Your home is where you gather your family and friends and grow your roots; in a more physical way, your home provides you with much-needed shelter and warmth during the chilly winter. It’s not enough to generate heat simply by turning the furnace on, especially if you are keen to save money on your heating bills.
You’ve got to make sure that the structure of your home is airtight; it’s also helpful to adopt a few habits that help create the warmth while keeping your heating bills at a minimum. Here are four basic tips on how to stay warm in your home this winter.
1. Upgrade the Thermostat
If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, there are many reasons why you should consider upgrading. It is hands down the best tool you have to control the heating in your home so that you’ve got warmth when you need it; you can also turn it down when you don’t need it so high.
It’s also a convenient way to manage your heat, as many programmable thermostats are accessible remotely via your smartphone (think turning the furnace back up after you’ve been away traveling).
Zone heating is also an energy efficient tool that lets you dictate which areas of your home should receive more heat. There is no need to heat your home evenly if there are rooms that are rarely used.
2. Call the Professionals
This is the perfect time of year to call to schedule your furnace tune up. In addition to getting your filter changed (which is important for energy efficiency), you’ll get your furnace cleaned out and inspected for damage.
This will not only save you money in the long run, but it will also give you peace of mind that you’ve got a reliable furnace to get you through the coldest weather of the year.
3. Winterize Your House
It is so smart to spend time winterizing your home. For very little time spent on these easy tasks and habits, you will reap big rewards in reduced heating bills.
Additionally, the heat will be more even and comfortable in your home. Are some rooms naturally colder than others? Make sure that you are adequately insulated everywhere. This tends to be a problem with older homes.
Windows can also be problem spots for heat loss because glass is naturally porous. Combat this by applying a film over the windows. It’s an easy DIY job where you tape the film to the window frame and fit in place with a hair dryer.
Don’t forget about your fireplace. Even though it is a great source of warmth when it’s fired up, if you leave the flue open, you are giving hot air away out and cold air a way in.
4. Install a Humidifier with Your Furnace
When heat is introduced to the air inside your home, it draws the moisture out, making it very dry.
In the winter, you’ll notice that your skin, lips and hair are dryer. Your wood floors and furniture are also at risk. This can be diminished greatly by installing a whole home humidifier, which puts the moisture back into the atmosphere as it heats the air.
Do you need a furnace tune up? Questions about energy efficiency? Thinking about changing your thermostat? Call Gene Johnson Plumbing and Heating, in the Seattle, WA area, today at (206)-792-7495.
