A Few Tips for Improving the Efficiency of Your Home's Heating System
Having an efficient heating system is an important factor in minimizing the costs of warming your house without seriously impacting the comfort of those inside it. If you find yourself struggling to control your home's heating expenses, you may be able to greatly reduce your out-of-pocket expenses through utilizing some basic energy-efficiency enhancing tips.
Address Drafts Caused By Your Windows
Most homes have numerous sources of drafts that can allow cold air to enter the interior of the structure. While homeowners may assume that drafts are always caused by holes that penetrate the walls, this is not necessarily true. For example, glass windows can be a major source of drafts as the glass can become extremely cold. The air that cools as it comes into contact with the glass will gradually spread throughout the structure, which can contribute to making the home fairly cold. Unfortunately, this issue can be particularly problematic for homes that have large windows.
Luckily, you may be able to prevent this cold air from spreading through the home by installing thick curtains and keeping them closed on cold days. These curtains will essentially act as insulation. Another step that you may want to take is to inspect the weatherstripping for signs of wear and tear. If the weatherstripping suffers wear, it may allow cold air to enter the home through small gaps between the stripping and the frame. By replacing any cracked, brittle or otherwise worn weatherstripping, you can help to eliminate the amount of cold air that enters through the small gaps around the window.
Avoid Blocking Air Vents With Furniture
The placement of your furniture can have a profound but easy-to-overlook impact on the performance of your heating system. Often, homeowners will give little thought to the practical implications of where they place their furniture. However, if you make the mistake of covering one or more of your interior vents, you may greatly reduce the ability of the heated air to circulate within the home. Ideally, you should position your furniture at least a foot away from the nearest vent to minimize any impacts to circulation.
Be Mindful Of Where You Place Your Space Heaters
On especially cold days, space heaters can be an effective option for ensuring that the interior of the house is comfortable. Yet, you will want to avoid placing one of these heaters within close proximity of the thermostat. This could cause the thermostat to inaccurate temperature readings, which could contribute to the system failing to activate when needed. To avoid this source of heat interfering with the thermostat, you should make sure that you do not place a space heater within the same room as the thermostat.
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