How-to Control Expenses While Traveling

Vacation planning, also calls for reducing energy consumption, while the home is vacant. Reducing energy costs is a consumer smart tactic for traveling and controlling expenses. From changing lights, reducing the thermostat to the maintenance of the heating and cooling system, several factors influence energy conservation. When equipment is dirty or requires maintenance, it begins to impel higher energy usage.

Use this checklist (below) to reduce energy costs and ensure that your heating and cooling system operates safely and efficiently.

• Water damage is the adverse effect of a plugged drain. Find a licensed contractor to inspect your furnace, central air conditioner and / or heat pump’s condensate drain.
  
• Dirty coils hinder the cooling performance of the air conditioning system; prolonging the span that equipment is powered on, ultimately raising energy. If you’re on vacation, the extra energy loads will trigger spikes in your electricity bill. Hire a contractor to clean or replace any dirty coils.
  

Important Note: While certain tasks are easy enough to do-it-yourself, a licensed and bonded, heating maintenance contractor will alleviate any unforeseen accidents.

• Check all electrical connections to determine if they are tightened securely. Heating systems with improperly affixed electrical connections may trigger a serious malfunction. Not to mention, defectively, configured connections shorten the lifespan of the equipment.
  
• Heating and systems, lacking adequate lubrication, intensify the electricity load. Make sure that the moving parts are appropriated lubed.
  

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Before departing for your trip:

Set lamps on timers. For the best energy efficiency, replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Change air filters. Dirty air filters hinder the performance of any heating and cooling system, requiring a heavier energy load. Replace the air filters of the heating and cooling systems.

Unplug all electronic items. Plugged yet powered down electronics attribute to the electricity load. To minimize costs, unplug any electrical items that do not keep food cool.

Contact Hoffmann Brothers, a trusted heating and air conditioning company, for all your furnace, heat pump and central air conditioning maintenance and repairs needs.