The temperature in the Charlotte area for today and tomorrow is supposed to reach 83°.  That is getting pretty warm considering it's only March 14th.  If this is any indication of things to come we may be in store for a hot summer!  This means your air conditioning is going to be working over-time.  

I thought it could be a good time to go over a few simple ways you can be more efficient in your home, therefore saving money.

Maintain Your System -  Besides simple homeowner duties, like changing your air filters there are many other steps to properly maintaining your unit.  It would pay you to look into our AC Maintainence package.  Our trained professionals will come out and properly check your system inside and out.

Change Air Filters - Dirt and dust can clog up your air ducts.  This is an easy step any homeowner can do to make sure your HVAC system doesn't work harder than it has to.

Adjust Your Thermostat - Keep your thermostat above 72° and use ceiling fans to help cool your home.  For each degree above 72, you will save an average of 1% on your cooling bill!  Also, when you are away from home, bump your thermostat up above 80 degrees to save even more. 

Plug Air Leaks - Look for any cracks in your doors and windows for air leaks.  You can use weather stripping or sometimes caulking to seal these leaks for another simple energy savings tip.

Close Curtains - During the day you can close your curtains to limit the sun's heat from baking your home and in turn raising your home's internal temperature.

Run The Bathroom Fan - when you shower to remove heat and humidity.  Although, remember don't keep the bathroom exhaust fan running for an extended period of time.  This can actually pull your cool air out of the house.

Unplug Electronics - If you aren't using an item that's plugged into the wall, unplug it.  Those chargers and other miscellaneous cords can zap power, even when not in use.

Run Your Dishwasher and washing machine only when full.

I hope some of these tips save your some money this upcoming spring and summer season!  For more tips and info view our main MTB Heating and Air site.  

The Charlotte, NC area is a beautiful part of the country.  The spring season is a lot of peoples favorite time and it is quickly approaching.  If they haven't started already, the Dogwoods, Hydrangeas, Crape Myrtles and more will soon be in full bloom. This is a beautiful sight to witness, but can also bring pollen and much suffering to those affected with allergies.  

Often, allergy sufferers may try to stay indoors during the spring to avoid the pollen and ragweed.  You may be shocked to find out that the air inside of your home could be up to 5 times more polluted than the air outside!  Unfortunately, the air system in your home is a perfect environment for molds, pollen, yeasts and other bacteria and viruses to grow and multiply. When you turn on your air system, you are blowing these allergens throughout your home!  

Here at MTB, we have a solution; Germicidal UV Light System.  UV light kills molds that thrive in cool, dark environments such as your AC system.  UV light also sterilizes air born bacteria, allergens and odors.  The result is simply clean, fresh air and a reduction in allergy symptoms.

Our Germicidal UV Light system is affordable and is a quick installation.  Also, if you are concerned about efficiency, the UV light tube only requires approximately the same electricity as a 40-watt light bulb.  

If you are interested in learning more about the Germicidal UV Light system, contact MTB Heating and Air today!  Your allergies will surely thank you!  

Here in the Charlotte area there's still a bit of chill in the air.  Often times though, we are left wondering what happened to our spring! One week you are using your heat in your home and the next the outdoor temperatures have you sweating.  Now is the time you need to take action and schedule a maintenance visit with your MTB professionals!  At minimum you need to have a technician come and check your system twice a year.  Generally this is done in the spring in preparation for summer and in the fall in preparation for winter.  

If you sign up for our maintenance package, you won't have to worry about any details!  We will send you a reminder when it's time for your next scheduled maintenance visit.  Think of it as your HVAC system's insurance policy.  This policy will save you money in the long run because your system will run much more efficiently, which in return will save you money on your utility bills.  

Our maintenance visit includes the following services:

• Clean outdoor coil
• Test compressor
• Check and test motor voltages, amp draw, windings and lubrication
• Test safety controls
• Check thermostat
• Check filters
• Clean condensate drain and pumps
• Check gass pressure
• Clean burners as needed
• Inspect heat exchanger
• Test defrost cycle
• Test auxiliary heat
• Check for adequate refrigerant charge and for possible leaks
• Check total performance and operating efficiency of system

To learn more call us at 704.321.9250 today. Also you can view specific Air Conditioning Maintenance plan pricing information here. 

Often this question come to mind when your unit starts not operating properly.  Completely replacing your unit can be a costly project that no homeowner looks forward to purchasing.  Even though it's not pleasant to think about, there can be some positive factors to buying a new unit. 

A new unit will generally perform much more efficiently than your outdated unit.  There are also the rebates that we have previously mentioned to keep in mind.  This way you can at least make up some of that cash back on your taxes!  Also, you will be saving on your monthly utility bill because newer units are more energy efficient.

In the heating and air industry, there is the '50%' rule. This means if the repairs to your current system is approaching 50% of the value of your heating or cooling system, it's probably best to replace.  Another factor of course is age.  If your unit is 12-15 years old and not functioning properly, also probably best to invest in a new system. 

I thought Lenox had some additional information worth sharing below.

• Convenience – When you purchase a new system, you can avoid the hassle of unexpected repairs down the line, and you don’t have to sit around uncomfortable while waiting for parts.
• Lower utility bills – A high-efficiency home comfort system from Lennox can save you hundreds of dollars each year in energy costs, compared to an older system.
• Energy tax credits – You can recover up to 30% of the cost of select high-efficiency systems in the form of tax credits.
• Friendlier refrigerant – Due to growing environmental concerns, the U.S. federal government has mandated that all HVAC manufacturers phase R-22 refrigerant-based equipment out of production. In response, Lennox now mainly manufactures cooling systems with R-410A, a U.S. EPA-approved, chlorine-free refrigerant.
• Enhanced comfort – Advanced technologies that improve energy efficiency also enhance your comfort, so you can enjoy more even temperatures, better humidity control and a constant flow of conditioned air.
• Improved air quality – Better humidity control means a reduced potential for mold and mildew growth. Lennox home comfort systems are also available with Healthy Climate^® filtration, which minimizes the impact of indoor pollutants.

Please contact your heating and air pros at MTB today.  We will help you with your decision to repair or replace.

Duke Energy is set to raise rates for North and South Carolina beginning as early as February.  The exact increase amount is a bit up in the air at the moment.  Duke Energy is proposing an increase of 15%.  North Carolina's utility-customer advocate group is proposing to cut this to 4.9%. I have to agree that 15% is a pretty lofty increase for a utility!  Why now you ask in these downtrodden economic times?  Duke Energy states since 2009 they have invested more than $4.8 billion to modernize an aging electric system.

This increase is even more reason you should think about updating your older HVAC equipment!  Today's best air conditioning and heating units use 30% to 50% less energy to produce the same amount as units from the early 1990s! By upgrading to a more efficient model you could also be eligible for a tax credit.

Other interesting information from Duke Energy:

Across the country and here in the Carolinas, the electric utility industry is in a rising cost environment due to several factors.

• Aging generating facilities: In the Carolinas, the average age of Duke Energy Carolinas' coal-fired plants is 61 years.
• Increased environmental regulations: Over the next seven years, Duke Energy Carolinas will retire approximately 18 older, less efficient coal-fired units, because it is not cost-effective, or in some cases even possible, to retrofit these older units with emission control technologies.
• Projected growth and demand: Over the next 20 years, North Carolina’s population is projected to increase by 4 million people, and South Carolina’s population is projected to increase by 1.1 million people.

Here at MTB we are constantly watching market trends and trying to stay ahead of the curve.  We especially love products that are energy efficient and can save you money! We've recently stumbled across a new thermostat company that is garnering a lot of attention.  If the thermostat to the left looks sleek, simple and modern it should. 

Two of the founders spent quite a few years at Apple working on various projects.  Most recently they helped develop some of the latest iPod and iPad designs. 

Since heating and cooling makes up for about 50% of your power bill, they saw a big gap in the market for thermostats.  Thermostats have traditionally been a boring box that you have to keep manually changing the setting or they are programmable.  I don't know about you, but I feel like I'm reasonably intelligent and the programmable thermostats I've experienced are insanely complex. 

According to the nest site, you teach nest in about a week.  As more time passes the more it will learn your temperature preferences and save you money.  Additionally nest can connect to wi-fi.  This means you can connect remotely via your smartphone or laptop to adjust the temperature. 

The nest site is great and has a lot of fun videos and additional information. 

The unit is selling for $249 and hasn't been officially released. 

Chances are if you don't have allergy or asthma problems, someone in your family does.  Often, people think that they are safest from pollen, mold, etc. inside the home.  This isn't always the case.  If you are using traditional air filters, always check to make sure you are replacing them in time.  If not done regularly the build up of dirt, dust, pet hair etc. creates a strain on your HVAC system. 

Thankfully due to new technologies, companies are making products that make us safer and more comfortable inside our home.  There are a variety of air filtration systems and whole house humidifiers on the market.  One product that has really grabbed our attention is the Trane CleanEffects™ filtration system.

The Trane CleanEffects™ filtration system works to clean up to 99.98% of the pollutants from the filtered air throughout your home.  It is the world's most effective whole-house air filtration system!

    •    Removal of up to 99.98% of particles and allergens from your filtered indoor air. It removes particles as small as .1 microns – 1/1,000th the diameter of a human hair – a size that eludes most air cleaners.
    •    An industry-leading clean air delivery rate of 1,200.
    •    Low operating costs, with no replacement filters to buy.
    •    Cleaning indicators easily visible on the outside of the unit.
    •    Easy to clean filters—just vacuum or rinse once every 3 to 9 months (depending on usage).
    •    Easy installation.
    •    Quiet operation
    •    Trane CleanEffects was designed to fall well below the 50 parts per billion (ppb) FDA voluntary emission limit for medical devices. Trane CleanEffects contributes a negligible amount of ozone – less than .3 ppb to the living space.
    ◦    To put this into perspective further, typical ozone levels during the summer outdoors are at about 60 to 90 ppb, and indoor levels can vary greatly but are typically between 12 ppb to more than 80 ppb. Testing of Trane Clean Effects by third parties has shown there’s no more ozone in a home installed with Trane CleanEffects than naturally occurs in the environment already
    •    Trane CleanEffects is the industry benchmark supported and verified by third parties who make it their business to know about clean air. Experts from LMS Technologies, EH&E, Harvard School of Public Health and other major university research shows Trane CleanEffects to be the best air filtration system on the market.
    •    Low pressure drop.

If you are interested in learning more about whole-house filtration systems, please contact us today. 

Info from Trane