Having a brand new heater installed before winter hits is a great way to ensure your comfort throughout the season. But running your heater day after day can put a lot of wear and tear on it, which can in turn increase the chance of needing repairs. You can also expect your energy bills to increase in conjunction with your heater use. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to keep your new heater in tip top shape while saving some money on energy at the same time – consider these options:
Plant Some Trees
A great way to protect your home from the chill of winter is to plant a few deciduous trees on your property. Effective planting areas include in front of windows and porches that get full sun, in front of outdoor HVAC equipment, and where you like to spend time outdoors. Deciduous trees lose their leaves during winter months which exposes the sun to your roof for natural heating and puts less stress on your heater. You'll find that your trees help protect your home from the heat during summer months as well, by shading the roof from the sun and decreasing air temperatures directly outside your home. Planting trees in your yard may even increase your property's value by up to 20 percent.
Use Throw Rugs
Throw rugs work like insulation by trapping cold air underneath them and reducing contact between bare feet and cold floors. Choose large rugs that cover at least half of the room (the more the merrier) to ensure effectiveness, and go for options with high stitch counts as their thick density offers superior performance. You'll find that wool is an exceptional insulator, but many options aren't far behind. Consider using nylon, cotton, and acrylic rugs for added dimension. In addition to reducing wear and tear on your heater, area rugs will help to protect your flooring from damage due to foot traffic and accidents too.
Install Ceiling Fans
Believe it or not, ceiling fans can help maintain warm temperatures within your home throughout the winter season so less pressure is put on your heater and you can save a little money on energy costs. In fact, ceiling fans use just 60 watts of power each hour they are in use as opposed to the thousands of watts a typical HVAC system requires. Program your ceiling fans to run clockwise when it's cold outside to keep the warm air circulating throughout your home, which minimizes the opportunity for cold air to congregate and take over.
Seal the Doors and Windows
Properly sealed doors and windows offer a variety of benefits to take advantage of, one of the most important being that your heater doesn't have to work as hard to keep your home warm. Saving money, reducing outdoor noise pollution, reducing humidity control, are all things you can expect by sealing the small leaks of your home. You should also notice that pollen and other allergens can't infiltrate your home as easily.
To seal your doors and windows, you simply need to use caulking or spray foam insulation to fill gaps, cracks, and leaks in the frames of them. It's a good idea to light a candle and slowly move the candle around the frames to catch hard-to-spot leaks. Any place where the flame flickers, there's a chance that air is leaking into your home so seal the area for good measure.
The tips and tricks should make a noticeable difference in your home's temperature levels throughout the winter, and you'll be prepared for the hot summer months that are surely soon to follow. If you need a professional to come out and look at your system, contact companies like Glendale Heating & Air Conditioning.
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