Certain telltale signs indicate it's time to consider replacing heating and cooling equipment, or improving the performance of your overall system. It may be time to call a professional contractor to help you make a change if:

• Your heat pump or air conditioner is more than 10 years old. Consider replacing with ENERGY STAR qualified equipment that uses 20 percent less energy than new standard models.

• Your furnace is more than 15 years old. Consider replacing with an ENERGY STAR qualified furnace, which is 15 percent more efficient than a conventional furnace.

• Your equipment needs frequent repairs and your energy bills are going up. Your cooling or heating equipment my have become less efficient.

• Some rooms in your home are too hot or too cold. Improper equipment operation, duct problems or inadequate insulation could be the cause.

• No one is home for long periods of the day and you do not have a programmable thermostat. Install an ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostat or have a good contractor install one and instruct you on its use—to start saving energy and money while they're away or sleeping.

• Your home has humidity problems. Poor equipment operation, inadequate equipment, and leaky ductwork can cause the air to be too dry in the winter or too humid in the summer.

• Your home has excessive dust. Leaky ducts can pull particles and air from attics, crawl spaces and basements and distribute them throughout your house. Sealing your ducts may be a solution.

• Your heating or cooling system is noisy. You could have an undersized duct system or a problem with the indoor coil of your cooling equipment.

Contact Fox Service Company at 448 - 9239 for a free in-home energy audit and evaluation of your current system.