How You Can Help Minimize the Heat Leaving Your Home

With the temps dropping, the last thing you want to have to worry about is sustaining a comfortable home. It would be great to be lounging around on the couch enjoying the cozy warmth of your home and not thinking twice about what’s taking place outside. Of course, it may not be that easy, and there are a few things that could be taking place in your home that may require furnace repair or a higher than normal energy bill.

There are a variety of causes for higher utility bills, but we are highlighting a few of the more common ones we encounter.

1. Heat is getting out through the glass of your windows – the glass on your windows are cold from the outdoor temps and when the warm air makes contact, the indoor air becomes cooler. One way to help reduce the loss of heat is to make sure you’re closing your drapes during the evening hours and only opening drapes on windows receiving light during the day.
2. Lack of attic insulation – if you live in an older home there’s a chance that there is insufficient insulation. This means you could be losing heat through your attic, which in-turn makes your furnace work harder, and could eventually lead to the need for a furnace repair. When you go to check out your attic’s insulation, you’ll want to see if the insulation is even or below the joists. If that’s the case, you’ll likely want to add some more insulation.
3. Gaps in windows and doors – it’s not always easy to tell by just taking a quick look if there are large gaps. Make sure to take a close look at all of your windows and doors to determine whether you need to add weather stripping to take care of those gaps. As we mentioned with attic insulation, window and door gaps can require your heating system to work harder, potentially upping the chance that you’ll need furnace repair.

We hope these three tips can help you identify any problem-spaces in your home that could be inhibiting the comfort of your home. Our experts are available to answer any of your questions about furnaces, repair or indoor comfort, give us a call at 512-355-1482.