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Home Energy Audit in Round Rock, TX Home Energy Audit in Round Rock, TX

Why It’s Important to Have Annual Home Energy Audits

Written by Kevin on May 19, 2023. Posted in HVAC. No Comments on Why It’s Important to Have Annual Home Energy Audits

Home energy audits help homeowners pinpoint ways to save energy. The audits analyze energy data to paint a picture of your energy usage and can even increase your home’s resale value. Use the guide below to learn all about home energy audits, including how they work and their top eight benefits.

How Does a Home Energy Audit Work?

A residential energy audit typically consists of an evaluation, extensive testing, and the recommendation of specific energy-improvement tactics. During the evaluation, an energy auditor registered within your state will visit your home and perform a walk-through while analyzing certain elements that impact energy usage. These elements tend to include your heating and cooling system, the home’s insulation levels, and all windows and doors.

During the second part of the audit, the testing phase, an auditor will conduct an air tightness test, which is commonly referred to as a blower door test. This test requires the use of an air sealing procedure in which the auditor seals off the doors to the home and puts a large fan inside the house. With the house properly sealed, the auditor will turn on the fan to inspect for air leaks.

It’s also during the testing phase that the auditor will conduct a thermographic scan and use infrared cameras along with surface thermometers to calculate energy use and waste. Furthermore, the auditor will analyze your past energy bills.

With the evaluation and testing complete, the auditor will create a list of energy-saving strategies you can employ to reduce energy waste and increase your home’s efficiency. By following the recommendations and saving energy, you can decrease both energy usage and utility expenses.

Results of a Home Energy Audit

Home energy audits help you become more eco-friendly by identifying the biggest energy consumers in the home. They also reveal certain steps you can take to reduce your overall carbon footprint.

Some of the most common causes of energy waste in a home include:

Not enough insulation
Pest problems
Hot and cold spots
Inadequate ventilation
Excessive dust
Leaky ductwork
Inefficient appliances
Inefficient lighting

Top 8 Benefits of Annual Home Energy Audits

There are benefits of annual home energy audits. These include:

Increase Indoor Comfort

You’ll likely notice several hot and cold spots in your home if you have leaky ductwork, especially if multiple ducts have leaks. Leaky ductwork makes it difficult to achieve temperature stability in the home and causes unnecessary strain on your heating and cooling systems. This extra wear and tear can quickly result in costly repairs and replacements.

With an annual energy audit, an auditor can pinpoint leaky ductwork as the cause of the hot and cold spots and recommend helpful solutions. Fixing the leaky ductwork will not only reduce energy loss but also improve indoor comfort by eliminating hot and cold spots.

Teach Children About Sustainability

It’s smart to teach children about going green and sustainable living. This type of education will help them develop lifestyles that don’t harm the environment. When you invest in annual home energy audits, you instill in kids a sense of environmental responsibility and show them how their actions contribute to unnecessary energy consumption. You also teach them how to make better choices that decrease energy waste and promote sustainability.

Save Money on Energy Bills

With an annual home energy audit, it becomes possible to identify energy inefficiencies within the house, like air leaks, out-of-date appliances, and poor insulation. By addressing these inefficiencies, you’ll lower your energy usage as well as your energy costs. Energy Star says the average family residing in a single-family home spends roughly $2,000 a year on energy expenses. Some of the savings may seem minute at first, but over time, they will add up and compensate for the cost of making the efficiency improvements.

Pinpoint Hidden Problems

An auditor will look for hidden problems that cause major energy waste during the home energy audit. Identifying these hard-to-find problems is key to making sure the root causes of energy waste get pinpointed and addressed effectively. It also helps auditors prioritize their energy-improvement recommendations. With home improvements being costly, it’s crucial to spend money on recommendations that matter the most.

Reduce Environmental Impact

Energy efficiency is all about finding ways to accomplish a task using as little energy as possible. By using a smaller amount of energy, you reduce your carbon footprint and overall environmental impact. A home energy audit spots which appliances and lighting in the home use the most energy. You can update these lighting and appliances with more efficient alternatives to reduce energy usage by 70%-90% and leave a smaller carbon footprint.

Increase Resale Value

Are you considering selling your home? If so, you need to invest in a home energy audit. The audit will reveal where and how to make energy improvements, which translates into more value for your home. Instead of potential buyers pointing out all sorts of energy-waste issues, you’ll already have them resolved. A home energy audit can also help you decide whether to go solar. If you choose to, going solar will further increase the value of your home.

Avoid Buying Unnecessary Equipment

You can upgrade all the appliances and lighting in your home to more efficient models, but this won’t prove of any value if energy loss problems go unaddressed. Perhaps you have leaky ductwork, which means upgrading the heating and cooling system won’t reduce energy expenses because you’ll still lose air through the leaky ducts. As a result, the HVAC system will work harder to maintain thermostat settings, possibly resulting in even greater energy loss.

With a home energy audit, you can avoid buying unnecessary equipment because you’ll know which appliances and lighting to upgrade. Our technicians can help you choose the best appliances for your home according to their size, type, model, and efficiency ratings.

Extend HVAC Lifespan

One of the easiest ways to extend the lifespan of your home’s HVAC system is to invest in annual home energy audits. Home energy auditors specialize in air flow. They know how to mark areas for air loss and can find the causes of unwanted air in a home. The recommendations they make will always improve the lifespan of your heating and cooling systems in one way or another.

By making the home more energy efficient, the HVAC system will use less energy to heat and cool the home. The less energy it uses, the less wear and tear it endures, and the longer its lifespan. Some of the most common recommendations that auditors make to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient include:

Air seal all doors and windows
Install proper installation
Upgrade to energy-efficient appliances

Schedule Your Home Energy Audit Now!

Contact Blue Ribbon Cooling & Heating now to schedule your next home energy audit. Whether you’re new to Round Rock or a long-time resident, we’re here to improve your indoor comfort through a variety of AC installation, heating maintenance, and air quality services.

Whole house fans in Bastrop, TX Whole house fans in Bastrop, TX

How Well Do Whole-House Fans Circulate Air?

Written by Kevin on May 10, 2023. Posted in HVAC. No Comments on How Well Do Whole-House Fans Circulate Air?

A whole-house fan can be a great addition to any home as the unit will improve indoor air quality and can also be used to help keep your home cool at times. Whole-house fans are energy efficient and also extremely effective at circulating air through the home and drawing heat outside. However, these units do have their limitations and are really only effective when used at certain times. To understand why this is, it is necessary to know a bit more about exactly what a whole-house fan is and how it works.

How Whole-House Fans Work

Whole-house fans are installed in the attic, and the unit is connected to a ceiling vent located in a central area of the home such as a living room or main hallway. The fan works to draw air in from outside and also pull the hot, stale air inside the home up through the vent. The air is then pumped into the attic where it then flows outside through the attic vents.

In order for the fan to draw fresh air in from outside, it is necessary to have at least a few windows partially open. Running the fan with the windows open is essential for safety reasons and also for the fan to work properly. If the fan were to run without any open windows, it could create a backdraft that draws carbon monoxide and other harmful combustion fumes from a gas water heater or any other gas-burning appliance into the living areas.

Running a whole-house fan without any windows or doors open can also cause the fan’s motor to quickly start overheating and potentially lead to it burning out. The fan also won’t work effectively if no windows are open since it will have no way to pull air in from outside.

Whole-house fans aren’t really designed to be a permanent option for cooling or improving indoor air quality. Instead, they are only meant to be used at times when the outdoor temperature is the same or lower than the desired indoor temperature. This means that they should mostly only be used in the mornings and evenings or in the early spring and late fall when the weather is cooler. If you were to use the fan during the hottest part of the day, it would quickly cause the temperature inside to rise since the fan would constantly pull hot, humid air in from outside.

Whole-house fans are most effective when you only have a few windows partially opened by a couple of inches. Most manufacturers recommend turning the fan on in the early evening once the temperature has started to drop and opening the windows in the living room, kitchen or wherever you’re spending most of your time. Once those areas are cooled, you can then start opening a few windows in other parts of the home. When you go to bed, you can then close the other windows and open your bedroom windows a crack to create a breeze to help you stay cool as you sleep.

Pros and Cons of Using a Whole-House Fan

As long as the outdoor air temperature is close to the same as your desired indoor temperature, a whole-house fan can be an extremely effective option for cooling your home. In most cases, the fan will use less than a quarter of the electricity that your air conditioning system would. This makes it a great option for reducing your energy bills while still ensuring your home stays cool and comfortable. Even if the outdoor temperature is slightly above your desired indoor temperature, the fan can still be effective as it will create a cooling breeze and draw out the heat that has accumulated inside.

The issue in warmer places like Texas is that the temperatures from early June to early September rarely get below 70 degrees even at night. This means that you will typically still need to rely mostly on your AC system during these months. You can still run the fan for a short time at night or in the early morning to improve your home’s air quality, but you don’t want it to run for long or your home will quickly become too hot.

You obviously also shouldn’t ever run a whole-house fan at the same time as your air conditioning is on. Not only would this increase your energy bills, but the fan would also constantly draw all of the cool air from your AC back outside.

Another thing to consider is that whole-house fans really should never be used on overly humid days no matter what the temperature is. If you were to use the fan during humid weather, all of the moisture it brings in could cause condensation to start forming on your walls and other surfaces and potentially lead to water damage and mold growth.

By drastically increasing the humidity level in the home, the fan would also force your air conditioning to work much harder once you turn it back on. The higher the humidity level is in the home, the more slowly your AC system will cool and the longer it will need to run. In turn, this would lead to greater wear and tear on the AC system and higher energy bills.

None of this is to say that whole-house fans can’t be useful as they definitely can as long as they are used correctly. When used in cooler weather, a whole-house fan can cool your home down much more quickly than your AC ever could while also using much less energy. In fact, most fans can lower the indoor temperature by as much as 30 degrees in only an hour or so.

Part of the reason for this is that the fan will quickly draw all of the hot air out of the attic. This is important as all of the heat that builds in the attic during the day is one of the main reasons why a home gets so hot in the late afternoon/early evening. This is especially the case if your attic floor isn’t well insulated since this will make it easier for the heat to flow out of the attic into the conditioned living areas.

Despite not using that much energy, whole-house fans are quite powerful. As long as the unit is the proper size for your home, it will be extremely effective at circulating air and drawing heat and pollution outside. In fact, the fans are so effective that they could quickly cause your home to get too cold at certain times of the year. In the early spring and late fall, you will usually want to shut the fan off as soon as it has cooled the home to the desired temperature. If you were to leave the fan on all night, you could easily wake up to find that the temperature in the home is 60 degrees or lower.

While whole-house fans do have some limitations, they can still be a great way to lessen the wear and tear on your AC and reduce your energy costs. The fact that they draw so much air out of the house also makes them a quick and effective option for boosting indoor air quality. If you’re interested in learning more about whole-house fans or you need any heating or cooling service in the Bastrop or Round Rock areas, contact [company_name] today and we’ll be happy to help.

Air Filters in Bastrop, TX Air Filters in Bastrop, TX

How Often Should the HVAC Air Filters in Your Home Be Replaced?

Written by Kevin on May 1, 2023. Posted in HVAC. No Comments on How Often Should the HVAC Air Filters in Your Home Be Replaced?

Changing out HVAC air filters before they’re too riddled with debris to permit normal airflow is absolutely essential. By staying on top of this easy and low-cost maintenance task, you can keep the heating and cooling equipment in your Bastrop, Texas home functioning as it should. However, although general recommendations suggest checking this component once every 30 days and replacing it every one to three months, the right filter change schedule for your household could be quite different.

Why General Recommendations Don’t Always Work

Basic recommendations for changing HVAC air filters are far too general to apply to all HVAC equipment types, households, and property locations. These recommendations assume that people are living on landscaped grounds, that they aren’t too near active construction, and that they don’t have one or more pets milling about the building. Factors like these can have a significant impact on how much debris your air filter collects and how often it reaches its limit. Other factors such as the number of people living in your home, whether or not residents smoke in the building, and the type and amount of humidity that’s present in your living environment matter too.

What Does a Dirty HVAC Air Filter Look Like?

When performing monthly filter checks, you have to know what to look for. Airborne debris collects on HVAC air filters in the form of an increasingly thick, lint-like mat. These accumulations can look similar to the lint that collects on dryer screens.

In some homes, even filters that have been in place for just one to two weeks can have visible build-ups of collected debris. Thus, it’s also important to know exactly how much filter debris is too much. Checking whether you can see through your filter when you hold it up to the overhead light is a quick trick for gauging its remaining lifespan. If the light shines right through an air filter, it still has a little life left in it. If collected debris is too thick to let any of the light shine through, it’s safe to assume that air will struggle to move through the filter as well. It’s also time for a new HVAC air filter if:

Collected debris falls off of or floats away from the filter when it’s removed
The filter is bent, warped, or the frame is broken
There’s moisture or discoloration on the filter
There are heavy build-ups of debris behind the filter and at your air vents

You should always put a fresh air filter in following any event that significantly lowers your home’s IAQ. For instance, if you host a dinner party that finishes with guests lighting cigars, have a small kitchen fire, or experience a minor indoor flood, changing your filter out will prevent pervasive and recurring odors, limit the likelihood of mold, and protect your HVAC equipment.

How to Replace Your HVAC Air Filter

If you’re a new homeowner who’s never performed a filter change before, you can get helpful and needs-specific tips for completing this task during your next HVAC tune-up service. If you’re wholly intent on tackling this task on your own, take your old filter to a local home and hardware store to ensure that you get the right filter type and size. Before putting a new filter in, look for an airflow symbol or an arrow that indicates the right direction for insertion. Although both sides of an air filter can look much the same, one side of these components is always slightly rougher than the other.

The rough, textured side of air filters is what captures and retains airborne particulates, and the smoother side of these components faces your heating or cooling equipment. Not only is it important to change your air filter regularly, but it’s also important to ensure that new filters are correctly and securely installed. Putting your air filter in backward, choosing an ill-fitting air filter, or putting your filter in the wrong place can be just as problematic as having a dirty air filter or absolutely no filter at all.

Different HVAC Air Filter Types

HVAC air filters come with different maximum efficiency reporting value (MERV) ratings, but they’re only available in two basic types. You can choose from non-pleated fiberglass filters or pleated air filters. Non-pleated fiberglass filters are the most economical option, but they typically last just 30 to 40 days. Pleated air filters cost a bit more, but these options can provide up to 90 days of reliable service in even busy, multi-resident homes.

If you opt to install a fiberglass air filter, you’ll need to check this component once every three to four weeks. You should also be sure to have at least three to four replacement filters on hand so that you’re never at risk of running out. This way, even when local home and hardware stores don’t have your preferred filters in stock, you’ll have plenty of replacements at home for the heating or cooling season.

Household Factors That Impact Your Filter Change Schedule

Having a larger household often necessitates more frequent filter changes. After all, this means having more people engaging in steamy cooking projects, taking hot showers or baths, and shedding hair and dead skin. If you run your HVAC system often, checking your air filter monthly is an absolute must. However, if you toggle between your current home and a summer home or vacation property, you might be able to put filter changes off for as long as six months.

Other household factors that affect your filter change schedule include:

Having indoor pets
Regularly opening windows to let fresh, outside air flow in
Having a larger living area

When you know how household-specific factors affect your HVAC air filter and its lifespan, you can take steps to mitigate them individually. For instance, you can run your HVAC system in fan mode when opening your windows so that incoming air is constantly cleaned. You can also brush your pets on a regular basis to trap loose hairs and pet dander, and you can use a high-powered vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter.

Environmental Factors to Consider

Newer homes that haven’t been properly landscaped tend to have large amounts of dust blowing around in their back, front, and side yards. Unfortunately, this dust eventually finds its way inside buildings where it enters HVAC systems. You could also have problems with dust control if your street hosts a lot of traffic or if your property is within just one to two miles of a major freeway.

General Health and Respiratory Issues

If there are aging adults, residents with compromised immunity, or newborn babies living in your home, it’s best to check your filter every two to four weeks and change it out as needed. This is also true if anyone in your household has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, allergies, or any other ongoing respiratory health issue.

We’re committed to helping residents of Bastrop, TX maintain safe, comfortable homes. We offer air conditioner, furnace, and heat pump installation, maintenance, and repair services. You can also turn to us for indoor air quality control and ductless mini-splits. If you need help changing or upgrading your HVAC air filter, or if you need an HVAC tune-up service, contact Blue Ribbon Cooling & Heating today.

Mini-Split System Installed in Austin, TX Mini-Split System Installed in Austin, TX

Is a Mini-Split a Good Alternative to Installing a Central HVAC System?

Written by Kevin on April 10, 2023. Posted in HVAC. No Comments on Is a Mini-Split a Good Alternative to Installing a Central HVAC System?

Ductless mini-splits are a relatively new addition to the HVAC industry, and, as such, there is a lot that most people don’t know about these systems and how they work. A mini-split is a type of heat pump that uses refrigerant to bring heat into the home or to remove heat from the inside to help keep the home cool. In a central HVAC system, one air handler is responsible for circulating hot and cold air into the ductwork and throughout the home. Mini-splits are different in that they don’t need ductwork, as each room has its own air handler that supplies hot and cold air to that room only.

The heat transfer process that mini-splits use makes them much more energy efficient than having a central AC unit and a furnace. Mini-splits are far more efficient than furnaces and will use much less energy. The energy efficiency of a central AC unit and a mini-split is usually about the same. However, mini-splits don’t have issues with energy waste due to leaky ductwork like most central HVAC systems do. All this being said, mini-splits still aren’t always the best option, so we will look at the different factors you should consider when determining whether a mini-split or a central HVAC system is the better choice.

Installation Cost and Space Requirements

A central HVAC system will always take up more room and be more expensive and time-consuming to install. Trying to install a central HVAC system in an existing home that doesn’t already have ductwork could be a nightmare and involve some serious construction and renovations. As such, you would be better off choosing a mini-split if your home doesn’t have an existing central HVAC system.

Installing a mini-split is fairly simple, and the entire process can usually be done in just a day or two, depending on how many total air handlers you need. After mounting the mini-split heat pump outside, the technician only needs to cut a small hole in the exterior wall where each air handler unit will be mounted. This hole is used to run the refrigerant lines between the indoor and outdoor units and also the condensate drain tube so that the air handler can drain outside.

On the other hand, if your home does have a central HVAC system, then there are only a few situations where installing a mini-split would make sense. For instance, a mini-split can be a good choice if you’re adding to your home, as it can heat and cool the new area without decreasing the effectiveness of your central HVAC system. If you were to run ductwork to your new addition and connect it to your central HVAC system, you would usually need to upgrade to larger central HVAC units to ensure the system still heats and cools effectively. This is important to consider, as installing new HVAC units and new ductwork will usually add much more to the project’s total cost than installing a mini-split.

Mini-splits are also ideal for areas like garages and other rooms not connected to the central HVAC system. They can also be a great choice if you have rooms that always stay too hot or cold and you need to supplement the heating and cooling in that area.

New Construction Projects

If you plan on building a new home, we recommend installing a central HVAC system. Even though it will take up more room due to the ductwork, a central HVAC system will still heat and cool your home more effectively. We would also almost always recommend opting for a heat pump instead of a furnace and air conditioner, as heat pumps can heat and cool as a mini-split can.

Part of the reason for this is that mini-splits can be quite expensive. If you’re looking to heat and cool an entire home with a mini-split system, the system will usually cost a few thousand dollars more than a new heat pump. Depending on the size of the home, you may also need to install two mini-split systems, as these systems do have some specific limitations.

Mini-Split Advantages and Drawbacks

The biggest advantage of a mini-split is the ease of installation, which is why they are generally always the better choice if your home doesn’t have an existing central HVAC system. Another major benefit of a mini-split system is that each air handler has its own independent temperature controls. This lets you set different temperatures for each room without affecting the rest of the building. However, you can do the same thing with a central HVAC system by installing a zoning system and multiple thermostats to adjust the temperature for different areas independently.

One issue with mini-splits is that you are usually somewhat limited by where each air handler can be mounted. A mini-split can also only accommodate a certain number of air handlers, usually between four and eight, depending on the size of the system. Both of these reasons help to explain why it is often necessary to have two or more mini-splits if you want to heat and cool the entire home.

The mini-split heat pump is only so powerful and can only pump the refrigerant for a certain distance. This means that each air handler must typically be no further than 50 to 150 feet from the outdoor unit, depending on its power. This typically isn’t as big of an issue for multi-story homes, but it can create problems if you have a single-level home that is much more spread out, as you will often need separate systems installed on each side of the house.

Another issue to consider is that mini-splits don’t always provide as much heating in cold weather and will occasionally need to defrost. When the unit does defrost, you will be stuck without heat until the cycle finishes and the system starts heating again. This typically isn’t a major issue in Texas since the weather rarely gets below freezing, but it is still something to consider.

Central heat pumps also need to defrost occasionally in freezing weather. However, you won’t be left without heat whenever the unit does need to defrost, unlike how it would be with a mini-split. The reason is that most heat pump systems also have a supplementary electric resistance heater that will run whenever the unit is defrosting or whenever your home is really cold and much more heat is required.

If you’re still trying to decide between a mini-split and a central HVAC system, you can count on the Blue Ribbon Cooling & Heating team for help. We install and service almost all types of HVAC units, including mini-splits, heat pumps, central ACs, and furnaces, and we also specialize in indoor air quality services. For more information or to schedule any heating or cooling service in the Bastrop area, give us a call today.

Smart Thermostat in Bastrop, TX Smart Thermostat in Bastrop, TX

Easy Ways to Tell If Your Thermostat Is Working Properly

Written by Kevin on March 7, 2023. Posted in HVAC. No Comments on Easy Ways to Tell If Your Thermostat Is Working Properly

At the heart of your Bastrop home’s HVAC system is the thermostat. Without a thermostat, it would be very hard to ever get your home comfortable. Sometimes, though, it can seem as if your thermostat is working against you because your home is uncomfortable despite what the thermostat indicates. To prevent wasted energy and other problems, it’s important to test your thermostat to ensure that it’s working properly and maintaining the correct temperature in your residence. Here are a few tips from Blue Ribbon Cooling & Heating to help you do just that.

Understand How Your Thermostat Works

To monitor for proper thermostat operation, it’s important to first understand how thermostats work. There are two main types of thermostats: non-programmable and programmable. Programmable thermostats allow you to set your HVAC system so that your home reaches certain temperatures at specific times. Manual thermostats allow you to set one temperature that your system will maintain until you select a different temperature.

Some types of thermostats use a device called a bi-metallic strip to detect the temperature. The metals in the bi-metallic strip expand and contract at predictable rates as the temperature changes. These expansions and contractions either close or open an electrical circuit so that your thermostat can trigger your HVAC system to turn on or off. Other types of thermostats use wax reservoirs or gas-filled bellows, though these tend to react less predictably and aren’t as common in today’s thermostats.

Check Battery Levels

Maintaining good battery levels is an important part of making sure that your thermostat is working properly. You’ll typically find batteries in programmable thermostats. These thermostats need batteries in addition to the power they receive from your HVAC system to allow them to remember the settings you choose. You’ll also find them in many manual thermostats.

If it seems that your thermostat’s performance is degrading over time, it’s a good idea to check the batteries first. Since batteries can last a long time in a thermostat, they may begin to corrode before they lose power. If the batteries are corroded or lacking power, you will need to replace them and then check to see if your thermostat begins working correctly. To maintain good ongoing thermostat operation, try to replace your thermostat’s batteries about once a year.

Use a Separate Thermometer

Since your thermostat needs to be able to sense the temperature, it’s important to make sure that the temperature it’s sensing is correct. One of the easiest ways to do this is to mount a separate thermometer near the thermostat and then check to see if the two devices agree. Ideally, you’ll want the two devices to register the same temperature. However, because of differences in temperature sensing, the two devices may differ by a couple of degrees even if they’re both working properly. If you notice a separation that’s any larger than that, it’s a good idea to give Blue Ribbon Cooling & Heating a call to allow us to look into this discrepancy.

Check for Recovery Mode

When your home isn’t at the temperature you expect, it’s important to figure out whether this is a short-term or long-term problem. If you’ve only noticed the temperature issues recently, you may want to make sure that your HVAC system isn’t in recovery mode when you’re noticing problems.

Recovery mode is a function of programmable thermostats that engages your HVAC system prior to the time you’ve programmed it for. Thermostats do this to ensure that your home will be at the correct temperature at the time you selected. If the system only turned on at the selected time, it could take quite a while for your home to reach the desired temperature after your arrival. However, if you get home before the recovery mode is finished, it may seem as though your thermostat is malfunctioning because the system will be running, but your home won’t be at the correct temperature yet.

Look at Your Utility Bills

In some cases, a malfunctioning thermostat can cause your system to work overtime, resulting in a sudden spike in your utility bills. When you call Blue Ribbon Cooling & Heating, we can come to your home and look at your thermostat to ensure that it’s not malfunctioning and causing your HVAC system to run longer than necessary. Since there are a few components in your HVAC system that can cause higher utility bills when they malfunction, this is an investigation best left to the professionals. If you do notice higher utility bills, act quickly before the problem becomes more pronounced.

Check for Corrosion

While not all thermostats use metal resistors to detect the temperature in your home, the models that do are at risk for potential corrosion. This won’t happen overnight, but over many years of use, the resistors in a thermostat can corrode, significantly decreasing their ability to expand and contract following predictable algorithms. Eventually, this could cause your thermostat to turn your HVAC system on and off at the wrong times because the thermostat doesn’t know the actual temperature in your home. Since thermostats do use an electrical current to operate, it’s best to let a trained technician from Blue Ribbon Cooling & Heating inspect your thermostat to see if it needs to be replaced.

Thermostat Replacement

Newer thermostats, called smart thermostats, have many incredible features that make it easy to keep your home comfortable. In certain cases, the fancy features you’ll find on a smart thermostat can take a little extra time to learn. For example, many smart thermostats can operate in a mode where they learn your living patterns so that they can turn your HVAC system on and off at the correct times without you having to program those times. If you’re not familiar with that mode of operation, it can seem as though your new thermostat isn’t operating properly. That’s why it’s important to read any manuals that come with your new thermostat.

Of course, if you have any questions that you can’t answer by reading the manual, you can always give us at Blue Ribbon Cooling & Heating a call for assistance.

Proper Placement

One final variable that you can check is the placement of the thermostat. Specifically, check to see if the thermostat is located close to a window where it could receive direct sunlight. Keep in mind that as the Earth revolves around the sun, the angles of the sun coming into your home will change, meaning that your thermostat may not receive direct sunlight all through the year. In this case, your thermostat may be inaccurate for part of the year and completely correct for the remainder of the year. If this happens, you’ll want to work with Blue Ribbon Cooling & Heating to find a new location for your thermostat.

Your Home Comfort Specialists

At Blue Ribbon Cooling & Heating, we take pride in our ability to help our customers in the Bastrop, Texas area maintain high levels of comfort in their homes. That’s why we install, maintain, and repair air conditioners, furnaces, indoor air quality equipment, and much more.

Since our founding over 20 years ago, we’ve been working hard to treat every customer with the utmost respect. That’s one big reason why we continually receive five-star customer reviews. To learn more about proper thermostat operation, be sure to contact us at Blue Ribbon Cooling & Heating today.

AC Installation in Hutto, TX AC Installation in Hutto, TX

8 Ways Zoning Systems Can Save You Money This Spring

Written by Kevin on March 2, 2023. Posted in HVAC. No Comments on 8 Ways Zoning Systems Can Save You Money This Spring

Spring is the perfect time to start thinking about energy efficiency. As temperatures warm up, it is the ideal time to invest in a zoning system for your home. Zoning systems help you save money on energy bills by ensuring that each room or area of your home has its own climate setting. It creates separate zones with distinct cooling needs and maximizes efficiency by allowing you to target airflow where it’s needed most. Discover why installing a zoning system is essential to save money on air conditioning bills.

1. Selective Heating and Cooling

A zoning system allows you to maintain different temperatures in specific areas throughout your home. This means you don’t have to turn on the central heater or air conditioner whenever you want to adjust the temperature in one area. Instead, you can direct heat or cool air to the zones that need it most while cooler or warmer rooms remain unaffected, helping to reduce energy waste. This way, you benefit from each space in your home being comfortable while saving energy and money. They also allow energy-efficient operation during off-peak hours when rates are lower.

2. Seal Unused Rooms

Sealing unused rooms in your home is one of the most effective ways to leverage a zoning system to save money this spring. By blocking the airflow to an unoccupied room, you can give much less cooling power to those areas and consequently use fewer energy resources. Restricting the air from freely flowing between rooms is easy with a properly installed and maintained zoning system. Plus, you’ll get the added benefits of improved indoor air quality and superior temperature control in parts of your home that need it most. This allows cold air intended for living spaces and essential work or office areas to stay at their desired temperatures while reducing overall cooling costs. An easy way to seal off unused spaces is by using blocking membranes specifically designed for these purposes.

3. Decreased Repair Cost

Reducing repair costs is an excellent way for zoning systems to save money over time. By separating your home into individual zones, you can control the temperature in every area of your home, reducing the workload on your cooling and heating systems which potentially reduces repairs or maintenance since each zone operates independently. Zoning systems also optimize the efficiency of your HVAC system, so there’s less wear and tear on it. That translates into fewer breakdowns and repairs needed in the long run, which means more money back in your pocket.

4. Improved Air Quality

Improving air quality is one of the most critical ways zoning systems can save you money — directly and indirectly. On a direct level, improved air quality can lead to reduced fuel consumption and fewer maintenance costs. For instance, the change in air pressure between the different zones of a building enabled by zoning systems can reduce the energy needed to heat or cool the entire building and allow for longer-lasting heating and cooling systems.

5. Customized Systems

With zoning systems, energy requirements are significantly reduced, meaning that the size and cost of your system can be lowered. You can purchase a smaller HVAC system, making installation simpler and less expensive, but with the added convenience of a central control panel which allows for the management and regulation of all thermostats in the home from one centralized location. Regarding energy efficiency and cost savings, however, the strategic positioning of thermostats cannot be overlooked. Placing them in areas with high ceilings, large windows, or sunrooms can often lead to significant decreases in temperature discrepancies throughout your home.

6. Programmable Thermostats Help Improve Efficiency

Zoning systems allow you to customize your home’s temperature at specific times as well. With the help of these systems, you can create the ultimate cooling and heating schedule that fits perfectly with your lifestyle. For example, if everyone goes to work or school during the day, you can set a lower temperature for those hours to save energy and money. You can also ensure that your home is nice and cozy when you return from work in the evening or when you wake up in the morning. This helps cut energy costs and thus enables you to save money on heating and cooling.

7. Improved Flexibility

One of the real benefits of having a zoning system in your home is that you can easily add or expand new rooms. This flexibility is great, especially if you have a family that needs more space over time or wants to add different areas like an office or theatre space. With a zoning system, there’s no need to worry about reworking your entire HVAC system. It can be configured room-by-room, so you don’t have to sacrifice comfort and convenience when crating different areas in your home. It’s an ideal way to manage temperatures and energy consumption without sacrificing air quality in any part of the house. Ultimately, the cost incurred in reworking the entire HVAC system in traditional systems is eliminated.

8. Energy Rebates for Higher SEER Rating

A great way to help save money on home energy costs is to consider upgrading to a zoning system with a high SEER rating. This rating measures the energy a system uses to produce cooling or heating, and a higher SEER rating denotes more efficient energy usage. Not only do these systems increase the efficiency of the air conditioning and heating for your overall comfort level, but with a higher SEER rating, you could also be eligible for rebates from local governments or utilities, which can dramatically reduce the installation cost.

Rely on the Experts

Installing a zoning system for your home is an excellent way to reduce energy costs and keep user comfort levels high throughout different areas of your house without sacrificing efficiency or increasing maintenance costs over time. By customizing temperature settings based on individual preferences while maintaining an optimal balance throughout other areas of the house, you’ll enjoy significant savings on your monthly utility bills while enjoying greater comfort levels than ever before. Not sure where to start? Reach out to our experts at Blue Ribbon Cooling & Heating for assistance in selecting and installing an appropriate zoning system for your unique needs.

Our staff of experienced professionals will answer all your questions about pricing or installation services so that you can make informed decisions about energy efficiency at home. We also offer comprehensive heating, cooling, and indoor air quality services in Bastrop, TX and nearby cities. Some of our services include installing, repairing, and maintaining air conditioners, ductless mini-splits, heat pumps, furnaces, air purifiers, dehumidifiers, humidifiers, and air purification systems. Contact Blue Ribbon Cooling & Heating today for outstanding HVAC and indoor air quality solutions.

New Year, New Efficiency Ratings for AC Systems and Heat Pumps

Written by Kevin on January 13, 2023. Posted in Blog, HVAC. No Comments on New Year, New Efficiency Ratings for AC Systems and Heat Pumps

We’ll Explain What It Means for You and Your Household

Greetings, fellow Texans! As most of us were focused on ringing in the new year in celebration mode, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) was focused on ringing in 2023 in regulation mode—new efficiency rules for air conditioners and heat pumps.

That’s right. Under the new rules that took effect Jan. 1, the efficiency of your air conditioner or heat pump will be measured by SEER2. Previously, it was measured by SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). Due to improved technology and testing, the goal of the new standards is to provide HVAC professionals and consumers with even more accurate overall efficiency ratings.

A more accurately rated system, along with a routine HVAC maintenance plan should mean improved comfort and lower monthly energy bills for you.

So, what does this mean for us here in Texas? Well, the DOE has divided the country into three regions—North, Southeast and Southwest—and made the rules slightly different for each region because different areas of the country have different climate and heating/cooling needs.

We’re Part of the Southeast Region

Texas is part of the Southeast region, so here’s how the new rules affect us:

All residential central air systems that are below 45,000 British Thermal Units (BTUs) must have a SEER2 rating of at least 14.3 (previously 15 SEER). (BTUs measure the cooling power of air conditioners.)
All residential central air systems that are 45,000 BTU and above must have a SEER2 rating of 13.8 (previously 14 SEER).
All heat pumps must have a SEER2 rating of at least 14.3 (previously 15 SEER).

Effective Jan., 1, systems that don’t meet these standards cannot be sold or installed in the Southeast region. Be careful! In the North, some of the rules are based on the manufacturing date, which means certain equipment can be installed even if it does not meet the new SEER2 standards. However, that equipment must have been manufactured before Jan. 1, 2023. That is not the case here, where equipment that does not meet the new standards cannot be sold or installed, no matter when it was manufactured.

Confused? We get it! At Blue Ribbon, we’re familiar with all of the ins and outs of these new rules and will make sure the equipment we sell and install for you is 100% compliant. However, not every contractor out there has your best interests at heart, so make sure you are dealing with a company you can trust!

Good News and Bad News

Unfortunately, the bad news is these new rules are expected to create even more disruptions to the HVAC industry supply chain, one that has already been heavily impacted by COVID-19. They also are expected to boost equipment prices. So, if your system is 15 years old or older, we highly recommend you act now. It will put you at the front of the line and could also help you save money before prices climb even further.

The good news is the new equipment will be even more efficient than your old equipment, which will generate more energy savings over time. Of course, another key to efficiency is routine air conditioning and heat pump maintenance.

Ready to update your equipment? Use our convenient form to schedule your appointment today!

Winter HVAC Prep in Bastrop, TX Winter HVAC Prep in Bastrop, TX

6 Ways to Prepare Your HVAC Equipment for Cooler Weather

Written by Kevin on September 20, 2022. Posted in HVAC. No Comments on 6 Ways to Prepare Your HVAC Equipment for Cooler Weather

During the cold season, your HVAC unit becomes the most valuable appliance in your home. However, if it’s not running properly, that means higher energy bills and a less comfortable home for you. A hot water heater and heating your living space are generally the biggest energy expenses for many homeowners. Therefore, it’s important to ensure your heating bills remain as reasonable as possible by servicing your home’s HVAC unit regularly to keep it functioning properly.

With the arrival of the fall season, you’ll soon switch from the cooling setting to the heating. Fall is the ideal time of the year to get ahead of the game and focus on preparing your HVAC system for the colder temperatures. Here are some tasks you need to complete to help your HVAC equipment operate efficiently and optimally throughout the cold winter months.

1. HVAC Professional Maintenance

Scheduling professional HVAC servicing is the best way to prepare your unit for cooler weather. Manufacturers and HVAC experts recommend scheduling HVAC tune-ups two times annually. The best times to do that are in the spring and fall. Your service technician will visit your home and thoroughly inspect the HVAC equipment. They will inspect the wiring and make the necessary adjustments.

Your service technician will also clean the internal components and perform major jobs like full-scale repairs or replacement of your furnace or heater. The technicians can also catch any minor problems before they become full-blown emergencies. Scheduling annual preventative is vital to keeping your HVAC running at peak performance throughout the cooler weather.

2. Change Your Filters

Inside your HVAC is a filter that protects your family and home from air pollution and allergens. The filter pulls debris, dirt, and other air contaminants from the air. With time, the filter gets blocked or clogged, meaning you need to clean or replace it. Failing to replace your HVAC unit’s filter can compromise your indoor air quality. Besides, clogged filters can cause mechanical issues in your heater, leaving you without a heating source in the cold winter months.

According to experts, you need to check your air filters often and replace them every 1 to 3 months, depending on the model and environmental conditions. Unless you changed the HVAC system’s filter recently, the beginning of the fall season is the perfect time to do so. Replacing the filter will make the HVAC equipment work more efficiently during the year’s cooler months.

3. Inspect and Clean Your Ductwork and Vents

Air vents and ductwork are responsible for distributing air throughout your residential property. However, they must be cleaned regularly to ensure they do their job properly. Blocked ducts will force your HVAC system to overwork, decreasing the efficiency and lifespan of the unit. Contact your HVAC technician to get your air vents and ducts ready for fall. The professional will inspect your house and check to ensure all registers are open. They’ll also ensure that no furniture or other items are blocking the registers. Then, your technician will clean visible dust from your air vents and ducts.

After the cleaning, the professional will inspect the ductwork for loose connections and holes. Air ducts are built in many segments and can sometimes become loose and leaky at the joints. Loose connections can lead to air leaks, meaning your furnace will work harder to keep your house comfortable. Air leaks can also lead to increased energy bills. Therefore, it’s important to have your ductwork inspected and patched up to prepare it for cooler weather.

4. Check the Fan Blowers and Burners

Fall is the ideal time to check your furnace to ensure it works well before winter arrives. Before turning on your furnace for the first time in a while, allow your technician to inspect the unit. The professional will check the furnace for any dust that might have built up on it over the summer and then test the heating unit.

Just like your car, your HVAC unit needs time to adjust to the heating demands of your house day and night. And because you have not used the furnace in several months, it might take some time for the heating unit to regain its normal efficiency and speed.

Call your HVAC technician for a furnace inspection if you notice strange noises or unpleasant odors when performing trial runs of your furnace. The professional will inspect and service the unit to ensure it’s ready to warm up your living space around the clock before the cold weather sets in.

5. Seal Air Leaks

According to research, air leaks are among the most common causes of HVAC inefficiencies. Your home’s air leaks can cost you a lot of money in energy loss, especially during extreme temperatures. If some of your rooms consistently feel colder or warmer than others, you may have a leakage in the ventilation ducts.

Contact your technician to help locate the leakage and make your residence more energy-efficient for the cold weather. Insulating the attic can also keep warm air in the house and prevent it from escaping outdoors. Then, your HVAC equipment will work less while maintaining your home’s ideal temperatures.

6. Clean the Outdoor Unit and the Area Around It

HVAC outdoor units naturally collect dirt and debris. Ensure there are no leaves or any other items lodged inside the unit. Your technician may need to deep clean the unit to ensure no foreign objects are inside the fans and vents. The professional will also check the unit for damage during the cleaning process.

Since the outdoor unit sits outside, it’s subjected to many weather elements that can cause damage to it. If you notice damages, call your service technician to inspect the unit. What appears like just surface damage might affect how your HVAC runs.

Cleaning the area around the HVAC outdoor unit is also important to ensure proper airflow in the unit. If some trees or shrubs are growing too close to your unit, cut them back before the cold weather sets in. Then, clean the area around your unit by sweeping away rocks, twigs, dirt, and dead leaves.

Call the Cooling and Heating Professionals Today!

Before winter arrives, you should complete the above tasks to ensure your HVAC is ready to handle the cold weather challenges. Many repair calls during winter are due to a lack of preventative maintenance in the previous year. Whether you have an older or newer HVAC system, scheduling annual maintenance will keep your unit in tip-top shape. When you’re proactive about taking care of your home’s HVAC unit, you’ll have confidence that it’ll continue to be in good working condition when winter arrives. And, as a homeowner, there’s nothing more important than your peace of mind.

Contact our service technicians at Blue Ribbon Cooling & Heating today to keep your HVAC equipment running its best. These professionals will inspect your HVAC equipment and provide fair and expert service to ensure your indoor environment remains comfortable throughout the cold months. We also offer AC, heating, and plumbing services throughout Bastrop, TX, and the surrounding regions. Contact us today to book your HVAC maintenance appointment.