Improving Your Comfort and Lowing Energy Costs

Improving Your Comfort and Lowing Energy Costs

Having us properly seal, insulate and vent your attic area to recommended insulation value will improve room temperatures and save on your utility bills, year after year!

Rooms beneath the ceilings of attic area reflect the most temperature changes when the attic isn’t sealed, well insulated and vented properly.

In the summer, these rooms are often warmer during winter months, the problem reverses and you have to turn up your thermostat higher to take the chill out of rooms. We hear this a lot from our clients, and we are energy conservation specialist who not only insulate/weatherize, we take complete care of your HVAC equipment, roofing and related exterior remodeling as well as replace older inefficient windows, doors and build additions with today’s energy efficient and curb appeal.  As you can imagine, we see what others don’t know.  We like to discuss your input as this helps us determine your needs or order of priority.  

   As we discuss an overview of your home with you to determine what your home needs and the priority or order from the most needed higher return on your investment to the least upgrade improvement if you desire.  We feel if we didn’t view your home and inspect properly then we are not doing our best service for you and will look over your home completely if desired.  A recent home inspection for a call was our gas and electric bills were much higher than they expected and wasn’t sure what they needed us to do to lower our bills and be comfortable. We looked at the client’s windows, doors and construction in general were good. With discussion they told us they know the exterior walls were not fully insulated, they stated the previous owner had siding put on with insulation backing 18 years ago. We are familiar with their heating and cooling system and output was more than needed for their home, they have yearly maintenance with us and replaced a blower motor two years ago and other than that, no operating issues, other than the recent information of uncomfortable temperature difference and higher than they expected utility costs. The next area we inspected was the attic area and discovered several priority issues; first the existing insulation was only R-11 insulation value, which is way below our regional recommendations.  We discovered that attic bypasses and other areas that needed sealed in attic allowing your treated house air to escape.  We also discovered the lack of attic ventilation.  The attic area had no ventilation which is needed for air circulation and to let heat out in summer.

  Your heating and cooling systems are supposed to maintain comfortable temperatures throughout your living space with reasonable utility costs. But when indoor temperatures vary from room to room, this often indicates problems with air leakage, inadequate insulation, proper ducting and other related items, rather than just with the existing heating and cooling equipment.

  The attic area was the first priority, we sealed the attic bypasses and penetrations, we then added roof venting to vent the attic area properly, and our employees installed blown cellulose insulation to the proper R-49 value for our area.  

The second priority was the lack of return air duct on second floor rooms, due to the costs and renovation that would be needed the client opted to wait for this improvement. 

The third priority was to properly insulate the exterior walls, our client wanted to wait a few years.  The last priority in this case was to install higher energy efficient HVAC equipment which the client wanted to have us install next spring.

With us properly taking care of the attic, this improved their comfort and reduced their utility cost considerably!   

  Air-sealing and insulating your attic is less expensive than replacing your HVAC system. It’s also done properly with us, a once-and-done upgrade that improves comfort and energy savings for the life of your house.

In fact, research has shown that when your attic is air-sealed and properly insulated, heating and cooling costs can be reduced by as much as 40%+, your comfort increased and value of home increased.  It’s good to know you’re getting your maximum return on your investment with us!

  Homes that were built in the last 25 years were more so built with some energy efficient in mind, prior common construction practice (as well as outdated building codes) allowed houses to be built with attics, overhangs and garage ceiling that were poorly insulated and extremely leaky. It’s no wonder that so many houses are paying more to utility companies to live in a non-energy inefficient home!

Consider an affordable upgrade that continues to save utility costs, improve comfort year after year.

  For more information about insulating your attic or other upgrades please feel free to contact us at (724) 226-3467 and speak with one of our specialist, or email us at info@snyderhtg-remod.com.

 Please visit our website pages to view the broad array of services we specialize in.

Why Should Ductless Mini Split Air Conditioner Be Considered:?

Some things to consider:

 

·        How many rooms need cooled?

·        Whole House central heating and cooling readily available?

·        Is duct work going to be fairly easy to install?

·        Are other options such as; window air conditioners a better choice?

Which type of air conditioners would be better for your home?

Central heating and cooling would be the better of choices as this enables; heating, cooling, air cleaning, humidification and germicidal lamps in one package.

If you have added on to your home, have areas that need cooling that duct work is expensive or just not practical. Ductless mini splits are a good option.

Your home has hot water or electric heat and want to cool one to four rooms. Ductless mini split are a good option.

For many area homeowners in our area, some reasons for installing a ductless unit is to provide cooling to a new addition, sun room, seasonal rooms or areas not practical to extend existing or install duct-work with its own air conditioning and heating becomes a plus!

Mini splits are not right for every space, but they have definite advantages for particular applications.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Mini Split Systems

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The Advantages:

 Ductless units install fairly simple. With the outdoor condensing unit and

thru-the-wall fan contained and remote controlled indoor unit.

• The energy efficiency for mini splits are very good.
• Many units are also heat pumps, offering *heating as well as cooling.
• Similar to HVAC zoned system, ductless units can independently control the temperature of different parts of your home with up to four indoor units, *depending on needed sizing from one outdoor condensing unit.
• Mini splits have no ducts and therefore avoid energy losses associated with duct work.  
• Mini split indoor units can be hung on the wall or ceiling, with the wall being the most common.
• You don’t have to put in the window or remove the window air unit each spring and fall, let alone having an easy access for someone, leaving you with a security risk.
• Rooms that are not regularly occupied. You can turn off the mini-split system and close the door to save money.

The Disadvantages:

• Ductless units cost about 30 percent more than central air conditioners of similar cooling capacities and about three times as much with window units of similar capacities.
• Unless you have a small home, ductless units would be costly up front to cool an entire house.
• The indoor unit, mounted on the wall or ceiling air handlers for ductless units are always on display.
• If you rent the property, mini splits are more a permanent install and not so readily removed / reinstalled.

Lets recap, what’s the reasons for me to install mini split units in my home?

First and foremost your home should be well-insulated building envelope and low or no air leakage is best concerning energy efficient.  The mini splits are just that; energy efficient and quiet indoor units offering you room temperature control, security and low maintenance and easy cleaned equipment that will give you years of service.  If you feel mini split equipment is for you give us a call 724-226-3467 or e mail us info@snyderhtg-remod.com for a free in home consultation. 

Blower Door Testing - What is it?

  Blower doors are primarily used for measuring the air-tightness of buildings.

  This is a good method to identify energy problems within your home. Every house leaks, and that’s why we perform blower door tests — to measure a building’s leakage rate. 

  Using the blower door as a single point test gives us a guide or air pressure test of your home.  The blower door test, usually by depressurizing the house is an air flow rate measurement in cfm, “cubic feet per minute” taken at 50 Pascal’s of negative pressure relative to the outdoors. This airflow measurements can help us solve areas concerning the air-tightness of your home.  The air-tightness of your home plays an important part of the overall energy loss of the home. Letting in winters cold air or air conditioning out in the summer, air leaks can be a costly and left open can add up to allot of energy costs year after year.  Knowing where and how to fix these leaks is key to maximizing your home’s efficiency and comfort.  Heating and cooling loss due to air leaks turn into higher cost reflected on your energy bills.  Many older homes are so leaky that a third or more of the homes heat loss and cooling gains comes from air leaks and newer homes can benefit from knowing if your home could be more energy efficient or possibly too tight! 

Is my house tight?

  Tight houses tend to measure less than 1,200 cfm50, and moderately leaky homes measure between 1,500 and 2,500 cfm50. Homes that measure over 3,000 cfm50 are considerably leaky.

  We are offering our single point test of your home for $129.00!  The cost is normally $159.00 you save $30.00!  Not only do you save $30.00 you know how tight your home is.  “If you don’t test, you don’t know!”

Call Snyder Heating and Remodeling at: 724-226-3467 or e mail info@snyderhtg-remod.com today to schedule your in home blower door test.

Roof: Shingle Repair or Replace

  If your roof is leaking regardless of its material then a roof repair will be needed as soon as possible to stop the leak(s) into your home.  The repair may be temporary as additional work may be needed to make the repairs that will hold up for the duration of existing roof materials used.  If you have several leaks or your roof is 15 years or older the logical solution would be to consider replacing as older 3 tab shingles are 20 – 25 year shingles, they have exceeded half their lifespan.  Depending on repairs needed, you will be advised on what your solution are. Also, it’s good to inspect the overall condition of the roof and consider replacing the roofing; if the shingle colors are fading, the shingles are curling, buckling or facing is coming off and a more serious issues such as roof decking that has started to sag or buckle.

Other things to consider are if its generally in good condition then a good repair is all that will be needed or if you’re going to sell your home or will replace it at a later time.  One other thing, shingles of past years more than likely won’t match the old ones and the new color will not be faded like the existing shingles.  If you’re replacing your roof some things to consider are your gutters, skylights and venting at this time as they make your roof design good and properly installed, including ice and water shield at gutter edges.  Installing leaf guard on gutters is also good idea while were there! 

Call us at 724-226-3467 or e mail us at: snyderhtg-remod.com for emergency repairs and estimates for your new roof.

Spring Maintenance

Home Heating and Air Conditioning System

To keep your home comfort system operating properly, it is important to perform seasonal maintenance. Below is an excellent Spring HVAC maintenance checklist with tips on how to best maintain your HVAC system and reduce energy costs in your home all year around.

HVAC System Maintenance

Trim bushes and shrubs around outdoor units to allow at least two feet of clearance around.

Remove leaves and debris from inside the unit’s top grille.

Replace your central air conditioner, furnace and/or heat pump air filter monthly. Dirty filters reduce operating efficiency by restricting airflow.

Schedule a Spring Tune-up for your HVAC system.

Controlling Humidity

Clean gutters and downspouts to ensure proper drainage.

Check downspouts and gutters for stability and make sure downspouts slope away from your house. Water should be carried at least 5 ft. from your foundation walls.

Check window and door seals and weatherstripping. Replace if necessary.

Check windows for condensation and walls for water stains-signs of too much humidity.

Keep your home’s relative humidity between 30-40%.

Consult us for expert advice on indoor air equipment options to control your home’s indoor air.

Reduce Home Energy Costs

Caulk, seal and add weatherstripping around doors and windows to reduce air leaks.

Wash full loads in your dishwasher and clothes washer.

Turn off lights when you leave the room.

Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) instead of standard incandescent bulbs.

Install a programmable thermostat to control your home’s temperature.

When it’s time to replace your heating and air conditioning system, consult professionals trained in helping you choose the right energy efficient system for your home, such as ENERGY STAR® qualified models, which will help reduce your energy costs by up to 30%.

Check air ducts for leaks, including holes or separated sections.

Have your HVAC equipment inspected and tuned-up by our professional technicians.

Now is the time to schedule Spring maintenance for your home’s HVAC system. There is nothing better you can do for your home’s heating and air conditioning system than have seasonal preventative maintenance done by residential HVAC professionals. This is the perfect time to make sure your home’s air conditioning system is prepared for the arrival of summer.

Snyder Heating and Remodeling offers seasonal preventative maintenance plans to help keep your home comfort system in peak operating condition so you can enjoy comfort and energy savings all year.

Contact us today 724-226-3467 to schedule your Spring HVAC check-up or to learn more about the advantages of our Preventative Maintenance Plans.

Why should my home be insulated

  We are a local company that specialize in improving indoor climate and lowering your energy costs!  We professionally install: Attic-Wall Insulation, Weatherization Services, HVAC Equipment and Service, Roofing-Remodeling Services located in Brackenridge, PA 15014.

Why Should My Home Be Insulated?

Having us Insulate is one of the smartest investments you can make in your home! It provides year-round comfort and savings in three important ways:

Lower Energy Bills

Insulation keeps your home warmer in the winter, which lowers your heating costs. In the summer, insulation keeps your home cooler, which eases the load on your air conditioner.

Quieter, better comfortable living

Insulation can actually absorb sound, reducing the unwanted noise from appliances, audio equipment, conversation and other sources of sound that are transmitted through your walls and floors. Insulation also keeps your family more comfortable by making it easier for your furnace or air conditioner to maintain a constant temperature with improved comfort year-round.

Healthier environment

Reducing your family's overall formaldehyde or other chemical exposure can make your home healthier and safer. Using proper insulation and tactics can help you achieve that reduction and follow recommendations to use formaldehyde-free building materials, so that it emits little or no formaldehyde or other harmful chemicals. Cellulose insulation helps eliminate moisture, dust and insects.  And has no formaldehyde or other harmful chemical emissions.

About loose fill cellulose insulation

• Cellulose insulation is environmentally preferable (80% recycled newspaper) and safe. It has a high recycled content and less risk to the installer than fiberglass (loose fill or batts).^[39]
• R-Value 3.4 - 3.8 (RSI-0.60 - 0.67) per inch (imperial units)
• Loose fill insulation fills the wall cavity better than batts. Wet-spray applications typically seal even better than dry-spray.
• Class I fire safety rating
• No formaldehyde-based binders. Not made from petrochemicals nor chemicals with a high toxicity

 Properly installed insulation will pay for itself and continue giving the property the listed items above and one more additional thought, your resale value of a well-insulated home is preferred by buyers!  Call us today at 724-226-3467 to find out how we can help make your home a better energy saver which offers you lower utility bills, quieter better comfortable living and a healthier home.