ENED: The Home Enjoy More Comfort At Ls Cost (NAPSA)—Heating and cooling is the single biggt energy user in a home and accounts for about 40 percent of all the energy consumed by homeowners—but high heating and cooling bills don’t have to get you hot underthe collar if you follow a few simple steps Pt Air-Conditioning, Heating, andRefrigerationInstitute to ensure that your equipment operat asefficiently as possible. What You Can Do *Clear away leav, grass, weeds, plants and other debris that block airflow through an outdoor condensing unit—the large metal box in your yard next to the house. Anything that collects on the unit’s fins will block airflow and reduce its efficiency. Grass clippings thrown by the lawn mower are particularly common offenders. *Occasionally clean the outdoor condensing unit by lightly spraying it with a water hose but do not use a prsure washer. Make sure air vents inside your home are not obstructed by furniture. Get Profsional Help According to the experts at the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), it’s also a good idea to hire a profsional to service your air condi- Bf With proper maintenance,central air conditioning and heat pump units can provide homeowners with many comfortable years. tioner. A well-trained technician can safely find and fix problems in the system. Look for a technician who is certified by North American Technician Excellence (NATE). You can find a NATE-cer- tified technician online www.natex.org. Learn More at For further information about heating and cooling or to search for AHRI-certified products, visit www.ahrinet.org or call (703) 5248800.
