MONTHLY TIPS ~ NOVEMBER
A REMINDER TO SET YOUR CLOCKS BACK ONE HOUR AT 2:00 AM ON NOVEMBER 1ST. ALSO, BE CERTAIN TO REPLACE THE BATTERIES IN YOUR SMOKE DETECTORS.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE COMING HOME AFTER DARK AND USE EXTERIOR LIGHTING SUCH AS PORCH LIGHTS YOU CAN SAVE ENERGY BY SIMPLY REPLACING YOUR INCANDESCENT LIGHT BULBS WITH COMPACT FLUORESCENT BULBS.
AS THE HOLIDAY SEASON APPROACHES WE ARE REMINDED OF THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT SAFETY TIPS TO BE PRACTICED BY ALL HOMEOWNERS.
DO NOT USE DECORATIVE LIGHTING THAT HAS FRAYED CORDS OR WIRES, BROKEN FUSES OR BROKEN LIGHT BULBS. TEST YOUR DECORATIVE LIGHTING BY PLUGGING IN ONE STRAND AT A TIME BEFORE APPLYING TO TREES, FIREPLACE MANTELS OR STAIRCASES. IF A FUSE OR BULB IS DAMAGED SIMPLY REPLACE THAT ITEM OR IF NECESSARY DISCARD THE STRAND.
DO NOT USE STAPLES, NAILS OR TACKS TO HANG ELECTRICAL CORDS. THESE ITEMS MAY PIERCE THE ELECTRICAL CORD CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE STRAND.
USE ONLY UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES (UL) APPROVED LIGHTING AND EXTENSION CORDS.
DO NOT PLUG IN MORE THAN THREE STRANDS OF DECORATIVE LIGHTING INTO EACH ELECTRICAL CORD OR OUTLET.
KEEP TREES WATERED AND KEEP WATERING PANS AWAY FROM ELECTRICAL CORDS.
REMEMBER TO UNPLUG ALL DECORATIVE LIGHTING WHEN YOU LEAVE YOUR HOME AND BEFORE GOING TO BED.
PLACE ALL LIGHTED CANDLES ON A SAFE STABLE SURFACE.
HVAC TIPS
AS THE COOLER DAYS AND NIGHTS ARRIVE YOU MAY NEED TO USE YOUR CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEM. WHEN USING YOUR SYSTEM FOR THE FIRST TIME, BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR PILOT LIGHT. YOUR PILOT LIGHT SHOULD BE BLUE IN COLOR AND THE FLAME SHOULD NOT FLICKER. IF YOU DETECT A CONSTANT FLICKERING OR ODOR CONTACT YOUR GAS UTILITY PROVIDER FOR A FREE CHECKUP. DO NOT USE FLAMMABLE MATERIALS TO LIGHT YOUR PILOT LIGHT INSTEAD USE A WOODEN MATCH.
ALSO, BE CERTAIN TO CHECK AND CLEAN YOUR FILTER SYSTEM. MOST FILTERS ARE ELECTROSTATIC FILTERS AND CAN BE CLEANED BY RINSING WITH WATER. LET THE FILTER DRY COMPLETELY BEFORE RE-INSTALLING IT. YOUR FILTER SYSTEM SHOULD BE CLEANED OR REPLACED ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
WHILE YOU ARE AWAY FROM HOME SET YOUR THERMOSTAT TO 65 DEGREES. MOST SYSTEMS WILL HEAT YOUR HOME COMFORTABLY SET AT 68 DEGREES AND ALLOW YOU TO SAVE ENERGY AT THE SAME TIME. IF YOU HAVE A PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT CHECK YOUR ON/OFF SETTING TIMES TO ACCOMMODATE YOUR NEEDS.
ADDING AN ADDITIONAL BLANKET TO YOUR BED CAN HELP KEEP YOU WARM.
NEVER USE YOUR STOVE TOP, OVEN OR AN OUTDOOR GRILL TO HEAT THE INSIDE OF YOUR HOME. THIS CAN CAUSE CARBON MONOXIDE POISENING WHICH OFTEN GOES UNDETECTED BY THE HOMEOWNER AND CAN SUBSEQUENTLY LEAD TO SEVERE ILLNESS AND DEATH.
IF YOU HAVE HAD YOUR CENTRAL HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM INSTALLED BY OUR COMPANY WE ALSO OFFER YEARLY SERVICE MAINTENANCE AGREEMENTS. YOU CAN CONTACT OUR OFFICE AT 800-985-0733 AND SPEAK WITH CHRISTINE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS SERVICE.
ALL OF US AT FUTURE ENERGY CORPORATION WISHES YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A SAFE, COMFORTABLE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON.
Solar PV Systems are relatively low maintenance.
Keeping your solar panels clean is a major factor in the energy output of your system. Dust, Dirt and bird droppings can reduce your production by as much as 30%.
Cleaning your solar array should be done in the early morning before the sun has had time to heat them up. Use water, mild soap, a non abrasive brush and squeege to accomplish this. Do not apply too much pressure as to not damage the solar cells.
HVAC (Heating and Air conditioning)
Before each cooling season we recommend that your central air conditioner bet a professional tune up. This will prevent any major malfunctions in an a/c unit. If you are a do-it-yourself. Here are some steps that may help;
Clean or replace the air filter every month. Electrostatic filters can be cleaned by rinsing with water. Let the filter dry completely before re-installing it.
To help keep the outdoor condenser running efficiently, clean fan blades and coils before each cooling season (be sure to turn off the power before doing this). Remove the fan grill and the fan blades and gently brush off the debris from the blades. Proceed to gently brush the dirty side of the condenser coils. Hose off the condenser coil from the inside of the unit. Use plastic bags to cover the motor and other components.
If possible, shade the outdoor condenser. Properly shading the condenser can help it to be up to 10% more efficient over an entire cooling season.
Raising the temperature setting on a thermostat by just one degree can represent up to a 9% savings in cooling costs during the summer months.