Maintaining your thermostat is important for energy efficiency.

One of the most important things you can do to keep your heating and cooling systems working efficiently is to make sure they are regularly maintained. Some maintenance practices are basic and can be performed by the average do-it-yourselfer.

Among the top heating supplies you can use to maintain your heating equipment are fresh furnace filters. Furnace filters are easy to replace, and a clean filter ensures proper air flow through the furnace or air conditioner.

Filters are readily available at various HVAC parts supply stores and heating supply stores. They can even be found at department stores. A low-end, average furnace filter can cost as little as $1.00, while better filters, such as HEPA filters, can cost $10.00 or more. A HEPA filter removes more particles, cigarette smoke, and pet dander from the air than a regular filter.

Another piece of HVAC equipment that is helpful in maintaining your heating system can be found in most homes and businesses: a shop vac. A regular vacuum will work just as well, provided it has a hose that can be used to vacuum debris from the blower wheel, the flue, and the motor. All of the air in the house flows through the blower, and if too much debris builds up in the blower, the motor may seize up and burn out. Regular vacuuming will help the blower to continue to work smoothly.

While the above maintenance practices are easy and essential to the life and efficiency of your heating equipment, there are maintenance tasks that should not be attempted by the average do-it-yourselfer.

In order to tune up a furnace properly, the furnace must be shut off so that there is no electric current running through it, and gas burners must be removed and cleaned. Only a certified HVAC technician should perform this task, and it should be done annually.

Additional annual service tasks that a tech performs are checks of the many HVAC controls (safety controls) that are present in heating equipment. These controls must be working properly to prevent fires, gas leaks, and other potential hazards.

HVAC technicians also test for carbon monoxide emissions. Average store-bought carbon monoxide detectors do not read low levels of carbon monoxide. Many of these detectors will not go off until emissions of carbon monoxide are at dangerous levels. One of the HVAC supplies a professional technician uses is a carbon monoxide sniffer that detects low levels of emissions.

Maintenance and service on any kind of radiant heat system should never be attempted by the average do-it-yourselfer. Radiant system maintenance involves many specific components and should always be performed by a certified HVAC technician who has been properly trained in radiant system service and in the use of radiant heating supplies.

When it comes to maintaining air conditioning equipment, the average do-it-yourselfer is limited in what he can do. A broom may be used to remove grass clippings, cobwebs, and other debris from the back of the air conditioner. All other cooling equipment maintenance and cleaning should be performed annually by a certified professional.

Air conditioning supplies consist of different kinds of acid cleaning solutions and hydrochloric and sulfuric acids that are only available to legally certified technicians or professionals licensed to use them.

Another HVAC supply a technician uses is a certain guage that he plugs into the cooling system to check refrigerant levels. You must be EPA certified to plug gauges into the cooling system.

R22 refrigerant is made of a chemical which is detrimental to the ozone layer. It is illegal to open the air conditioner and attempt cleaning or maintenance unless you are legally certified.

If you are a do-it-yourselfer, you can perform basic tasks to help keep your furnace and air conditioner working properly: replace your furnace filter once a month, vacuum your furnace flue, blower wheel, and motor, and sweep debris from the back of your air conditioner. But for your safety and the safety of your home and family, and to get the highest efficiency from your heating and cooling systems, you should keep an annual appointment with your professional HVAC service tech to have your heating and cooling systems cleaned and tested.

For more articles by this author, go to Helium.

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions for 2009? Maybe you want to lose weight, eat healthier, get outside more, and spend more time with the family. Did you make any home improvement resolutions? Clean garage, paint bedroom, remodel kitchen, or install home theater. Did any of those resolutions include reducing your carbon footprint? Your what? Your carbon footprint is how you treat the earth around you.

Below are suggestions on how to care for our Earth.

1. Is your current furnace older than your college aged son? Time for a new one. Replace your inefficient heating system with a more modern energy efficient one. Look for a heater with the Energy Star label.

2. But your furnace is pretty new? Then it may just need some TLC and minor maintenance such as changing or cleaning the filters. You can also save the strain on your budget as well by closing the vents to rooms not in use. Reduce heat loss by 20%.

3. Does your garage feel like you stepped into the North Pole? Why not change out the garage door to a more insulated one since energy efficiency is not in the plans when the house was first built. Look for garage doors filled with polystyrene.

4. Does your skirt ever blow up when standing too close to your window? You can add weather stripping around the windows for one solution. A second easier solution is to hang up “blackout” curtains or if needed, and budget allows, replace windows with a double or triple pane window (depending on age of current windows). Curtains can reduce heat loss by 25%.

5. Do you have bats in attic? What about insulation? It may be time to add more insulation or check to see if any is there at all. You can insulate with spray foam or cellulose insulation. Check with the local expert for the best insulation that is needed in your area/home. This will save from undergoing a major renovation.

6. Do you have calluses on your fingers from constant button pushing on your thermostat? Why not get a programmable thermostat that you can pre-set for when you are home or away. You can set to your needs from morning wake up to bedtime tuck in. Save 15% on the heating bill.

7. Got Sun? You can if you convert your power source to solar. This conversion can be expensive, but if done one panel at a time, can be budgeted for and save money in the long run. Get Sun!

8. Cold water is great on a hot summer’s day, but not in the dead of winter when taking a shower. If your water heater is over 15 years old and your water does not seem to stay heated or runs out quick, it time to replace. Once the water heater is installed, wrap it with an insulated jacket to prevent heat loss. Look for an Energy Star model.