning is a good item to put on your list especially for those with allergies.

If your Home is getting up in age it may be time to replace your heating system. There are some great innovations in gas forced air equipment. The base system is about 80 percent efficient but for little more money an 85-87 percent is a good move. Next is a system called a two-stage. It simply has the ability to use a smaller part of the burner if the demand is low. This uses less fuel and saves the full heating capacity for those cold winter days.
On new construction or some refits you can add a zone to the duct work to heat each level of the home on its own thermostat. This is great for the basement or bedrooms that you don’t need to heat all day. If your older home has had energy up date to the insulation or windows now is the time to add a fresh intake to the duct and check the bath fans are ducted outside the home. If we bring up to date older homes for insulation and tightness we must also update the venting. This will add fresh air to the house and improve the air quality. It also will help reduce the moisture during the winter cutting down on mold issues.