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Air Seal and Insulate with ENERGY STAR Home Sealing
Sealing air leaks that cause uncomfortable drafts and adding insulation are two of the most cost-effective ways to improve the energy efficiency and comfort of your home. Use ENERGY STAR Home Sealing to guide you in making these improvements that every home should have. Because some ducts are concealed in walls and between floors, repairing them can be difficult. However, exposed ducts in attics, basements, crawlspaces, and garages can be repaired by sealing the leaks with duct sealant (also called duct mastic). In addition, insulating ducts that run through spaces that get hot in summer or cold in winter (like attics, garages, or crawlspaces) can save significant energy.

Heat and Cool Efficiently
Learn to make smart decisions about heating and cooling efficiently. Change your air filter regularly, install a programmable thermostat, seal your heating and cooling ducts, and consider installing ENERGY STAR qualified heating and cooling equipment.

Change your air filter regularly
Check your filter every month, especially during heavy use months (winter and summer). If the filter looks dirty after a month, change it. At a minimum, change the filter every 3 months. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you warm or cool — wasting energy. A clean filter will also prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system — leading to expensive maintenance and/or early system failure.

Tune up your HVAC equipment yearly
Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling system can improve efficiency and comfort.

Install a programmable thermostat
A programmable thermostat is ideal for people who are away from home during set periods of time throughout the week. Through proper use of pre-programmed settings, a programmable thermostat can save you about $150 every year in energy costs.

Consider installing ENERGY STAR qualified heating and cooling equipment

Choose ENERGY STAR Qualified Products
More than 50 types of products can earn the ENERGY STAR, including appliances, lighting, home electronics, and home office equipment. ENERGY STAR qualified products meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. EPA and U.S. Department of Energy. They use less energy, save money, and help protect the environment.

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

An ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washer can save you $550 in operating costs over its lifetime compared to a regular clothes washer. ENERGY STAR qualified washers are also better for the environment because lowering energy and water use means less air pollution from power plants and less water going to waste.

ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerator models use high efficiency compressors, improved insulation, and more precise temperature and defrost mechanisms to improve energy efficiency. ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerator models use at least 15% less energy than required by current federal standards and 40% less energy than the conventional models sold in 2001.

ENERGY STAR qualified room air conditioners use at least 10% less energy than conventional models

ENERGY STAR qualified oil and gas furnaces have annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) ratings of 83% and 90%, or higher, making them up to 15% more efficient than standard models

ENERGY STAR-qualified windows, doors, and skylights save you energy and money, increase the comfort of your home, and protect your valuable possessions from sun damage. They are also better for the environment because lowering your energy use means less air pollution from power plants.

The Sunset Group Realtors -- Manuela Ravanelli 14817 SW Teal Blvd Beaverton, OR 97007 cell 971.340.6934 manuela.ravanelli@gmail.com

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