Winter is here and the temperature continues to drop and the snow keeps coming. While this is great news for our Colorado ski resorts, it can make managing the temperature of your home a struggle. As your Denver HVAC company, we put together some tips on keeping your home warm during the winter months. Plus, some of these tips can help you save on your heating bill!
Use Your Ceiling Fans
A lot of Denver-area homes are two stories tall with large open ceiling concepts. While this creates the illusion of a bigger space, it is also problematic when it comes to heating, especially upstairs. It may seem odd to turn on your ceiling fans in the winter, but most fans come with a reverse switch. This allows you to change the circulation of your fan to a clockwise rotation in the winter. Putting your fan in reverse in the winter and operating it a low speed will gently draw air up and force warmer air down and out toward the walls without giving you a “wind-chill” effect.
Seal Your Windows
Want to save about $350? Then you will want to find leaks around your windows and seal them up with some caulk. Leaks around windows are the number one avenue for heat to escape your home. Sealing your windows is very easy to do and only takes a few minutes per window. To save even more money and keep warm, especially if you have older windows, cover them with heavy-duty plastic. This plastic is specially made for winterizing and can be found at any hardware store.
Close the Fireplace Damper
While we all enjoy the coziness of a fire in the fireplace on a cold winter’s eve, it is also among the biggest culprits when it comes to heat escaping your house. That same opening that draws smoke out of your house also draws out your heat. So, when the fire embers are extinguished completely, be sure to remember to close the fireplace damper. It is easy to forget to do so, as you want to ensure the fire is completely out. So, get a magnet or something you can set on the mantle that will remind you to close it the next morning, instead of just letting it always stay open in the winter.
Use the Sun
A great trick to keeping upstairs rooms warm is to use the natural sunlight. We do get a lot of sun in the winter months, so if you have southern- and western-facing windows, open the blinds and the let the sun in. The low angle of the sun through the windows will create sun beams (which your cat will love) as well as help warm up the room. And, with the doors open, that added warmth has a chance to circulate to other rooms.
Program your Thermostat
It is hard to find, nowadays, a thermostat that is not programmable. At the very least, most thermostats come with a home and away setting. You can program the thermostat to keep your home warmer when you are home, and allow the temperature to go down when you are away. Others even allow you to program it for times when you are sleeping and then to start warming your home when you wake up. Learning how to program your thermostat can generate savings. In fact, allowing the temperature to drop 10 degrees for 8 hours a day while at work, can save you five to 15 percent on your heating bills.
How to Use This Information
These are just some practical, everyday tips that will sure help keep you more comfortable, warm and save money through the winter months. However, if your heating system is just not keeping up and constantly running, it may be time to have us take a look at it and see how we can help. Call 303-424-1622 or schedule online and we will come out and perform a free systems evaluation.
