Top Energy Saving Tips & Hacks for Houston Homeowners

4 Fun Ways to Teach Your Kids About Saving Energy

December 19, 2016 by Richmond’s Air

Kids today are surrounded by “smart” things—from phones to thermostats—and most of them can’t fathom that at one time electricity didn’t exist. Even as adults we tend to forget how convenient and technology-reliant our lives have become. However, it’s important for us to teach our kids about conserving energy and taking care of the environment.

Here are some fun and creative ways to teach your kids about energy conservation:

1. Make it a game

Learning is always more fun when you turn it into a game. Talk to you kids about the importance of conserving water, and then race to see who can take the fastest shower. Discuss the importance of saving electricity, and then have the kids take turns being the “electricity police” for the day. They can dress up in a costume and go around turning lights off and unplugging unused appliances.

2. Cozy up

You can save a lot of energy (and money) if you turn your thermostat down five degrees during the winter. Grab hats, scarves, blankets and a cup of hot chocolate and spend some time reading together or playing a game as a family (something energy-free, like a board game). Meanwhile, remind your kids that heating your home takes a lot of energy.

3. Go to the library

Your local library should have a great selection of books on energy, where it comes from and how we can be good stewards of it. The first step to understanding why we need to conserve energy is learning how it works.

4.Get Your Craft On

Did you know a lot of heat and air can escape from cracks around your doors and windows? You can lose about 20% of your heat or air this way. In addition to making sure your weather stripping is intact around all of your doors, you and your kids can make these fun door draft stoppers.

At Richmond’s Air, we want to make sure we’re doing our part to help you save energy, save money and save the environment, which is why we strive to make sure your residential HVAC system is running as efficiently as possible and that it meets or exceeds government standards.

If you live in Katy, Bellaire, Spring or elsewhere in the metro area, contact a Houston HVAC technician today at Richmond’s Air to have yours inspected.

How to Avoid Spending Your Christmas Money on the Electric Bill

December 7, 2016 by Richmond’s Air

The holidays wouldn’t be the same without lights hanging on your house and a Christmas tree lighting up your living room. All of the extra illumination boosts the holiday spirit—and then comes the dreaded electric bill in January…

So, how can you enjoy your holiday decor and still save some money? Here are 3 energy saving tips for this holiday season:

1. Use your oven for more than just food.

One of the best parts of the holidays is the food. When you turn on your oven, it can heat up your house pretty quickly. Not only will it deliver freshly baked sugar cookies, but it can also keep your heating system from having to run constantly.

You can even bump the thermostat down a few degrees and let the oven do most of the work. Be careful not to overwork your oven though. Try cooking multiple dishes at once to avoid using even more energy.

Bonus tip: Once you’re done baking and turn the oven off, crack open the oven door to let the rest of the heat escape. Just be careful not to let the kids get too close!

2. Invite your family and friends over.

Not only does it add Christmas cheer to have family and friends over during the holidays, but it can also help you save energy. When you get several extra bodies in your home, they let off extra heat, which means you can turn your thermostat down and keep the house warm. This gives you an excuse to plan a few extra holiday parties this season.

3. Limit your lights.

Put your lights on a timer or only turn them on for a few hours in the evening after dark. Avoid leaving them on all night because this will really cause your bill to skyrocket! If you haven’t already, consider purchasing LED light strings. They cost a little bit more upfront, but they’re about 90% more efficient than regular bulbs and will ultimately save you a lot of money.

You don’t have to sacrifice any of your traditional holiday fun to save money. Just be aware of how much energy you’re using and try to reduce it when and where you can.

It’s also a good time year to have your central heating & air conditioning system serviced to make sure it’s running efficiently and not costing you extra. Let a certified HVAC technician at Richmond’s Air get your Houston home prepared to take on the holidays!

How Shade Trees Cool Your Home and AC Compressor

August 31, 2016 by Richmond’s Air

Before AC, shade trees were one of the many ways people stayed cool during the hottest parts of the day. An afternoon nap under a giant oak was the perfect way to escape the summer heat in a pre-AC world.

Nowadays, we prefer to stay indoors with our air conditioners at full blast. But in summer, the cool comfort of AC comes with a cost.

Fortunately, shade trees can help us lower our energy costs. It’s common knowledge that shade trees can cool surrounding air temperatures by up to 6 degrees. So why not harness the power of shade to cool our homes and lower our electricity bills?

How to Strategically Place Shade Trees

For energy savings, place shade trees or shrubs near the parts of your home that face east and west. These areas receive the most sunlight. Also, focus on shading windows. Windows draw in heat, so well placed shade can help prevent high temperatures in your home.

Another great idea for improving energy savings is to shade your AC compressor. The AC compressor is the bulky part of your AC that sits outside. The compressor works to cool your home by drawing in hot air from inside your home, then releasing that air outside. An overheated compressor has to work extra hard on hot days.

If the air surrounding your AC is 6 degrees cooler—thanks to a strategically place shade tree—then your AC doesn’t have to work as hard cooling your home. This can save you money month-to-month by reducing your electric bill and also save you money in the long term by avoiding costly AC repairs on down the road.

What to Avoid When Planting Near Your AC Compressor

The AC compressor must cool itself. The unit needs plenty of space to dispel hot air. Therefore, it’s recommended that all plants and shrubs be at least 3 feet away from the unit in order for it to work properly. Another consideration to take before you plant a shade tree near your compressor is falling seeds or pods because the debris can clog your AC compressor.

For more information about energy savings, contact your local Houston AC service to learn more about the benefits of shading your home and AC unit.

Understanding SEER Ratings

June 17, 2016 by Richmond’s Air

A SEER rating may seem like some crystal ball gazer’s ability to look into the future; however, in the HVAC works, it is a way of predicting numbers that relate to energy usage in terms of output and input.

The utilization of SEER ratings is part of a minimum requirement that has been placed on the manufacturers of central air conditioning units found in homes and businesses.

Believe it or not, a central air conditioner, split-system, or heat pump’s efficiency is governed by United States laws and regulated by the Department of Energy (DOE). All central air conditioning units are given an efficiency rating, which has been assigned a SEER rating (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). The rating is defined as the total cooling output (in BTU’s, or British Thermal Units) that an air conditioning unit provides during regular yearly usage, which is then divided by total energy input (through watt hours) over the same period. The higher a unit’s SEER rating, the more energy efficient it is.

The Department of Energy (DOE) currently requires a minimum SEER of 13 for all air conditioning units manufactured after 2005. Along with the SEER rating, central air conditioners that meet or exceed government standards are given Energy Star labels that indicate they meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA)requirements for power conservation. Energy Star labeled air conditioning models must utilize 8 percent less energy than other models, and they are also required to have a SEER rating of at least 14.5.

Most older air conditioning central units with a SEER rating of 9 and under have been phased out of production and replaced with higher rated units with SEER ratings in ranges from 16 on the low end to 25 on the high end. With higher rated air conditioning systems, energy savings can be considerable.

Say you already have an air conditioning system with a SEER rating of 10, and you want to upgrade to a SEER rating of 20 with a 3-ton air conditioning unit. The power used would be decreased by approximately 50 percent. This would likely result in an approximate savings of around $625 per year as opposed to your old unit’s cost of approximately $1250 a year. (Of course rate of use and the cost of electricity through the power company would make costs vary.)

SEER ratings are not all that hard to understand when you actually investigate the ratings of top-of-the line air conditioning units and find that their SEER ratings are most always significantly above the minimum 13 SEER figure. Finding an energy efficient central air conditioning system or a split-system is not difficult when you are aware that there are units available with higher SEER ratings and Energy Star labeling.

To further investigate and research higher SEER rated models, you might want to contact a professional air conditioning expert about energy efficient air conditioning models that have higher SEER ratings.

Richmond’s Air has the professional expertise to answer any of your questions and concerns about residential heating and cooling systems. Give us a call if you live in the Houston, Katy, Spring and Bellaire areas. We will be glad to be of service.

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3 Tips for Saving Energy This Holiday Season

December 16, 2015 by Richmond’s Air Editor

Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it can also be the most expensive. While the money spent to make the holidays special for your family and friends is worth every cent, there are a few ways to have the same magical holiday…without emptying your wallet.

Here are three quick and easy tips to help you save energy on your HVAC costs this Christmas:

Tip #1: Turn Down Your Thermostat. The holidays in Houston aren’t as cold as the North Pole, but if you do use your heat this season, there are a few key times to turn the temperature down a few degrees. For instance, if the oven is going and the stove burners are on, there’s plenty of heat running through your home to keep things warm and toasty. Knock down the temperature a few degrees while preparing for the Christmas meal. Also, if you’re planning a holiday party or having dozens of family members over to your home, remember that people generate heat. So the more people, the more heat. Knock a few degrees off to keep everyone at a comfortable temperature and knock a few bucks off your bill while you’re at it!

Tip #2: Reduce your TV brightness. Holiday movies and football games are staple for many families this time of year. If you know you’re going to be watching a lot of television during the holidays, turn down the brightness on your TV. It could cut the amount of energy your TV is using by 25%.

Tip #3: Turn off/ unplug electronics. Even in standby mode, electronics use electricity and can cost up to $100 each per year when left plugged into the socket. So, unplug those brand new game systems and shiny small kitchen appliances when you’re done using them for the day. One thing that may be unpopular with the kids but will save you money is unplugging your Christmas lights after a certain time of night. If you have a hard time remembering, put your lights on a timer.

These are few quick and easy things that you can do during the holidays to keep the Christmas spirit alive while saving a few dollars. The holiday season is always a good time for a home comfort system check up! Our certified HVAC technicians at Richmonds Air are happy to help get your home ready for the holidays. Contact us today!