Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Fri, Aug 27, 2010
August may be coming to a close but summer’s heat will be with us for a while longer, warn Lorain County weather forecasters. If you haven’t converted your energy-guzzling air conditioner to a new, energy-efficient Carrier air conditioning system, there’s still time to make the change and cash in on Uncle Sam’s Tax Credit for Energy-Efficient Home Improvements. Investing in an Energy Star-rated home comfort appliance is an excellent way to put a little of that federal stimulus money into your own pocket for a change. Click here to get Raymond’s free tax credit facts sheet.
Investing in an energy-efficient Carrier Infinity, Performance or Comfort air conditioner will do more than save money on next April’s federal income taxes. An energy-efficient A/C costs less to operate than older, less efficient models. When your Lorain County air conditioning professional installs an energy-sipping air conditioner in your home or business, you’ll begin to realize significant savings on your monthly utility bill immediately. And those savings will continue for the life of the unit. In just a few years, your new air conditioner will pay for itself.
The savings generated by energy-efficient air conditioners are not just monetary. When you use energy-efficient appliances, you reduce your carbon footprint and help save the environment. All Carrier energy-efficient air conditioners use eco-friendly Puron refrigerant, not the ozone-damaging Freon used by older A/C units. With global warming increasing, record-breaking heat waves are predicted to become the summertime norm in Lorain County. Reducing your personal carbon footprint is one of the most productive personal actions you can take to protect the environment.
Energy-efficient appliances save money and save the environment. Sounds like a win-win for Lorain County residents!
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Wed, Aug 25, 2010
Want to instantly cut your annual hot water costs in half? Ask your Lorain County plumbing professional to install a solar water heater in your home or business. It’s that easy.
Improve Your Carbon Footprint with a Solar Water Heater
Solar water heaters are one of the exciting, new green-energy appliances coming onto the market today. Powered by the sun, Energy Star-qualified solar water heating systems are an eco-conscious way to reduce your carbon footprint and help protect the environment. And because sunshine is free, solar water heaters are as budget-friendly as they are eco-friendly. According to statistics posted on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Star website, installing a solar water heater can cut your Lorain County water bills by 50% or more.
Despite what you may think, Lorain County gets plenty of sunshine to make installation of a solar water heater cost effective. Our gloomy winters do mean that you’ll need a backup gas or electric water heater, but the savings are still considerable. According to the Department of Energy, a typical 4-person family will save $190 annually by combining a solar water heater with a backup gas-storage water heater. Backup your solar water heater with an electric water heater and you’ll save $250 per year. Larger families that use more than the average amount of water will realize even greater savings. Over the average 20-year life of a solar water heating system, you’ll save thousands of dollars on your energy bills!
Solar Water Heaters Qualify for the Federal Tax Credit
The purchase of a solar water heating system pays for itself in 7 to 10 years. Lorain County home and business owners can recoup their investment even faster by taking advantage of Federal tax credits.
While the monetary savings are a powerful incentive to purchase a solar water heater, many Lorain County residents invest in solar power to protect the environment. Use of an energy-efficient solar-powered water heating system can cut carbon dioxide emissions in half, reducing your carbon footprint by 4,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. That’s like garaging your car for 4 months!
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Tue, Jun 08, 2010
Lorain County home improvement stores are showcasing supplies for summer projects, and homeowners have started to make to-do lists. With the cost of energy going up each year, it just makes sense to add increasing the energy efficiency of your Lorain County home to your summer to-do list. Reducing your home’s energy consumption will not only reduce your family’s carbon footprint (good for the environment), it will decrease your monthly utility bills (good for your family budget).
There are many home comfort appliances on the market today that are built to minimize energy use while maximizing energy output. Federal income tax rebates and Ohio appliance clunker programs make this an excellent year to upgrade old energy-guzzling appliances with new energy-efficient models. Consider the energy-efficient options below, then call your Lorain County plumbing, heating and air conditioning expert to schedule a free installation estimate. Knowledgeable Raymond professionals can discuss your family’s energy needs and recommend energy-efficient appliances that will reduce energy use while improving home comfort.
- Energy-efficient central air conditioners use eco-safe Puron refrigerant that won’t damage the ozone. Carrier’s two-speed air conditioners save 50% energy by running on low speed 80% of the time. The high-speed cycle is used only to bring your Lorain County home down to a comfortable temperature. Superior air circulation eliminates hot spots, providing even cooling throughout your home.
-
Enter Raymond’s Facebook contest to win a FREE A/C Performance Check to keep your current A/C system running smoothly. While he’s there, ask your Raymond A/C professional to evaluate your cooling system and recommend energy-efficient improvements.
- Heat pumps harness the Earth’s natural temperature regulating ability to maintain a comfortable, even temperature in your home year round.
- Geothermal heat pumps provide free hot water all summer while improving heating and cooling comfort.
- Programmable thermostats save energy by cooling your house only when you’re home.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Thu, Jun 03, 2010
With the Lorain County schools closing for summer vacation soon, parents are already wracking their brains for projects to keep the kids busy. Why not start a summer project to reduce your family’s carbon footprint? Brainstorm with the kids about things they can do around the house to save energy and water. Most children learn something about environmental conservation at school so they’re sure to have some helpful suggestions. Let the kids learn by doing and keep it fun!
How to Reduce Your Family's Carbon Footprint During the Summer
To measure the real effects of your family’s energy-saving program, record water, gas and electric meter readings. Each week take new readings and let the kids practice their math skills to find out how much energy and water the family used. When consumption rates decrease, celebrate with a trip to the zoo or a walk to the local ice cream shop!
To get you and your Lorain County family started, here are a few simple ideas for reducing your family’s carbon footprint:
- Set your air conditioner thermostat up 2 degrees. A programmable thermostat makes it easy.
- Schedule your annual A/C Performance Check to make sure your air conditioner is running at peak efficiency.
- Use ceiling fans instead of or to augment air conditioning and turn the thermostat up another degree or two.
- Replace incandescent light bulbs with twisty energy-efficient CFLs.
- Unplug appliances when not in use. Vampire appliances suck up 10% of your home’s energy even when they’re not being used.
- Park the car in the garage and walk or bike around town instead of driving.
- Recycle. Pick up trash and litter when you visit parks and playgrounds and bring it home to recycle.
- Replace your old air conditioner with a new Energy Star Carrier air conditioner for big energy and budget savings.
- Air dry the laundry.
- Turn off the water when you’re brushing your teeth.
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Fri, May 21, 2010
It’s a conundrum many homeowners will have to face this summer: Do you sink more money into an older, inefficient, leaking air conditioner and pay to have it recharged? or Do you apply that money to installation of a new, greener, energy-efficient air conditioner that will reduce both your carbon footprint and your utility bills?
Sounds like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? But let’s look at the pros and cons for homeowners. Today the cons:
Costs to Operate an Inefficient A/C Will Contiune to Add Up
If you keep your old A/C unit and charge it up, you might get another year, maybe even two out of it. While that will save you the cost of a new air conditioner, it’s just part of the picture. Maintenance costs, particularly the expense of recharging your old air conditioner with coolant, coupled with more expensive fuel costs to operate an inefficient A/C appliance will continue to add up.
You'll Have to Have Your A/C System Inspected and Filled Every Spring Before It's Turned On
If your Lorain County air conditioning professional has to add coolant to your air conditioner, it means you’ve got a leak in the system. If the leak cannot be found and repaired, or if your unit is leaking because it’s old and wearing out, you’ll have to have your A/C system inspected and filled every spring before you turn it on. If you’re running one of the old Freon-cooled air conditioners, filling it can run several hundred dollars because the federal government is phasing out eco-damaging Freon. If you do have a leaky A/C, always have it checked and filled before turning it on or you can permanently damage the unit.
Your Old A/C May Be Poluting the Air
But the problem is greater than coolant expense. If your A/C is leaking, it’s releasing harmful ozone-producing Freon and other polluting chemicals into the air, adding to the ozone layer and your carbon footprint. The bottom line: If you keep that old A/C, you’re dumping money into something that gives you nothing back in return. Probably not the best deal.
Next time: The Pros
Posted by Raymond Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning on Wed, Mar 10, 2010
You hear a lot these days about reducing your carbon footprint. Environmentally conscious Lorain County residents buy energy-efficient furnaces and air conditioners and invest in heat pump technology to reduce their carbon footprints. Reducing the energy we use reduces the carbon-based fuels burned to create that energy which reduces ozone-depleting carbon by-products released into the atmosphere.
Our current rate of energy consumption is pouring into the atmospheric bathtub twice as fast as it is draining out
What most Lorain County residents have trouble understanding is the considerable time lag between decreasing carbon consumption and reduction of carbon in the atmosphere. To explain the relationship between energy consumption and carbon dioxide build-up to his MIT students, professor John Sterman developed a unique visual aid, the Carbon Bathtub. View the Carbon Bathtub visual aid now.
Picture a bathtub with a running faucet and open drain. When we use energy, carbon dioxide (CO2) pours into the atmosphere just like water pours into a bathtub. If water pours into the tub faster than it can drain out, the tub fills with water. The bathtub stays full until more water is draining out than is pouring in. The same concept applies to CO2. At our current rate of energy consumption, CO2 emissions produced by burning fossil fuels are pouring into the atmospheric bathtub twice as fast as they are draining out.
The Earth’s natural absorption of CO2 helps drain the carbon bathtub, but far more slowly than CO2 pours in. Plants and soils absorb about 30% of atmospheric CO2; oceans, another 25%; and rocks and sediments, less than 1%.; but the absorption rate is extremely slow. The remaining CO2 -- 45% -- remains in the atmosphere, keeping the planet’s carbon bathtub full. This is why merely cutting back on energy consumption will not solve the carbon problem. Scientists estimate that it will take hundreds of thousands of years for the planet to absorb – drain out – all the CO2 humans are pouring into the atmosphere. Until we find a way to drain out more carbon than we’re adding, the carbon bathtub will keep filling.