|  |
 | |
Improving Your Home's Warmth & Lower Your Heating
Bills
|
Many Virginia Beach homeowners ask, "What can I do to reduce my
heating bill?" Others have called us in the middle of winter
complaining, "my house is drafty and cold - I just can't get it warm
enough".
There are actually many things you can do to help improve your
comfort, and save money on your heating bill this winter.
Make sure the damper on your fireplace is closed when not in use.
Also, check your furnace filter often. You may find that you need to
change your furnace filter more often in the winter.
Try rearranging your furniture! Heating systems that are
"forced-air" send hot air through the house via vents in the floor
and draw back in air through returns. Make sure all the vents and
returns are unobstructed so that air can flow smoothly. Common items
that block vents & returns are bookcases, beds, bureaus, drapes, and
sofas. Moving furniture and household items away from vents &
returns will help your furnace breath!
Since our skin temperature is 74 degrees, and most of us set our
thermostats below 74 in the winter to economize, the air in our
homes can feel cold. If you raise the humidity in your home, your
skin won't evaporate as much moisture, and you'll feel warmer
without changing the thermostat. By keeping the humidity in our
homes consistent we improve the efficiency of our furnaces. Also,
consider a humidification system attachment for your furnace. We
added one to our furnace two years ago. The investment was $400, but
well worth the money. Now, we don't have to worry about keeping
water in a humidifier on each level of our home, and everyone has
noticed how much warmer it feels in the winter.
Cold air sinks, and warm air rises (I think that's from 4th grade
science). In the winter, warm air from the first floor tends to be
sucked out the attic, or second floor. As this happens, cold air
from the basement or crawlspace is actually pulled up into the first
floor, leaving us colder than we like. This unequal distribution of
heat also puts a strain on our furnace. Improving your distribution
on the first floor and basement (if you have one) will make your
whole house warmer, and your furnace won't have to work as hard.
Limit the flow of hot air upstairs, allowing more warm air into
lower parts of the house, counteracting the push of cold air from
the lowest level. Sounds complicated, but in a nut shell, close some
vents upstairs and make sure vents downstairs are all open. This
won't cost you a penny!
Have your furnace inspected
every year. We've all heard this before, and many people think
it's just a way for HVAC companies to generate additional revenue.
While this job does typically cost about $125 (in the Midwest), it's
a solid home investment. Modern furnaces can be adjusted annually to
improve efficiency. Also, a furnace inspection can spot light minor
repairs that are less expensive than a big breakdown in the middle
of the winter (in my case, this breakdown always happens in the
middle of the night on Christmas!). When you sell your home, you can
tell potential buyers that the furnace has been properly maintained
annually - a big selling point!
Take advantage of an absolutely free source of energy - the sun! On
sunny days, open your blinds and drapes to allow the sunlight to
heat your home. At night and on cloudy days, keep your curtains
drawn to retain heat from the furnace.
Every fee years, have your duct system check for leaks. According to
the U.S. Department o Energy, the typical residential home heating
system loses 25 to 40 percent of the energy put out by the furnace
through leaky ducts. Wow! There are several ways to inspect your
duct system - visually, with a blower test, and even infrared camera
scans can find hidden heat leaks. You may have some seams that need
tightened or repairs. In some cases, a duct check will find
potential carbon monoxide leaks!
Another simply and affordable measure to take is installing a new,
programmable thermostat. The simpler the thermostat, the less
accurate. Older thermostats are often inaccurate as well. There are
many affordable options in electronic thermostats on the market,
most in the range of $50-$100. You'll find they come with easy to
follow installation instructions, or save yourself time and hire an
electrician (this job should take 1 hour or less). These types of
thermostats will not only help you keep warmer by providing more
accurate reading, they'll also help you save money by lowering the
temperature automatically periodically (depending on how it's set).
Suggested settings are to lower the temperature 5 to 10 degrees when
you are at work/school and at night. This could save you 10-30% on
heating bills annually.
Even in mid-winter, taking a few steps to conserve resources and
improve efficiency with your home heating system can save you lots
of money.
FAST FACTS:
-Did you know that the technology used to design a typical new
furnace is 3 times more complex than the computer system used to run
Apollo 11!
-Lowering your thermostat 1 degree in the winter can save you 3% on
your heating bill!
-The suggested winter thermometer setting is 68 degrees.
*Sources: Manfredini, Lou, Lou Manfredini's House Smarts, New York:
Ballantine Books, 2002 U.S. Department of Energy, Reducing Home
Heating and Cooling Costs, Washington D.C.: Energy Information
Administration, 1994.
Jennifer Mackinday is the founder of Free
House Help, a FREE contractor referral service which brings together
homeowners and high-quality home improvement contractors and
professionals. Free House Help's company mission is to provide a
free service to homeowners while helping local contractors grow
their businesses. Whether you are new to the area and don't know who
to call, or just don't have time to search for qualified
professionals, we can help. Visit
http://www.freehousehelp.org
for more information.
| | | | | | | | |
