Anthony Plumbing Heating Cooling Blog

Are certain rooms uncomfortably warmer than the rest of your home?  Think you might need another air conditioner to get to your desired comfort level?  Think again.  Anthony can give you complete control of your home’s  temperatures with a Whole House Zoning System.   Zoning works by using a control panel, a series of dampers within the duct work, and thermostats placed in the problem areas.  Zoning is a very cost-effective alternative to adding another cooling system to your home.   

A zoning system not only allows you to be more comfortable, it will also save you money on energy bills.  Instead of sending the same amount of air into all rooms when the furnace or air conditioner is turned on, the programmable thermostats allow the system to send conditioned air only to the zones that need it and only when they need it.  The technology even features wireless thermostats that can be carried from room to room to ensure the desired temperature in that room.    

You may need zoning if your home has:

• Multiple Levels
• Expansive Glass Areas
• A Sprawling Floor Plan
• Home Office
• A Loft or Atrium
• A Finished Basement or Attic
• Room Additions

Wonder how well it works?  Ask us about our exclusive Temperature Guarantee.  For more information, click here Zoning System.

It seems like cooling bills just keep going up.  In June 2009, Kansas City Power and Light received approval for a combined $154 million rate increase in Missouri and Kansas.  Average residential customers in Missouri and Kansas saw a $12.82 and $10.36 increase in their monthly electricity bills, respectively.  (Source – www.epsa.org  Electric Power Supply Association.)  It’s air conditioning season again and here are some simple ways you can control your utility bills this summer:

Temperature Control – Set your thermostat to 78° Fahrenheit.  For every degree lower, the energy cost rises by 6 percent. (Source – U.S. Department of Energy website) A programmable thermostat can control temperature with little effort by reducing energy use when your home is unoccupied or your family is sleeping. 

Turn The Fan Switch to ON at the Thermostat – by circulating air in the home, you’ll feel cooler, so the temperature won’t need to be set as low. Also, circulating the air makes the temperature more even in the home from room to room and from floor to floor.  This won’t affect your air conditioner’s normal functioning as it will cycle on and off to satisfy the thermostat independently of the fan being on.  You’ll just feel more comfortable, and have cleaner air to breathe.

Ceiling Fans - make sure your ceiling fan is rotating counter clockwise (when looking up at it).  This forces the air down on the people in the room and creates a “wind chill” effect making it feel more comfortable without having to lower the temperature.

Air Conditioner Tune-Up – many people underestimate the importance of annual maintenance for their air conditioner.  In addition to safety reasons, a tune-up will ensure that your system is running at peak efficiency, thus saving more money than the cost of the tune up.

Outside Air Conditioner Coil – cotton seed, grass clippings, leaves and dryer lint are common “coil cloggers” that cause your air conditioner to use more electricity than it should. Check your coil frequently and hose it off as you see debris on it.

Filter Maintenance - clean or replace your one-inch air filter monthly because dirty air filters can greatly reduce air flow.  This causes the air conditioner to operate longer to satisfy the thermostat and results in more energy use.  Airflow problems alone can reduce an air conditioner’s efficiency by up to 15 percent.

Hopefully these quick and easy-to-do tips will help you reduce your energy bills this summer.

This week we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.  In our industry (plumbing, heating and cooling) we’ve seen quite a few improvements in energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly products.  You may not be aware of all of the options you now have when it comes to being more environmentally responsible. 

Here is a list of our top 5 products that help homeowners make a difference:

1.  High Efficiency Air Conditioners, Heat Pumps and Furnaces – up to 70% of your utility bills are attributed to keeping your home comfortable.  If your central ari conditioning unit is more than12 years old, replacing  it with and ENERGY STAR qualified model could cut your cooling costs up to 40%.  Manufacturers are getting better and better at making their units more energy efficient.  The York Affinity is the most efficient furnace today – 98% efficient on gas usage and it uses 1/6 the electricity of a normal furnace! 

2. High-Efficiency Toilets – federal law prohibits selling a new toilet that uses more than 1.6 gallons per flush.  Older toilets use almost three times that amount.  While low-flow toilets use much less water than traditional toilets, the new high-efficiency toilets (HETs) use 1.2 gallons – some less than a gallon.  And don’t worry, advances in toilet design permit HETs to save water without loss of flushing power.  So if you’re replacing a toilet, look into HET.

3.  Tankless Water Heaters – instead of keeping an entire tank full of hot water 24/7, tankless water heaters only burn gas when a faucet is turned on.  They supply hot water on demand so you’ll never run out in the middle of a shower again!  Plus, tankless water heaters cost less to operate.  You can save 40% – 50%  on your water heating bill every month.

4.  Salt-Free Water Conditioners – this water conditioner is easier on the environment because it only operates while your water is turned on.  It uses less electricity to operate than a 25-watt bulb.  Conditioned water also reduces calcium buildup extending the life of your dishwasher, washing machine and entire plumbing system.

5.  Ground Source Heat Pumps – you’ll save up to 75% on your energy bills with a ground source heat pump.  It uses the earth’s energy to heat and cool your home.  There’s no ugly, noisy outdoor unit to deal with and ground source heat pumps can be installed in existing homes.  They’re also eligible for a  30% government tax credit (with no cap).

These new products make it easy to save money while you’re saving the environment.  Plus, with government stimulus tax credits on most, you’ll save even more!  This is the only Earth we’ve got and we must work together to save it.  Happy Earth Day!

You may not know it, but keeping your furnace and A/C clean can help reduce heating and cooling costs.  Here are some dirty little secrets you should know:

“A build-up of .042 inches of dirt on heating or cooling coils can result in a decrease in efficiency of 21%.” (EPA) Environmental Protection Agency.

“Clean systems restore capacity and lessen running time.” (LCES) Louisiana Cooperative Extensions Service.

“Most commercially purchased fiberglass filters are only 7% efficient in stopping dirt, dust, pollen, etc. from passing through it.” (ASHRAE) American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.

“Nine out of 10 system failures are caused by dirt and dust.” (LCES) Louisiana Cooperative Extensions Service.

There are two coils in the system; an indoor coil (sits over the furnace in the ductwork – you cant see it) and an outdoor coil.  To keep your coils clean, call a professional technician for a tune-up at least once a year for each system.

Tired of ridiculously high energy bills?  Typically, 45% of your utility bill goes to heating and cooling.  There are some simple things you can do to help lower those bills.  Here are a few tips you can try:

1. Set your thermostat as high as comfortable in the summer and as low as comfortable in the winter.

2.  Get a programmable thermostat so you can use less energy when you are asleep or not at home.  You can save as much as 10% a year on your utility bills by turning your thermostat back 10-15 degrees for eight hours a day. 

 3. Have your furnace and A/C tuned up annually so they are running at peak efficiency.

4. Insulate and seal ducts – especially ducts that are in unconditioned areas like attics, crawl spaces and garages.  You can lose up to 60% of your heated air before it reaches the register if your ducts aren’t insulated and they travel through unheated spaces.

5. Plant a tree – a carefully positioned tree that shades your home can save up to 25% of a typical household’s cooling expenses.  The best time to plant a tree was yesterday.

6. Clean or replace one-inch furnace filters once a month or as needed.

7. Clean registers, baseboard heaters and radiators once or twice a year and make sure they’re not blocked by furniture, carpeting or drapes.

8. Turn off kitchen and bath exhaust fans after use.  (Consider high-efficiency, low-noise models.)

9. Turn off lights in empty rooms or when leaving the house.

10. In the winter, keep the shades/drapes on the south-facing windows open during the day to collect heat from the sunlight.  Close them at night to help keep chilled air from entering.  In the summer, keep them closed during the day and the sunlight out.

11. Heat pumps are the most efficient form of electric heating in moderate climates.  It can trim the amount of electricity you use for heating by up to 40%.  KCP&L offers a lower electric rate eight months out of the year for homeowners with heat pumps.  Take advantage of it.

12. Choose Energy-Star rated (or higher efficiency) furnaces, air conditioners and heat pumps when replacing systems.

 You can pay off your mortgage, but you can never pay off the utility companies!

Before you call us, here are some simple tips you can try that may help you avoid an unnecessary service call.  If you smell gas, do not turn on any light switches.  Immediately leave the house and call the gas company and then call us.  

1. First, double check to make sure your thermostat is set to “heat” and above the temperature in the house.
2. Make sure the electrical shut-off switch on the side of the furnace is on.
3. Check the breaker box for a tripped breaker.  If the breaker is tripped, try resetting it.  IF IT FLIPS BACK OFF, DO NOT KEEP TRYING TO RESET IT.  Call us immediately at (913) 384-4440.
4. Make sure the gas furnace blower door (the lower panel on the front of a gas furnace) is tight to the cabinet.  All modern furnace blower compartments have electrical interlock switches which shut the power off if the blower door is not secured tightly.
5. If you have a high-efficiency furnace that uses PVC (plastic) pipes, check the openings on the pipes for foreign matter that may be stopping air flow. 
6. Check the air filter.  A clogged air filter can restrict airflow causing the furnace safety limit switch to activate and you will have no heat.  If it is dirty, try replacing the filter.

 If none of these tips work, call Anthony at (913) 384-4440 or (816) 285-4440 and we’ll send one of our “Technicians You Can Trust with Your House Keys” out to help.