“GOING GREEN” IS INCREASINGLY POPULAR THESE DAYS. WHETHER IT’S A SMALL PURCHASE THAT WILL SAVE MONEY AND ENERGY LIKE RE-USEABLE GROCERY BAGS OR A MAJOR LIFESTYLE CHANGE LIKE

PURCHASING A HYBRID CAR, THERE ARE A VARIETY OF WAYS YOU CAN DO YOUR PART TO CREATE A BETTER FUTURE. CONSIDER ADAPTING YOUR HVAC AND PLUMBING TO NOT ONLY BE MORE ENERGY-EFFICIENT, BUT ALSO

SAVE YOU MONEY ON YOUR UTILITY BILLS. HERE’S A FEW WAYS YOU CAN GO GREEN AT HOME!

HOW TO GO GREEN WITH YOUR HVAC AND PLUMBING

INSTALL LOW-FLOW AND ENERGY EFFICIENT PLUMBING FIXTURES

If you own an older home, there’s a good chance your toilets and faucets use more water than necessary. An excellent way to combat wasted water is installing low-flow fixtures.

WaterSense faucets reduce water flow by 30 percent and could save the average home an estimated 700 gallons of water each year, while WaterSense toilets use about 20 percent less water per flush which amounts to about 13,000 gallons saved annually.1, 2

1 - https://www.epa.gov/watersense/bathroom-faucets2 - https://www.epa.gov/watersense/residential-toilets

1

Regularly replacing HVAC filters is perhaps the easiest thing you can do to reduce resource consumption and save money. Dirty or clogged filters cause your HVAC to run more than neces-sary, resulting in more expensive energy bills.

It’s recommended you change your filter once a month during peak seasons, like winter and summer, and at a minimum of every three months otherwise.

2 REPLACE HVAC FILTERS REGULARLY

If your HVAC system is more than 10 years old or frequently in need of repairs, it may be best to simply have a new, energy efficient HVAC system installed. You have plenty of options, but in general, a system that’s ENERGY STAR® qualified could save you roughly $100 a month on your utility bill.³

Upgrading to a heat pump, which uses an estimated 50 percent less energy than an electric furnace, is also a smart choice to help you conserve energy.⁴

3 - https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=heat_cool.pr_hvac 4 - https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/10/f37/Energy_Saver_ Guide-2017-en.pdf

3 UPGRADE TO A MORE EFFICIENT HVAC SYSTEM

If your ductwork isn’t sealed properly, your HVAC system will run longer and more frequently than it needs to, wasting energy and ultimately costing you more money in the process. Some signs of leaking air ducts include abnormally high energy bills, uneven cooling throughout the home and high amounts of dust in the air.

If you think your air ducts aren’t performing as they should, don’t wait to have them sealed up!

4 ENSURE YOUR DUCTWORK IS SEALED TIGHT

An outdated or underperforming water heater can be just as wasteful as an old HVAC unit. ENERGY STAR-qualified water heaters use significantly less power to operate.

For example, ENERGY STAR gas storage water heaters use eight percent less gas than standard models, whereas heat pump water heaters have been shown to reduce energy costs by 50 percent in certain climates.4, 5

4 - https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/10/f37/Energy_ Saver_Guide-2017-en.pdf5 - https://www.energystar.gov/products/water_heaters/water_ heater_high_efficiency_gas_storage

5 UPGRADE YOUR WATER HEATER

Plastic water bottles are one of the largest pollutants on Earth. It’s estimated that one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute, with the majority being water bottles.⁶ Sadly, most of those bottles end up in a landfill or in the ocean. If you want to cut back on needless waste and litter, a whole-house filtration system will go a long way.

A whole-house filtration system clears tap water of contaminants and harmful particles, rendering plastic water bottles unnecessary.

6 - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/28/a-million-a- minute-worlds-plastic-bottle-binge-as-dangerous-as-climate-change

6 INSTALL A WHOLE-HOUSE FILTRATION SYSTEM

THERE ARE NUMEROUS BENEFITS TO GOING GREEN. NOT ONLY ARE YOU DOING YOUR PART TO PROVIDE A HEALTHIER FUTURE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION, BUT YOU’LL BE DOING YOURSELF A FAVOR IN THE SHORT-TERM

BY CUTTING DOWN ON WASTED RESOURCES AND AVOIDING SKY-HIGH UTILITY BILLS.

WHETHER YOU NEED ASSISTANCE INSTALLING ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY HVAC OR PLUMBING EQUIPMENT OR YOU’RE SIMPLY READY FOR A ROUTINE A/C TUNE-UP, TRUST A-1 AMERICAN PLUMBING TO BE

YOUR GO-TO PLUMBING, HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING EXPERTS. FILL OUT OUR ONLINE FORM, CALL (757) 467-1000 FOR SERVICE IN VIRGINIA BEACH OR (757) 595-9900 IN NEWPORT NEWS TO

SCHEDULE SERVICE TODAY!

ALLOW A-1 AMERICAN PLUMBING TO BE YOUR GOING GREEN PARTNER