More than half of all household energy use in a typical U.S. home is heating and cooling, which makes it the largest expense for most homeowners.
Warm air leaking out of your home in the winter (or into your home in the summer) can waste of lot of energy and money. Which is basically just tossing money out the window!
While the weather is still nice this September, it is a good idea to make sure your home is optimized to keep you comfortable this winter. In addition to a furnace system check, it is recommended that you check for any air leaks your home may have.
25% of the home’s heat is lost through small cracks and holes throughout your home. This is the time to identify those problem areas and address them by sealing any leaks or adding insulation to your attic or walls.
Benefits of Proper Sealing & Insulation
Making sure your home is sealed and insulating will save not only energy, but money. These measures will also help ensure that your home holds onto that warm air, keeps the cold air out, and allows you to maintain the comfort level inside the house.
When your home is properly sealed and insulated, the home will maintain a consistent temperature throughout and your HVAC system will run less often, thus your energy bills will be lower.
Detecting Potential Leaks
While some leaks may be obvious, it is a good idea to call a professional HVAC technician to perform a whole house evaluation to determine where air is leaking and make recommendations regarding remedies to the issues.
Determining if Insulation is Adequate
When you don’t have adequate insulation your HVAC system will run longer to keep your house warm. This results in higher energy bills. However, when you have proper insulation your system will run more efficiently for a shorter period.
Checking the insulation around windows, door frames, and in the attic is recommended. Insulation is specified by “R-value.”
“R-Value is a measure of insulation’s ability to resist heat traveling through it.
The higher the R-Value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.”
If you are unsure your insulation is appropriate for your home, it is recommended to contact a professional to help determine if you need additional insulation.
Keep Calm, Keep Warm
Enjoy your winter and make sure your furnace runs smoothly. Schedule a system check this fall and determine whether your home needs additional sealing or insulation.
Completing these steps will help keep your family warm and your bills lower this season.
Schedule your System Check with us now – 815-265-6650
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Brian Sloan is the President of TR Miller Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical, one of the western Chicago suburbs' leading family owned home service companies, serving homeowners across more than 80 communities throughout Will, Kendall, DuPage, Kane, and Cook counties.
TR Miller is more than a business to Brian, it's a family legacy. The company was founded by his father, Tim Miller, and Brian and his brother Jim have played an important role in growing the business from a small local operation into a full service residential HVAC, plumbing, and electrical company serving homeowners throughout the greater Chicagoland area.
Brian's perspective on the home services industry comes from firsthand experience. Before taking on leadership responsibilities, he worked in the field as an HVAC Service Technician and Fabrication Technician, diagnosing heating and cooling systems, assembling custom HVAC components, and supporting residential installations throughout the western suburbs.
That hands on foundation continues to influence the way Brian leads TR Miller today. He understands both the work taking place inside a customer's home and the systems, training, and support required behind the scenes to consistently deliver a great customer experience.
Over the course of his career at TR Miller, Brian has worked across nearly every major area of the business, including operations, marketing, sales, job coordination, customer service, finance, and leadership. Today, as President, he is responsible for the overall strategy, growth, culture, and performance of the organization.
That breadth of experience across both the technical and business sides of home services has helped shape how TR Miller operates: combining the systems and accountability of a professionally run organization with the care, responsiveness, and personal connection of a family business.
Brian's philosophy is straightforward, make home services convenient and reliable while giving homeowners the information they need to make the best decisions for their homes and families. That means educating customers, providing clear options and upfront pricing, and making sure homeowners understand both what was found and why a repair or replacement may be recommended.
Under Brian's leadership, TR Miller has expanded beyond HVAC into plumbing and electrical services, grown across multiple locations, invested heavily in technical and leadership development, and been recognized seven times on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest growing privately held companies.
Credentials & Affiliations:
- President, TR Miller Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical
- Membership Officer, YPO Chicagoland
- Board Member, Nexstar Network
- Former Vice Chair, Board of Directors, Plainfield Shorewood Area Chamber of Commerce
- Associate's Degree, Waubonsee Community College
- Former HVAC Service Technician & Fabrication Technician, TR Miller
