Work From Home Article Directory

Home Heating, Should it be a DIY Project?

Today the price of energy is rising with no end in sight. As we're all more strapped for cash it's more important then ever to make sure that you're getting everything you can when you spend your hard earned dollar. Whether your present home heating/air conditioning system is old, or whether you're considering a new heating and air conditioning system you should always do some homework before you spend your money. Having a new heat pump system put in your home will cost $5,000 and up. A new gas furnace can cost even more.

Luckily for those of us who are looking to replace old heating and air conditioning systems today's models are more energy efficient than models just ten years old. Heat pump systems are far superior and can actually cost 40% less to run than an outdated system. If you've an old heat pump system you probably feel that it never warms efficiently. Even more pleasant with today's newer models is that when you want cold air the air truly comes out of the system cold, and if you want heat the air will be hot.

Before you spend your money and choose a system you'll want to educate yourself about ratings. You'll be introduced to SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). Pay attention to it. The higher the SEER rating the more efficient the unit will be. Unfortunately increased SEER ratings go hand in hand with an overall increased price for the unit. One thing you'll need to consider is how long you plan to live in your present home. YOu'll want to balance out savings vs. cost. The longer you plan to live in your home the longer you'll have to recoup the savings in your electric bills.

Talk with your friends and family to see who they may have used if they've recently had heat pumps installed. Contact several different manufacturers to see what costs are. Some of the most trusted home heating installers are Trane, American Standard, Lennox, AirPro, Thermal Zone, Grandaire and Guardian. Compare the size of the units, add-ons and warranties. It's also important that you feel comfortable that the salesman and the installer are familiar with the units they sell. You should never feel pressured and should always get an estimate in writing.

While you're making your decision there are things you can do to help make your home more energy efficient. Caulk and weather strip around doorways and windows. If you can see daylight between a door and the frame you're losing valuable heat and air conditioning. Add a ceiling fan which will help pull hot air up in the summer and force it down in the winter. Replace your old thermostat with a new and much more accurate digital thermostat.

Have you ever wondered if there is such as thing as DIY heating? Well, there is but it's greatly limited unless your best friend is an electrician, plumber, sheet metal worker and has all the tools to do the necessary pressure testing after installing a new unit. Unfortunately most of us don't have such a friend. Also, when a heat pump is installed it and your electric box must be inspected by State or local inspectors. A new heat pump and air conditioning unit requires careful installation that should be left to professionals.

One DIY type of heating you can do is passive solar. Passive solar panels are easy to buy and install. You can purchase them at home stores like Lowe's and Home Depot. They will last for generations with minimal care. Check out passive solar panels from manufacturers like Sun Power, Sun Tech, Photowatt, Kyocera, Mitsubishi, Carmanah and Uni-Solar. Any electricity you can produce from solar panels is money you aren't paying to your electric company. Make sure you talk with your income tax accountant to see what write-off's the government allows on your purchase.

Another way to make sure that you get your money's worth is to buy the proper sized window air conditioner. Believe it or not, you can buy a unit that is too big. If a window air conditioner is oversized it will cool the air too quickly and not run long enough to pull humidity out of the room. You'll be very disappointed because you'll have a cool and wet room. Don't let a salesman talk you into too big of a unit. All it will do is cool inefficiently. It's very easy to measure how many BTU's a unit must be. Once you measure look into well known brands such as Kenmore, Frigidare, GE, Sharp, Sunbeam, LG, Fedders, and Whirlpool.

Article Source: Work From Home Income Article Directory

About the author: Norman Fleming is a home heating expert. To learn about DIY home heating and window air conditioners and portable air conditioners visit his site.
This article is available as a unique content article with free reprint rights.