If so, you will want to make sure it is well-designed for your home.  Below is information you should find helpful when designing the right zoning system for your home.

• Keep zones to an area no larger than a single floor since zoning systems work best in smaller areas (i.e. individual rooms). If you put more than one floor of your home in a single zone, you’ll lose the benefit of the zoning system because rising warm air and sinking cool air will cause inconsistent temperatures.
• Put newly constructed or remodeled rooms in the same zone because these rooms will most likely have better insulation and other thermal characteristics than the older rooms.
• Place/install zone thermostats in the room that is used most often.  Since it is the room you spend the most time in, it makes sense to keep that room’s temperature comfortable and the thermostat there. Hallways are not always ideal locations for thermostats as they may be affected by sunshine or extreme temperatures outside.
• Place rooms with walls that make contact with the outside (perimeter walls) in separate zones as these rooms are more likely to be affected by the outside temperatures which will likely result in inconsistent heating and cooling.
• Keep rooms with similar thermal characteristics in the same zone as much as possible because even if they are placed within the same zone, rooms with different heating and cooling loads will continue to have inconsistent temperatures.

When practiced routinely, good drain maintenance can help save you money and aggravation. Here are a few tips that should help prevent a clogged drain in your home:

• • Clear all dishes of leftover food in the trash before you wash them. This helps prevent food remnants from going down the drain.  When washing your dishes, using a small sieve that fits your drain opening is also a good idea as it traps any food residue.
  • Avoid pouring oily liquids into the drain and strain off liquids that contain solid materials. Throw the solid materials in the garbage.
  • It’s a good idea to use hot water to flush all your drains once a week to rinse away dirt, scum or food residue that may be building up in your drains. Boil a large pot of hot water and slowly pour it down your various household drains. Repeat and then run cold water through the drains for a minute. This hot water flush helps remove grease and improve the smell of your drains.
  • Pouring half of cup of baking soda and half of cup of vinegar into your drain once a month will help clear your drains and will also leave your drains smelling fresh. It is best to do this overnight when drain usage is over. The next morning, boil plenty of water and flush the drains with it. It will clear your drains of dirt and leave them with a fresh smell.
  • A sink plunger is useful in the kitchen and bathroom. When you notice water flow begin to back up, plug the stoppers over the drain and then fill the sink with 3-4 inches of water. Then remove the stopper and replace with the plunger. A few vigorous plunges should clear the drain of any blockage. Rinse the sink well once blockage is cleared.

Saving energy can often result in saving money which is great.  However, when it comes to your HVAC system, you may be unnecessarily inconveniencing yourself and/or sacrificing comfort in an attempt to save energy if your efforts are based on inaccurate information or myths.

Here are 5 energy-saving myths that may affect the way you have been doing things around your home when trying to save energy:

Myth #1:  You Can Cool Down a Hot Room with Ceiling Fans-The breeze produced by a ceiling fan makes you FEEL cooler, however, ceiling fans will not actually lower a room temperature.  The reason is ceiling fans do not remove heat from the air which is needed for lowering the temperature of a room.

Myth #2: Closing Your Vents will Reduce the Energy You Use-Keeping your vents closed will not help you save energy. A closed vent can actually upset the airflow balance within your HVAC system. Upsetting the airflow balance just makes your system work harder and increase the energy you use rather than save it.  And this results in an increased financial cost to you.

Myth #3: You Can Heat Your Home Quicker by Raising Your Thermostat-Contrary to popular belief, raising your thermostat to its maximum setting will not heat your home faster. Raising the thermostat will, however, use unnecessary energy and likely make your home uncomfortably hot.

Myth #4: Just Turning Off Your Electronics will Save Power-You want to unplug your electronics if you want to save energy.  Many appliances and electronics today use little power when in “standby” mode while still plugged in. You will not truly benefit when trying to save energy unless you unplug them

Myth #5: Using Your Fireplace Saves Energy-Though a room with a fireplace is typically warm and cozy, the temperatures throughout your home will likely drop.  This is usually the case because when using a fireplace, the damper must be open to vent toxic gases outside.

Heavy winter snow and strong winds can cause damage to a home and property. It’s best to start off the spring season with an annual checklist to get your home ready for the warm weather. Checking both the inside, and outside of your home can help head off any unforeseen issues that may arise in the future.

• Turn your air conditioning on and run it before the first hot day. Many times homeowners start their system for the first time on the first hot day and it is not working properly, when they call a service company they can’t get an appointment immediately.
• Clear debris and leaves from around your outdoor condenser.
• Change your air conditioning filter to make sure you have a new one in place for the start of the season.
• Clean your dryer vent to ensure it’s clear of lint and debris.
• Check your hood range to make sure it’s clear of any debris that could’ve blown in.
• Clean and check your ice maker filter.
• Inspect your roof for any missing or loose shingles.
• Check the flashing around your chimney and plumbing stacks.
• Clear leaves and sticks from your gutters.
• Cut any branches or bushes that may be hanging close to your home.
• Take down any dead tree branches that could potentially break off during a heavy wind.
• Caulk around windows, doors, cable and phone line entries.
• Turn on all hose bibs to make sure they are working properly and not leaking or dripping.
• Test all sprinkler heads to make sure they point away from the home.

A low flow showerhead could save you an estimated 25-60% on water costs! It is recommended, when choosing a showerhead, that the fixture has a flow rate of less than 2.5 gpm.   Many older showerheads, aerating (mix of air and water) or laminar-flow (individual streams of water), have flow rates that are more than twice the recommended 2.5 gpm flow rate. Consider changing your current showerhead to a low flow showerhead because you will conserve water, save energy and cut your costs on water.  Its worth looking into!

Have you considered installing one? A web search of “Internet thermostat” yields about 8.8 million results.You could spend a long time looking up features and prices but how do you know which one is the best for you?

Here at Russo Bros, we have been researching and testing these thermostats for years.  Many of the versions available today offer an application that allows you to control the thermostat from your Smartphone while away from your home. This can be especially beneficial to help save on energy costs while you are away. Some thermostats are even able to detect the weather outside and can make recommendations on when to change your filter. We personally test them and use them in our homes and office to make sure that we are well-versed and prepared to help you choose the one that best suits your needs, lifestyle and budget.

Honeywell Wifi Thermostat installed at a Russo Bros. & Co. client’s home. 

Pipes that are on outside walls, under sinks in cabinets and outside hose bibs are most susceptible to becoming frozen. When these pipes freeze no water can get through. Most people think that all frozen pipes burst, this is not necessarily true. The average burst pipe can cost a homeowner around $5,000. To thaw frozen pipes you can either call your plumber who will come equipped with a thawing machine or attempt to do it yourself. Below are the steps to take when attempting to thaw the pipe yourself.

1. Turn off the water to your home.
2. Have a mop, bucket and towns on hand.
3. Use a hair dryer or space heater to thaw the section of the pipe.

If a pipe burst during the thaw process you should immediately call your plumber to locate the leak and make an adequate repair to the pipe.