When the winter season rolls back around, many homeowners dread the high heating bills that come with it. You don’t have to be stuck with the same high heating bills every year. By implementing the tips that we’ll discuss below, you can help increase the overall efficiency of your furnace and save a bundle on your heating bills this winter season.
Get Professional Maintenance Service
Investing in professional maintenance services is one of the best ways to ensure that your heating system is functioning optimally. This is where one of our heating professionals will come to your home and evaluate your entire furnace. They will repair any potential issues and clean all of its internal components so that everything can function at its optimal level.
Allow Direct Sunlight In
One of the best secrets to reducing your heating bills in the wintertime is to use natural sunlight to heat your home. Direct sunlight can easily heat up a room by 10 degrees or more. When you open up your blinds and curtains to allow this direct sunlight into your rooms, you reduce the need for your heating system to run as often.
Direct sunlight is most helpful when your windows are on the south or east side of your home. You also need windows with multiple panes and good insulative power. Older windows can let a lot of heat out of the home. You may be better off with insulative curtains over older, single-pane windows.
Get Duct Sealing Service
Over the years, your ductwork will expand and contract with temperature fluctuations. This will undoubtedly loosen up joints and allow treated air to escape into your home’s wall and floor cavities. Unfortunately, this means that only a portion of the heat that your furnace produces will make it to your home’s rooms.
The more gaps develop in your ducting, the more your heating system will have to run to compensate for that loss. Duct sealing service is a great way to help close up those air gaps and ensure that all the heat your furnace produces makes it to the rooms in your home.
Use a Programmable Thermostat
Programmable thermostats make a great addition to any heating system. They allow you to optimize system performance while maximizing your comfort. A smart homeowner will set their thermostat much lower when they’re not going to be home.
This way, you don’t waste your hard-earned money on energy to run your furnace when no one is there to benefit from the heat it produces. If you invest in a newer smart thermostat with learning technology, it will suggest how to alter your settings over time to reduce your energy bills further.
Beef Up Your Insulation
Another great option for enhancing the efficiency of your heating system is beefing up the amount of insulation in your home. You must have insulation that either exceeds or meets the recommended building code values for your area. The higher the R-value of your insulation, the more resistant it will be to temperature differences between outdoors and inside your home.
Seal Up Air Leaks
Air leaks are one of the biggest problems that your furnace faces throughout the winter season. Leaks can develop on your exterior walls, allowing cold air to seep into your home. Unfortunately, your heating system must combat all the cold air, which means longer run times and a higher energy bill.
You can avoid this entire situation by simply sealing up any air leaks on the exterior walls of your home. Pay particular attention to the areas around your door and window frames, outlets, and light switches. Using caulking, weather stripping, foam insert pads, and even spray foam can eliminate these unfortunate air leaks and prevent cold air from coming into your home.
Keep Up With Filter Changes
The filter inside your furnace is necessary to protect debris from entering its internal components and enhance the air quality inside your home. As this air filter does its job, it will accumulate much debris. Eventually, it will be so full of debris that it will restrict air flow through your ducting.
It’s necessary to replace your furnace filter regularly to help prevent any restriction in airflow. Aim to check your furnace filter every couple of weeks and have a spare one ready to go when a replacement is necessary.
Upgrade Your System
The most obvious way to enhance the overall operating efficiency of your furnace is to upgrade to a new furnace. If your existing furnace is over 10 years old, it’s going to be less efficient than any modern-day furnace. Nowadays, you even have the option of choosing a high-efficiency furnace. These furnaces can reach efficiency levels in the 90% range, which can do a lot to save energy bills if you’re still relying on an outdated system.
Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are an absolute must for any homeowner who is concerned about their energy bills. Running a ceiling fan to circulate warm air throughout your home takes much less energy than running your furnace. When integrating ceiling fan use alongside furnace usage, you’ll find that you can run your heating system less often while still being comfortable in your home. Ensure you have your ceiling fans switched to working in reverse during the wintertime.
Get a Home Energy Audit
Another great tip for enhancing the efficiency of your heating system is to get a home energy audit. This is where one of our HVAC technicians inspects your home and provides you with a detailed report of areas where you’re losing heat. This report will give you great insight into areas where you can focus your efforts to help reduce energy loss. When you can reduce the heat loss coming from your home, you can reduce the runtime of your heating system and save a bundle on your heating bills.
Use a Whole-Home Humidifier
Unfortunately, wintertime can bring with it some very dry air. Apart from causing dry skin and allowing hair to frizz out, dry air can also affect the comfort level you feel in your home. When the air is too dry, it won’t retain heat or properly moisturized air.
This can cause you to turn up the thermostat to help compensate for feeling colder than it is. Adding a whole-home humidifier to your furnace can help to introduce just enough moisture in the air so that the heat your furnace produces can remain in the air for longer. When your home feels warmer, you’ll be less likely to run your heating system as often.
Expert Furnace Maintenance Service
Huft Home Services offers expert furnace maintenance services for the Sacramento, CA community. We can assist with all your heating, air conditioning, plumbing, and electrical needs. Call our office today to book a service appointment with one of our HVAC technicians. Let us help you get the most out of your HVAC system.
