As we said in Part I of this series when we tried to demonstrate some of the pitfalls of over sizing equipment, “Bigger is not necessarily Better”. Then if bigger is not better, what is?

     Comfort is better! Your home may be your castle but most castles are notoriously cold, drafty uncomfortable places to live. How about your castle…is it comfortable?

     Is your favorite place to sit in a cold corner? Is there a draft across your feet? Do your feet freeze on the bathroom floor? Is the guest bedroom too cold for guests? Comfort is indeed better…much better!
         
     Good indoor comfort conditions start with controlling air temperatures. As the average family spends 80-90% of their time indoors, heating and cooling the air uniformly by minimizing temperature swings and variations from ceiling to floors, not only increases your comfort but contributes immensely to your health and over all well-being.

     But true indoor comfort is much more than just controlling the air temperature…in fact, it’s just the beginning! Humidity for example, can be like a two edged sword. It’s good in the winter for the same reason you hate it in summer.
     
     In the summer, how many times have you heard the old bromide “that it’s not the heat but the humidity” …that’s because excessive moisture content of the air (relative humidity) is an important factor of body discomfort. In addition, excessive humidity causes moisture to form on windows and over time, can damage your home, causing paint to peel, blister or crack, deform wooden surfaces or cause mildew and mold. Removing excess humidity makes the indoor air feel cooler and less sticky.

     In the winter, dry air (air with insufficient humidity) can cause static electricity, itchy skin, damage to home furnishings and more. Adding humidity is a good thing because it makes the air feel warmer and more comfortable while minimizing damage to furnishings. When there’s the right amount of moisture in the air, you feel warmer…more comfortable, even at a lower temperature.

     Zoning is yet another way to enhance your indoor comfort. By simply dividing your home into areas with similar heating and cooling needs and providing a thermostat for each area, the homeowner is able to customize different rooms in the home to different temperatures. To learn more about Zoning, click here.

     Most of these comfort issues can be solved by a few modifications to your home's existing indoor climate system! Accessories and technologically improved system controls of varying degrees of sophistication are available to resolve most of these problems…and at very reasonable costs.

     Programmable thermostats for example, automatically set back the temperature in your home based upon a predetermined schedule, enabling you to create and maintain a flexible “comfort schedule”, to match your unique lifestyle. A programmable thermostat will keep you and your home comfortable while you are there to enjoy it, and will change the set point at programmed times to an energy savings level when you are asleep or not home. By simply planning your schedule, you can enjoy the benefits of personalized comfort and enhanced energy savings.

     The precise temperature control of a programmable, energy-saving thermostat saves wear and tear on high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment by properly cycling the equipment. Offering set-it-and-forget-it programming, programmable thermostats make energy savings automatic. Precise control delivers the comfortable temperatures you want while using the energy most efficiently. For more information on programmable thermostats, click here.

     Bigger is not necessarily better but comfort definitely is!