The New Year is here and many of us probably made resolutions that we fully intend to keep. Easier said than done, right? Let’s start with probably the most popular resolution: I resolve to lose weight. The normal list of New Year’s resolutions usually grows from there and may include the following: exercise more, eat healthier, save more money, don’t complain about… well, anything, don’t get on my husband for watching too much sports on TV (her perspective), or watch less sports on TV so I can spend more time with my wife (his perspective).

Admirable things to strive for, most definitely. This year, how about also resolving to improve the quality of life in your home by making your HVAC system more efficient and safer?

The best way to accomplish this is to adhere to a checklist:

• Check/inspect smoke detectors and install new batteries if it’s been a while.
• Invest in some low-level carbon monoxide alarms. Learning the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may save your life or that of a loved one.
• Another good question is, how is the air quality in your house? If your answer is “I don’t know,” it is time to let Kotz Heating, Cooling & Plumbing help you answer that question by testing your indoor air quality. The test will analyze your IAQ and will determine if your home is plagued by pollutants like mold and dust. It will also indicate if your ductwork needs to be cleaned.

You can also turn to Kotz for installation of air purification systems or whole house humidifiers, which will make make the air you breathe cleaner and your family healthier.

Now that we have made your home safer, let’s make it more efficient. A new Wi-Fi enabled thermostat is an easy way to improve your system’s efficiency. A good way to describe it is a programmable thermostat on steroids and it allows you to manage your heating and cooling system via your mobile device.

Let’s say you left home for a couple of weeks during the holidays and you turned the heat way in an effort to save money. No problem. On your way home just use your smartphone to turn up the wifi programmable thermostat and your home will be nice and toasty when you walk in the door. Or if you left home in a hurry and left the furnace running, you can easily turn it down from remote. Also, If you’re out of town when that winter storm hits, it is easy to increase the temperature to protect your home from the wicked winter weather. That is called peace of mind, my friends.

So, talk with your Kotz technician during your next tune up or call our office to find out which programmable wifi thermostat is just right for your system. You will be amazed at how it can increase efficiency and save you money in the long run.

And if you’re going to go with either one of those aforementioned TV sports resolutions, here’s food for thought: wait until AFTER the Super Bowl.