As the cost of living continues to rise, so do homeowners’ concerns about heating their homes throughout the coldest months of the year. Fortunately, it’s not all doom and gloom. When paired with regular heating system maintenance, homeowners have a variety of affordable ways they can keep their home warm and comfortable all winter long. This article will explain any home heating tip you could ask for.
Nobody wants to spend thousands of dollars just to stay warm during the winter. There are more important things to spend money on such as food, clothes, etc. However, it is not a good idea to stay in a cold house during the winter. If you have members of your family with arthritis, the cold can be a nightmare on their joints, making the pain that much worse. Babies can be vulnerable to illness and hypothermia if they stay in a cold house for too long. The same can be said for the elderly. What’s worse is that the cold can have negative effects on one’s blood pressure. Your health and the health of your family are good reasons to keep your house warm during the winter.
Another negative effect of the cold to consider is your appliances and pipes. The cold can freeze your pipes and cause them to not work properly resulting in damage that will cost more money to repair further down the road.
We know now why it’s important to keep warm our homes warm in the winter, but how do we do this? This article will help you stay warm indoors and save money at the same time. You won’t have to run your heating system all day and night to keep the family warm. These ten little tricks are simple yet extremely effective. You don’t have to be a tech genius to figure them out. When done correctly, you can save hundreds on your heating bills and enjoy living in a warm, comfortable house during the harshest of winter. On top of that, you will lower your chances of needing repairs done to damage due to frozen pipes and appliances.
1. Thick Curtains
Quick home heating tip number 1:Curtains with thermal linings (or just really thick curtains in general) will help insulate the window area. During the day, however, make sure to open the curtains and let as much sun through the windows as possible. If you have really long curtains, hang them over the curtain rod to allow light into the room if they are a darker color. You can go out and pick up thick curtains from a place like K-Mart or Wal-Mart.
2. Double Glazing or Insulated Glazing
If this method is too expensive, homeowners can try using a special film that imitates the effect of double glazing. If a professional is too expensive, YouTube has plenty of how-to videos to walk through homeowners through each step. As a bonus to a warmer home during the winter, homeowners can also have a quieter home. This is especially helpful if you live near an Air Force base or an airport. How is this possible? The gap between the panes dramatically reduces transmission of both heat and sound.
3. Close Up Chimneys
If a homeowner has an unused chimney for decor, they need to ensure it is completely closed up. Chimney balloons are great ways to do this. Heat can escape through the chimney when they are not being used, causing your HVAC system to work harder and a higher bill for you . Think of the chimney as a vacuum. Because warm air is lighter, it is more likely to be sucked up through the chimney and prevent a heating challenge for you.
4. Prevent Mini-Draughts
It may not seem like much, but mini-draughts that sneak through letterboxes, key holes (especially older, wider ones), doggie doors, and the edges of doors can be quite costly and make a home a lot colder. Keyhole covers, doggie door insulators, and DIY draught excluders can help stop heat from escaping. Like the chimney, letterboxes, key holes, doggie doors, and the edges of doors are also like a mini-vacuums with hot air. Make sure the small cracks are covered. It doesn’t hurt to be too careful.
5. Clear Radiators and Baseboard Heaters
At least during the colder months, avoid putting large pieces of furniture in front of your radiators and baseboard heaters, as the furniture absorbs the heat. Radiators and baseboard heaters use cold air drawn into the heater and releases warm air. The cycle repeats, keeping the room warm. Large pieces of furniture break this cycle. Keep all large pieces at least six inches away from the heaters.
6. Add Shelving
If you have high ceilings, try placing shelves above the radiator and baseboard heater as the shelves assist in channeling the warm air. The shelving trick also works when placed above a radiator/baseboard heater that resides below a window with curtains, as the warm air becomes trapped between the window and curtain. This way, you bend the cycle of warm air flowing through the room.
7. Close Unused Rooms
Why heat a room that you don’t use? Close the doors when they aren’t in use. Heat is diverted into the room, taking it away from the more important rooms that used daily such as the living room or kitchen. Do not open them unless you really need something from inside.
8. Cover Bare Floors
If floors are not properly insulated, they can account for as much as 10% of heat loss. Carpets and rugs help guard against this loss. Cracks in the floor are to blame for draining the heat. Plus, cold air is heavier than light air. It’s pretty easy to purchase rugs and carpeting for your floors from home decor stores.
9. Insulate
Make sure that your entire house is insulated. Walls, ceilings, attics, basements- it all makes a huge difference. Insulation acts as a nice cotton-like wall that block out cold air and keeps in the heat by covering the cracks in every surface in your house. Insulation can be found in stores like Lowes and Home Depot.
10. Heating System Maintenance
As always, the most important thing to do to ensure your home stays warm all season long is to schedule annual heating system maintenance with your local heating company. It is wise to keep your heating system at a certain number most of the time. The best home heating tip? Only turn it up when you really need it.
Need another home heating tip? Call the pros at 1st Choice Air Solutions!
