Heating a home all winter in Pennsylvania can be expensive. Aside from turning your heat to 50°F, wearing several sweaters, and taking the risk of pipes freezing, what can you do to cut down on your utility costs? We’ve got some helpful tips for you to maximize the efficiency of your heating, so that you get the most out of every cent you spend.
Use Ceiling Fans
Heat rises, and unless you spend a lot of time on your ceiling, you don’t need all the warmth to be stuck up there. If you look at the base of your ceiling fans, you’ll see a switch that changes the direction of the blades’ rotation. Make sure this is set so that the fan turns clockwise. This will push the warmed air downward where you can actually benefit from it.
Turn Down the Thermostat
No, don’t turn the temperature down until you need several sweaters and you’re afraid of frozen pipes. Try turning it down just a few degrees once you’ve got your ceiling fans going. Now that the heat is staying where you need it, you probably won’t need the thermostat to be set quite so high.
Program the Thermostat
If you are out of the house for several hours each day, many thermostats can be programmed to lower the heat by ten or twelve degrees during that time and then raise it in time for you to get home. Even if your thermostat isn’t programmable, it’s worth lowering the heat before you leave home. You should also make sure to lower the heat if you go away for the weekend, and you can probably keep it lower overnight, too, since you’ll be cozy in bed. Just don’t set your heat below 55°F so your pipes won’t freeze.
Close Off Unoccupied Areas
Keep doors to places like the garage firmly shut. If you have a room that’s rarely used, such as a guest bedroom, you can lower the heat or close vents to that area and shut the door.
Seal Doors and Windows
If you have gaps at the bottom of any exterior doors or the door to your garage, you can purchase a variety of options of weather strips for ten dollars or less that will close the gap and keep your heat in. You can also purchase a door snake, or make one yourself by filling a tube of fabric with sand. Weather-proof windows by using storm windows, plastic window-covering sheets, or weather stripping made of foam or caulk that can be applied to any gaps or cracks where drafts get in.
Change Your Heater Air Filter
Every month during times of heavy heater use, or up to every three months during more occasional use, you should change your heater’s air filter. A dusty, clogged filter makes the heater work harder to do its job, which means it’s wasting fuel and costing you money.
Schedule Heater Maintenance
In addition to ensuring safety, reducing the need for repairs, and extending the life of your heater, regular maintenance improves heating efficiency. Each year without maintenance can cause your heater’s efficiency to drop by several percent. And when something does go wrong, schedule furnace service in Warminster, PA as soon as possible. A struggling heater is a wasteful heater, and a prompt repair can get you back to operating efficiently.
Contact Platinum Plumbing & Heating, Inc. today to schedule an appointment with our pros.