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What Does Heat Have to Do with Cold?

Life has a certain connectedness, wouldn’t you say?

For example – typically, home comfort systems that provide heating in the winter and cooling in the summer have certain functions and equipment they share (and not just the thermostat). Energy Star – a program of the federal government that promotes efficiency in appliances – makes a point about this connectedness when discussing its recommendations for cooling:

What is Energy Star?ENERGY STAR qualified central air conditioners: have higher seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) and energy efficiency ratio (EER) ratings, making them over 15% more efficient than conventional models.The central air conditioner also needs a blower motor – which is usually part of the furnace – to blow the cool air through the duct system.
The only way to ensure that your new air conditioner performs at its rated efficiency is to replace your heating system at the same time. It’s especially recommended if your furnace is over 15 years old. If you purchase a new energy-efficient air conditioner but connect it to an older furnace and blower motor, your system will not perform to its rated efficiency.

So, heating and cooling are connected – at least within your home comfort system. But you’ll also find that your heating and cooling efficiency is connected to the whole-house environment. As Energy Star adds:

No matter what kind of heating and cooling system you have in your house, you can save money and increase your comfort by properly maintaining and upgrading your equipment. But remember, energy-efficient equipment alone will not have as great an impact on your energy bills as using the whole-house approach. By combining proper equipment maintenance and upgrades with recommended insulation, air sealing, and thermostat settings, you can cut your energy use for heating and cooling — and reduce environmental emissions — from 20%-50%.

If you’d like to learn more about how the energy efficiency of your Indianapolis area home is impacting your energy bills, let us conduct an energy analysis and show you ways you could be saving. Click here to schedule an appointment with Action Air today!