As the colder weather sets in, many homeowners become concerned about keeping their house warm without spending a fortune on energy bills. Fortunately, you will find there are some great ways to stay warm without needing to crank up your heating.
Keep Your Chimney Flue Closed When it’s Not in Use:
A roaring fire can be the key to a cozy room in winter, but you also need to remember your chimney flue. Although your flue needs to be open when your fire is lit, when the fire goes out, an open flue is another way for cold air to enter your home. You are likely to find that the indoor temperature drops, prompting your heating to turn on. You can minimize this by keeping your flue closed when the chimney is not in use.
Keep Heating Vents Clear:
Most of us give a lot of careful consideration and thought to how our furniture looks in the room, but aesthetics aren’t everything. By placing your furniture near the heating vents, you could be allowing the heat to be trapped in one place. If you clear furniture and other obstructions away from the heating vents, you will encourage greater airflow and allow the heat to more quickly permeate throughout your house. You will also protect your furniture and belongings from being damaged by the effects of concentrated heat.
Use Natural Sunlight:
Although it is not as warm outside, winter sun can be a great help for heating your home. You can use natural sunlight by ensuring that your drapes and blinds are fully open to sunlight exposure at optimum times. For example, you should have east facing windows exposed in the mornings and south facing windows clear most of the day. This will allow the warm sunlight to enter the home and warm up the air.
Stop Drafts with Door Sweeps and Snakes:
The crack between your floor and the door is the perfect place for heat to escape and cold air to enter the room. This creates an unpleasant draft that can significantly impact the temperature inside the room. Combating this problem is easy with the use of a door sweep or door snake. Door snakes provide an excellent temporary measure and can add a splash of color to your decor. If you are seeking a more permanent solution, you can fix a door sweep to the bottom of the door sealing the gap, preventing any cold air from coming into the room.
Seal up Unused Rooms:
There is little point in paying money to heat a room in your house that is not being used. Whether it is a guest room or a room for a child away at college, if the room is not in use you can save money by sealing it up during winter. Turn off the heat in the room and ensure that the door is fully closed with a door snake to cover the gap. Of course, if you find that you unexpectedly need the room, you can quickly turn on the heat and have the room back at a comfortable temperature in no time.
It is always best to contact your HVAC professionals for any questions.