It’s time to consider how you heat your house. Fall, and especially winter, are coming – and quickly. We appear to be scorching through summer one minute and then turning up our heaters the next.
You don’t have to suffer through winter with Year-Round Heating & Air. You’ll save money on heating, keep your home warm, and reduce carbon emissions. While reducing energy, more efficient home heating may make your house more pleasant during the winter.
Here are some suggestions for improving the efficiency of your home’s heating system.
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Schedule Annual Maintenance
A damaged heater or air conditioner might leave you cold when you most need the heat. Heating systems that aren’t working properly might be harmful. Allergens and mold can be released into your home by dirty furnaces.
Carbon monoxide gas has the potential to kill. Gas leaks lead to explosions. Worn-out systems and clogged parts force the system to work more to generate heat, wasting energy. Annual maintenance keeps your heating unit in good working order, allowing more efficient area heating.
Weatherize and Insulate
Insulating and maintaining heat increases your home’s heating efficiency. If you’re not losing heat to the outdoors, your system works harder. There are a few things you can do to increase your home’s heat retention:
- You should insulate your attic.
- Plug the spaces between your internal and external walls with insulation foam.
- Install ENERGY STAR® multi-pane windows.
- Find and seal any drafts near windows and doors.
- Plug guards should be installed to prevent losing heat from unused electrical plugs.
Smart Thermostats
If you want to improve the efficiency of your home’s heating, you should look into a smart thermostat. Many different versions of this linked gadget record your preferences and heating patterns. Some may modify the usage of your system automatically in response to temperature variations caused by factors like sunshine and your demands.
You don’t need to crank up the heater when you’re out of the house all day. Most smart thermostat systems monitor temperatures 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ensuring that your house is constantly heated properly.
Incorporate Heat Recovery Ventilators
Investing in a heat recovery ventilator is a unique central heating efficiency suggestion. Heat is captured from exhaust air and mixes with new intake air in these systems. They also eliminate mold-causing moisture and a variety of pollutants and smells.
Bathroom fans, kitchen oven hoods, and appliances all vent some air in most homes. Heat recovery ventilators may catch up to 90% of the heat you would otherwise lose.
Bleed Radiators
Before the winter weather arrives, “bleed” your unit’s radiator to check that they properly heat your home. Your radiator’s coils might become clogged with air, reducing its capacity to radiate heat. Bleeding the radiator, and releasing the built-up air, is a simple procedure.
Bleeding radiators improves your home’s heating efficiency, and optimizes and decreases the cost of running your forced-hot-water boiler. You’ll save energy and help your system last longer.
Install Reflectors
Installing reflectors may also help to increase the efficiency of your radiator. Radiator reflectors are thin sheets of foil between the coils and the wall. Instead of losing heat, the goal is to reflect it back into the room.
Reflectors may not be as effective on radiators mounted to interior walls or if your walls are already well insulated. It could be worth it if your radiator is linked to an outside-facing wall with insufficient insulation.
Don’t Sacrifice Comfort
When you follow the above heating efficiency guidelines, you won’t have to sacrifice comfort to save energy. It takes some work, but it’s work that may pay off in the form of energy savings and a reduced carbon impact. You’ll also have the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re doing everything to keep your house warm and reduce your winter energy expenditures.
