It’s heating season again in the Seacoast Region, and our home’s furnaces and boilers are beginning their long work of keeping our homes warm and cozy.
If the thought of your heating energy costs concerns you, there are a number of things you may do to make your heating system more energy efficient. This saves you money and eliminates the need for you to compromise on warmth or comfort.
To function at its optimum efficiency, your home’s furnace or boiler requires routine, expert maintenance by our service technicians. As a result, you’re using the lowest quantity of energy possible to keep your home warm. A tune-up also gives your service professional the opportunity to find and correct problems before they cause your system to perform less efficiently. Now is also an excellent time to join one of our service plans to assist you save money on heating system maintenance and repair expenses.
Heated air requires room to circulate, so it must have clearance. Obstructions such as furniture or drapes impede the circulation of heated air in a room, requiring your furnace or boiler to work harder to heat your space and raising your energy expenses as well as creating added wear and tear on your heating system. Go around each room and make sure registers and baseboard radiators have a clear space around them.
Check the temperature on your water heater. If it’s set to the usual manufacturer’s setting of 140°F, it’s needlessly hot and can be hazardous. At 140°F, water will be scalding. Children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to scalding injuries at this high a temperature. By setting the thermostat to 120°F, you can save up to 10% on your energy bills for water heating. When you take a shower or bath, wash the dishes or do the laundry, you won’t notice the change.
A clogged air filter increases the amount of work your heating system has to do. It also leaves dirt and dust on the furnace components, which can harm them and cause them to wear out or break down. Don’t wait more than three months between air filter replacements. If you have pets or someone in your house has allergies, asthma, or a respiratory disease like COPD, you’ll need to change the air filter more often.
When it comes to heat loss, drafts around windows and doors, as well as through walls and ceilings, can sometimes be as if a window is open 24/7. This heat loss drives up your energy expenses and necessitates that your heating system operate harder. You can save up to 20% on your heating expenses by using caulk, weatherstripping, and expanding foam to seal up those gaps.
P. Gagnon is here to help make sure your home’s heating, cooling, and comfort equipment is as efficient as possible. Contact us for your service needs!