It could be that you have already noticed, but just in case you haven’t, winter is fast coming upon us. Are you prepared for the cold? Maybe you’ve take care to winterize your car and get last year’s winter coat out of storage, but what your home’s heater maintenance? Have you scheduled professional HVAC service yet? If not, what are you waiting for?
Do you realize that running your heater without the benefit of having regular heating service can cost the energy efficiency of your system? That’s right, and that could cost even more than you might think. Unless you take care of your system now, you may be paying for new heater installation sooner than you think.
Here are some tips to help you reduce the cost of keeping you and the family warm throughout the winter.
If you don’t already have one, install a programmable thermostat. We all know that when you rely on humans to determine when to turn the heat up there is a lot of room for error. Many times, this is just inviting heater wars. By setting and forgetting about the thermostat, the family will find other ways to compensate when they feel a chill. They may even be encouraged to pull on a sweater and a pair of fuzzy slippers.
Larger homes with multiple stories certainly can benefit from installing different heating units to take care of these areas separately. This is particularly beneficial when some rooms are seldom used. This is also a viable option even for smaller homes whose occupants enjoy different temperatures. Your units will less making for better energy efficiency.
Night time is a good time to turn the thermostat lower and conserve energy. Layering on blankets or comforters is sufficient for staying warm during the night, and most of us sleep better anyway when the air we breathe is cooler. Just set your programmable thermostat to automatically lower the temperature just after bedtime and to a higher one just before getting up in the morning. Chances are that no one will even notice except you when you get your energy bills.
For hard to heat rooms, you may want to consider adding extra ductwork and registers or simply use space heaters. Space heaters are excellent when it comes to setting up a workshop in the garage, and when used carefully and according to manufacturer directions can help add comfort to any room.
Don’t wait until it turns cold to get your home ready for winter.