Purchase
We Paid Cash: Starting A Blog
A testimony from Abby from Winstead Wandering Iâve been blogging off and on since May of 2011. And in January of 2015, I decided to finally start the new blog Iâd been brainstorming for months. I had just suffered a miscarriage and I needed something to take me out of my own head. I knew,… Read More
What is a Judgment?
A judgment is an order issued by a court of law. When you borrow money, you are legally required to repay the debt. This includes opening a credit card account, getting a line of credit from your bank and obtaining financing for a big purchase. You can also become indebted to service providers. This can… Read More
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Here Are 9 Options for Finding Free or Cheap Audiobooks
Though I own hundreds of books, I rarely find time to sit down and crack one open. I do, however, make use of my time in the car to listen to audiobooks. But how do you get the audiobooks you want without paying a lot of money? There are a number of audiobook services available, [â¦]
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
How to Take Advantage of Low-Interest Loans During the COVID-19 Health Crisis
The following is a guest post from Dr. David L Tuyo II, president and CEO of University Credit Union. While there is rampant fear and caution against a global economic downturn due to COVID-19, this does not mean that every individual will be hit as hard as the next. Certainly, there has been and will… Read More
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8 Tips for Improving HVAC Efficiency
Heating and cooling is easily the most energy intensive system in your home. According to the U.S. Energy Information Association, heating and cooling is to blame for almost half of all the energy expenditure in the average American household, beating even the growing energy consumption of appliances and electronics. Thus, by properly maintaining your HVAC system, you can improve its efficiency and reduce heating and cooling costs dramatically. If you want to reap the savings of an efficient HVAC, here’s how.
8 Tips for Improving HVAC Efficiency
- Close Up Your Home
- Consider a Home Warranty
- Calibrate Your Thermostat
- Check Your Economizer
- Control Your VFD
- Cut out Your BAS
- Clean Your Coils
- Connect Timers
Here they are in more detail.
1. Close Up Your Home
If you have cold or hot air pouring into your home from outside, your HVAC unit needs to work harder than it should to keep your home the right temperature. Therefore, one of the most basic ways to improve HVAC efficiency is to seal and insulate your home. First, you should keep doors and windows closed whenever your HVAC is running; then, you should check that the insulation in your walls and attic (if you have one) is still doing its job. By doing this, you can reduce your heating and cooling costs by up to 20 percent.
2. Consider a Home Warranty
If you’ve ever wondered how to compare home warranty vs. home insurance, now is your chance to learn. Home warranties guarantee the systems of your home, like your HVAC, against the ravages of time. If your HVAC breaks down for any reason, you can contact your home warranty provider, who will send an HVAC specialist to diagnose and fix the problem for a low, flat fee around $70. Though a home warranty won’t keep your HVAC in tip-top shape, it will secure you against total HVAC failure.
3. Calibrate Your Thermostat
You shouldn’t just trust that your thermostat knows what temperature it is in your home. It is easy for thermostats to be anywhere from a percent of a degree to five whole degrees off from the true temperature, and that seemingly small difference will cost you over time. To be certain your thermostat is reading true, you need to purchase a trustworthy thermometer and keep it on the wall a few inches from your thermostat. Then, using that tool, you can calibrate your thermostat appropriately.
4. Check Your Economizer
Economizers are machines attached to your HVAC to ensure high efficiency, but they don’t always work as expected. Often, economizers slip their links or contain faulty controls—or else someone in the past tinkered with them improperly. You should pay a visit to your HVAC economizer and give it a once-over; look specifically for open dampers (which should be kept closed) and any signs of quick fixes, like string or unfinished wood, that could indicate issues.
5. Control Your VFD
A variable frequency drive (VFD) controls the speed of the motor in your HVAC unit, providing energy savings proportional to the rotations per minute. However, like economizers, VFDs can malfunction and/or can be interfered with, causing efficiency-related problems. You should peer into your VFD and ensure that it isn’t running on bypass mode, so you can reap appropriate energy savings.
6. Cut out Your BAS
A building automation system (BAS) provides centralized control of HVAC as well as lighting and other systems. Such systems usually only exist in larger structures with more complex energy and control needs, but if your home is in an apartment or condo building, you might be subject to a BAS. You should either try to remove a BAS that is impeding the proper use of your HVAC or else contact your building manager to express concern over the BAS functionality.
7. Clean Your Coils
On the same day you clean your refrigerator coils, you should also clean your HVAC coils. Because HVAC units are typically placed in out-of-the-way areas that are rarely cleaned – like your roof, your basement, your attic or a corner of your yard – it doesn’t take long for them to accumulate dirt and grime. Debris on your HVAC coils forces the machine to work harder to produce the same effects, and it can reduce indoor air quality. Thus, you should schedule a coil cleaning at least once per year.
8. Connect Timers
There is no sense in heating or cooling an empty home. When you are away – at work or on vacation – you should consider setting a more lenient temperature on your thermostat, so it doesn’t need to work so hard for no benefit. You can also connect timer switches to your most energy-hungry devices, like gaming consoles, desktop computers and appliances, for a similar effect.
Over time, your HVAC will become less efficient—unless you do something about it. By participating in preventative maintenance, you can reduce your home energy costs and avoid the high expense of repairing or replacing your equipment.
New Year, New Home Décor: belVita Breakfast Biscuits Invites You To Show Off Your Brew-mance For A Chance To Win $50,000 And A Design Consultation From Home Renovation Expert Jonathan Scott – PRNewswire
New Year, New Home Décor: belVita Breakfast Biscuits Invites You To Show Off Your Brew-mance For A Chance To Win $50,000 And A Design Consultation From Home Renovation Expert Jonathan Scott PRNewswire
How to Stop Using Credit Cards
The post How to Stop Using Credit Cards appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.
The reason most people are in debt is due to credit cards. These little pieces of plastic tempt you with high limits and low payments. They are simple to use and often a hard habit to break. You have to teach yourself how to stop using credit cards and end the cycle of more debt. … Read More about How to Stop Using Credit Cards
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What is an International Credit Card?
When you have an international credit card, you can use it both in your home country and abroad. Itâs not uncommon to come across businesses abroad that only accept native currency. Thatâs when an international credit card comes in handy. If you want to avoid the hassles of carrying cash or travelerâs checks everywhere you… Read More
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Home Shopping During Winter: What You Need to Know
All that snow and ice could be covering a terrific opportunity. You just have to be willing to dig.