Make It Easier For Your Heating System To Keep Your Warm Once Winter Arrives
The winter season will be here before you know it, and it can get quite cold in the fall in some parts of the country. Every homeowner wants to keep their house nice and cozy all winter long, and there are steps you can take to make that task easier on your HVAC or heating system. Here are some changes you can make around the house to make your heating system run more efficiently, allowing your house to stay warm while saving money on energy costs.
Move Obstructions Like Furniture Away From the Vents
If you moved furniture around or added new fixtures to your house over the summer, pay attention to anything that looks like it's a little too close to an air vent. This may be a more common problem if you only use window air-conditioning units and haven't used the vents in your house since last winter or early spring. Any obstructions can make it more difficult for air to flow and circulate properly throughout your house. Give the HVAC system more room to do its job, and your house may heat more evenly and reach the desired temperature faster.
Consider an Air Duct Cleaning or a Full Inspection and Cleaning by a Heating Service
When's the last time you cleaned your air duct system? If the answer is never, you might find some nasty dust build-up or other debris in there once you bring a professional in to take a look. This build-up can also restrict or limit airflow, making your HVAC system run less efficiently. For best results, bring in a local heating service for air duct cleaning and to fully inspect and clean every aspect of your heating system. This fine-tuning and clean-up will allow the system to run more efficiently and keep your house warmer while using less energy.
Use Your Curtains, Blinds, and Ceiling Fans to Your Advantage
Keep cold air out of the house by making use of your blinds and curtains to act as additional insulation in front of your windows. (If you have a drafty window, that should obviously be your top priority when it comes to doing maintenance or repairs around the house.) You may also find it's a good idea to turn on a ceiling fan or two. You'll want to put it on its lowest setting as you are not actually trying to cool off, and you may even want to hit the internal switch to have the fan rotate in the opposite direction from normal. Some homeowners swear by this method as a rotating fan going counter-clockwise may help move some of the heat that rises to the ceiling and re-distribute it so that the house is heated more evenly.
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