eBook - Energy Saving Home Improvements from A to Z

Operating a heat pump: Like combustion heating systems, you control heat pumps using thermostats. If you leave and return at regular times everyday, you'll save money by using automatic thermostats, which minimize energy use during the times the home is unoccupied. However, choosing an automatic thermostat's reactivation time requires considering the duration of heat-pump operation necessary to restore a comfortable temperature. During the heating season, some homeowners also set their thermostats back 10°F, manually or automatically, when they leave home or go to bed.

A two-stage thermostat controls the heating. The first stage activates the refrigeration system. If it's too cold outside for the refrigeration system to counteract the home's heat loss, then the thermostat's second stage activates the electric resistance coils. An outdoor thermostat will prevent the less efficient electric resistance heat from coming on until the outdoor temperature falls below 40°F. An outdoor thermostat also will prevent auxiliary heat from activating when an automatic thermostat is warming the house after a set-back period. Use setback thermostats that are only for heat pumps.

A defrost control tells the reversing valve when to send hot refrigerant outdoors to thaw the outdoor coil during the winter. During the 2-to-10-minute defrost cycle, auxiliary heat takes over, reducing the heat pump's overall efficiency up to 10 percent. The two most common types of defrost controls are time-temperature and demand-defrost. Time-temperature defrost controls activate defrost at regular time intervals for set time periods, whether there is ice on the outdoor coil or not.

A demand-defrost control senses coil temperature or airflow through the coil, and only activates defrost if it detects the presence of ice. Obviously, choosing a heat pump with demand-defrost will pay a significant efficiency dividend.

For greater efficiency, don't locate a thermostat near a heat source or cold draft because they can cause a heat pump to operate erratically. This includes shading thermostats from direct sunlight. Also, do not turn the thermostat beyond the desired temperature. It will not make the heat pump heat or cool your home any faster. It will only waste energy. Residents who duel one another over the thermostat settings, moving it up and down to suit their different comfort levels, cause heat pumps to operate erratically and inefficiently.

Maintaining and Servicing: Heat-pump performance will deteriorate without regular maintenance and service. The difference between the energy consumption of a well-maintained heat pump and a severely neglected one ranges from 10 to 25 percent.

• Regular Maintenance: Either the homeowner or service technician can perform the following routine maintenance tasks:

• Clean or replace filters regularly (every 2 to 6 months, depending on operating time and amount of dust in the environment).

• Clean outdoor coils as often as necessary (when dirt is visible on the outside of the coil).

• Remove plant life and debris from around the outdoor unit.

• Clean evaporator coil and condensate pan every 2 to 4 years.

• Clean the blower's fan blades.

• Clean supply and return registers and straighten their fins.

• Professional Service: You should have a professional technician service your heat pump at least every year. The technician can:

• Inspect ducts, filters, blower, and indoor coil for dirt and other obstructions.

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  4168 - Question: My friend works for a top financial firm, and the analyst are saying that the real-estate market is going to fall hard. They are foreseeing in the next 1 to 3 years that the cost of today's $300,000 house will be worth half that. They say not to buy any real estate, cause you will be stuck with a $300,000 dollar mortgage, and a house only worth $150,000. Do you see any truth to this? Answer: No one knows where prices will be in the future. For example, how many analysts for top financial firms advised selling stocks when the NASDAQ was over 5,000? Real estate is a localized commodity. What happens across the country in terms of average sale prices and such may not reflect trends in your community. As with all economic questions, you need to use your judgment. What is the economic situation in your community? In your neighborhood? Are you buying a new home or a property you can fix up with your own labor? How will property values be impacted by interest rate changes? Is the local population growing? Falling? Etc. Question: I've contracted to buy a home. Mold has been found. Can I cancel the contract? Answer: There is no doubt that mold was found. Read this Nemmar Real Estate Training article at Real Estate - Nationwide

   

• Diagnose and seal duct leakage.

• Verify adequate airflow by measurement.

• Verify correct refrigerant charge by measurement.

• Check for refrigerant leaks.

• Inspect electric terminals, and if necessary, clean and tighten connections, and apply nonconductive coating.

• Lubricate motors, and inspect belts for tightness and wear.

• Verify correct electric control, to be sure heating is locked out when the thermostat calls for cooling and vice versa.

• Verify correct thermostat operation.

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