Tag Archives: Warm Weather


Furnaces Reviewed: Energy Efficient TRANE Furnaces

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Looking for a new furnace for your home or office as well as ways to save money by lowering your heating bill? Contact the professionals at McClintock HVAC, your local independent Trane dealer and inquire about Trane’s high-efficiency furnaces with the ENERGY STAR label.

When chosen properly, higher efficiency Trane systems provide improved comfort at reduced operating costs by using less energy resources. With the right-sized system and one of Trane’s many high-efficiency products that meet or exceed ENERGY STAR guidelines, you can lessen your utility bills and energy costs.

In fact, some of TRANE’s furnaces operate at over 95% AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency), meaning that 95% of the fuel you pay for is converted into heat for your home. The ENERGY STAR rating also makes you eligible for a federal tax credit.

Every TRANE high efficiency furnace is constructed with durable materials, making for longer lasting performance and quieter operation. 


Additional Features of TRANE’s high-efficiency furnaces include:

 

Multi-speed fan motor adjusts to provide a consistent flow of warm air during the cold weather with quiet operation, and better humidity control during warm weather.

Add TRANE Clean Effects to your system for advanced air filtration that removes more dust, pollen and other irritants from conditioned air for a cleaner, healthier, more comfortable home.

Insulated cabinet and blower door that reduce noise and save energy.

Automotive-grade gaskets to reduce sound and air infiltration.

Capability with higher Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) outdoor air conditioning units, air cleaners and humidifiers.

Available in four different up flow and down flow models.

ComfortLink II Communicating Capability with a user interface that allows you to change settings and receive updates where ever you are from your computer or web-enabled cell phone

Cleanable filter with spring-loaded filter rack

Adaptive silicon Nitride hot surface igniter

These features combined with the expertise of the licensed professionals at McClintock HVAC can make for a pain-free transition to a new furnace for your home or business as well as year-round comfort for you and your family.

Energy Savings Tips for the Dining Room

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Like the other rooms in your home, the dining room offers plenty of opportunities for you to save energy. 

Lighting Fixtures

Proper lighting helps to create a great mood in the dinner room,  however, that amazing chandelier could be the biggest energy sucker in your home. The good news is there are several lighting options that save energy and are ENERGY STAR approved; from wall sconces, torchieres, and chandeliers that use 75 percent less energy, generate 75 percent less heat, and last ten times longer than the lights you’re using today.

Making changes in your lighting is one of the best ways to cut down your energy costs. Lighting accounts for over 10 percent of an average household’s energy budget.

Making sure to turn off the lights when leaving the dining room is one of the easiest ways to cut down on energy costs. Almost 15 dollars a year can be saved by turning off one 60 watt incandescent bulb that would otherwise run eight hours a day. 

Heating and Cooling 

The dining room temperature is an important part of the meal, especially if you are housing guests. If you’re in the market for a new thermostat, consider a programmable thermostat that will adjust the temperature in your home when you are away or sleeping. Home heating and cooling systems with a programmable thermostat save roughly $180 a year in household energy costs when used properly, according to energystar.gov. 

A manual thermostat can still save money and energy. Every degree you set your thermostat up in warm weather and down in cold weather will add to your total heating and air savings. Whether if it’s winter or summer, adjusting the thermostat between five and eight degrees before leaving the house for several hours is an effective method to cutting heating cooling costs.

Another cost saving measure is making any registers or floor vents in your dining room free of obstructions. This will allow air to circulate more freely. Placing heat-resistant reflectors between the walls and any heating radiators in the room will increase heat circulation during the winter months. 

Doorways  

Perhaps your dining room has a sliding door or an entrance out to the patio? Be sure your doors close tightly. If not, apply caulking around door frames and weather-stripping to improve their seal. Consider replacing your door with one qualified as an energy saving entrance. These efforts will lower your energy bill and improve the overall comfort in your home. 

Sealing Gaps  

Sealing gaps, holes or cracks present in the room will not add to your energy saving efforts, but will also reduce draft flow and help prevent any moisture issues. 

Electrical Outlets 

Small, but mighty, make sure to check around the electrical outlets in your dining room. There should be no holes or cracks that would let air in or out. If there are, seal them with an outlet gasket.

 

Reducing Energy Bills with an Oscillating Fan

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In the current economy, many families across the world are would like to save money on their utilities.  A great way to save money is to shut off the air conditioner and use an oscillating fan.

Unlike other fans, oscillating fans automatically rotate.  Many of the more expensive oscillating fan models can rotate at 180 degrees or greater.  Many shoppers typically select a lower cost model that has a reduced degree of rotation, but just enough which is suitable for most any room in their home.

The size of a fan blade directly relates to how much air an oscillating fan can move.  Many consumers purchase a 12″ oscillating fan, which is suitable for a small room.  While shopping for a fan, the consumer should always consider how much air movement a room requires.

Oscillating fans also are designed with a wide selection of mounting styles.  Some models are mounted on pedestals, which is commonly referred to as a tower fan.  Other oscillating fans have a small base and are made for use on a desk, table or another piece of furniture that has a flat and steady surface.  The advantage of a pedestal fan is that it will not limit any table space.

Nearly every oscillating fan being sold today offers a base set of features.  These features include variable speed controls.   Many of the more pricey fans also offer remote controls in addition to timers to shut off automatically.

Almost all retail stores stock the major brands of oscillating fans including Holmes, Hunter and Honeywell.  All of these oscillating fans will last for a long time providing they are cleaned and taken care of.  As with most small appliances, oscillating fans typically come with a one year manufacturer’s warranty.  However, most oscillating fan owners discover that their fan will last for a long time without the need of any warranty or service other then the rare cleaning.

With the warm weather here, many home owners will find the need to stay comfortable in their homes at the lowest possible cost.  Oscillating fans can increase comfort through better air circulation and lower the need to use air conditioning.  And since most oscillating fans are very cheap, the cost can quickly be recovered with just one summer of lowered air conditioning use.

Perennial Tips for Novice to Expert

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  Once you’ve found the perennials that you want to incorporate in   your garden, you’ll need every bit of the selective information you can get about care for your perennials . You’ll find there are several perennial gardening tips that you can use to advantage , no matter how experienced you are about perennials and gardening. Tips like these will keep your plants healthy, and will motivate  you to plant new varieties this or next   season.

 

One of the most important perennial flower gardening tips you can follow is to pull weeds. This can be a little tedious, especially depending on the type of soil you’ve used. Weeds take nutriment from the soil and can ‘choke’ your plants, so you’ll need to pull them on a regular basis. It is also essential to dead-head flowers that are no longer thriving. If some of the flowers in your garden have started wilting, they should be removed from the soil. This will help more flowers to bloom in your garden, and will keep the existing plants healthy and strong.

Other perennial flower gardening tips include adding mulch to your garden. Mulch lowers the soil temperature  during warm weather conditions , and protects your perennial plants from hard weather conditions in the cold months . Mulching will also keep the soil moist and healthy, and mulch helps to reduce the those dreaded weeds that you’ll find in the garden. If you have larger plants you wish to include , you can make the most of mulching by dividing these plants into smaller amounts . This will help flower development and life in your garden, because plants left to their own growth patterns will usually grow fewer and smaller flowers . Flower divisions should be done at intervals of 2-4 years. You only need to dig up the flowers before you divide them — this will essentially give you more flowers for your garden at no cost .

Rather than watering your perennial flowers on a set schedule, you will do well to follow perennial flower gardening tips like watering your plants only when only as needed. Check the soil dampness before applying water , and give your flowers as much water as they need. At times, a dry spell in your water more , but looking carefully at your perennials will help you know how much water to give .

If you need to get many more perennial gardening tips, you can join in a gardening demo at your nearest Lowe’s or Home Depot. This will permit hands-on experience about which plants are best for the garden area that you have. These megastores will also provide you with the most effective gardening tools, like gloves and knee pads to help you garden safely and comfortably.