Going green can make your home healthier and increase energy efficiency. Here are three ways to make your Ohio, Indiana or Kentucky home “greener” or more eco-friendly:
Stop Smoking Indoors
Second-hand smoke can cause health problems for everyone in a household. If you’ve smoked indoors or lived with an indoor smoker, you’ve seen the yellow film that sticks to every available surface. The film that doesn’t stick to surfaces can enter your lungs and get stuck there. Create an outdoor space for smoking.
Schedule a Home Energy Audit
An energy auditor can visit your home and look for places where the air leaks in or out. Leaks commonly occur through open fireplace dampers, around windows, doors or pipes and inside duct work. Energy auditors can accurately detect leaks using a thermographic scan and a blower door test. Many leaks can be sealed with weather stripping or caulking; this can save up to ten percent on energy bills. An energy auditor might suggest adding insulation to conserve heated and cooled air. Insulation can reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 30 percent.
Upgrade to a Geothermal Heat Pump
Geothermal systems, also known as ground source heat pumps, use an earth loop to access solar heat stored just below the ground. The solar energy is then used to heat and cool your home. Water circulates through the earth loop to bring warmth into your home in winter and remove heat from your home in summer. Geothermal systems also heat water. These systems are remarkably efficient; they can reduce heating, cooling and hot water bills by up to 80 percent.
To learn more about increasing energy efficiency in your Harrison or Okeana, Ohio, or Lawrenceburg Indiana home, visit Western Hills Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc.