At Air Assurance, we want to help you save energy in your home. That's where the Home Performance Approach comes in. For years, we've known that by providing our heating and air conditioning maintenance plans and services, along with our nationally recognized heating and air conditioning replacement options, we could save homeowners energy. We were one of the first companies that implemented duct sealing as a standard part of our installations. We were one of the first to pay attention to the many areas within the home that ultimately can shrink those ongoing utility bills such as duct sealing, air sealing, and insulation additions. Now, the government, along with local utility companies have made it a point to help as well by giving rebate dollars to help you offset the cost of doing some of these home energy improvements. We'll try and detail some of the questions involved if you're thinking of going "Green". Air Assurance has been recognized as a PSO TOP Performer under their home performance rebate program since inception.  We have also been recognized by the EPA with their Century Club Award the last 3 years as a leader in home energy efficiency.  Only 100 companies throughout the US receive this award!

1. What is "Home Performance" contracting?

   • A simple definition may be "improving comfort through thoughtful design and implementation of energy improving solutions for the home". Energy Efficiency along with Performance makes a more comfortable, and less costly living environment for the home or business owner.

2. What are some areas involved in "Home Performance"

   • Heating and Air Conditioning Unit replacement: On a typical home, your Heating and Air conditioning unit can be responsible for nearly half of your utility bills or more. New technology and government standards have made it necessary for HVAC manufacturers to provide better, more efficient units that can not only provide better comfort, but lower utility bills

   • Addition of insulation: The typical 15 year old house only has an average of R13 insulation in the attic. The current code standard is R30, and R38 is recommended by the DOE in our area. No different than you on a cold winter night, you need a warm blanket to insulate you from the cold (and to keep your warmth from escaping), and so does your house. How thick is your home's blanket?  In the summer, you need to keep that heat from escaping the attic and infiltrating your home. This can be the single most economical way to cut your utility bills. Do you have an upstairs bedroom or two that has walls exposed to the attic? Do you have a crawlspace open to your floor? When was the last time you checked any levels in these areas? Foaming those walls and crawlspaces can again keep the cold/heat out of your living space, and provide you with better sound barriers, better protection against freezing pipes, and overall better comfort in the home!

   • Air Infiltration sealing: Around every light switch, canned light, electrical outlet, light switch, electrical or plumbing penetration, doors, windows, and molding can be small or very large gaps open to the outside, or the attic and crawlspace. This allows cold/hot air to penetrate the home, or allow the warm/cool air you're paying for escape from the home. This is a very easy step that can be taken by any do it yourselfer by caulking or foaming as many areas as possible. This can decrease allergens that also come into the home from these unfiltered areas!

   • Ductwork Design: Just because you have ducts, doesn't mean they were designed right. You must allow the same amount of air into the house (through your supplies) as you take away from your home (through your returns). If one is greater than the other, this can cause performance nightmares, meaning higher utility bills, decreased capacity, and more allergens introduced to the home. Ducts cause pressures within the house, they cause hot and cold spots, and overall comfort problems if not designed correctly.

   • Window Replacement: Although not the most bang for your buck in most houses. If you still have old, single payne wood or metal windows, this can cause drafts and significant heat gain and heat loss through these inefficient barriers to the house.                                                 

These are just a few of the examples of things Air Assurance specializes in providing its' customers. Rebates are available to take care of all of these issues, and the rebates are outstanding!! Just let us know if you would like a free consultation to show you where your home may lack some of these utility guzzling problems, and make you more comfortable and more efficient than ever.