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.  

A lot of our posts are about saving you money! Of course we are in the business of helping you with your home's heating, cooling and plumbing needs but there are many simple things you can do yourself to cut down expenses. 

Clean or replace your filters frequently - This seems like a simple item, but it's one area many homeowners neglect to do in a timely manner.  As far as frequency it depends on the type of filters you buy and how dusty your home may be, (if you have pets, etc.)  You should visually inspect each filter every month or two.  If the filter is full of dust and dander, it's best to replace.  This dirty filter will impede your unit's performance.

Try to cut down on your home's leaks - Keeping your doors and windows closed seems pretty obvious, but there can be other areas where you can prevent drafts.  Use weather-stripping on door seals and windows, as well as additional insulation to the attic. 

Don't let plants and other obstructions block your condenser.  It's always best to have lots of air-flow around you HVAC unit.  Keep all plants and vegetation a minimum of 18 inches away.  Your unit works by pulling air out of the environment so any obstruction is going to lower performance.  Also, don't cover your unit with a shed or anything else.  This will also limit the air flow and could overheat the unit.

Set your thermostat properly.  We all want to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer, but you have to make sure not to overwork your system.  It's best to keep your temperature set around 70 degrees in the winter and 75 or higher in the summer.  You would be very surprised to know how much your costs can spike for each degree your thermostat is raised or lowered.  We've seen reports that for each degree warmed or cooled your costs could raise 4-8%! 

The moral of this story; you can do some simple things to increase your HVAC unit's efficiency and save yourself some money. 

As always, please contact MTB Mechanical for help with your heating, cooling and plumbing needs! 

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.

Wow, can anyone else believe it's almost Christmas?  We have had a very mild season so far in the Charlotte area, but you can be assured cooler temps will be coming soon.  Along with the cooler weather comes a heat pump or furnace in your home that runs more and more, which in turn is costing you money!  Below we are going to give you some tips for making your home more efficient and in the process lower your power bill. 

Don't pay to heat an empty house!

-This should be pretty self-explanatory but often people are in a hurry and just don't think about turning down the thermostat.  When you leave to go out of town or even for work in the morning, turn that thermostat down! The energy consumed to bring your home's temperature back from 60 to 70 is minimal compared to constantly running at 70 degrees when no one's home.

Should we close our registers/vents in rooms not being used?

-This is a tricky question that you will see argued both ways.  We don't recommend you closing any of your registers if you have a modern, properly designed duct system.  By closing off the register, you will run the risk of reducing the proper air flow back to the unit. Also, back pressure can actually create an air foil back to the main trunk line and slow down air flow to all registers.

Turn off exhaust fans.

-Exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens can be great for expelling smells, smoke, etc.  Unfortunately they also will expel your heat! They are fine to use, but just remember to cut them off when they are no longer needed.

Open doors inside the home to maximize air flow.

-By keeping your doors open inside, the air flow is maximized and your unit can operate more efficiently.

Hang a fan!

-Everyone knows a fan in the summer can cool you off, but what about the winter? Most all ceiling fans have a reverse switch.  You can reverse the blades direction to push down and circulate the hot air trapped against the ceiling.

We hope these tips add some extra cash to your bank account! Contact MTB today for any of your heating, cooling and plumbing needs!

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. 

Fall is in the air!  Don't wait until you can see your breath in your house to upgrade your current heating system.  Upgrading your unit to a newer, energy efficient model is something that will save you mucho dinero on your energy bills. 

We found this great Heating Systems Savings Calculator on the Duke Energy web site. This may give you a general idea of how much it will cost to replace your current system and how much money you can save by doing so. 

For a more exact answer on these questions, feel free to contact us at 704.321.9250.  We would be happy to come out and give you a free estimate.