Q and A for AC & Heating

Curious about your home's heating?

Well, good news. Because almost everyone has some sort of question about their air system, there are plenty of Q & A sites (one of which just happens to be on www.sinclairair.com/FAQ/Questions.htm). Another good Q & A site for debunking of a kind 'myths' is the one located at www.powerhousetv.com. They recommend NOT closing off vents in rooms that aren't used. They also give the chimney a pretty bad grade on home heating. But they are in the Midwest and I'm sure they know what they are talking about. Their science matches up and everyone in heating or air will tell you how important insulation and weatherization are to keeping your home comfortable. On the powerhouse site, they also have a pretty neat "facts & figures" area. While I am very familiar with the statistic "40% of home energy costs go towards heating/air" you might not be. http://www.powerhousetv.com/stellent2/groups/public/documents/pub/phtv_se_he_000608.hcsp They also mention:

"Each year, U.S. residential duct leakage costs consumers $5 billion. This energy loss is equivalent to the annual energy consumption of 13 million cars. A wood-burning fireplace can exhaust as much as 24,000 cubic feet of air to the outside. A $50 programmable thermostat can pay for itself in energy savings in just one heating season."

Things that I bet you didn't know. Now that you do though...looks like if you don't want to add your home duct leakage to the 5 billion it's time to get a check up on your heating system.