Staying cozy in winter doesn’t have to come with a high price tag. Keeping your home warm is essential for comfort, safety, and protecting your pipes from freezing. Fortunately, there are several simple ways to make your home feel warmer without overworking your furnace – and they can help you save on energy bills, too. Read on to learn more about the top 6 winter hacks to stay warm without this winter without the added price tag!
1. Open Curtains and Blinds
One easy way to reduce how much your heating system must run during the winter is to take advantage of the natural warmth the sun provides. This means getting into the habit of opening your curtains and blinds to allow the sunlight to shine in. By doing so, you can keep the temperature in certain rooms up a few degrees, so you don’t have your thermostat set quite as high. Windows that face south or west receive the most sunlight during the hotter parts of the day. North-facing windows contribute very little to heat gain since they receive the least sunlight. You may still want to keep those windows covered so you block out cold air.
2. Rugs and Insulated Window Treatments
Many types of flooring, like hardwood, composite, and tile, tend to be cold in the winter and can contribute to you feeling chillier. Even though heat rises, some heat can also escape through your floors, especially if they aren’t that well insulated. That’s why it’s a good idea to lay thicker area rugs on some of your hard floors so you don’t feel the cold emanating off them. This can also create another layer of insulation that helps trap heat in.
While windows are a great source of heat gain during the day, they’re also a major source of heat loss whenever the sun isn’t shining. You should close your windows and blinds as soon as the sun starts to go down. Keep them closed on overcast days. It’s a good idea to hang heavier, insulated curtains and drapes so that you block out more of the cold air. Cellular blinds are also great at trapping heat in and keeping cold air out.
3. Check for Air Leaks Around Windows and Exterior Doors
In most homes, windows and exterior doors are among the biggest culprits in terms of heat loss. That’s why you want to make sure that no cold air can leak in around your windows and exterior doors. This will make a major difference in how warm your home stays during the winter and how much your heating needs to run. The first step for ensuring your windows and doors are properly sealed and not leaking is to visually inspect them on the inside and outside for any gaps or cracks. If you see any gaps around the frame, you want to seal them with silicone or caulk.
You also want to check that the weather stripping around all your door frames and on the bottom of all exterior doors is fully intact with no gaps or sections that have started to fall apart. Replacing old or missing weather stripping is a simple task that will greatly reduce how much cold air can flow inside and how much heat can escape.
If you have any major air leaks, you should be able to feel cold air around windows and doors. Another easy way to test for leaks and drafts is to take a lit candle and slowly move it around each window and door frame. If the flame flickers more than usual, it indicates there is a leak in that area.
If you have any old single-pane windows in your house, it’s a good idea to seal them using a window insulation kit. This step generally isn’t necessary if you have double-pane or triple-pane windows since they are already well insulated.
4. Run Your Ceiling Fans
Most ceiling fans have two settings that allow them to spin either clockwise or counterclockwise. In the winter, you want to run your ceiling fans in reverse so that they spin clockwise. When the fans spin in this direction, they create an updraft that pushes the hot air near your ceilings downward so that the heat gets more evenly distributed throughout the room. If you always turn the ceiling fans on in whatever room you’re currently occupying, they’ll help you feel warmer so that you can keep your thermostat set slightly lower. Even though ceiling fans don’t use a huge amount of electricity, you should still make sure to shut them off when you leave the room so you’re not wasting energy.
5. Change Your HVAC Air Filter Regularly
If you have a furnace or heat pump that provides central forced-air heating, you should make sure that you check your HVAC air filter regularly and replace it as needed. During the coldest parts of the winter, when your heating runs much more, you’ll want to check your filter every 30 days. Some filters are designed to last 90 days or more. If you don’t replace the filter often enough, your heating system’s performance will suffer. It will take a longer time for your house to warm up, resulting in your furnace or heat pump using more energy.
One other thing to note is that you should make sure you’re not using a filter that is more efficient than your HVAC system can handle. The more efficient a filter is, the more it restricts the airflow coming into your HVAC system and the less heat the system will be able to put out.
In most cases, you don’t want to use a filter that is rated higher than MERV 10 unless you have a larger home with a much more powerful HVAC system. If you’re unsure of how efficient a filter your HVAC can handle, it’s a good idea to consult with one of our technicians. You can also tell if you’re using a filter that is too efficient since you will be able to feel that there is much less air blowing out of your vents and registers.
6. Make Sure Your Heating Is Properly Maintained
Be sure to have your heating system professionally inspected and maintained prior to the start of winter. There are several maintenance tasks that need to be performed regularly for the system to work as effectively as it should. If you neglect to have all the necessary tasks performed at the start of winter, you can encounter numerous issues that directly impact how much heat the system puts out and how much energy it uses.
There will also be an increased risk of your heating system breaking down and not working at all until you can get it repaired. Your heating system will also almost certainly need to be replaced much sooner if you don’t ensure it is properly maintained.
At 3 Mountains Home Services, we’ve been serving customers in Milwaukie, OR, and throughout the Portland area since 2000. As one of the area’s most trusted home service companies, you can count on us for all your home’s heating, air conditioning, plumbing, and electrical needs. Contact 3 Mountains Home Services to schedule a professional heating inspection and tune-up service today.
