Cold Weather Tips

It may surprise you, but fireplaces are not very efficient in heating your home. They actually pull heated air from inside your home and out of the chimney. Consider installing glass doors to help limit the amount of air that gets drawn up and out. Be sure to also clean and maintain your chimneys regularly to prevent fire hazards. 

Every family differs in comfort levels, but overall most people are comfortable at a setting of 68-70 degrees. If you are away from home for more than four hours, consider setting it back more to save you money. To ensure you come home to a comfortable setting, consider purchasing a smart programmable thermostat that learns your habits and adjusts accordingly.

Closing off your heat registers could create pressure on your blower fan to work harder. This could cause harm to your equipment, which could outweigh any savings costs you may incur on your power bill. Not to mention, it can cause more distress on you if your unit goes out when it’s the coldest outside.

Advanced and efficient in design, a heat pump provides comfort in your home year-round. It provides high-efficiency cooling in the summer, and efficient heating in the winter – all in one unit. And because of how efficient it is, it can result in big savings on your monthly energy bills. Other benefits – it provides an important amplification of temperature that simple heat exchangers cannot do and offers more choices in where to locate your system as it doesn’t require flues.

Areas of your home that are separated from unconditioned areas require insulation. A local contractor can help you determine the insulation levels for each area and if you’re meeting the recommended R-Values for ceilings, walls and floors. R-Value is a measure of insulation’s ability to resist heat flow. The higher the R-Value, the better the thermal performance of the insulation. Start at the top with your roof and attic before you move to your foundation then walls and floors.