Green Life: Energy-Saving Tips for Your Des Moines Home

April 21, 2015

With today's energy-efficient appliances, devices and systems, making your home greener doesn't mean doing without. In fact, higher-efficiency systems and upgrades generally boost performance and comfort while leaving a smaller environmental footprint. Use these practical home energy-saving tips to enhance your standard of green living.

Home Energy-Saving Tips

  • Programmable thermostat: Programmable thermostats are ideal for people who are away from home at work and who want to save energy during sleep hours. Update your mercury thermostat with a programmable model for consistent comfort, automatic temperature changeover and nice energy savings.
  • Seal and insulate: A well-sealed envelope--the windows, doors, walls, ceiling and floor--can make real progress towards lower energy bills. Once you've sealed the envelope with caulk, weatherstripping, gaskets and spray-in foam, add insulation to meet Energy Star recommended levels. For greater Des Moines, you'll want up to R-60 in the attic and R-21 inside walls. Home sealing and insulation also help reduce outside noise and control indoor humidity when coupled with good ventilation.
  • Ventilation: Fresh ventilation on a daily basis is important to health and home. Indoor air can become stale and stagnant without movement and exchange. If you often see window condensation, your home is suffering from a lack of fresh ventilation and overly humid air. Consider a balanced mechanical ventilation system, such as a heat-recovery ventilator, for better home performance and comfort.
  • Dehumidify: High indoor humidity feels warmer than properly humidified air, which can prompt higher cooling bills to stay comfortable. If indoor humidity is above 50 percent in your home, consider using a dehumidification system to help mitigate the problem and prevent water damage and mold development.
  • HVAC tune-up: An annual HVAC tune-up should be written on the calendar of every homeowner. Good maintenance and smart usage keep cooling bills in check and help prevent repair bills. Ask your HVAC technician to inspect the air ducts, too. Leaky ducts can waste as much as 30 percent of cooling dollars in the average home.
To learn more about these and other home energy-saving tips, please contact the pros at Lozier Heating & Cooling. Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Des Moines, Iowa area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: "kotss/Shutterstock"