Everybody would like to save money on their heating and cooling expenses and there are some basic things you can do that you might not have thought of. Programmable thermostats are an eaan easy switch and replacing your air conditioner filter often to create less drag on your furnace or air conditioner are some apparent ways, but what about the details you can’t see-like ductwork? Your home’s duct system travels through every room in your house, but when was the last time you checked it? “What am I checking it for, specifically?” you say.

First, check to see if your duct system is insulated. Most duct systems are either inadequately insulated or not insulated at all. It’s especially crucial to insulate ducts in locations that are not temperature controlled like attics and crawl spaces. If you do not, your ductwork can transfer cold air from these places in the wintertime and hot air in the summer season triggering your furnace or air conditioner to work harder and resulting in higher utility bills.

Yet another thing to look for is leaks in your duct work. Ducts are commonly manufactured from sheet metal or sometimes fiberglass tunnels that are pieced together. Hot or cold air will be lost through the gaps where they are connected, minimizing the performance of your system. Unconditioned air can also be pulled into return air ducts through unsealed joints. Just like the un-insulated ductwork transferred heat or cold from the adjacent areas, leaky ducts leave behind hot or cold air in these areas wasting it.

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I bought a new thermostat recently and hooked it up. I know the wiring is correct because I checked the wires all the way back to the furnace. The furnace is working, but the air conditioner will not turn on even though the wiring should be correct. I checked the filter, and that is clean. The only other option suggested to me was that maybe the thermostat wasn’t compatible with my furnace/air conditioner. How do I know I’m getting the correct thermostat? I checked the manuals, and they don’t say anything about a specific thermostat needed. The new thermostat I have didn’t have any specifications that I noticed (as in: Only use with certain voltage of furnace/certain brand, ect.) How can I tell?
So if I ‘jump’ those two wires and the air conditioner doesn’t come on with in 10mins, does that mean that something is wrong with my air conditioner? Besides the wiring being mixed up, can anyone think of anything else that might be the case for the furnace working but the air conditioner not?
(PS. Thanks for all the help! I really appreciate it since I can’t afford to hire someone right now, and my hubby ISN’T a handyman sort!.)

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I have just installed an air conditioner in an electric furnace, but I can’t figure out the wiring to make the high speed fan come on with a call for cooling. It is fairly old so I have used a fan center and the 24V side is working fine but I can’t figure out the wiring on the 120V side to make the high speed fan come on. There is a Fan/Limit Switch, isolating relay, and sequencers. Any help would be great.

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