Apply an Effective Coating to Your Roof
Did you know that about a third of the unwanted heat that builds up in your home comes in through the roof.
  • Apply a reflective coating to your existing roof. Standard roofing coatings are available at your local
    hardware store. Purchase one that has both waterproof and reflective properties. These are marketed
    primarily for mobile homes and recreational vehicles, but can be applied over many common roofing
    materials."

    Weatherize Your Home
Did you know that an uninsulated attic can raise your heating and cooling costs?
  • Install R-30 insulation in your attic.

Are you throwing money out the window?
You are if air is leaking out your windows and doorways. Roughly 40% of the unwanted heat that builds up in
your home comes in through windows.
  • Apply caulking and weather stripping to keep heated or cooled air from escaping.
  • Be aware that when you seal doorways and windows, you can increase the risks caused by indoor
    pollutants such as allergens and carbon monoxide.

    Create Your Own Micro-Climate
Did you know that trees and vines can create a cool micro climate that reduces the temperature by as much
as 9 degrees?
During photosynthesis, large amounts of water vapor escape through the leaves, cooling the passing air.
  • Vines are a quick way to provide shading and cooling. Grown on trellises, vines can shade the whole
    side of a house. Set trellises away from your house to allow air to circulate and to keep the vines from
    attaching to your house's facade and damaging its exterior. Placing vegetation too close to your house
    can actually trap heat and make the air around your house even warmer.
  • Plant deciduous trees; they provide shade in the summer, then lose their leaves and allow sunlight to
    warm your house in the winter. The taller varieties of trees will shade your roof as well as your walls.

    Ventilate Your Attic
Did you know that a ventilated attic stays about 30 degrees cooler than an unventilated one?
  • Ventilating your attic greatly reduces the amount of accumulated heat, which eventually works its way
    into the main part of your house. Properly sized and placed louvers and roof vents help prevent
    moisture buildup and overheating in your attic.

    Don't Cool or Heat an Empty House
Are you paying to heat or cool an empty building?
  • In the summer, raise the temperature when you plan to be away for several hours at a time. (Of course,
    you don't want to raise the temperature too high as heat and humidity can cause your carpet, drapes,
    and upholstery to mildew). In the winter, reverse the process and lower the temperature on your
    thermostat before you leave home. "A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a
    furnace works harder than normal to warm the space back to a comfortable temperature after the
    thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings. This misconception has been dispelled
    by years of research and numerous studies. The fuel required to reheat a building to a comfortable
    temperature is roughly equal to the fuel saved as the building drops to the lower temperature. You
    save fuel between the time that the temperature stabilizes at the lower level and the next time heat is
    needed. So, the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save." .
  • If your home is regularly empty during the day, invest in an automatic setback or programmable
    thermostat. These thermostats are also recommended for business which are empty at night or on the
    weekends.

    Maintain Your Air Conditioner and Heater
Did you know that the biggest users of energy in your home are your heating and cooling systems?
You wouldn't drive your car year after year without changing its oil or taking it in for a tune-up. Yet many
people run their air conditioners and heaters for years without having them serviced. The results are
unnecessarily high energy costs and a reduced lifespan for their heating and cooling systems.
  • If you use standard filters, change them monthly. If you use an electrostatic filter, remember to hose it
    down regularly.
  • Make sure your heating and/or cooling equipment is properly sized for your home. Operating a unit that
    is too small or too large is highly inefficient. A unit that can't quite keep up on the hottest afternoons or
    on the coldest nights, may well be a unit that's too small for your home or place of business. An
    Innovative Air heating and cooling technician can determine the best size unit for your residence or
    business facility.
  • Have your air conditioner inspected annually. An annual inspection of your cooling system may extend
    the life of your equipment and save you money by lowering your energy bills. Poorly maintained air
    conditioners can waste a tremendous amount of energy. "National statistics show that over 70% of all
    air conditioning and compressor outages could be avoided if the equipment was regularly checked,
    adjusted, calibrated, and maintained by qualified technicians." (Source - Around the Clock: Energy
    Saving Tips). Innovative Air Conditioning & Heating performs air conditioning tune-ups in the DFW
    Metroplex. Our evaluation of your system's operation and efficiency will tune-up your system and will
    identify any areas of potential problems. Some of the common energy wasters a tune-up can identify
    are:
  •        Improper freon level - up to 20% energy waste
  •        Improperly cleaned evaporator, condenser, blower - up to 50% energy waste
  •        Improperly calibrated thermostat - up to 30% energy waste
  • Install ceiling fans to boost the efficiency of your air conditioner in the summer and to circulate warm air
    away from the ceiling in the winter.
  • If you have a large home, consider the installation of a zoning system. This system regulates airflow
    and temperature so that you only have to cool or heat the area of your home that you're using.
  • Have a licensed technician check your heating system each fall. Innovative Air performs heating check-
    ups in the DFW Metroplex.  An annual check up can ensure that your unit is running efficiently, can
    prolong the life span of your heater, and can guard against dangerous carbon monoxide leaks. For
    prices and a detailed description of what a heating check-up includes, click here.
  • When purchasing a new air conditioner or heat pump, check its SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency
    Rating) rating. This rating tells you how efficiently a unit uses electricity. The higher the number, the
    greater the efficiency.
  • When purchasing a new air conditioner, consider selecting a split system.
  • If you replace your central air conditioner, make sure that the outdoor and indoor units match.
    Otherwise, your system won't perform at its promised efficiency.
  • When the time comes to replace your unit, consider the purchase of an Energy Efficient Trane. Here in
    Texas, air conditioning accounts for a substantial portion of your energy bill, "up to 60% during the
    hottest summer months." (Source - Around the Clock: Energy Saving Tips). Replacing your old air
    conditioning system with a new, energy efficient model is your best defense against high energy costs.

    Financial Benefits
If your central air conditioning system is more than 10 years old, energy savings (not to mention savings on
repairs) can pay for a brand new, energy efficient Trane air conditioning system?
"Today's super efficient Trane systems often use 40% less energy to cool your home or business than a
system that is just 10 years old. The money you save on energy bills often will recoup your investment in less
that four or five years." ( Energy Efficiency is Good for You and the Environment).

    Environmental Benefits
Reduced energy usage not only saves you money but also benefits the environment, as less non-replaceable
fossil fuels are required to cool or heat your residence or place of business. Furthermore, "New Trane
equipment is super sealed not to leak harmful Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) that have been associated with
destruction of the Earth's protective ozone layer. The destruction of the ozone layer is suspected of causing
an increase in skin cancers, and an increase in global warming." ( Energy Efficiency is Good for You and the
Environment)

Zone Your Home
Are you paying to cool empty bedrooms during the day and an empty living room and kitchen at night?
  • If you have a large home, consider the installation of a zoning system. Using dampers, system
    regulates airflow and temperature so that you only have to cool or heat the area of your home that
    you're using.
  • A popular alternative to zoning is installing two or more units in different areas of a large home. Consult
    with an air conditioning design contractor to determine which system would work best for your home.