There are many ways to increase the efficiency of your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC), but choosing the right windows for your home may be the most effective way of all to ensure that your HVAC system is working at its peak performance.
The wrong windows don’t just make your HVAC system work harder; they can actually be costing you money. According to the experts at the Department of Energy, poorly fitted windows can increase your heating or cooling bills by anywhere from 10 to 25 percent every month. This increased energy use is as hard on your wallet as it is on the environment.
If you’ve decided it’s time to improve your home’s energy performance, here’s how to ensure that you’re selecting the right windows for your needs:
- Make sure that any window you select comes with the Energy Star label. This label assures you that the product you’re buying uses less energy and saves you money.
- Decide on the right u-factor for your new windows. The u-factor measures the performance of a window; the lower the u-factor, the better.
- Pick a window with a low solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC). A low SHGC means that your home will take in less heat and solar radiation.
- When choosing your new windows, make sure to select windows with whole unit SHGCs and u-factors. This will ensure that the window will provide better protection.
- Remember to have new windows installed by trained professionals according to the instructions of the manufacturer. This will keep your warranty from being voided.
- Select windows with at least two panes of glass to keep air from escaping out of your new window.
- If you live in an area that’s prone to violent storms or hurricanes, you may want to invest in impact-resistant glass to reduce potential damages.
For further information on how to choose the right windows for your home, contact the pros at Aladdin Heating & Cooling. It doesn’t matter whether you live in Grosse Pointe Park or St. Clair Shores, we’ve been helping folks in the Detroit area for more than 65 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Warren, Michigan about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about HVAC systems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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