Radiant & Hydronic

Keep warm-air registers, baseboard heaters and radiators clean and clear of furniture and drapery for maximum efficiency.

It is as important to understand the space you’re heating as it is to know the unit you are heating with. Examine your home and rooms. Remember that south-facing rooms may overheat during the day and call for extra heat in the evening. Bedrooms may be closed off or out of use during the day, but create high demand at night. While zoning will answer many of these issues, two-stage or multi-stage furnaces are the ideal solution since they can deliver high, medium or low levels of heat depending on demand, without creating excess. When designing heat zones or controlling heat through registers, excess heat must always be taken into consideration. If it is not dumped into an excess heat zone, such as a spare room, workshop, basement or garage, the heat can back up into the furnace, causing damage.

If your home heating and cooling system is more than 10 years old, consider replacing it. Energy Star labeled central HVAC systems can reduce your air conditioning costs by up to 20% annually.

Insulate your hot-water storage tank and pipes, but be careful not to cover the water heater’s floor, top, thermostat, or burner compartment; when in doubt, get professional help.

Insulating your hot water heater tank with an insualting jacket will pay for itself in one year or less.

Buy a new water heater with a thick, insulating shell; while it may cost more initially than one without insulation, the energy savings will continue during the lifetime of the appliance.

Maintain your system periodically to yield immediate energy savings, improved comfort, and a longer trouble-free service for any system. This includes duct repair and replacement. Be sure to hire a professional technician to service your heating equipment. Qualified technicians can often identify safety and efficiency issues that aren’t immediately apparent. A professional can also teach you about the operation of your heating system and the role you can play in performing minor service tasks.

Although most water heaters last 10-15 years, it’s best to start shopping for a new one if yours is more than 7 years old. Doing some research before your heater fails will enable you to select one that most appropriately meets your needs.

When inspecting a new or potential new home, make sure that any of the gas equipment needing ventilation—heaters, dryers, hot water heaters—is ventilated properly to the outside.

Lower the thermostat on your new water heater; water heaters sometimes come from the factory with high temperature settings, but a setting of 115°F provides comfortable hot water for most uses.