If you think all you have to do to heat your home in the winter is turn on the furnace, you’re wrong. In fact, there are a number of steps that you should take to make sure that your home is perfectly warm and comfortable.
What’s more is that how actively you take a role in making sure that your home is air tight will reduce your heating bills. That’s a compelling reason to investigate how to keep your home warm all season long.
We’ve compiled our four tops tips for you to use as a guide.
1. Change Your Thermostat Technology
If you are relying on an older thermostat, that doesn’t use programmable technology you are leaving yourself out in the cold.
A programmable thermostat offers you the opportunity to customize your heat levels based on when you occupy your home and what you are doing while you are there.
For instance, when you are out at work, you can program it to drop, but to rise to your desired level of comfort for your arrival back home. You can program it to reduce while you are in bed asleep.
In a lot of cases, you can even make changes remotely, connected through your smartphone.
2. Reduce Indoor Dryness
One of the unpleasant by-products of air heated by the furnace is a dry indoor environment. If you have allergies or respiratory issues, this can create problems for you. Other undesirable side effects include dry skin and lips and brittle hair. It even can damage wood floors and furniture.
Although this problem is pesky, it is easily fixed by installing a whole home humidifier which effectively moisturizes the air as it is heated.
3. Get Winterized
Talk about simple steps that yield big results. Start by doing an energy efficiency audit of your home, where you walk about and identify areas in which your home might not be airtight. Inspect windows and doors for damage. Caulk any cracks in the seals as needed.
As an extra help for the windows, consider installing window film, which is an easy DIY. Tape film against the window frame and then fit in place with a hair dryer. Always shut your fireplace flue when you are done using it. To go the extra mile, install a chimney pillow which will block hot air from escaping and cold air from entering.
If your home is older, take special care to make sure that it is insulated enough, as too little insulation will not block hot air from leaving your home.
4. Tune Up Time
It’s the perfect season to have your furnace tuned up because it is hard at work. The technician will clean and inspect all the crucial components to help them work as effectively as possible. This is a cost saving measure because it helps identify problem areas before they become more costly. It also helps your system be more energy efficient.
Don’t let the winter chill creep into your home. We’re your heating experts in Vancouver. Call Lambert Plumbing and Heating today at (604)-734-0890.
