Thanks to Lennox for some more great tips!!

Unnatural Disasters

Oh, the humanity: Like a big-budget bad movie, many home disasters aren't tragic but simply unnecessary and a waste of money. From flames to flooding to creeping mold on your walls, here are some tips on avoiding some common failures, both the small and the blockbuster kind.

• Mold – Heavy rainstorms and warm and humid summer weather can cause mold and mildew to build up, as can moisture from building materials used in new homes. The immediate result is you'll feel sticky and uncomfortable. Next, musty odors build up, allergens spread and eventually you could end up with discolored walls and damaged furniture!Reducing moisture that mold spores need to grow reduces the problem. Cool air holds less moisture than warm air, so running your air conditioner can help reduce unwanted moisture. Installing a system designed to control moisture – like the Humiditrol® dehumidification system – removes excess humidity without overcooling your home. Also, if your home has a crawl space, spread moisture-barrier material over the ground. Concrete and absorbent brick can be waterproofed by applying a sealant.

• Fire – Summer is an excellent time to check your fire extinguisher, test the batteries in your smoke alarm and, if you have a fireplace, schedule a chimney cleaning before the heating season. Chimneys and wood stoves should be inspected and cleaned annually to eliminate creosote buildup. Stack firewood at least 30 feet away from your home and use only seasoned hardwood, as soft, moist wood can accelerate creosote.

• Flooding – Inspect your home's gutters three to four times a year, and remove any branches or dead leaves to keep unwanted rainwater from backing up into your home. Check your roof to determine if shingles or flashing need to be repaired or replaced. Be sure to check your attic for any sign of leaks.

• Heat wave – When summer heats up, your home's A/C needs a little TLC. Check your air conditioner's filter once a month, and replace as needed (at least once every three months), because dirty filters make the equipment work harder. Clear leaves, dirt and wayward plants from your outdoor unit's top grill and allow at least two feet of clearance each way.If you're considering a new air conditioner, choose an ENERGY STAR® qualified model to reduce cooling costs dramatically.

• Power outages – Summer storms or overloaded power grids can cause long-term outages that leave you in the dark, let food spoil, cause your air conditioner to go out and keep your sump pump from working.

Make sure you have an emergency supply kit on hand with plenty of bottled water, a battery-operated radio and flashlights with extra batteries. Teach your family members how to shut off your home's water, gas and electricity in case of serious damage.

Installing a home generator – not a portable generator, which can be dangerous and difficult to operate – eliminates problems from power outages. These generators run on liquid propane or natural gas. When power is interrupted, the generator immediately detects the problem and automatically restores power in as little as 10 seconds, no extension cords needed.

Download a summer home maintenance checklist to help you keep your cool this summer and in the months ahead.

An audit you'll love - PART 3

Eliminate drafts

Reducing air leaks or drafts can reduce your energy usage by 5 to 30 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy and make your home much more comfortable.

• Look inside for gaps along the baseboard or edge of flooring and where the walls and ceiling meet.
• Look outdoors at exterior corners, where siding and chimneys meet and areas where the foundation and exterior brick or siding meet.
• Rattle windows and doors: Any movement means possible air leaks. If you can see daylight around a window frame or door, there is a leak that can often be fixed by caulking or weather stripping. Check storm windows for a tight fit. If new, high-performance doors and windows are too expensive, low-cost plastic sheets can be installed over windows to block air.
• Plug or caulk air leaks from or around electrical outlets, switch plates, attic hatches and window-mounted air conditioners.
• If you're having trouble locating air leaks, you can try this simple building pressurization test:
• Close all exterior doors, windows and fireplace flues
• Turn off all combustion appliances, including gas-burning furnaces and water heaters.
• Turn on exhaust fans in the kitchen and bath.
• Dampen your hand to feel any cool drafts, or burn an incense stick to look for wavers of smoke.

If you haven't already, download our summer maintenance checklist for some other simple, money- and sanity-saving steps you can take to improve your home this summer. 

© 2012 Lennox Industries Inc.

An audit you'll love - PART 2

Assess your lighting
 

Lighting makes up about 10 percent of your electricity costs.

• Examine the wattage of your light bulbs. If your lamps are using 100-watt or larger bulbs, consider a 60- or 75-watt replacement.
• Install compact fluorescent bulbs in areas where lights are left on for hours at a time.
• Move lamps away from your thermostat. The heat produced by traditional light bulbs can be sensed and may force your air conditioner to work harder.

© 2012 Lennox Industries Inc.

An audit you'll love - PART 1

A do-it-yourself home energy audit lets you identify and prioritize home upgrades that will reduce your energy bill and make your home more comfortable. Like the home energy audits offered by many utility companies, the DIY home energy audit starts with a simple walk-through of your home to assess energy wasters and improvements to eliminate them.

Here are three important places to start:

Inspect your cooling/heating system
 

Heating and cooling accounts for nearly half your home's energy usage. Improving efficiency here can make a noticeable difference on your monthly energy bill.

• Your HVAC system should be inspected at least once a year. Your Lennox dealer can check and clean your equipment to help control energy usage.
• If you have a central heating and cooling system, the filters should be checked monthly – especially during high-usage seasons – and replaced as needed (at least once every three months) to keep the system working efficiently.
• Check ductwork for streaks of dirt that indicate air leaks. These should be sealed with duct mastic. Insulate ducts or pipes that extend through unheated spaces.
• If any HVAC unit is more than 15 years old, a newer system can greatly reduce your energy usage and lower your energy bill. Rebates are available from Lennox until June 30.

© 2012 Lennox Industries Inc.

How big is my footprint?

Changing a few everyday habits can change the size of your carbon footprint. Little steps add up over time, like growing some of your own vegetables or nudging your thermostat up a degree or two on summer evenings.

Using the sun's power can help reduce the greenhouse gases needed to run your home comfortably, as well as your utility bills. That may mean adding skylights or installing an air conditioner or heat pump that is solar-ready, like the new SunSource™ Home Energy System from Lennox. These systems use roof-mounted solar modules to harness clean, sustainable energy from the sun and use it to run the home's central cooling and heating system.

If you'd like to calculate your current carbon footprint, try this online calculator from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Energy Savings Calculator from Lennox can show you other ways to walk more lightly on the earth.

© 2010 Lennox Industries Inc.

Why should you keep your home’s air clean?

Poor air quality can lead to poor health.  Pollutants in your home’s air can cause dizziness, headaches, nasal congestion and fatigue, plus they can aggravate allergies and asthma. 

CAUSES OF INDOOR AIR QUALITY PROBLEMS
Pollutants can come from many different sources inside and outside the home. For instance, furnishings, such as upholstery may release chemicals into the air. These pollutants circulate through ductwork, entering every room and living space. And if ventilation is inadequate, the pollutants multiply. High temperature and humidity also increase concentrations of some pollutants. 

Let us help.  We would love to answer any questions regarding the air quality in you home and offer solutions for you to consider.  Your healthy environment is our concern as well.

SPECIAL OFFERS

Special offers you can feel really good about.

From time to time, you can take advantage of special offers on high-efficiency comfort systems from Lennox. On top of that, you may be able to claim federal tax credits, plus qualify for rebates through your utility company. See the link below for details on these savings opportunities, as well as contests and other promotions.

http://www.lennox.com/promotions/

Time for a change?

If your utility bills keep rising – or you’ve already had an A/C repair bill this summer – you may wonder if you’d pay less in the long run to replace your old system, especially with the tax breaks now available on new equipment. Yet you’re not sure whether you’re ready to commit to buying a new system.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency suggests considering replacing your air conditioner or heat pump if it’s more than 12 years old, and your furnace or boiler if it’s more than 15 years old. New units – especially ENERGY STAR® qualified models – have much higher efficiency levels to help lower your utility bills, and are more reliable than older systems. Current tax credits are available for up to $1,500 on new, high-efficiency systems; see the list of tax credit eligible products here.

Here are a few questions to consider before you decide:

• How old is your system? Systems 10 years or older use a lot more fuel than newer models. Review the SEER (efficiency) rating of your existing system and compare to new models. New units are rated at least 13 SEER, which can reduce your electric bill.
• How high are your repair bills? Frequent repairs costing hundreds of dollars mean your service costs can soon exceed the cost of a new system.
• Is your home uncomfortable? If your rooms are too hot or too cold, your current HVAC system may be too large or too small, or it may have been poorly installed. Talk to a contractor about performing a load calculation to be sure.
• Is humidity, mold or dust a problem? Installing a dehumidification system helps remove moisture than can damage both your home and your health. Simply adding a germicidal light will eliminate contaminants at the source and keep them from recirculating throughout your home. Replacing HVAC filters once a month controls dust, as well.
• Does your home score below five on the ENERGY STAR® Home Energy Yardstick? That means you’re using more energy at home than most Americans and probably paying more on energy bills than you need to.
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If you decide it’s time for a change, your local Lennox dealer can provide recommendations on improving your home’s comfort system. You can also find more information on all Lennox products at www.Lennox.com.