Considering an upgrade to your Alexandria home’s heating system? It’s usually a sound investment that generates savings both in heating costs and repair bills, plus it keeps your family happy and comfortable.
Before you take the plunge on new equipment, though, you may want to get a home energy audit. What you find may help you choose the right system.
A home energy audit is essentially an inspection by a professional of the materials used to insulate your home. This includes not just the insulation in the walls, but also the walls themselves, along with windows, doors and so on. The idea is to figure out how much heat is escaping your home to the outside, so an audit may also include looking at ducts, vents or anywhere else where air could flow through.
So what does an energy audit have to do with a heating upgrade?
Think about it like this. There are two ways to make your home warmer: increase heat gain (e.g., get a more efficient heating system) or decrease heat loss. If you are able to do the latter, you may find that the former is unnecessary.
For example, you may get an energy audit and discover that by installing new windows and resealing your doors, you can increase heating efficiency by 10%. This could have big implications for your decision to get a new heating system, as you may decide that you can save money by getting a smaller capacity furnace. Getting the right size furnace is very important; one that is too small will not be able to heat your home to the desired temperature and one that is too large will short-cycle, which leads to uneven heating and wears down your system quickly.
A home energy audit is the first step to getting a new heating system in Alexandria, and one that is sure to save you money. Give Service Doctors a call to learn more about heating system installation!
