Winter is upon us, and your heater is working hard to keep you and your family warm. With soaring energy costs and tighter times for all, home-heating efficiency is more important than ever.
Sometimes, a brand new heating system is the answer, but more often than not, big savings can come from more modest adjustments. To start-off, picture an example of the overall concept of efficiency. View your home as a bucket full of water. Filling that bucket takes some time and effort, but, so long as the bucket doesn’t have any holes, keeping the bucket full is pretty easy. But what if your bucket has leaks? You are constantly filling the bucket back up and wasting water in the process. It’s not so dissimilar from your homes heating system. So the first task is to seal any holes in your heating bucket.
In your home, these holes are commonly found around doorways and windows. Sunset Heating and Cooling often finds homeowners are literally letting valuable heat escape. Run your hand across doorways when your door is closed. If you can feel a cool breeze or cold air then you are losing some of your warm heated air to the outside. To plug this type of leak, pick up some weather stripping from your local hardware store and apply according to the instructions on the pack.
Sometimes, in a home, you may have an area not well served by your existing furnace. Typically, this can come after a home addition or basement remodel. Running your home’s existing furnace hotter to compensate is probably not the most efficient answer. A space heater might be the best option, especially short term. However, if the cold spot is an ongoing issue in your home, contact Sunset Heating and Cooling, your Portland Heating Contractors, to assess how effectively your furnace is operating and make recommendations for a more even distribution of heat throughout your home.
Sometimes you might be adding dollars to your bill not because of leaks, but because airflow is obstructed through the system. Your furnace will work harder to get your home to your desired temperature, so if you can make it easier by improving airflow, you’ll save money. The solution to this is easy! Change out your filters and clean out heat registers and ducts. Regular maintenance like this can save you money this winter and help your furnace heat your home for longer, saving you money in the long run.
If none of these techniques work to reduce your high heating bill, a new furnace might be in your future! Sunset Heating and Cooling, your Portland Heating Contractors, offers a range of furnaces to suit every budget.
