Thermostats:
During the heating and cooling seasons, find a temperature that is comfortable (we recommend a range of 68-72 for the heating season and 74-78 during the cooling season) and leave the thermostat set there. Continually adjusting the thermostat will decrease the efficiency of the heating and cooling system and therefore increase your energy costs. Another way to lower energy costs is to purchase a programmable thermostat. Setting the thermostat at a reduced temperature for long periods of time (at least eight hours, such as while you are at work) can significantly reduce your energy costs (up to 10%). Call ComfortZone Heating & Cooling to find out more about adding a programmable thermostat to your heating and cooling system.

Registers & Grills:
Make sure not to block heating and cooling registers and grills with furniture, carpet or drapes. This will obstruct the air flow. Do not close off grills completely. This will restrict air flow through the system causing loss of efficiency. If your home is equipped with "High/Low" return air registers (registers that are located in line with each other, one close to the bottom of the wall and the other close to the top of the wall), during the heating season, open the bottom return air registers and close the top. During cooling, close the bottom and open the top registers. During the heating season cool air will be drawn off the floor and during the cooling season warm air will be drawn from the ceiling. This will allow for better air flow throughout your home and maximize your system’s efficiency.

Heat Pump Maintenance:
For a heat pump we recommend a bi-annual "clean and check" by a trained professional. ComfortZone Heating & Cooling offers service agreements for this purpose. The outside unit of a heat pump should be clear from obstruction such as leaves, grass and shrubbery. Also, during winter months make sure that snow is cleared away from the outside unit. Checking the filters once a month and cleaning or replacing them if necessary will greatly increase the efficiency of your heat pump. During the winter months, customers often tell us their outside unit is smoking and that the fan on the outdoor unit is not running. This is a normal mechanical process of heat pumps. The smoke is steam rising off the unit while it is running in the defrost cycle. The defrost cycle heats up the outside coil and removes ice from the unit (allowing it to run more efficiently) and in the process will temporarily shut off power to the outdoor fan.