Every time the door to your home opens, cool air rushes in, making your heating system have to work harder to return your home to a moderate and comfortable temperature. Sure, you could always grab a sweater to stay warm. But the reality is, cool air is probably entering your home in many other ways, too, because no home is completely devoid of drafts and vulnerable places.
To keep you and your family warm and cozy, divide your proactive measures into two categories – the “roll up your sleeves” measures and the “details add up” measures.
Roll up your sleeves measures to take
- Sealing cracks and holes around windows – a prime location where most homes lose energy. The worst ones will be visible to the naked eye. If you fear the worst, hold a long-stemmed lighter up against a suspected leak on a breezy day. If the flame flickers, you most likely have an air leak on your hands. Don't let the appearance of a caulking tube intimidate you. If you can squeeze toothpaste onto a toothbrush, then you'll get the hang of applying caulk. Practice first on a piece of cardboard and you'll be a master in no time.
- Apply weather stripping under doors, where you're probably losing some heated air. If you don't like the idea of weather stripping, roll up a small area rug and wedge it right up against the door instead.
- Check your heating system ducts for holes and cracks. Repairs here are a proven energy saver, with the California Energy Commission estimating that repairing leaky ducts with mastic tape can save homeowners as much as 10 percent on their heating bills. If you find that this repair job is a bit more than you can comfortably handle on your own, contact a heating system repair company like Experts In Your Home.
- Check the condition and amount of insulation in your crawlspace and attic, the two places cold air is most likely to seep into your home. The U.S. Department of Energy takes the guesswork out of this process with a handy guide to direct your efforts.
- Seal improperly fitted wall plugs and switches with foam covers. These nifty little pieces can block leaks that usher continuous streams of cold air into a home.
Details add up measures to take
Tend to other details that, taken together, also can help keep your home warm this winter:
- Check your furnace filter regularly to keep the warm air flowing – and your furnace running efficiently.
- Keep your fireplace damper closed when it's not in use.
- Run your ceiling fans in a clockwise direction to keep warm air circulating. (The fans should move in a counterclockwise direction in the summer).
- Open your window treatments on sunny days to capitalize on natural warmth.
- Consider some other steps that will achieve two purposes: keeping your home at a consistently warm temperature and saving you money on your utility bill. (That's right: the two objectives are not mutually exclusive).
- Consider installing both a programmable thermostat – so that you can set the temperature in your home ahead of time – and a furnace humidifier, the added moisture from which can make a home whose temperature is set at 68 degrees feel more like 72 degrees.
If you haven't scheduled your fall/winter heating system maintenance check, time's-a-wastin' – and so are the other ideas Experts In Your Home would be happy to share with you once one of our Chico area expert technicians inspects your home. You'll warm up to our ideas in no time.
Are you properly maintaining your heating system? Download our free checklist below to help!
