Barron Heating AC Electrical & Plumbing

Solving Drafts (and other common problems) with Duct Repairs

July 31st, 2015

Leaky ducts cause drafts, dusty homes and higher utility bills!

There are a number of reasons that you might feel drafts or inconsistent temperatures throughout your home. However, there is one culprit that is more common than all others: leaky ducts.

When your ducts are leaking into the walls, crawlspace, attic or floors, some of the air that is supposed to be delivered to the home never makes it where it is supposed to. That paid for heat (or cool) moves through the structure to outside.

When the duct work is sealed either by hand or with our preferred method, AeroSeal, the air is delivered to all areas as was hopefully intended.

In addition to causing inadequate air delivery, duct leakage causes the home to suffer pressure imbalances which are a leading contributor to the introduction of unconditioned dirty air from the crawl space and attic. This introduction of “bad air” will contribute to poor indoor air quality, exacerbating respiratory issues, and cool drafts moving through the home.

Homes with duct leakage can suffer these issues:

Excessive dust and toxic airborne particulate
Drafts
Unexplained odors
Uneven heating or cooling (especially the extremities of the home)
Excessive indoor humidity
Increased asthma, allergy and other respiratory symptoms
Higher than expected heating or cooling bills

If you, or anyone you know, have experienced any of these challenges, it’s important that you contact your local home performance trained HVAC contractor to explore the solutions that are available.

Check out the video below to see how one homeowner solved their drafts:

I can’t believe I’ve never seen this before!

July 21st, 2015

Blower Door Demonstration on Home Improvement’s Tool Time… Enjoy!

Is Your Home A/C Ready?

May 27th, 2015

Wes Diskin performing a Home Performance Assessment

The first step in purchasing an Air Conditioner

Before you buy an Air Conditioning Unit, you’ll want to be sure the cool air you’re paying for is not being lost through faulty ducts, home air leakage, and poor insulation. There is a lot a green air conditioning contractor can do to get your home A/C ready!

Now, adding air conditioning CAN be as simple as calling the HVAC company to install a unit. But, as with all things HVAC, the most simplistic answer is not the smartest answer in the long-run. Having diagnostic tests run on your home (or a home performance test) is the only way to know the condition of the home and therefore the only way to install the most cost-effective, comfortable, energy efficient, and healthy air conditioning possible.

Here’s a sample run-through of what you should expect before an A/C install. Be sure to choose a Heating & Cooling company that has a thoroughly trained Home Performance team.

Assess the Current Situation: Furnace, Fuel, Investment

The first thing that should happen is to look at the heat delivery system currently in place. If the furnace and ducting system test well and are in good shape, it’s possible to use the ducting that’s already there. If not, ductless may very well be the way to go. Ductless also offers the option of zonal A/C, which can be handy for certain homes.

Next, it’s important to think about the fuel type. Folks who have natural gas as their heating fuel can pretty easily add an A/C unit to the existing system (if it tests well) and go with a less expensive installation cost. However, if a homeowner is using a more expensive heating fuel like electric, propane, or oil, it probably makes more sense to convert the whole system to a forced-air or ductless heat pump (which both include A/C) because the efficiency of the heat pump technology will allow that new system to pay for itself rapidly.

Diagnostics are Key

A Blower-Door Test is the key to understanding air flow patterns and problems. What is the heat gain in the home?

To be truly A/C-ready, you’ll want a trained Home Performance Technician (all estimators at Barron can do this) to run diagnostics on your house. They will use a blower-door, an infrared camera, a smoke-puffer, and/or other devices as needed to test the air flow and leakages in your home. There are a lot of questions to answer, such as:

What is the heat gain in the home?
Where does the sun come in, which direction is the home oriented, what kind of windows are in place?
What is the condition of the attic?
How much and in what rooms are there air leakage problems?
Can the ducts be used effectively (are they leaky?)
How much insulation is in the attic, crawl space, and walls?

Without first answering these questions (and taking action to address them), there is no way to ensure you’re dollars spent on conditioned air are being spent effectively. Attic insulation is especially important, as attic temperatures can run very high, making it harder for your A/C unit to do it’s job. If you’re using ducts to deliver your A/C, having them sealed tightly is also a pretty huge deal. Because duct-work is pressurized, leaky ducts can lose massive amounts of conditioned air; not to mention leaky ducts can carry in a bevy of nasty particulates from your insulation or dirty crawl space. A knowledgeable HVAC contractor will be able to apply the principles of building science to your specific home, to get a whole-house perspective.

The Benefits of A/C Readiness

Taking the time to truly be A/C Ready has the obvious benefit of getting the most bang for your buck, but it can be nice to see all the ways and angles that your home, health, and pocketbook will benefit from looking at the big picture. Having your home tested (with Home Performance) and analyzed for A/C Readiness in the end will mean:

You’re investing in a permanent and lasting change in your whole home, and not just adding an A/C unit that is more or less only a temporary fix (depending on the state of your home).
Any energy upgrades you make will prolong the life of the A/C unit, since it won’t have to work as hard, and there will be less repairs.
Big changes to the building envelope and energy upgrades can help when you decide to sell your home.
The equipment chosen is guaranteed to be properly sized for your particular home and cooling needs. Detailed diagnostics give us all the clues to choose the best possible system with dialed-in performance.
The air you breathe will be cleaner and healthier, which can often relieve certain types of medical symptoms suffered by you and your family.
You will be assisting the planet by creating a more energy efficient home!

Low-Level CO Monitors Keep Your Family Safe and Healthy

May 4th, 2015

It just makes sense to discuss the major dangers of Carbon Monoxide with your HVAC company. Any malfunctioning combustion appliance, such as a furnace, water heater, room heater, or fireplace can be the culprit (along with generators, motor vehicles, and anything else exhausting post-combustion byproducts).

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a deadly, colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. It is produced by the incomplete burning of various fuels. CO is often called the “silent killer” and is responsible for the most accidental poisoning deaths in the country. This is serious stuff. And though most people know that high levels of CO are deadly, it is less well-known that low levels of CO are also very detrimental to your health.

What Are the Dangers?

What is the best way to keep yourself and your family safe? First, you need to understand the difference between a CO Alarm and a Low-Level CO Monitor? Those in-the-know often refer to the first kind as a “Death Alarm,” because by the time it actually goes off, the amount of CO in your home is at near-deadly levels. If your CO Alarm goes off, do not check the alarm, do not try to find the source of CO, do not pass GO, Go straight outdoors, and call 911.

Here is a typical Carbon Monoxide Alarm (or death alarm). These can be picked up at nearly any general store for about $15-$40. If your CO alarm cost somewhere in that ball park, you have reason to be concerned.

Research shows that long-term exposure to low-levels of CO can cause permanent brain damage and neurological damage. It can also compound many health problems such as heart and lung disease, anemia, diabetes, asthma, depression, and learning and concentration problems.

Some people are more susceptible to CO poisoning, such as: children, fetuses, those with compromised immune systems, and the elderly. Many of these people also happen to be those who are at home the most. It is understood that indoor air quality is already usually much more polluted than outdoor air, but if you have an unknown low-level CO leak, your air quality could be in seriously bad shape.

What Can You Do?

Install at least one low-level CO Monitor like the one pictured here. These usually cost between $125 and $200. Your HVAC professional should have these available. It should be installed at eye-level and battery powered in case of a power-outage.
Maintenance. The importance of following guidelines for yearly (or more frequent in some cases) maintenance on your appliances cannot be underestimated. Be sure to ask your technician to check CO levels with an electronic CO Analyzer. Also ask for an inspection and leakage test on the heat exchanger. It’s also a good idea to have your chimney inspected as a possible source of CO problems. Lastly, be sure all appliances are venting to the outside of your home.
Check your garage. Cars emit huge levels of dangerous CO, so having an attached garage is usually not a healthy thing. Unfortunately, many people have attached garages. So, there are a few things you can do (short of detaching your garage). First, do not let your car idle in the garage. At all. Even with the garage door open. CO can still get trapped, and still infiltrate your home. Next, have your garage tested for air leaks into living space and seal seal seal! Last, you can install an exhaust fan in the garage to force out those toxic gases.

If you are overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, call your HVAC contractor and they can walk you through all of the CO safety precautions. But either way: DIY or through a contractor, it is really important to double check this critical health and safety issue for yourself and your family.

Check out this very informative video about Carbon Monoxide.

Propane to Ductless – A Case Study

April 28th, 2015

Here is an interesting case study on a 1980’s Bellingham A-frame home. This is the first of many case-studies we will be creating.

This project was a smashing success, with the homeowners saving around $2,000 per year and they were finally able to heat their entire home. Plus, the interior ductless heads are strategically placed, attractive, and offer independent heating zones.

Take a moment to check out the case study, which highlights the homeowners feelings with the results, and walks you through the whole home performance process.

Insulate Your Home for the Summer!

April 16th, 2015

Insulation is important in the winter for obvious reasons, but did you know it also helps to keep your home cool in the summer?

Though insulation may seem obvious in this day and age, older homes often have very little or no insulation.

Because heating and cooling accounts for 50-70% of all energy costs, adding insulation is a critical step for anyone interested in lowering their energy bill.

It can be difficult to invest money in something you can’t even see day-to-day, but in the overall performance of your home, it’s critically important. And it’s becoming less and less hard on your pocketbook to install these much-needed updates. There are rebate programs through Puget Sound Energy and Cascade Natural Gas, and in some cases, rebate matching through the Community Energy Challenge (CEC).

Check out this great article: for a thorough description of the types of insulation, where in your home to put it, and much more!

The article also discusses geeky but useful things like R-Value of insulation. Turns out it stands for Resistance to heat flow. That makes sense! The DOE recommends an R-Value of R-49 for attics. And the better your insulation, the less hard your heating and cooling system will have to work, and therefore the longer before it breaks down. Win-win-win.

So, how do you know how much insulation you have in your home and where? Well, if you are handy and don’t mind wading through it yourself there are DIY ways of checking for insulation. However, if you’d rather leave it to the professionals, a Home Performance Assessment will tell you definitively where the insulation is. An Infrared Camera, used in most assessments, can look right through your walls!

A Home Performance Assessment In Pictures

April 9th, 2015

Have you ever wondered what happens when you sign up for a Home Performance Assessment?

Well, in our habit of demystifying all things HVAC, we have laid out a few simple photos and descriptions of some things that could happen at a Home Performance Assessment. Every home’s assessment will look different. And, not all of the tests and procedures included in this assessment are even pictured here. Homes are like snowflakes, no two have exactly the same components; so we happily customize our tests to your home, and your HVAC company should, too.

After the assessment (at the same appointment), all of the data is analyzed, compiled, and printed. The results are shared with the homeowner and a plan is hatched for where to go from there. Home Performance Assessments are the only conclusive way to know that you are saving the most energy possible and that all of the elements of your home are working together to create a safe, healthy, comfortable environment for you and your family.

Water Heaters: The Real Deal on Tankless v. Tank

April 7th, 2015

Take a look at the following terms: Tankless Water Heater, Standard Natural Draft Water Heater, Standard Induced Draft Water Heater, and On-Demand Hot Water. Do they all make sense to you?

If you’re like me, you thought you understood them. Tankless…. pretty obvious, right? NO TANK. But like most things, there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye. There’s actually a pretty big debate when it comes to whether to tank or not to tank. And, because hot water accounts for 20% of people’s energy bills (on average), it’s something to seriously consider. Let’s walk through some of what a Tankless is and is not to dispel some common misconceptions.

What Tankless is…

Tankless is small, compact, efficient with it’s energy use, and (whoa) this one’s big: endless hot water. My sixteen year old self could have really used one of these. Also, they’re just pretty cool technology. There’s basically a long coiled pipe inside a small (briefcase sized) box on the wall. When the water enters, the pipes heat up and when the water leaves the box, it’s hot!

This is all well and good, except that like most really nifty things, they come with a price. Tankless Water Heaters are, on average, about twice as much money as a standard tank. That’s a big investment. But IS it an investment? This is where the debate comes in. Unlike a lot of energy-saving home purchases (of which we are big advocates), the point where monthly savings on hot water add up to pay off your investment of a Tankless can be about the time it wares out from old age (around 20 years), particularly when using natural gas.

What Tankless is not…

Tankless is not On-Demand hot water. This was news to me. Something as high-tech and expensive as Tankless should come with all the bells and whistles, right? The truth of the matter is that Tankless takes slightly longer to deliver hot water to the tap unless a recirculating unit is installed. The water comes into the box cold (as opposed to the constant heating of a standard tank), so when you turn on the tap to wash your hands or take a shower, it will take about 5 seconds more to receive that heated water. The water has to work it’s way through that coil until the coil has reached operating temperature.

Tankless is also not always the most cost-effective choice in a replacement situation. What? Yes. While the constant-heating of a standard tank is energy-intensive, and seems inefficient, if you’re family is using up all the hot water in the tank throughout the day, it’s basically acting like a tankless. Let’s say a family of 4 is taking a couple showers, a bath, a load of dishes, and a load or two of laundry per day (this is, coincidentally what our day often looks like at home). With our 40 gallon tank, we are using that sucker up, over and over.

Another thing to consider is that while neither technology is exempt from occasional repairs and annual service, Tankless is less forgiving of missed maintenance.

Here is one of our service techs, Colin, servicing a customer’s Rinnai brand tankless water heater. He is descaling the heat exchanger due to mineral deposits coating the heat exchanger surfaces and acting as an insulator decreasing heat transfer. The severity of this condition depends on water quality but it happens in all applications and on all water heaters (tank or tankless).
Most people know that corrosion is a big issue with standard water tanks, but clearly, it is something to watch for in tankless models, too.

Standard Tank (induced or natural draft)

If you are considering purchasing a Standard Tank Water Heater the big thing to remember is that though the various models and types look similar on the outside, they are definitely not all created equal. The main things to think about are: Fuel-type, Draft-type, and Warranty Length.

Fuel-type: Natural gas is significantly more affordable than electric or propane in most places. Natural gas models are more expensive up-front, but the investment pays off fast. In fact, the savings you’ll see in your energy bill (around half as much) will usually make up the difference in cost (between electric and gas) in about a year. Oil-fueled Water Heaters exist too, but are rare because of the very high cost.

Draft-type: A natural-draft water heater means that the combustion gases (including carbon-monoxide) come out the top of the water heater naturally, and therefore have the risk of back-drafting. These water heaters are fine, but are best installed outside the building envelope. Having one of these in your home could be dangerous. In some situations, the water heater cannot be replaced with a standard atmospheric vent water heater due to newer mechanical codes. Talk to your HVAC professional to be sure. Induced-draft means that the gases are driven out of your home through a pipe and fan-system, which can be much safer.

Warranty Length: A longer warranty length may not sound like an important factor at first, but it really shows how confident a manufacturer is in it’s product. The warranty-length neatly bundles a lot of the questions regarding internal options of tank-style water heaters. This piece from Consumer Reports has a ton of GREAT information. They go through all the nitty-gritty like internal tank features, safety concerns, and even specific brands. But the most concise info I took away from it on water tanks is: “Those with longer warranties tend to have larger heating elements, thicker insulation, and thicker or longer corrosion-fighting metal anodes.”

Quick List of Pros/Cons

So the easiest answer to the whole question of what kind of water heater is best is: It depends on your family and your needs. Let’s break it down into a pros and cons list for convenience:

Tankless – Pros

Endless hot water
Energy Efficient (only heating the water used; better combustion)
Compact, space-saving
Easier to service (descale corrosion)
Longer life (about 20 years)
Decent ROI for propane-fuel homes

Tankless – Cons

Up-front cost (about twice as much as a standard tank)
Natural gas customers don’t see an ROI, because energy savings don’t make up for the cost
Slightly longer wait time to receive hot water

Standard Tank – Pros

Natural Gas models are fairly energy efficient (not quite so much as tankless)
Up-front cost (about half as much as a tankless)
Not as much of a delay in hot water reaching the tap in most homes

Standard Tank – Cons

Constantly heating a huge tank of water (that may not be getting used throughout the day). Inefficient (for some families).
Corrosion issues and mineral build-up occur within the tank and can’t always be seen or remedied
Not Efficient
Require a lot of space
Shorter lifespan (7-12 years)

HVAC Helper – A Glossary for Homeowners

March 9th, 2015

HVAC HELPER

A glossary for homeowners or business-owners thinking about heating, air conditioning, and home performance

AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) – AFUE is the rated efficiency of a combustion furnace. For example, a 95% AFUE model loses 5% of its produced heat up the chimney. In other words, $1 of fuel combusted in an 80% AFUE model loses $0.20 before it even enters the ducts.

Condensate (Condensation) – Heat pumps, air conditioners, and modern furnaces produce condensation and the removal of this collected water is always considered in system design.

Cold Air Return – The “cold air return” is the intake side (sucking side) of a duct system. This duct pulls air from the home and feeds it to the furnace to be reheated for distribution. Leaks in the return air duct are very important to seal as they allow material to be pulled in from wherever they lead (attics, crawlspaces, etc.). Unducted wall cavities are not acceptable for cold air returns in the modern HVAC world, as they are known to reduce efficiency and cause health safety issues.

COP (Coefficient of Performance) – This is an efficiency rating system that compares the output of heat to the consumption of electricity. An electric baseboard or electric furnace (aka resistance heat source) has a COP of 1.0, which means that for every unit of electricity that goes in, you get one unit of heat energy out. A heat pump may have a COP of 3.0- for every unit of electricity that goes in, you get three units of heat energy out.
$1 of heat with a baseboard heater = $3 of heat with a Heat Pump (3.0 COP)

Ducted Filtration and Furnace Filters – Filters located on either the furnace or grille end of the intake duct protect the furnace components from the build-up of airborne particles. More advanced filtration systems can be effective at cleaning the air in a home, but only if the duct and house leakage has been addressed. Filters are rated on the “MERV” scale based on how small of particles they are able to remove from the air stream.

**The Supply Duct Filters available at hardware stores are not recommended. They will negatively affect efficiency and air quality, as well as damage equipment.

Duct Sealing – According to extensive nationwide studies, duct leakage is a leading cause of wasted energy, poor indoor air quality, excessive dust, and comfort complaints. A study by the U.S. Department of Energy found that the typical duct system loses between 25% and 40% of its paid-for heat! Leaks are repaired with either hand applied material or a more comprehensive internal seal using an aerosol dispersed polymer (www.AeroSeal.com).

Duct Sizing – Proper duct sizing is of absolute importance in effectively delivering conditioned air to the home. Improper duct sizing can lower the efficiency of the system, limit distribution (affecting comfort), and cause unnecessary ware on equipment.

Electric Resistance Heat – Think “toaster”. Baseboard heaters, wall heaters and electric furnaces are all forms of electric resistance heat technology and produce heat by passing electricity through a material that causes “resistance,” heats up and then radiates that heat either into an air stream or directly into a room. This is a very inefficient form of heating by modern standards and is going the way of the dodo as a primary heating source in most situations.

Fan Motors – There are two types of fan motors in the world of furnaces:

ECM (Electronically Commutated Motor) – These are variable speed motors that can ramp up and down depending on the call from the thermostat or furnace.

PSC (Permanent Split Capacitor) – These are single speed motors that are on or off.

Heat Pump (Ductless Mini Split) – Ductless Heat Pumps are the world’s most popular heating system. For most standard application, they are the most efficient and cost effective to install. For this reason, utility companies offer significant incentives to upgrade. This is a zonal heating system that operates on a refrigerant technology (see “Heat Pump” below). They do not utilize a duct system to distribute conditioned air.

Heat Pump (Forced Air) – Heat Pumps are really just an air conditioner that can go in reverse. In addition to the cooling process, these have the ability take the heat from the outdoor air and transfer it to the inside of your home. When the heat bearing refrigerant enters the “coil” at the furnace, the heat is picked up in the air stream and distributed into the home. This technology is significantly more efficient at creating heat than propane or electric resistance and even more efficient than natural gas.

Home Performance (AKA, Building Science) – Home Performance refers to the understanding that the whole house as a system and each component affects all others. For example: leaks in the ductwork will worsen indoor air quality, raise utility bills, cause drafts, shorten the lifespan of the furnace, and negatively affect health; air leaks to the attic through recessed lighting will do all the same things; both together will affect those things, but even more so. Because of these relationships, understanding your home’s performance through diagnostic testing is recommended by the US Department of Energy, Energy Star, and Consumer Reports before making any investment in heating, cooling, energy efficiency, or home health upgrades.

HSPF (Heating Season Performance Factor) – HSPF is the standard rating system for Heat Pumps. This is a rating given by regulatory agencies to compare the efficiency at which the heat pump operates to that of other heat pumps.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) – “Indoor air quality” refers to the potential impact of your home’s air on occupant health and comfort. IAQ is judged on the presence of humidity, dust, radon gas, mold, fiberglass particulate, carbon monoxide and many other conditions. IAQ should be considered a high priority as it will affect both the long and short term health of occupants. Poor IAQ can exacerbate or cause: asthma, sinus infections, chronic respiratory ailments, eczema, fatigue, headaches, and many other issues.

Refrigerant – Refrigerant is the substance used in air conditioning and heat pump systems to transfer heat between the interior and exterior of the home. The refrigerant is transported in copper tubing between the indoor and outdoor coils. When the refrigerant is pressurized it absorbs heat from the air around it.

Registers (aka Grilles) – Registers, grilles, diffusers, and grates are all basically the same thing. In the industry they are commonly referred to as “grilles” or “diffusers.”

SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) – SEER is the standard rating system for air conditioners. This is a rating given by regulatory agencies to compare the efficiency at which the air conditioner operates.

Static Pressure – Static pressure is the outward pressure of a substance against its container. In this industry we are concerned most often with the static pressure of the air in the duct system. Good static pressure allows for even distribution throughout the home, efficient removal of heat from the furnace’s heat exchanger or refrigerant coil, and less noise as the air ejects from the grille. Bad static pressure can exacerbate leakage, damage heating equipment, and significantly lower efficiency.

Supply Air – “Supply air” ducting is the delivery system for conditioned air- warm or cool. Supply air ducts should always be well sealed as any air that is lost out these pressurized ducts is lost to the outside, even when it is in a wall or floor cavity.

For more information, call or email your Home Performance Experts and set up a Home Performance Assessment!

Home Performance Financing 101

February 6th, 2015

Is all this talk about Energy Upgrades and Home Performance getting you down because you’d love to make improvements to your home, but lack the finances to make it happen?

Believe it or not, we were in the same boat (even though we both work in the industry). We were aware of the enormous benefits of a weatherized, insulated, and efficiently heated home for years before we finally pulled the trigger. I always just assumed we couldn’t afford it! I was completely in the dark about just how many financing options were available. That’s our home in the photo above, being tested for all things Home Performance related. That very home is now fully sealed/weatherized/efficiently heated/ventilated/basically every upgrade we could think of, for just under $100/month with the financing we received!

What types of financing are available and how to begin?

There are 4 basic types of financing for Energy/Home Performance/Heating upgrades.

Energy Upgrade-Specific Financing: This is probably your best bet if you qualify, and it is the route we went for financing. Check out Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union’s ENERGY SMART loans. PSCCU is a co-op bank geared toward local, environmental, and energy-savings solutions. And, they have fantastic rates! Must be in WA State to work with them, but check with your local financial institutions to see if your state has a similar program.
A traditional Home Improvement Loan. This will likely be a little more expensive, but still a great option, and usually a better rate than a personal loan. Check with your current bank for their home improvement financing options.
Personal Loan. Again, check with the bank you already do business with. A lot of times, you’ll get your best rate there, because they know you and want to keep your business. Personal loans tend to be a little more costly than other types of loans.
Larger HVAC and Home Performance companies oftentimes have banks they work with, and you can receive significant deals, discounts, and lower rates by going through them. If you live in our area (Whatcom, Skagit, Island, San Juan, and Snohomish counties), check out Barron’s financing. We make available a 7.5% 10 year loan through a local bank, and a 6 mo. same-as-cash deal (if you qualify) through a nation-wide bank. Check with your local HVAC company to see if they have similar programs.
Your local Human Services Organization (Bonus option!), though this is less about financing and more about low-income options. Some folks can receive free or very low-cost Home Performance/Weatherization work through the Human Services organization in their area. Our local agency is the Opportunity Council.

What’s Your Return On Investment (ROI)?

Here’s the nitty-gritty. If you’re ready to make the leap with financing, you’re probably asking just how long will it take to break even (between what you’re paying each month and what you’re saving in energy bills)? The basic formula goes like this:

Total cost of the project (divided by) your estimated annual savings = ROI

For simplicity’s sake, let’s say your project costs $10,000 and that allows you to save $1,000 per year in energy bills. Your ROI will occur in 10 years.

Where does one get these numbers? Your HVAC or Home Performance expert can give them to you.

What About Rebates?

The three main rebate programs for energy upgrades and home performance in our area are through Puget Sound Energy (PSE), Cascade Natural Gas (CNG), and the Community Energy Challenge (CEC). Here are direct links to the Applications for Homeowners: PSE Rebates , CNG Rebates, and CEC Information.

Beyond Finances:

Although finances are of primary importance for most people, there ARE other significant benefits to consider beyond the money saved.

Peace of Mind: A new heating/cooling system and weatherization can set your mind at ease; allowing your family to relax without having to worry about shut-downs and repair costs.
Health & Safety: There is ample evidence that people’s HVAC equipment and home are making them sick. An out-of-date, improperly-installed, or inefficient system can be very unhealthy, causing or contributing to myriad health-issues and diseases. And safety issues, such as carbon-monoxide leaks can be an immediate danger.
Comfort: Most people want to create a warm, cozy, comfortable space for their friends and family. This is an undeniable benefit of investing in your home!

If this article has piqued your interest, I hope you will take a minute to contact your bank or HVAC contractor to get the ball rolling! You might be surprised by how affordable it is to create a cozy, efficient, healthy space!