Hey All,
WOW what a summer we had this past year! Temperatures maintained a “feels like” temperature well into the mid 80’s for most of our summer months of June, July, and August. This made the summer of 2026 the 8th warmest summer on record for the Washington / Northern Virginia area! Now firmly in September, during the day it seems that the summer sun is not done with us yet. But if you happen to wake up in the early hours, you will feel that familiar crispness in the air- just as the autumnal equinox arrived yesterday September 22nd– the official first day of fall! Commence with all things pumpkin spice, and apple crisp 😋
Soon it will be cold enough to pop that thermostat over to heat, so let’s talk about heating for a minute. Fundamentally, heating is extra movement of atoms and molecules. Heating at its core is the transfer of thermal energy or from a warmer area to a cooler area.
For gas furnaces, your furnace heats the air in your home. Cold air goes through a set of duct work to be heated by the furnace. The warm air is then pushed back out through a different set of ductwork to heat your home. Once the thermostat is satisfied the warm air is constantly cycled through the home (depending on your fan setting). We recommend setting your fan to automatic as this means the fan will cycle the air in your home whenever the furnace kicks on, not constantly. This is for wintertime only and not only saves energy, but it also prevents things feeling drafty.
For heat pumps, it is a little trickier. Heat Pumps rely on heat transfer from the refrigerant. The refrigerant in your outdoor unit absorbs heat from the outside air (even when it feels freezing). This heat will change the state of the refrigerant from a liquid to a gas. It then passes through your compressor which essentially squeezes the gas refrigerant (compress if you will). This increases not only the pressure, but also the temperature. This is when it travels to your indoor unit, and your indoor blower will then cycle the cold air from inside your home over the hot coil thus warming the air to cycle back through the home. As the refrigerant gives up its heat, it then turns back into liquid and the process starts all over again.
Still with me?
So, now that we have the fundamentals down on how the different types of heating work, how do we prevent heat loss and save some money this season? First thing to keep in mind, heating accounts for anywhere between 40-50% of your home’s energy usage. You may be tempted to increase your thermostat temperature to try and speed up the heating of your home. This will cause the electric heat to run and have the opposite effect. The best thing to do is set your thermostat on a schedule that is comfortable to you. Having a predetermined “heat to” and “cool to” schedule will make sure your system is only operating when it needs to be, and make sure your fan is only kicking on when the system is running. A smart thermostat is a basic upgrade to ensure you have a proper schedule in place, as well as being able to check on your home’s HVAC while on the go. We love a win/win for all seasons!
Some other basic home adjustments can help keep your warm air inside this season. Make sure to adjust your ceiling fans for heat by reversing the spin. If you run your ceiling fans on a low setting, with the correct rotation, you will not only help with air circulation in the draftier months, but you will also be pushing that warm air back down towards you. You can also leverage what little afternoon sunlight we have left and open your blinds to let that warmth shine in. Lastly, check your weather stripping around your windows and if they seem chipped, go ahead and put some fresh caulk on there to prevent air escape.
All in all, the heating season is an expensive time of year and small adjustments can lead to real savings in the long run no matter if you have a furnace or a heat pump!
Becca has started to make the calls for this season’s rotation of checkups. If you have a certain day in mind or month please feel free to give her a shout at the office. If not, she will be giving you a call or sending you an email at some point to get you on the books for your next routine checkup!
We have also extended our little outfit by bringing on two more technicians! We welcomed David back this past April and he has hit the ground running! Our other newest technician is named Juan. Although he does not come from an HVAC background he is enrolled in the HVAC program at Laurel Ridge! We are excited to help him in his endeavors to become a full fledged technician as well as pass on the secrets of the trade!
After a long summer, we are excited to welcome the crisp autumn air and the change of pace from the chaos of summer. We hope you are too 😊
