Maintenance

Maintain your ENERGY STAR certified home

Maintaining your home is important to keep it operating at its best. Like any system, your home will run only as efficiently as you operate and maintain it. Operating it efficiently can improve your home's heating, cooling and ventilation performance. As part of your house-as-a-system, a well-tuned and efficiently operating heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) system can reduce your annual energy bill. Even more important, you will create a healthier, more comfortable living environment.

Did you know your ENERGY STAR home needs annual maintenance?

Follow the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance procedures for cleaning and servicing heating and cooling equipment. Oil-fired furnaces and boilers require annual cleaning and tuning. Natural gas and propane furnaces and boilers and ground-source heat pumps should be serviced at least every two years. If your home has solid fuel burning equipment (e.g. wood stove or fireplace), have the equipment and chimney inspected annually and cleaned as often as necessary.

Your ventilation equipment, either a Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) or Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV), requires annual maintenance to ensure its peak efficiency. Our booklet on HRVs provides helpful information on routine maintenance.

Air conditioners should be serviced and maintained regularly. They become inefficient when the inside coil is dirty, when the airways on the outdoor condenser unit are blocked and when the refrigerant level runs low. Check your owner’s manual for information on maintenance.

Useful tips to keep saving energy

• Use ENERGY STAR products such as appliances, lighting, TVs
• Wash and rinse full loads of laundry in cold water
• Purchase a front-loading washing machine which uses less energy and water
• Run the dishwasher only when it is full, and air dry
• Keep return air grills or heating vents clear of furniture
• Unplug small appliances or equipment not in use, or use power bars or timers to turn them all off at once, or for certain time periods
• Install a programmable thermostat to program temperature reductions such as when everyone is away during the day and end just before you arrive in the evening. A drop of 1°C over an eight-hour period can save about 2 percent on your heating energy consumption.