With the hot and humid climate of Southwest Florida, cooling costs are high enough without appliances and other heat sources adding to your energy costs. By taking steps to lower heat gain in your home, you can keep your cooling costs to a minimum and reduce your energy usage.

Use Exhaust Fans

Activities like cooking, washing dishes, washing clothes and bathing can release excess heat and humidity into the air. Turn on exhaust fans in the kitchen or bathroom when these activities are necessary, and avoid performing these tasks during the hottest parts of the day.

Minimize Appliance Use

Many appliances like dishwashers, irons, coffee pots and clothes dryers generate significant amounts of heat when used. Avoid using such appliances until it’s cooler, such as during the evening, and turn off heat-generating electronics and lights during the daytime. Computers, set-top boxes and game systems often produce significant amounts of heat. Also, turn your water heater down to 120 degrees to save energy and reduce heat gain, and replace incandescent light bulbs with cooler, more efficient LED or CFL bulbs.

Shade Your Windows

Southern and western windows can let in large amounts of heat from the sun during the daytime. Install curtains, blinds or shades on these windows and close them during the daytime to minimize solar gain. Open the windows during cooler times, like the evening, to allow natural ventilation. Another option is to install exterior awnings over the windows or to extend the roof to provide shade, while still allowing the windows to be opened.

Other steps that you can take to lower heat gain in your home include using trees and shrubs to shade your windows and air conditioner, using light-colored materials for roofing or siding, and sealing any holes or drafts in the exterior of your home.

For more tips to lower heat gain in your home, talk to our cooling experts at Conditioned Air. We serve Ft. Myers, Sarasota, Naples and beyond.

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Nearly every year, the federal government (through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program) offers federal energy tax credits for people who have purchased appliances and other products that are Energy Star–qualified. By installing Energy Star–certified appliances throughout your Florida home, not only can you save up to 30 percent on your energy bills—you can also qualify for these federal energy tax credits.

Incentives for Qualifying Products

For most qualifying HVAC equipment, insulation, windows and doors, the total tax credit is either a predetermined amount or 10 percent off the purchase price, up to a predetermined maximum. Other products, such as geothermal heat pumps and solar systems, may qualify for a credit of 30 percent off the purchase price.

• Air source heat pumps: Split Systems are eligible for a $300 credit, if they have an HSPF of greater than or equal to 8.5, an EER of 12.5 and a SEER of 15. Packaged systems must have ratings of 8 HSPF, 12 EER and 14 SEER or above.
• Central air conditioners: The credit is up to $300 for air conditioners, with at least 16 SEER and 13 EER ratings for split systems, or at least 14 SEER and 12 EER for packaged systems.
• Furnaces: Gas, propane and oil furnaces are eligible for a $150 credit if they have an AFUE of 95 or above. The furnace fan can qualify for an additional $50 credit if it uses 2 percent or less of the total energy that the furnace requires.
• Boilers: Gas, propane and oil boilers with an AFUE of at least 95 qualify for a $150 credit.
• Insulation: New insulation qualifies for a credit of 10 percent of the purchase price, up to $500 total.
• Windows and Doors: Energy Star–certified windows and doors qualify for a 10 percent credit, up to $200. The limit applies to all units installed since 2005.

To learn more about these federal energy tax credits, visit the Energy Star website or talk to our HVAC experts at Conditioned Air. We have been serving the Southwest Florida area, including Naples and Sarasota, since 1962.

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Air ducts are a vital component of your home’s HVAC system, and any ducts that are leaking can reduce the performance of the system considerably, increasing your energy costs and making your home less comfortable. Properly sealing your ductwork is a relatively simple process, but there are a few things that you should know first.

Why a Proper Seal is Important

Leaking ductwork can allow up to 30 percent of the air moving through the system to be lost, increasing your heating and cooling bills by up to 40 percent. Additionally, leaks in the ductwork can allow dust, combustion gases from nearby appliances and other pollutants to enter the duct system and be carried throughout the house, reducing your indoor air quality. Properly sealing your ductwork can reduce your energy costs, especially if the ducts run through uninsulated spaces like the attic, basement or a crawl space, and it can improve your home’s indoor air quality.

How to Determine if You Have Leaks

A couple of the symptoms of leaky ductwork are high energy costs, inconsistent temperatures or rooms that are hard to keep heated or cooled. You can also inspect any ducts that are easily accessible and check for damaged tape or mastic at the joints, disconnected or loose joints, holes or other damage, and obvious air leaks. Often, however, the ductwork is hidden in walls or otherwise inaccessible, and you may need a professional to inspect it.

Sealing the Ductwork

Sealing your ductwork can be a difficult job, especially if it’s inaccessible, and it’s often best left to a professional. To do it properly, any loose joints need to be secured, using screws for rigid ducts or the proper clamps for flexible ducts, and each joint should be sealed with mastic or foil tape that is specially designed for HVAC systems. Despite the name, regular duct tape cannot do the job properly. Any holes or other damage should be patched, and kinks or twists in flexible ducts should be straightened.

For more information about sealing your ductwork, talk to our professionals at Conditioned Air, serving Southwest Florida.

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Any gaps or leaks that allow conditioned air to escape your Florida home (or that allow unconditioned air to enter it) can reduce the efficiency of your heating and cooling system, leading to increased energy costs. By finding and sealing air leaks with these tips, you can save money and be more comfortable throughout the year.

Windows and Doors

Poorly-sealed windows and doors often feel drafty and can contribute significantly to higher energy costs. Use weatherstripping along the bottoms and tops of windows to seal gaps between the window and the frame, and use caulk to seal around the edges of the window frames, inside and out. Install weatherstripping around the inside of the door frame, where the door meets it, and use caulk around the edges of the frame. Install a door sweep to seal any gaps at the bottom of the door.

Attic

Warm air often escapes into the attic during heating season. Use caulk to seal around holes drilled for electrical lines, plumbing vents or lighting fixtures, or expanding foam if the gap is larger than ¼ inch. Seal around appliance flues and chimneys using high temperature caulk, and install a metal baffle to keep insulation away from any hot surfaces. Install baffles around recessed lighting, and seal soffits using caulk and insulation. Use unfaced insulation in plastic bags to seal any empty stud bays.

Exterior Walls

Any holes in the exterior walls can increase energy usage. Use caulk or expanding foam to seal holes drilled for plumbing, electric, or gas lines, as well as dryer vents or exhaust fan openings. Seal around any light fixtures, and repair or replace damaged siding. Use foam gaskets on interior outlets to seal the outlet covers.

Basement

Cool air often enters through the basement and is drawn into the rest of the home. Use caulk to seal around rim joists and the sill plate, as well as any holes drilled for plumbing or electric lines.

For more information about sealing air leaks around your home, talk to our experts at Conditioned Air, serving Southwest Florida since 1962.

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Properly insulating the attic in your Florida home is important to the overall efficiency of your HVAC system, but there are many myths and misconceptions about the process. Here is the truth behind some of the most prevalent attic insulation myths.

Insulating the Attic is Not Necessary in Warm Climates

Even in Southwest Florida, insulating the attic is important, as it prevents heat from escaping to the outside during the winter and prevents the hot air in the attic from warming your home during the summer. For the areas around Naples and Ft. Myers, the recommended insulation levels in the attic are from R-30 to R-60.

Insulating the Attic Will Seal Air Leaks

Attic insulation alone will not seal air leaks, though some types, such as sprayed foam, do a better job than others at sealing during the installation process. To properly seal the attic, there should be a separate vapor barrier installed if it is required in your area, and all holes drilled for electrical lines, plumbing vents, light fixtures and appliance flues should be sealed with caulk, expanding foam insulation, or for flues, chimneys and some recessed lighting fixtures, a combination of flashing and high-temperature caulk.

R-Value is Constant

R-Value is a measurement of a material’s resistance to the flow of heat, and it is assigned according to standard tests done in a lab. In actual use, the effective R-Value of an insulating material can vary based on many factors. Materials like fiberglass can increase or decrease in R-Value according to the temperature, and R-Value can be significantly reduced if the material becomes wet or is subjected to drafty conditions.

Insulating the Attic Automatically Increases HVAC Efficiency

Properly insulating your attic is only one factor in how efficiently your HVAC system operates. Some other examples include whether the HVAC system is sized properly, whether your ducts leak, how drafty your windows and doors are, and how many sources of heat gain are present, such as heat-generating appliances or windows without shades.

To learn more about how attic insulation affects HVAC efficiency, talk to our experts at Conditioned Air.We’ve been serving the southwest coast of Florida from Bradenton to Everglades City since 1962.

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Your home heating and cooling system is your primary tool for keeping your home comfortable, but insulation is another factor that can have a significant effect on indoor comfort. The type of insulation you use in your home must be carefully chosen, and the insulation R-values must be appropriate for your geographical area. Here is a brief guide to insulation R-values and why they are important.

The Purpose of Insulation

Insulation prevents the flow of heat from warmer to colder areas. In a residential setting, insulation keeps warm air in during the cooler months and out during the hotter part of the year. Without insulation, or without enough insulation, heat from your furnace or heat pump escapes from your home in winter, while your air conditioner is overwhelmed with incoming heat during the summer. This makes your indoor spaces uncomfortable and increases the amount you pay for heating and cooling every month.

R-Values and Their Meaning

Insulation R-values indicate how effective a particular type of insulation will be at resisting the flow of heat. There are several types of insulation available to choose from, including fiberglass, cellulose, and foam. Each type of insulation will have an R-value, while better-quality insulation of each type will typically have a higher R-value. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation will be a resisting the flow of heat.

The R-value of insulation can also be affected by the thickness and density of the material, and whether or not the insulation material is compressed. Each layer of insulation is considered separately when calculating R-value, with the values of each layer added together to reach the final R-value rating.

In southern Florida, the U.S. Department of Energy recommends insulation with an R-value of R30 to R60 for attics, R13 to R15 for walls, and R16 to R19 for floors.

Conditioned Air serves heating and cooling customers in the Florida communities of Sarasota, Bradenton, Ft. Myers, and the surrounding areas. Contact us today for more information on insulation R-values and the benefits that proper insulation can have for your home.

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