Can you enlighten me about improving my heating efficiency?

A study of over 1,000 homes across the country showed that consumers are getting short-changed on energy efficiency because of a combination of poor equipment installation and lax maintenance*.

After adjustments were made to correct the problems, efficiency improved, on average by a phenomenal 36%!

Improved insulation can offer you:

• Improved comfort — maintains a constant temperature in the house and between and across rooms.
• Lower utility bills — proper HVAC equipment compensates for heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer.

5 Ways to “Magically” Improve Your Home’s Heating Efficiency

1) Sealing Ductwork:

Even with a brand new heating and cooling system, the main factor in system efficiency is your duct system. As heated and cooled air travels through your restrictive, damaged, poorly maintained, or improperly designed ducts can dramatically decrease your system’s efficiency.

A 30% return duct leak on a hot or cold day can decrease your heating or cooling capacity more than 50%. That may sound extreme, but it’s not an uncommon condition.

2) Ductwork Renovation:

Your duct system may not be performing effiecintly. According to the US Department of Energy, the average HVAC duct system is only about 60 percent efficient. That means air is not flowing through your space and your HVAC system as it should be, which leads to all kinds of undesirable consequences.

If you are concerned your ductwork design was poorly designed and improperly installed, call us at 302-738-4144(DE &PA) or at 410-398-2146 (MD). Hillside is a trained, knowledgeable and experienced HVAC ductwork installation company.

3) Cleaning and Adjusting:

Save 10% with proper maintenance of your heating and cooling sysyem. Regular furnace cleaning and maintenance helps prevent frequent failures, inefficient performance, and poor indoor air quality. Hillside Heating & Cooling is the leading furnace cleaning and maintenance specialist. Our  30-point Furnace Tune-Up designed to prevent heating problems this season.

4) Improve Insulation:

Not only does improving your home’s insulation keep out excessive outside heat or cold, but also maintains even temperatures between and across rooms inside the home.

According to EnergyStar.gov, it’s cost-effective to increase insulation levels beyond those required by state building codes. This increase helps a home maintain a comfortable inside temperature while using less energy. For a home to maintain temperature efficiently, a continuous boundary of insulation is necessary between the inside and outside. Insulation must be installed carefully with no gaps, crimping, or compression, as these can allow unwanted air and heat exchange between the outside and inside. Careful attention must be paid in areas where the insulation has to fit around obstacles such as pipes, electrical wiring, and outlets.

5) Upgrade Your Windows:

Heat gain and loss through windows accounts for up to 50% of a home’s heating and cooling needs. Energy-efficient windows with the ENERGY STAR label can improve the energy efficiency of your home by reducing heat loss in cooler climates and heat gain in warmer climates. In fact, the Department of Energy estimates that you can save $125 to $465 dollars a year just by getting replacement windows with Energy Star ratings.

Think long and hard before committing to new windows. If you decide your windows definitely need replacing, here are some facts to help you spend your dollars wisely.

Let Hillside remember!

When it comes to your heating, cooling and air quality, let Hillside take care of it for you. We use sophisticated computer programs to:

• Automatically Deliver Your Oil: Hillside Oil Heating & Cooling offers automatic home heating oil delivery services in New Castle County, DE, Cecil County, MD and Southern Chester County, PA. Enjoy peace of mind with our worry-free service that will keep you warm all winter long. You’ll be fueled during the coldest days and nights. You can stop monitoring your heating oil tank and permanently avoid emergency deliveries when extreme weather hits and the world is scrambling for heating fuel.
• Schedule Your Annual Heating Tune-Up: A tune-up of your furnace or boiler can pay for itself over time. Regular furnace cleaning and maintenance helps prevent frequent failures, inefficient performance, and poor indoor air quality. Hillside Heating & Cooling is the leading furnace cleaning and maintenance specialists in New Castle County, DE, Cecil County, MD, and Southern Chester County, PA. Schedule our  30-point Furnace Tune-Up designed to prevent heating problems this season.
• Worry-Free Winter Plans (limited availablity): Hillside Oil Heating & Cooling has created our Worry-Free Winter Packages. We’ll take care of your heating system, your fuel deliveries, and help spread out the cost of heating oil.