Five Great Heat Saving Tips for Your Home.
In many parts of the country the beginning of fall signals changes in the weather. Mornings and evenings are getting cooler and daylight hours are getting shorter and shorter. Now is the perfect time to think about preparing your home for the winter heating season. By starting now, you can assure that when the time comes to switch on the heat, your home — and your boiler — will be ready.
Five heat saving tips:
- Schedule a service call: If you do not have a maintenance contract call your HVAC Company and make sure to schedule a tune up/maintenance visit. If you have a contract, confirm that you are scheduled for your periodic maintenance.
- Replace weather stripping: Worn, dry or cracked weather stripping around doors and windows will create drafts that allow cold air into your home. These drafts are a primary reason many homeowners raise their thermostats during the winter, causing an increase in energy bills. Most of the time, this is an easy project and should only take a few dollars and a few minutes of your time.
- Adjust door thresholds: This is often neglected by homeowners and is a big cause of increased heating bills. Visually check each door bottom for daylight. If you can see light coming through the bottom of your door, you are losing heated air to the outside. Many doors have threshold adjustments, and it may just take a few turns of the adjustment screws to set things right. If you are unsure how to adjust your door threshold, contact your handyman/contractor for help.
- Eliminate electrical box drafts: Electrical boxes/outlets that are on exterior walls can be very drafty. This is due to the fact that they were not been properly insulated when installed. To stop drafts, simply cover small gaps around the box with caulk and place a gasket on the switch or outlet cover. If you are uncomfortable around electricity, it is imperative to have the work done by an experienced contractor.
- Upgrade your thermostat: If you haven’t taken advantage of one of the quality programmable thermostats on the market, now is the time to do it. The facts are clear: a properly set programmable thermostat will save money. If you are “tech” oriented, check out remote thermostats that let you control your home heating from anywhere a wifi signal is available.
In the coming weeks we’ll share more heat savings tips for your home that will help you save money during the winter heating months.
