While it may not be immediately obvious, the condition of your ductwork can greatly affect indoor air quality. Your home's ducts can be contaminated by dust, mold and other particulates. When this happens, it's possible to have them cleaned, but preventing dirty ductwork in the first place is an even better idea.

Although the attic is an easy space to overlook when it comes to the structural components of your home, energy bills and indoor comfort, attic problems can undermine each. It's worth spending a little time exploring ceilings and the attic to learn the integrity of this space and remedy any issues that exist.

The winter storms and humid summers we see in western Massachusetts make good home insulation a wise investment in our area. In many homes, the insulation is just sufficient to meet building codes, but not optimal for keeping you comfortable. Checking specific parts of your home will help you find out where you stand.

If you're like many homeowners, you may be wondering why programmable thermostats are generating such enthusiasm. In many ways, it's akin to why most people don't miss cranking the windows in their cars: there are real advantages to automation. And when it comes to programmable thermostats, the advantages are plentiful,  even if you never really minded jumping up and down to adjust the thermostat.

Every homeowner should have winter preparation on their fall to-do list, including making sure your house is well-insulated and prepared for the cold. Choosing insulation that fits your need will keep your home warm and energy-efficient this winter.

Average household spends well over $2000 a year on energy bills, with nearly half of the used energy spent on heating and cooling. Installing and maintaining efficient heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems is an important step towards a comfortable home, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and lower utility bills.

Although seasonal maintenance on your air conditioning or other cooling systems is important, some guidelines remain the same whether it’s chilly winter, humid summer, or mild spring and autumn. In particular, maintaining your home’s ductwork is essential to keeping your home comfortable. At the same time, duct sealing will also raise energy efficiency and lower utility bills.

Despite a well-deserved reputation for reliability, a programmable thermostat problem can disrupt your cooling and heating comfort. Programmable units turn the task of making temperature adjustments over to customized schedules created by the user or built-in pre-programmed settings provided by the manufacturer. Household comfort can be tailored to your daily routine. Heating and cooling changes are executed more gradually than abrupt manual adjustments, maximizing energy efficiency. A faulty unit, on the other hand, can cause energy costs to increase while resulting in a noticeable decline in indoor comfort. 

Because attic air circulation is usually insufficient for any season, proper attic ventilation should be an all-year concern for homeowners. Most attics are an enclosed, unconditioned zone of acute temperature and moisture conditions that vary with the climate. What happens up there directly affects comfort levels and energy efficiency in the home. By the same token, household activities also influence attic conditions. Adequate attic ventilation helps smooth out the spikes of temperature and moisture in the attic year-round.  

Leaky ductwork may be sapping warmth from your home this winter while running up your heating bills. A typical home might lose as much as 30 percent of its heated air (and cooled air in the summer) from leaking ducts before it reaches rooms in the house. Since most houses are built with ducts hidden in walls, attics and crawlspaces, inspecting and sealing ductwork is a job that is better left to a professional HVAC contractor. Here are some of the things your HVAC technician will do to ensure that your ductwork delivers conditioned air where it's needed: