When living in Canada, summer time temperatures can still be devastatingly hot despite the distance from the equator. That being said, whatever you do to help beat the summer heat should not undermine your ability to cope with winter cold. With that in mind there are two things you can do to boost your overall HVAC performance and one thing you should avoid. 

First, What to Avoid

Heat gain is your AC unit's arch nemesis, for the more your home heats up, the longer your AC system has to run to cool it back down. Installing a metal roof can reduce heat gain by up to 25%. Similarly, a white roof can reduce cooling costs by 20%. While this sounds like impressive savings, you should remember that heat gain is only a problem during the summer. Heat gain can actually help keep heating costs low during the winter, so installing a cool roof may not be the best move for overall savings. 

Window Film Is Good Year Round

Your roof can be a problem for your heating and cooling system, but a bigger problem is your windows. During the summer, windows can allow UV rays to penetrate into your home and heat it up. During the winter, your windows can allow heat to escape and undermine the efficiency of your heating system. Window film can help by reflecting UV rays away from your home during the summer and reflecting heat back into your home during the winter. Thus, they should reduce your cooling costs by 23% and your heating costs by 25%. 

Trees Provide Solar and Wind Relief

Trees can shade your home, helping to keep the exterior surfaces of your home cool during the summer. When the exterior of your home stays cooler, there is less heat transfer through the walls of your home to worry about. Planting trees to provide not only shade but also to create a windscreen can help to reduce your heating costs by 30%. Thus, trees can provide you with year round savings. 

Heating and cooling are major costs that a homeowner has to contend with. An efficient AC system can help to keep your costs lower, but you also need to take steps to optimize the function of your heating and cooling system. Before you attempt an upgrade, it is wise to consider how the upgrade will affect both your heating and your cooling system. Make sure you focus on upgrades that will provide year round savings in order to maximize the affect of your upgrade. 

For more information, contact John Legg's Heating & Air Conditioning or a similar company.