Make Your Home Warmer Without Adjusting The Temperature
Making your home warmer without adjusting the temperature starts by stopping warm air from escaping, preventing the entry of cold air and thoroughly insulating your home trapping the heated air in and the cold air out. These basic strategies for saving on your heating bills begin with checking for air leaks all over the home. By finding and sealing drafts, there is a potential savings of 5-30% on your energy usage. Look for openings that allow air through along every outlet to the outdoors.
Possible Points of Entry or Exit of Air
• Door frames
• Windows and window frames
• Holes used to thread faucets and pipes
• Entries and exits for electrical wiring
• Cracks in the mortar, foundation or siding
• Leaks along the gaps of the floor boards and joins of the ceiling and walls
• Air leaks along the joins in the ductwork of central heating units
Leaks Cost Money
By plugging up air leaks and preventing warm air from escaping and cold air from entering a homeowner can save at least 10-30% of the heating bill. Your heating service can have send a professional HVAC service technician to give your home an evaluation determining the location of leaks. The technician will use equipment that tests the area for the location of leaks in the home. A blower door tester in combination with a duct leak detector will force leaks throughout the building envelope to reveal them more clearly when a pressure detector is used.
Insulation Saves Money
Air escapes through the solid structure of your floors, walls and ceilings. The percentage of heat loss in each area of your home amounts to 35% due to air flow in or out of various leaks, 18-20% through windows and doors, 15-18% through floors and basements, 12-14% through walls and 10% through ceilings. By checking the insulation in these areas and insulating to current standards, homeowners can save hundreds of dollars in heating costs over the years.
It may be determined after all the leak repairs are made that your heating unit is simply not very efficient or requires too many costly repairs to perform well. In such an instance, the best course of action is a new heater installation. Invest in an efficient energy star rated unit and start benefiting from the monthly savings. Prepare for winter with annual heater maintenance, sealing leaks and updating insulation throughout the house and enjoy winter in comfort.
