Team Newman has a few tips and ideas to help keep your home heated efficiently as we all prepare for the incoming cold weather.
Check rubber seals around windows and doors – Preventing drafts from windows and doors is a key to keeping a home warm in the winter. Damaged or missing window seals can allow the warm air to leak outside the home or cold air to draft inside. If a door is letting in a draft from below, there are a few quick fixes to help keep in the warn air. There are many products sold to stop a drafty door, but a rolled up towel can be effective temporarily.
Invest in a programmable thermostat – A programmable thermostat can be a money saving investment. Many new units have eco modes that can be programmed and use a time setting to gently heat the home before you arrive. They are also convenient to check on the home when you are away as they often come with a mobile app.
Clean air duct system – A clean duct system allows the warm air to travel throughout the entire home in an efficient manner. It also saves on wear and tear for the HVAC system. Team Newman recommends having a professional duct cleaning every three years. It is also important to have a HVAC company inspect your furnace if you are concerned about efficacy or efficiency. Newer systems have been proven to heat the home more effectively with less impact on the electrical bill.
Utilize a fireplace or wood burning stove – This is another option to heat a home for low cost, especially if you have a supply of firewood. Make sure that a well used chimney is swept once a year to allow for smoke to draft properly and to prevent a dangerous creosote buildup. A chimney sweep also puts your mind at ease knowing that you have mitigated risk of a dangerous buildup. Plus, who doesn’t enjoy the crackle of a fire during a long winter evening.
Move furniture away from vents – When trying to heat your home, blocked vents can limit efficiency. Furniture too close to a vent will actually absorb heat and keep it from heating the home. Make sure vents are free of any obstructions to allow for the proper dispersion of warm air. Couches are the main culprit of heat absorption as they can often be placed in front of a vent and they are prone to absorbing warm air and not allowing it to distribute around the room efficiently.
Utilize your curtains – Sunlight can bring warmth into a home. Keep curtains open during the day to allow sunlight into the home. Keep curtains closed when the sun goes down to keep as much warm air in the home as possible overnight.
Do not let the temperature drop below 50 – If the temperature gets too low in a home it can create a frozen pipe. Make sure to check the basement daily because it is often the coldest area in a home. Even if the thermostat is reading above 50 degrees, it is possible for other sections of the home to be much colder. Having a few thermometers placed around the home is an excellent way to monitor temperatures and make sure you are avoiding dangerously low temperatures.
Use your ceiling fan – It may seem counterintuitive, but running a ceiling fan in reverse can pull cold air up and recirculate the warm air. It is another way to efficiently keep your home heated. Allowing warm air to circulate the home is extremely beneficial for heating it efficiently.
