Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Energy Savings’ Category

Take Thermostat Challenge + Like Our Facebook Page = We Donate $5 to Polar Bears International

Friday, February 26th, 2016

February 27 is International Polar Bear Day! Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating is teaming up with Polar Bears International to encourage our local community to take the Thermostat Challenge. Turn down your thermostat a degree or two and together we’ll make a big difference.

According to The Green Book, if every household in the U.S. adjusted their thermostat by one degree, it would save the amount of energy Iowa uses in one year! Other ways to significantly reduce CO2 emissions include using programmable thermostats and choosing high efficiency cooling and heating systems. Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating is a DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU) participating contractor, who can help you choose the most efficient HVAC system that will be the best fit for your home.

Let us know you are participating in the Thermostat Challenge by liking us here, and we’ll donate $5 to Polar Bears International for every “like” received in February. Don’t forget to Tweet Thermostat Challenge to let your friends and Polar Bears International know that you are participating. Let’s make a difference together!

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How Can You Tell It’s Time for Commercial Heating Replacement?

Thursday, December 11th, 2014

The proper working of your commercial heating system is critical for your business space. After all, it’s hard to conduct business in a space that isn’t well-heated, or has uneven heating throughout. Just because a heating system continues to work doesn’t mean that it isn’t time for that system to be replaced, particularly when you take certain factors into consideration. If you are having trouble deciding whether or not it’s time for commercial heating replacement for your McLean business, make an appointment with your Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc., expert today.

Factors to Consider for Replacement

Here are some of the more important factors to review when considering the replacement of your commercial heating system:

Age

Commercial heating systems have an average lifespan of 15-20 years, although some systems may last longer. Aging systems can have a problem achieving your set temperature, or providing even heating, mostly because the components begin to break down. Pushing an aging system only exacerbates the possibility of repairs, so if your system is experiencing problems, and is within the lifespan age or older, it may be time to consider an upgrade to a new system.

Energy Efficiency

Every business has a budget to maintain, no matter the season. If you have noticed that your business’s heating bills have risen sharply, yet you haven’t changed how you heat your business space, you may have a system that is not as energy efficient as you need it. Today’s commercial heating systems are highly energy efficient, thus enabling you to save money in energy costs.

Costly Repairs

Are you facing costly repairs, or have you been nursing along a malfunctioning system for a period of time? Repair costs can add up quickly, many times to the cost of a new system. If you are paying for multiple, costly repairs, it may be time to review if your money is better spent on continuing repairs or on a new, reliable heating system.

Your business space needs to be comfortable for all who enter it; don’t let an aging and/or malfunctioning commercial heating system in McLean adversely affect your business.

Call Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc., today and schedule an appointment with one of our commercial heating experts.

Tags: Commercial Heating, Energy Efficiency
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Washington DC Air Conditioning Tip: Energy Efficient Home Cooling

Monday, May 21st, 2012

Having an energy efficient air conditioning system in place is a great way to keep cool in the summer for less. But that is far from the only thing you can do to help reduce your energy bills throughout the hottest months of the year. In fact, there are several simple steps you can take to start cutting down on your cooling costs right now and lighten the cooling load that your Washington DC air conditioning system has to bear.

One of the main things to remember when you are trying to keep your house cool is that every door and window is potentially letting in warmer air from outside and letting the cooler indoor air escape. You can cut down on this considerably if you simply take the time to seal up these access points and any others you are able to find.

Putting up plastic over unused doors and windows and checking all areas of the house for drafts and adequate insulation will dramatically reduce the cost of keeping your house cool in the summer. Also, you can keep the sun from warming up your indoor air by drawing the blinds, particularly on those windows that let in the hot afternoon sun.

Putting up light colored siding and reflective roofing will also do a great deal to keep your overall cooling costs down. That is because these materials are able to direct the heat of the sun away from your house rather than letting it be absorbed so that it can heat up the inside. The vast majority of the heat that your air conditioning system has to remove from your house comes in through your roof and walls, so blocking this access point is extremely helpful in keeping your overall cooling costs down.

All of these are steps you can take to reduce the total cooling load that your Washington DC air conditioning system has to deal with. But if you want your system to continue to function at peak energy efficiency, you will have to take care of it as well.

This typically means having someone come in once a year to perform a thorough inspection of your air conditioning system and to clean out any debris that may have accumulated over time. Having this done will make it possible for your air conditioner to continue to function at the highest possible levels of energy efficiency for years to come. To schedule a maintenance visit, give Polar Bear Air Conditioning a call today!

Tags: Air Conditioning, Air Conditioning Maintenance, Energy Saving
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Home Energy Myths: A Tip From Washington

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

Measuring and controlling your Washington home’s energy consumption is a little tricky. There are plenty of talking heads and information resources on the Internet that tell you how it’s supposed to work, but in most cases you’ll find that so called common knowledge about your home’s energy use isn’t always true. Here are some of the most common myths and how to differentiate from the truth.

Conservation and Efficiency Are Different – Many people think that by getting an energy efficient appliance, they are conserving energy and helping the environment. To some degree this is true. However, in reality, you are merely reducing how much energy it takes to complete a task. Conservation is finding ways to actually stop using energy for common tasks. Taking baths instead of showers, not watering your lawn, and turning off lights completely are all examples of conservation.
Turning Off an Appliance Saves a Lot of Energy – Regardless of whether an appliance is physically on or not, it still consumes power as long as it is plugged in. The only way to completely stop your energy consumption is to unplug an item completely or use a power strip that blocks access to electricity when the switch is turned to off.
Turning on Items Creates a Power Surge – While turning a computer on and off uses a bit more electricity than simply leaving it on all the time, it isn’t a significant difference. In fact, the longer you leave an appliance on, the more it wears down and the faster it starts to use extra power to remain effective.
One Energy Source is Cheaper than Another – This depends largely on the type of energy source you have for heating and cooling, the cost of that source and how much heating and cooling you need. A single portable electric heater is cheaper than running your entire oil heating system. But, electric heaters are rarely cheaper if you use them to heat your entire home.

Myths abound when it comes to energy use around your home. Make sure to get all the facts before making decisions that could end up costing you more money in the long run.

Tags: Energy Savings, Washington DC
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Window AC Units – When Are They Appropriate?

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

In the blazing summer months – or all year round in hot climates – nothing can match the feeling of relief you get from air conditioning. As the mercury rises, the cool, dry air churned out by that humming compressor can feel just like heaven.

While there are a few different options for cooling your home, the most convenient method for most people is a window air conditioner (A/C) unit. They are affordable, effective, and relatively easy to install. However, they are not necessarily appropriate for every situation, and it is important to consider certain factors before settling on a window A/C unit as the best choice.

Space and Capacity

First, consider the area you want to cool. If you are only looking to cool a room or two, then a window unit is a good choice. Aside from just having a window in it, the room must be of appropriate size so that a window A/C unit can keep it cool. You also want to measure the room, or at least make a good estimate, in order to choose the right size unit.

Most manufacturers stamp the packaging with an estimate of the area that the unit is able to cool. A general rule of thumb is that a 5000 BTU A/C unit can cool about 150 square feet. For large areas, consider using multiple units or getting one that is more powerful. Rooms that are usually occupied by several people at a time require a more powerful air conditioner to keep cool, as do kitchens, in order to offset oven heat.

Installation

Second, you want to make sure the window can accommodate the A/C unit safely. Adjustable installation hardware is usually included with the unit, but for windows that are unusually shaped, damaged, or otherwise cannot support the body of the unit, a window air conditioner may not be a safe choice. Proper installation is important not only for safety, but to ensure cooled air is not lost.

If the room is of an appropriate size and has a window that can accommodate one, than this type of A/C unit is a good option for keeping cool. However, if you need to cool a large area, such as a whole house or a windowless room, you should explore other options like as a portable A/C unit or central air conditioning. When deciding on a cooling solution for your home, it’s important to take all these things into account in order to choose the most appropriate option.

Tags: BTU, summer, Washington D.C., Window AC Units
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Cooling Your House Naturally

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

In this day and age, it seems like no matter what type of problem you have, there’s a technological solution for it. But is that solution always the best? For instance, just because you can get a high-tech air conditioning system to keep your home at the same temperature regardless of the weather outside, does that mean that you should rely solely on that system?

Of course, the choice is yours, but before you decide how best to keep your house comfortable during the warm summer months, it’s a good idea to learn a little bit more about what your other options might be.

Cross-Ventilation – One of the easiest ways to take the edge off when the temperature starts to rise inside is to open windows on both sides of the house. This allows the breeze to come in one side and pass out the other, taking the stale, warm indoor air with it in the process and cooling off your house naturally.
Stack-Ventilation – If you have a two-story home, you may want to try stack-ventilation. This variation on cross-ventilation involves opening the windows on the bottom floor on one side of your home and on the top floor on the other. The differences in pressure from one area to the next cause fresh outdoor air to be sucked in on the ground floor and pushed out on the top floor, thereby creating a strong air current throughout your home.
Blocking Out the Sun – The number one reason that the interior of your house gets hot in the summer is exposure to direct sunlight, so anything you can do to diminish the amount of sun that actually makes it into your home, the better off you’ll be. All you really have to do is close the blinds on those windows where sun can come in to keep the majority of that heat from impacting your indoor environment.
Stay Away from Dark Colors – The color of the outside of your home can also have an impact on how hot it gets indoors. Dark colors absorb the heat, while light colors reflect it. So if you want to keep the temperature down inside, stick to light colors on the exterior of your home.
The Importance of Shade – Any type of shade will also keep the sun’s heat out of your home. Trees are a great source of natural shade. Awnings can provide great cooling power too without blocking out your view.

Tags: Washington D.C.
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Saving Energy with Air Conditioners

Friday, June 24th, 2011

Air conditioners can definitely make it easier to get through a particularly hot and sticky summer. But they are also pretty expensive to run, especially if you live in an area with long, hot summers. Fortunately, there are quite a few things you can do to help your air conditioner keep your home cool without running up those astronomical energy bills.

Think about Your Thermostat – Most people set their thermostat at one temperature and leave it there. But does it really make sense to pay to keep your home cool all day long when no one’s home? Instead, try turning up the temperature when you leave the house and then again at night before you go to bed. It’s likely you won’t notice the difference and even an adjustment of a couple of degrees can make a big difference.
Multiple Climate Zones – When you are home, of course, you want to set your thermostat to a temperature you’ll be comfortable with. But that probably still means you’ll be cooling a lot of empty space. Installing a multi-zone system allows you to set different temperatures for different parts of your home. You can keep the spaces you use regularly cool and comfortable without wasting money paying to cool the unoccupied parts of your home.
Ceiling Fans – It might seem silly at first glance to use a ceiling fan at the same time as an air conditioner. But the truth is that using a ceiling fan to compliment your air conditioning system can actually save you a lot of money. Ceiling fans use next to no electricity to operate and they can make the house feel a few degrees cooler. With that added help, you can turn your thermostat up a few degrees without sacrificing indoor comfort and save yourself quite a bit of money – more than enough to cover the cost of running the ceiling fan.
Keep Things Sealed – Making sure your house is well sealed and insulated is another important way to keep your energy usage down during the summer. The more cool air that escapes, the harder your system has to work and the more energy it will use.
Proper Maintenance – Keeping up with the recommended maintenance for your air conditioning system is the best way to make sure it maintains the highest possible level of energy efficiency. Over time, it will ensure your system stays efficient longer as well – well beyond the initial lifespan estimates.

Tags: Washington D.C.
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