How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint Through Heating

During the cold winter months, most of us spend a majority of our time trying to stay warm. Luckily, through modern technology, most of us have heating systems installed throughout our homes, offices, and other buildings that keep us warm, saving us from having to think about it too much. It is our heating system’s job to run smoothly and efficiently for our overall well-being.

However, like any system propelled by machinery, maintenance and repairs are often needed. And the last thing you want is for there to be a major snowstorm in Fort Collins, and your heating goes out.

Over the past few decades, Fort Collins heating systems have come a long way, and many are energy-efficient as well as efficient at heating. As we all look to reduce our carbon footprint on the earth, our heating system is one way we can help, especially since we use it for almost half of every year. Below, we’ll offer up tips on reducing our carbon footprint through heating. Call your Fort Collins heating repair specialist, Calvary Plumbing and Heating, today!

HOW TO REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT WITH HEATING

Programmable Thermostats

Programmable thermostats is one of the best ways you can save on heating costs and use, according to your Fort Collins heating repair expert, Calvary Plumbing and Heating. Programmable thermostats allow you to set the temperature in your home or office for different times of the day and night. Thus, when you are at home, you can increase the temperature, and while you are away, you can reduce the temperature. Not having your home or office warm while you are away will have your furnace running less often, which will prolong its life, and you’ll save a ton of money in fuel costs, not to mention conserving your natural gas or other nonrenewable resource that is powering your heating system. This is absolutely one of the best ways you can save on heating costs during the winter.

Use Space Heaters

Many people decry the use of space heaters because of their fire danger. However, your Fort Collins heating repair experts note that the fire danger comes from misuse of space heaters, not from the actual job a space heater does.

A space heater does just what its name says: it heats up a space. Rather than heating your whole house or office, you can heat up just a tiny space instead, which is great for your office or one room in your home. Most modern space heaters have many safety features built into them, such as automatic shut off if they tip over and the like. Space heater, while using electricity rather than your heating, can save you money if used properly

Reduce Heat Loss Through Your Fireplace

Any time there’s an opening in a building there is a potential for heat loss. This is why caulking your home around your windows and doors is critical to conserving heat during the cold winter months. However, your fireplace is often one opening that is forgotten. Fireplaces have dampers that allow you to adjust the airflow while a fire is burning. You, of course, need the damper open so heat and carbon dioxide from the fire can escape. However, many people forget to close the damper once their fire has run the course of its life. Your Fort Collins heating repair experts want to remind you that closing the damper when your fireplace is not in use will not only allow cold air to not come into the house from above, but it will also help to keep the warm air in, so no wasted air escapes. This will keep your home warmer overall.

If you are using your fireplace as a primary source of heating, your Fort Collins heating repair company, Calvary Plumbing and Heating, wants to remind you to turn down your thermostat so it won’t be running as much. If you never use your fireplace, you should seal the flue, or the opening, for further heat loss prevention.

Reduce Temperature of Your Hot Water Heater

If you have a traditional hot water heater with a tank, the tank will hold usually somewhere between 30 and 50 gallons of water. This water is perpetually kept warm so that when you turn on a plumbing fixture, hot water will be there. Well, just imagine the amount of energy it takes to heat water perpetually to a temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit versus 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Overall, there’s not much difference to you when you take a shower or bath, but to water that has to be kept at that temperature, there is a huge difference. You will save money and reduce your carbon footprint by using less fossil fuels.

While the savings is not as dramatic in a tankless hot water heater system, you will still save money by having your water not be heated as high for the exact same reasons as above. Overall, you’ll save money with a tankless water heater than with a traditional one because you are not having to heat water perpetually. Your Fort Collins water heating repair experts, Calvary Plumbing and Heating, can answer all of your questions on tankless water heaters.

Replace Air Filters

Your HVAC system works fundamentally by heating up air (furnace burners heat air inside a heat exchanger, warming the air) and then blowing this air through the ductwork of your home. Furnace burners heat air inside a heat exchanger, warming the air. This air fills each room, causing the colder air to be drawn back into the furnace and recycled through the heating process once again.

As the air circulates in your furnace, air filters trap particles and contaminants, such as dust, dirt, mold, spores, bacteria, and pollen. These air filters need to be changed on a regular basis as they fill up with all of these particulates. Dirty air filters reduce the efficiency of your HVAC system, which uses more energy, costs you more money, and forces your furnace to work harder to heat your home or business. Dirty air filters could also damage your entire HVAC system. If left uncleaned, air filters won’t remove any other particulates in the air, sending them through your HVAC system, which can impact your health, especially if you have allergies. Your Fort Collins heating repair company recommends changing your heating air filter at the beginning of the winter season and at the end.

Consider Ductless Mini-Split Heating Systems

One of the newest trends in HVAC is the ductless mini-split heating system. As the name states, no ductwork is required in this system. You can think of this mini-split system, or mini splits, as miniature window air conditioning units. In essence, you have the indoor air handling unit and then the outdoor compressor. Mini-splits are small boxes, not as cumbersome as traditional window air conditioning units that can be mounted anywhere in your room. This HVAC system works by heating and/or cooling only the immediate area they are installed in. Calvary Heating and Air points out that Installation of these units is flexible, meaning you can install the indoor unit high on a wall or on a ceiling out of the way. Ductless mini-split heating systems are also popular for addition rooms and larger homes where it is just more practical to have this system.

This energy-efficient system can save you a lot of money since it only heats the rooms you want heated. Furthermore, each room unit has their own thermostat, allowing for optimal energy savings as you only heat the rooms you are using.

This mini-split system uses heat pumps much like traditional heating systems that take heat from the outside environment and transfers it in. This even works in cold weather, such as the weather we have in the winters here in Fort Collins. Still, it can be harder for your heat pump to work when it gets really cold outside, so many people have a backup heating system in place just in case. Your Fort Collins heating repair company can help you with HVAC installation of this system.

Consider Radiant Flooring

Ways to save energy and reduce your carbon footprint are myriad when it comes to heating. Another way to save energy your Fort Collins heating repair company would like to point out is to install radiant flooring in some areas of your home. Radiant flooring works by installing a heating unit underneath your existing floor that then heats up the flooring when activated. Radiant flooring can be used with a thermostat as well for optimal temperature control. This heating system can also heat up entire areas quickly and efficiently. Since heat rises, radiant flooring keeps the temperature of your room constant since the heat is coming from everywhere. Radiant flooring is one of the most energy efficient systems to install and is low maintenance Popular in new homes, radiant flooring is just one more way to save the environment through sustainable living.

Invest in Heating and Furnace Maintenance

Every item you own needs some sort of maintenance periodically, or it can break or stop working. This is one reason when people age, they move to a smaller home because having a big home is a lot to manage, and sometimes it seems there is always something to do as a homeowner.

Your Fort Collins heating repair expert notes that furnace maintenance will be key in how long your furnace lasts. Calvary Plumbing and Heating offers heating inspection service where we will take a look at all of your heating parts and make sure your furnace is running smoothly. In the event of a heating repair, we’ll work quickly and efficiently to get your furnace up and running again, whether you need a new fan or thermostat. We also offer furnace replacement services if your furnace has hit the end of its life. From replacing air filters to checking your ductwork, it is critical your furnace has the odds and ends fixed when needed in order to avoid a full-blown furnace malfunction on a snowy Colorado day. Give us a call today!

Baseboard Heating

Baseboard heating is one consideration for homeowners who don’t have ductwork installed in their homes. Baseboard heating works either by heating the air that falls on it, or using heated water that then heats the air around it. Baseboard heating is popular in older homes because it’s cheap to install and there is virtually no heating maintenance once installed. It’s a very simple heating system and process that runs itself, controlled by one or more thermostats. There is no definitive answer to if baseboard heating will save you money over traditional heating methods because so much is dependent on your home. It usually runs off electricity instead of natural gas, which can be more expensive, depending on what area of the country you live in. Cost of fueling your heating system will always be the biggest cost.

CHOOSING CALVARY PLUMBING AND HEATING FOR YOUR HEATING NEEDS

Calvary Plumbing and Heating excels at offering the best heating services in Fort Collins. We can diagnose, repair, or replace your furnace. For years, our dedicated and friendly team has been helping customers with all of their heating needs, as well as their plumbing and other HVAC needs, such as air conditioning. We offer 24/7 emergency heating service, so if you do find your heater goes out in the middle of the night, give us a call. We’ll do our best to have someone out there right away and get your furnace working again. If you do need a furnace replacement or help installing a new furnace, we can help. We serve all of Northern Colorado.

No homeowner enjoys heating problems. However, we aim to make your heating problems as painless as possible. We offer honest evaluations and always try to look to save you money wherever we can. Our certified technicians have years of handling the toughest HVAC problems. Give us a call for prompt heating service in and around Fort Collins today!