Homesteaders tend to achieve self-sufficiency in one of two ways. Many homesteaders reduce their reliance on technology. They assess their priorities and then scale back creature comforts so they don’t have to generate much electricity. However, other homesteaders use the latest tech to make their off-grid homestead as comfortable as any other modern home.
The direction you take your homestead depends on your goals and means. However, every homesteader has to face the question of how to handle HVAC in their home. In traditional American homes, heating and air conditioning easily account for more than half of a household’s energy consumption.
Finding smart ways to manage heating and cooling can reduce your energy costs and improve your homestead experience. Depending on the location of your home, HVAC may be an essential part of self-sustainability. Here are 15 tips to help you install an affordable HVAC system on your homestead.
1. Schedule an Energy Audit
Before you start exploring HVAC options, it’s worthwhile to conduct an energy audit on your home. You can hire a professional for this or conduct some tests of your own to identify ways your home may be losing valuable energy. Homes that are tightly sealed against their external environment are more energy efficient.
Common places to look for air leaks include cracks around doors and windows. Poor insulation in your attic can also lead to heat loss and problematic ice dams on your roof in the winter. Once you’ve identified any existing leaks, you can create a plan to seal your home more tightly and reduce your energy needs.
Many modern homes are built with a tight outer envelope to encourage energy efficiency. However, older homes weren’t always built with modern HVAC units in mind. If you live in an older home, you’ll need to be more thoughtful and creative about improving its efficiency.
2. Improve Your Insulation
Insulation is the key to improving your home’s energy efficiency. There are many different types of insulation, ranging from the poisonous asbestos used in the early 1900s to eco-friendly alternatives like cork and recycled denim. If your home is well insulated, keeping it at a habitable internal temperature will be easier.
If you’re building or renovating your home, do research to find the ideal insulation for you. Some types of insulation contain more chemicals than others and the cost of materials varies depending on the type you choose, your location and your supplier. Thick insulation will keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
You can use weather strips and caulking to seal cracks around windows and doors. Sometimes, adding insulation under decorate trim can also solve this problem. Windows can be insulated by using double or triple panes or adding a clear film on top. Once your home is tightly sealed, it’s essential that you also install a ventilation system to remove trapped moisture.
3. Use Passive Design
You can also reduce your home’s energy needs by following passive design principles. Passive house design uses your home’s orientation, materials and sun exposure to minimize energy needs. Passive design principles are easier to follow if you’re building a new home from the ground up, but you can also use them to improve an existing home.
For example, rooflines can be designed so they shade windows in the summer but allow sunshine to enter your home in the winter. Window placement and orientation both play a big factor in your home’s internal temperature. Homes with unobstructed south-facing windows tend to stay warm throughout the year.
Existing homes can be updated with window shades, landscaping and porches to facilitate natural heating and cooling. You can learn more about passive house design on your own or contact a professional to identify and address issues with your property. Passive design can significantly reduce your home’s energy needs.
4. Consider Your Goals
Every homesteader has unique goals and personal preferences for their energy use. Some people intend to be completely off-grid while others plan to support their property with a traditional electric company. Other homesteaders rely on solar or geothermal but stay connected to the grid so that they can sell excess energy.
Before you consider options for HVAC, think about the needs and goals you have for your homestead. How much energy are you willing/able to put toward heating and cooling your home? Do you have secondary buildings that also need to be temperature controlled?
The size of your home, building materials and location will all play a factor in your final HVAC setup. For example, people living in the midwest shouldn’t plan to rely on a woodstove. Larger homes will take more energy to heat and cool. Make a comprehensive list of your wants/needs and order them by priority.
5. Install During Off-Season
Most people invest in HVAC units during the spring and fall as preparation for extreme temperatures. If you hire a contractor during the offseason instead, their rates are often cheaper. HVAC units may also be discounted at this time since these seasons aren’t as profitable for the heating and cooling industry.
The best time to buy and install HVAC units will depend on where you live since weather is the primary motivator for making this purchase. If you decide to purchase units during the offseason, you may have to weather an uncomfortable summer or winter first.
If you decide to save by postponing this purchase, don’t forget to provide for other systems in your home. You may have to run space heaters to protect your plumbing during the winter or keep windows open and fans running to protect your home from mold during a hot summer.
6. Go With a Mini-Split
If quality air conditioning is a high priority for you, consider buying a mini-split system instead of central air. They can be more expensive than central air, but they’re cost-effective over the long term. Mini-splits require less maintenance than traditional AC units and don’t require ductwork.
Mini-split systems include an indoor evaporating unit and an outdoor condenser. These two parts are connected by tubing you run through an external wall. They’re quiet and efficient, allowing you to target specific zones of your home instead of trying to cool everything at once.
On average, mini-split systems cost between $2,000 and $5,000 a unit. Some homes may require more than one, although this depends on the size of your space. You can easily power a mini-split with a solar array to save on electricity costs.
7. Build an Outdoor Kitchen
During the summer, you can save on energy costs by cooking and baking outside. Many homesteaders build outdoor kitchens so that it’s easy for them to keep their homes cool during the hot summer months. Outdoor ovens stay hot for a long time, so you can often cook several meals once you heat them up.
Building an outdoor oven is easier than you might think. There are many free designs available online or you can purchase one. You’ll want to consider the location of your outdoor kitchen carefully – it should be far enough away from your home that there’s no risk of fire or heat transfer.
Outdoor ovens will reduce the cost of cooling your house in the summer, but they’re also a lot of fun for outdoor gatherings. You can use them for pizzas, stews, soups, bread and many other dishes. Most of these ovens are heated with hardwood.
8. Look Into Geothermal
If you want an off-grid HVAC system and solar isn’t a good option for you, consider installing a geothermal system. Again, the initial investment into this eco-friendly system will be high. However, over time you’ll save money by reducing monthly energy bills.
Geothermal systems harness the Earth’s natural warmth to control the temperature inside your home. They work on either a closed-loop or open-loop system. Closed-loop systems can be constructed vertically or horizontally, depending on how much space you have available.
This type of temperature control system can even be used to heat water. Because geothermal systems are built underground, they require you to tear up your yard. However, once installed, they need very little maintenance and should last a long time.
9. Use Individual Units
If you’re concerned about the cost of installing a full HVAC system, consider scaling back your heating and cooling to small individual units. For example, you could get several small heaters for the winter and window AC units for the summer.
Once you’ve chosen specific equipment, you can easily calculate how much it will cost each month to run individual units. Space heaters and window units are easy to control and can be turned off whenever you want to save energy.
Some heaters are not meant to be used inside. For example, diesel heaters are effective and inexpensive but create toxic gas. As long as you properly ventilate your space, these heaters can be a good solution for heating an off-grid home.
10. Have a Fireplace
There’s nothing as cozy as having a home fireplace. If you have access to plenty of wood, a fireplace could also be a good solution for home heating. Many homesteaders also use their woodstoves for cooking.
Before choosing a fireplace as your primary heat source, it’s important to factor in the time and cost it will take to stockpile fuel for the winter. If you cut the wood yourself, you’ll have to chop up ten large trees per year, give or take a few.
Depending on where they live, most homesteaders with a woodstove burn two to five cords of wood during the cold season. There are about 700 small split logs in a single cord of wood. You’ll definitely need ventilation with a wood stove to direct any smoke out of your house.
11. Warm With Solar Energy
If you’re unsure about maintaining a woodstove, consider harnessing solar energy instead. Passive homes use design principles to capture as much sunlight as possible during the winter and stay cool during the summer.
However, you can also install solar panels that directly power a temperature control system in your home. These systems can heat either air or water, depending on how you want to warm your home. Some homeowners use radiant floor heating.
Installing a solar energy system can be expensive initially. However, it takes you off-grid so you can save on energy bills over the long term. Solar panels require very little maintenance and can last for 20-30 years if you choose high-quality equipment.
12. Look Into Financial Aid
If you decide to install an energy-efficient HVAC system, you may be able to benefit from tax credits or rebates. Current legislation allows homeowners who install qualifying systems before 2023 to earn a 26% tax credit. If you complete the work a year later, the number drops down to 22%.
Many Energy Star certified appliances also offer rebates that can help you afford new HVAC equipment. If you can’t afford to purchase a full system at once, start with the appliances you immediately need and build a complete HVAC system over time.
Some households may qualify for additional financial aid to install a new HVAC system. You can check for federal tax credits on the U.S. Department of Energy’s website or investigate options for government grants.
13. Be Your Own Installer
Labor costs are a significant part of the price you pay for an HVAC system. If you’re able to do the work yourself, you can install a working system on a smaller budget. You may also be able to afford more components for your system.
Heating and cooling units often include electric work, so it’s important that you complete installation very carefully. Once you’ve chosen a specific system, check Google and YouTube to see if there’s free information on safe installation.
With enough grit and determination, you can learn almost everything. However, learning takes time and energy. For some homesteaders, it makes more sense to hire experts and save yourself the stress.
14. Complete All Maintenance
All HVAC systems require maintenance. If you take good care of your system, it will last longer and you won’t have to pay for expensive repairs and replacements. Every system is different, so you’ll need to read the packaging to learn about yours.
Many HVAC units have filters that need to be replaced periodically. Dirty filters will slow down your units and require more energy to maintain temperature and air quality in your home. You should also periodically clean units to remove dust and other buildup.
If you’re using a fireplace to keep warm, you’ll need to clean and inspect your chimney at least once a year. Hot water heaters need to be drained periodically to lengthen their life span. Regular maintenance will help you save money on your HVAC system in the long run.
15. Use Equipment Mindfully
The way you use your HVAC equipment can also improve on your investment. Every type of HVAC system functions according to different rules and environmental principles. For example, passive solar design uses window shades to minimize heat gain in the summer.
By learning about your system, you can use your equipment mindfully and reduce your energy costs. Do your research and put together a system that works well for you and your homestead. Then, use it thoughtfully and don’t abuse it.
Very simple changes can make a big difference for your energy bills each month. For example, turning down your thermostat just 7-10 degrees overnight can save up to 10% of your annual HVAC costs. That’s why programmable smart thermostats are so cost-effective.
Homestead HVAC
Every homestead HVAC system is as unique as your property. The goal is to choose a system that will be efficient and cost-effective for many years to come. Before you start looking at different options, examine your homestead budget and lifestyle goals.
Improving your home’s insulation will automatically reduce your energy costs. Then, you can start thinking about whether you want more or less tech to run your home HVAC system. There are many different options for going off-grid and staying comfortable.
Consider all the costs involved to make the best financial decision for you. If you install the system yourself, you can save significantly on labor costs. Continual maintenance will prolong your system’s life span and protect this investment in your homestead.
Author Bio:
Jane is the editor-in-chief of Environment.co. She is passionate about sustainability, gardening and homesteading.
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