5 Ways to Help Your Heating System: Keep the Warm Air Indoors
Save energy and money with these tips
Your furnace or boiler works hard to keep your South Shore home warm during the winter – And you pay for all that heating!
Unfortunately, not all of that heat stays inside your home where it belongs. Up to 20 percent of the heated air in your home ends up lost to air leaks and drafts along the way.
Fortunately, there are things you can do that will help keep the air you’re heating indoors, and the cold air outdoors this winter. Some of these tips can also help keep your air-conditioned home cooler in the summer so you can enjoy energy savings year-round!
- Weatherize your home. This is an inexpensive DIY project that can take less than a weekend’s work. Most of the drafts in your home are located around your windows and doors. Some caulk, weatherstripping, plastic window coverings, expanding foam and door sweeps can greatly reduce heat lost from drafts.
- Keep heat from going out the window. Using insulated cellular shades or window quilts, insulating draperies and curtains can reduce heat loss in a room by up to 10 percent. That figure climbs to up to 25 percent if you attach the draperies to the wall with Velcro or magnetic tape.
- Use passive heating to your advantage. Keep curtains and blinds open on windows that get direct sunlight. This lets natural heating warm up your home so your furnace or boiler doesn’t have to use as much energy or work as hard. Close those curtains and blinds when the sun goes down to keep that heating indoors.
- Add insulation. Many homes here in New England, especially older homes, don’t have enough insulation. The U.S. Department of Energy has guidelines on how much insulation your home needs, and types of insulation. Insulating your home to the R-value (the insulating effectiveness) that is recommended can save you up to 20 percent on your heating and cooling costs.
- Cover your floors. Many homes around the South Shore have lovely hardwood floors. But they can be pretty chilly in the winter. Adding area rugs can help keep heat from escaping.
Frank Lamparelli helps keep your home warm with reliable delivery of Bioheat fuel and propane, as well as HVAC equipment maintenance and repairs. Contact us today to learn more!