Original tests and charts from our technicians: how fast a house cools with the heat off, what a clogged furnace filter does, when appliances fail most in Northern Virginia, and what the numbers mean for your home.
We modeled a 1990s Northern Virginia house against two real heat pumps from 45°F down to 5°F. A variable-speed heat pump runs almost nonstop most of the winter, and that’s by design.
We used a real furnace blower table and real filter pressure-drop data to calculate what a dirty furnace filter does to static pressure, airflow and temperature rise, from clean to badly restricted.
We modeled a 1990s Northern Virginia home through two real Dulles nights at 68°F, 65°F, 62°F and 60°F, with a gas furnace and with a heat pump. Here’s what each night thermostat setting saved after the morning warm-up.
We read 12 months of repair searches across Northern Virginia. Heating peaks in January, ovens in November, washers and dishwashers in December, and AC in July.
We modeled three Northern Virginia homes, from the 1970s to today, through three real fall nights at Dulles with the heat off. Here’s how fast each one cooled, and when to turn on the heat.
