The holidays are almost upon us! Of course, for us, that means that colder weather is just about upon us. Actually, it’s already here, and it’s only going to get chillier. With the long winter ahead of us, you’ll want a furnace that operates consistently and reliably, right? What about efficiently?
Surely, with how often we need our heaters around here you want to do anything you can to boost efficiency—in other words, you want to do everything you can to save money. Maintaining furnace efficiency is a great way to prevent repairs and keep costs down. The good news is, not all the tips we are about to share cost money—some are completely free! Read on.
Open Your Curtains
You know how in the summertime, we advise closing your windows, blinds, and curtains when the sun is highest in the sky? Well in the wintertime, we want you to do the opposite. By opening your curtains on the south-facing windows, you’ll bring free, radiant heat into your home.
Of course, you should be sure to close those curtains at night to keep the heat in. We also recommend blackout curtains for the best effect.
Use Your Ceiling Fans
Do you have ceiling fans in your home? Surely you use these pretty frequently when temperatures are mild and you don’t want to use your HVAC system. But what if we told you they could actually help HVAC efficiency?
When you use them in the summer, they help more evenly distribute cooled air and allow you to turn up your thermostat. And in the winter, just by flipping a switch located in the center part of the fans, they help more evenly distribute heated air and allow you to turn down the thermostat.
Upgrade to a Programmable Thermostat
If you’re not already using a programmable thermostat, you’re missing out. Setting the right temperatures is very important to heating efficiency. By lowering the temperature by 10-15 degrees at night or when you’re not home, you can save hundreds of dollars on your annual heating costs.
Change Your Air Filter
Many homeowners think their HVAC air filter is in place to protect their indoor air quality. While it certainly doesn’t hurt your indoor air quality, this isn’t its purpose. The purpose of the air filter is to protect the HVAC system itself from dust and debris that can get on its internal components and cause it to work harder than it should have to.
Your air filters are very easy to change and should be changed every 1-3 months. Neglecting this not only hurts efficiency but can also cause your furnace to wear out faster and have more repair needs.
Make Sure Your Ducts Are in Good Shape
Did you know you could be losing up to 30% of the conditioned air you are paying for through damaged ductwork? This is wasteful for your comfort and your wallet. Professional duct sealing can restore your ventilation system and boost efficiency in the meantime. Contact us today to learn more!
Contact us for more great tips and professional furnace repair in Joliet, IL! Comfort First Heating and Cooling, Inc., where we put your comfort first.