How You Can Help Minimize the Heat Leaving Your Home

With the colder weather settling in, the last thing you need to be concerned about is keeping a comfortable home. In an ideal world, you would be able to relax in a warm home and not even concerned with the cold temps. Of course, things don’t work that way, and there are a few items that could be taking place in your home that may require furnace repair or a higher than normal energy bill.

There are a number of causes for higher utility bills, but we are highlighting a few of the more common ones we encounter.

1. Heat is getting out through the glass of your windows – when hot air comes in to contact with cold glass on your windows, the indoor air becomes cooler. One way to help reduce the loss of heat is to make sure that you close your drapes during the evening hours and only open the drapes on windows that have light coming in during the day.
2. Lack of attic insulation – with older homes there’s a possibility that it doesn’t have enough insulation. This means you could be losing heat through your attic, which forces your furnace to work harder to keep up, and might eventually result in furnace repair. It’s not hard to determine if you have enough insulation, take a look and see if the insulation is below or even with the joists. When the insulation is even or below the joists, it’s likely your attic needs some additional insulation.
3. Gaps in windows and doors – as you are taking a look to see if there are any gaps around your doors or windows, keep in mind that they aren’t always easy to notice. Make sure to take a close look at all of your windows and doors to establish whether it requires weather stripping to take care of those gaps. As we mentioned with attic insulation, window and door gaps can force your furnace to work harder, making the possibility of furnace repair later even greater.

These are just a few tips to help you determine any potential problem areas in your house that could cause heat loss. Our experts are available to answer any of your questions about furnaces, repair or indoor comfort, give us a call at 775-230-7628.