Green plumbing, heating, air conditioning and electrical equipment for your Baltimore, MD and Washington, DC area homes

Sanford Kramer will help you save water, energy and reduce your carbon footprint. Here are 3 ways you can go green and save money at the same time.

Homeowners have significant opportunities to take advantage of new products, government tax incentives, and utility programs that will have an immediate impact on your energy costs and water usage. You can save money and have a lasting impact on the environment.

Geothermal heating and cooling systems

Geothermal heat pumps have been in use since the late 1940s. Geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) use the constant temperature of the earth as the exchange medium instead of the outside air temperature. This allows the system to reach fairly high efficiencies (300%-600%) on the coldest of winter nights, compared to 175%-250% for air-source heat pumps on cool days.

Watch our short video to the right to learn about geothermal heat pumps

A few feet below the earth's surface the ground remains at a relatively constant temperature. Like a cave, this ground temperature is warmer than the air above it during the winter and cooler than the air in the summer. The GHP takes advantage of this by exchanging heat with the earth through a ground heat exchanger.

Benefits of geothermal heat pump systems

• Use 25%–50% less electricity than conventional systems
• Reduce energy consumption up to 44% compared to air-source heat pumps and up to 72% compared to electric resistance heating
• Improved humidity control, heat pumps maintain 50% relative humidity
• Hardware requires less space than conventional HVAC systems
• Provide excellent "zone" space conditioning, allowing different parts of your home to be heated or cooled to different temperatures
• Relatively few moving parts, they are durable and highly reliable.
• Underground piping carries warranties of 25–50 years, and the heat pumps often last 20 years or more
• We are an authorized ClimateMaster Geothermal dealer and installer

30% of geothermal installation costs: Geothermal heat pumps are now eligible for a tax incentive worth 30% of the total installation cost, without a cap!

Water saving products and practices

Green plumbing fixtures and practices can save water and energy

There are compelling environmental reasons to conserve water, but in fact the same conservation efforts translate to real dollar savings. We make dozens of Maryland plumbing service calls every day. Most are for plumbing problems that have gotten to the point where they can’t be ignored. Most of these “plumbing problems” represent an opportunity to conserve money and energy.

Here are a few ways we can help you save money and energy

• Repair leaky plumbing fixtures, one drip can cost up to $70 a year
• Install low-flow showerheads, save up to $265 a year
• Switch to a low-flow toilet, save up to $90 a year
  

Your hot water heater may be burning excessive energy

• Tankless water heaters heat water on demand; an endless supply of hot water without energy waste
• Keep water heater temperature at 120 degrees and insulate hot water pipes; your water heating energy costs will go down
• Replace your water heater if it is over 8 years old; better efficiency will pay off in energy saving
• Tankless water heaters do not waste energy heating and re-heating stored water which saves significant energy

Change the way you use water around your home

• Don’t pre-rinse dishes for the dishwasher
• Don’t water landscaping during peak sunlight hours

Call us to learn how you can take advantage of green programs and products for your home, 866-382-5878.