Money Saving Tips for Homeowners From the Pros

 Saving money as a homeowner can be challenging but professionals in the industry have several tips that can help reduce around your home so you have more money to save.

1. Avoid paying thousands on home appliance repair costs

Appliances, especially if they are old and untrustworthy can cost you more than you should really shell out. In fact a broken refrigerator can cost you thousands of dollars in repair costs. If you haven’t been caught in a pickle yet, think about getting a home warranty. A home warranty can help you pay for surprise repairs and replacement costs.

2. Go solar and cut your electricity bill

Your energy bills can be daunting and can hold you down each month. Solar energy can help you reduce your home’s electricity costs. There are systems out there they will not only help you with savings but also potentially give you more power.

3. Save big on your energy bill by replacing your home’s windows

A window that was installed poorly or has cracks in the seals or panes, can drain your home’s energy. In fact, tons of your heat or cool air from your HVAC system can be lost through faulty windows. Replacing your home’s windows with certified energy-efficient windows can save you big bucks in the long run by saving tons on your energy bills.

4. Eliminate expensive gutter cleaning costs

Cleaning your gutters several times a year is a burden for you and a huge unnecessary expense if you hire a professional each time. The solution is to upgrade your gutters to a system that remains clear and clog free. There are many systems on the market today that have a lifetime warranty.

5. Lower your homeowner’s insurance premium by getting home security

Many insurance companies out there will give a homeowner a discount on their rate if they have a monitored security system. A system can detour a burglary or if one takes place and your system is on, they might pay your insurance deductible.

7. Don’t let pests drain your bank account

Pests such as rodents, termites and cockroaches will destroy your home and its structure. This can end up costing thousands of dollars in the long run. Getting regular inspections and treatments by professionals is imperative.

All of these tips can help you save money now and money in the long run. It is important to always keep your home and all its parts working and running smoothly.

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Steps To Take To Enhance Your Air Indoor Quality During Allergy Season

 Air indoor quality is important but it is especially important during allergy season. Understanding air quality and how to control it is a must. Allergy sufferers need to especially be mindful of their indoor air quality during peak allergy season, the spring. Triggers such as dust, mold and pet dander are all found indoors. Here are some tips on how to improve your home's air quality.

The First Step Is to Test

Testing indoor air quality is a great way to find out what is in the air of your home that can be harmful to your health. There are many devices to choose from for testing the air, so which do you choose?

When investing in a monitor, look for solutions that monitor all of the key air quality parameters: temperature, humidity, CO2, fine particulate matter and volatile organic compounds,” says Jennie Bergman, senior product manager of indoor environmental quality at Trane Residential. “You can also lean on a trusted local HVAC dealer for a whole-home indoor air quality assessment so you can make an educated purchasing decision based on your own family’s indoor comfort needs and air quality concerns.”

Level Up Your Indoor Air Quality

If the air quality in your home is not up to par, there are many things you can do to improve it. Options range from installing products that help keep the air clean to increasing ventilation through your HVAC unit and regularly changing the filters in your at-home appliances.

The best option is to install a whole-home air-cleaning device. This will remove asthma and allergy triggers. These include dust, pollen, pet hair and dander, dust mites and mildew. Another great thing is to use air cleaners. These will reduce airborne pollutants and certain bacteria.

Picking the Right Products

Just like with anything else, choosing the right product is important. The air-cleaning system you choose must be certified as asthma and allergy-friendly.

“When seeking out air-filtration products, look for certified products from trusted parties,” Bergman says. “Allergy Standards Ltd. and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America run the Certified Asthma & Allergy Friendly® program.”

Keep Up the Quality

Improving the air is the first step, once this is completed, then it must be maintained. A simple solution to this is to change your filters more often.

“Dirty filters restrict airflow, making your system work harder and reducing its efficiency,” she says. “A good rule of thumb is to change your filter every season. Regular cleaning or changing of your filter will ensure the best filtration, increase the life of your machine and give you peace of mind that you’re breathing easier.”

Comfort at Home Guaranteed

Having an air quality monitor is a great way to maintain comfort and air quality. These monitors can alert you when your air quality is in question and how you should improve it. A simple option to help alleviate poor air quality is to open the windows or turn on your air filter. By doing these things, you can help eliminate pollutants in your indoor space making it a healthier and allergen-free indoor environment.

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Energy Efficiency Saves in Small Measures

In order to have a proper perspective of how much energy saving measures will have in your new or existing home, you have to know the paramenters of energy saving capability as well as have the right expectation for the process going into it.  If you live in a much older home, built in an older neighborhood during a time when real estate was not as “coded” as it is today, you can expect to see a more dramatic increase in savings after spending more money up front to make changes.  This is because building codes are truly on the cutting edge of emerging green techniques which are constantly promoting more structurally sealed homes with low-energy, efficient technologies installed in them.  The savings really do add up, though, through a combination of several energy saving techniques.  Home buyers and homeowners can be assured that energy efficiency saves in small measures that over a year’s time give a return on investment.



Start Simple
Because the process of building is an imperfect process (no matter how detail-oriented your builder is) performed by mutliple contractors who “touch the job” once and then leave, you would be amazed as to how much small spaces and leaks allow air and moisture into your home.  To begin the energy efficiency process, you will want to seal your home as much as possible by caulking and sealing the spaces around your plumbing pipes, electrical systems, light fixtures, and windows as well as the unused portions of your home which can include your attic or crawl space below.  By closing up these areas to air and moisture, you can reduce the amount of air it takes to heat and cool your home.

Work on Major Systems When Possible
HVAC systems are notorious for being big energy suckers, so if you have the money to invest in a completely new system which would include an overhead air conditioning and furnace system (the most energy efficient way to heat and cool your home), you should do so.  If you don’t have the finances for such an expense, having a contractor come out for a service call to inspect your ductwork for blockages or leaks will make sure that your ducts area as efficient as possible.  Clean ductwork allows better airflow which heats and cools a space more quickly.

Small Changes Make a Big Difference
While you are inspecting and focusing in on your HVAC system, you will also want to immediately replace your thermostat if you do not already have an electronic thermostat.  Electronic thermostats can run from $28 – $120 depending on how quality or complicated you would like them to be.  This is a small investment which makes a HUGE difference in your heating and cooling bill.  Buy purchasing a programmable thermostat, you are able to control your home’s temperature when you are home, away at work, or sleeping to keep your heater or air conditioner from “running all day.”

Change Your Ambiance and Save Energy
Another suggestion as a way to reduce the amount of energy used in your home is to replace all of your light bulbs with bulbs that are either CFLs or LED lights.  However, if you are affected by lighting and the ambiance it provides, you could end up spending a lot on the front end to get the desired lighting affect you would like with LED lighting – the closest lighting alternative to old fashioned light bulbs.  If you aren’t picky about lighting, the new CFL light bulbs are energy efficient and last longer than old fashioned bulbs and are becoming more affordable as well.

Adjust Your Temps During Warmer Months
The last energy savings idea to use is to reduce the water temperature on your hot water heater.  “Out of the box,” hot water heaters are programmed to approximately 140 degrees.  If you reduce this to 120 degrees, you can save on heating expenses.  Also, by insulating the pipes on your hot water heater and the pipes going into either the wall or the floor, you can maintain the heated water as well.  While this might be a good idea during warmer spring and summer months, you may want to increase the temperature again during colder weather months because the air temperature feels cooler when you shower or bathe.

By using these energy efficient techniques altogether, you can drastically reduce the amount of money you spend each month on your energy bills.  If you are only able to do a couple or few of the ideas at present, your savings will be less.  However, any money saved is money that can be used for other life necessities in a tough economy.

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