Category: Painting, Appliances and Indoor Improvements

Keywords: heating system winter thermostat heating bill weather stripping

Landing Page URL: https://newsletter.homeactions.net/landing_page/18476/13733

Article Summary:

Lowering your heating bill and making your home warmer in the winter is as easy as a few simple steps. Click through for some money-saving tips you can use as blizzards rage outside.

Full Article

The winter season brings colder temperatures and, very often, larger temperature swings throughout the day. What this means for you and your home is that maintaining a constant temperature inside becomes more difficult. These swings can cause your furnace to work overtime to keep your home warm. Here are a few simple things you can do to lower your heating bills and make your home more comfortable for the winter.

#1: Deter the Draft

Weather stripping around door jambs are most often made out of rubber. The rubber stripping will wear out over time from the normal action of opening and closing the door. It can become compacted, torn, or the door may even shift in the jamb causing it to no longer seal tightly. What you need to do in order to fix the door is relatively simple.

First, turn off the lights at night and shine a flashlight around the door and have a person stand on the other side of the closed door. If light shines through the space around the door jamb, the stripping needs to be replaced. Another method is to use a fan on one side of the door and feel on the other side if a draft comes through. Now, the easy part: all you have to do is remove the weather stripping and replace it. This is an easy, fast, and cheap way to maintain the climate and save on heating bills.

#2: Electrical Sockets

A second place drafts can enter the home is around the acrylic faceplate on electrical outlets. Remove the faceplates and add a small amount of silicone caulk around the plate and install again.

#3: Window Treatments

Windows are very poor at insulating your walls and can suck the heat right out of your house. Installing a heavier curtain or window treatment can act as a barrier to the cold air trying to get in from the outside, by trapping it between the window and curtain. This will keep the cold air outside and the toasty climate will be maintained inside.

#4: Tighten up the Thermostat

The best way to control a winter heating bill is to keep the climate as constant as possible. A great way to achieve that is to install a programmable digital thermostat. Even if you are not home, the house temperature can be set lower and will remain much more constant, and then can be programmed to increase right before you arrive home. That few degrees can save you a few dollars every week.

#5: Service your Heating System

There are two beneficial reasons for having your heating system inspected yearly. One is to make sure that it is operating safely. This is even more important if you have a gas boiler. You want to make sure that no carbon dioxide is being released into your home and that gas is not leaking. The second is to optimize the efficiency of your heating system. This is done by having the duct work inspected to ensure that there are no obstructions.

Reducing your winter heating bill not only saves you money, but also has the added benefit of making your home more comfortable to live in during the winter months. So sit out the dark, cold, winter months in an affordable and toasty home.