At the end of the year, it’s time to set some resolutions for the coming year. If you’re like most people, your resolutions have to do with financial and health goals. However, don’t be afraid to throw in some household goals like optimizing your home’s heating system.
Learn More About Your Heating System
It can be a little bit frustrating when you must look up information regarding your heating system to understand what’s wrong with it. Why not make it a resolution this coming new year to gain more knowledge about your heating system? You can learn how to fix small issues, perform necessary maintenance tasks, and understand the best ways to make your system as energy-efficient as possible. Additionally, you’ll be able to make a more informed decision regarding the purchase of future heating systems for your home.
Sign Up for Annual Maintenance Appointments
The end of summer can be extremely busy for most people. It’s not uncommon to forget to schedule your annual heating system maintenance appointment. Do yourself a favor and simply sign up for annual service with your heating professional. This will take the guesswork out of having to remember as your service provider will call you when it’s time for your heating system to be professionally serviced.
More Consistent Household Cleaning
It’s not uncommon to fall in and out of consistent household cleaning schedules. As life gets busier, it’s easy to put off cleaning your home. However, it’s time to make cleaning a consistent priority for the new year. Realize that the more you clean your home, the cleaner your ducting, heating system, and indoor air are going to be. When you leave airborne particles, such as pollen and dust mites, in your home, your return vents will circulate that dirty air right into your heating system.
Unblock Your Vents
Speaking of return vents, it’s time to commit to being more mindful of both your supply and return vents. These vents need to have open space around them so that air can flow freely. Unfortunately, it can be very easy to unintentionally set down objects or rearrange furniture to be right in front of them. Take a few minutes each month to make sure that all your vents have adequate space around them. When air can flow freely in and out of your vents, your fan blower motor doesn’t have to overwork.
Beef Up Your Insulation
You’ve likely thought about it before. If you’re like most homeowners, every time you end up paying that high power bill, you think about upgrading your insulation. However, you never do it. Now is the time to plan.
Start by looking up the recommended R-value for homes in your area. Then, assess what the R-value is on your existing insulation. If it doesn’t meet or exceed the recommended value, it’s time to beef up your insulation. Just adding more insulation batts to your attic can drastically help to keep the cold air out and your warm air in during the winter months.
Weatherize to Keep Drafts Out
Air drafts can send a chill up your spine and cause your heating system to overwork. Fortunately, there is something that you can do about it. Get yourself some weatherstripping and door sweeps. If you feel any cold air coming in around your doors or windows, get that draft covered. You’ll likely be blown away at how much lower your energy bills will be when you have your home completely free of drafts.
Upgrade to a New Thermostat
Homes that are still running on the old dial thermostat model are spending more money than is necessary on their heating bill. Do yourself a favor and upgrade your existing thermostat for a more technologically advanced one. Ideally, you’ll want to invest in a smart thermostat as these come with many energy-saving benefits.
Smart thermostats are programmable, meaning that you can set a lower temperature for times when you’re going to be away from your home. They can be controlled via your smartphone no matter where you’re located at. Smart thermostats also track your usage history so you can review it, and they make suggestions for more energy-efficient settings.
Replace Your Air Filters More Often
It’s easy to forget to replace your air filter on a consistent basis. In fact, most homeowners find that they only need to replace their air filter every two to three months. Unfortunately, when your air filter reaches the end of its lifespan, it becomes clogged, and your heating system must work harder to move air through it.
Instead of falling into the usual trap of spending money on higher than necessary power and fuel bills, it’s time to make it a resolution to pay close attention to your air filter. Decide to check it at the start or end of every month. Make sure that you have a replacement filter ready so that you can swap it out when your existing filter is clogged.
Clean Your Air Vents More Often
Because your air vents are usually hidden in your home, it can be hard to remember to clean them on a consistent basis. Just like making checking your filter a monthly priority, you should include cleaning your vents on the same list. Since air is being pulled in and out of those vents, it’s easy for airborne particles and debris to end up on the vent’s grates. Use your vacuum to sweep up the debris, and don’t be afraid to pop your vents out and give them a thorough washing every couple of months.
Find a Comfortable, Energy-Optimizing Temperature
It can be easy to simply turn your heating system back on and use the same settings as last year. However, that likely won’t lead you to optimal energy savings. Rather, it’s time to make it a resolution to test out various temperatures to find one that is both comfortable and energy-optimizing.
Start with a temperature setting of 68 degrees for times when you’re going to be at home. See if you and your family remain comfortable inside of your home at this temperature. If not, increase it by one degree each day until you find the lowest temperature setting that you’re comfortable with. It’s amazing how much money you can save on your annual heating bill when you turn your temperature down a single degree.
Consider Investing in a Whole-Home Humidifier
During the winter months, the air is very cold and dry. Did you know that the lower the humidity is inside of your home, the colder it feels? Humidifiers not only help to remedy that dry, itchy skin, but they help you to feel more comfortable. Consider investing in a whole-home humidifier for the new year.
When you can increase the relative humidity level inside of your home to around 30 percent, you can start to turn down your thermostat. It’s highly likely that you’ll be more comfortable with a lower temperature setting when the humidity levels are ideal instead of low.
Trusted Heating Services
Landry Mechanical Inc Plumbing HVAC & Electric offers trusted heating services for the Central & Metro West Massachusetts area. We’re also here for all your plumbing, cooling, and electrical service needs. Call our helpful staff today to schedule a service appointment.