How to Add Central A.C. to Your Old House Without Breaking The Bank According to the last Census, about 50% of houses in America were built prior to 1975. Combine summer's scorching temperatures with aging homes and the result is a lot of homeowners sweating their lack of central AC. If this includes you, what are your options? Well, that depends… CENTRAL AC Does your house have pre-existing ductwork? If the home already employs a forced-air heating system — indicated by air

According to Energy Star, approximately 45% of a typical home’s energy consumption is relegated to heating and cooling - roughly $2,100 to $2,500 per annum. Not exactly chump change. Suffice to say, some of that energy, in the form of hot or cold air, gets lost in the cracks, literally. That is, tempered air escapes through gaps around door jambs and window sills, via roofs and floors, heating or cooling unoccupied areas, etc. There’s no shortage of ways for air to escape, an

Imagine if every light bulb within your home was operated using only one switch. This might be a nice scenario when it’s bedtime, but during the evening it would be impractical and play out as a giant waste of electricity with every bulb illuminated. This “one switch” example is a metaphor that gets bandied about by HVAC professionals when differentiating between central and zoned HVAC systems. Central A.C. is the all-lights-on approach, whereas a zoned system is the procedur

You’re probably familiar with the old adage, “if you take care of your tools, they’ll take care of you.” Well, the same can be said for your HVAC system - a little TLC in the form of intermittent check-ups and preventative maintenance can ensure a comfortable home for upwards of 20 years. Preventative maintenance is beneficial because a small problem can be quelled before it morphs into a major quagmire, potentially doing irreparable harm to the unit while putting a hurt on y

Homeowners, most of them operating on fixed-budgets with limited wiggle-room, have to make some pretty tough decisions regarding home projects, repairs, and upgrades. These undertakings can cause more indecision when they fall under the banner of what realtors and appraisers dub “invisible upgrades,” such as, new insulation, plumbing, septic tanks, et al. These accoutrements make a home comfortable and habitable, but they operate behind the scenes. HVAC systems fall into this

If you’re in the market for a new car, one of your primary concerns is a vehicle’s MPG, or Miles per Gallon. This is perhaps the best gauge of fuel economy for an automobile; in other words, it’s a useful indicator of efficiency: for every one gallon of gas, you can drive for approximately X miles. Now, when it comes to air conditioners, the standard way to designate the efficiency of a certain unit is by its Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, or SEER. SEER is calculated by ta

The purchase and installation of a new HVAC system is much more than a run-of-the-mill, buy-and-sell transaction. You’re about to invest in an appliance responsible for providing, governing, and ensuring a comfortable home over the next 15 to 20 years. Let’s just say it should be something more well thought out than nabbing the right guy to clean your gutters. You’re in the market for efficient equipment AND a knowledgeable, honest professional who can correctly install the n

Q: How long will my brand new A.C. system Last? There is no definitive, one-size-fits-all answer to this query. Assuming the apparatus has no manufacturing defects, isn’t operated heedlessly, and it undergoes an annual inspection (just like most cars), you can expect about 15 to 18 years of service. Obviously, if the unit isn’t maintained and/or repaired properly it probably won’t run that long. “If you take care of your tools they will take care of you.” Modern-day systems a

We are a tired nation. 25% of our countrymen complain of frequent inability to experience a complete and restful night’s sleep. One would assume that we would achieve mastery in any endeavor that we’ve devoted about one-third of our life to, but when it comes to sleep approximately 40 million American adults suffer from symptoms of insomnia annually. Why? There are scores of factors, both internal and external, that interplay with one another to determine how sufficiently we

If you’re one of those people who want to pull your hair out when it’s time to pay the utility bill, then this article is for you. We’re going to take a look at some really simple things you can do. We may delve into more complicated issues in future articles, but we thought these would be good tips to get you started. They’re easy and shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes to do and you’ll see the benefits if you’re consistent. 1. Turn the AC Down at Night: During the ni