Winters in Texas are often chilly but can be downright bone-chilling when the temperatures drop to extreme lows. When the winter season sets in, you need your heating system to take on the extra workload of keeping your home comfortable. However, this can often take a toll on your utility costs. With a few simple tricks you can do on your own and some expert-level professional services, you can keep your system efficient. This is so heating your home this winter doesn’t drain your bank account.
Keep Doors and Windows Closed
Keeping cold air outdoors while keeping warmth inside is crucial for efficient heating. Make sure all the windows in your home are closed and seal any that are especially drafty. Limit trips in and out of the house to keep the doors closed as much as possible to lower the workload of your heating system.
Add Extra Layers
Bundle up in the winter to avoid cranking the thermostat higher. Wear a comfy sweater and fuzzy socks while lazing around the house. Cover up with a blanket while you snuggle on the sofa and add more covers to your bed if you get cold while you sleep. As an added bonus, snuggling up to loved ones is a great way to share body heat and stay warm without bumping up the thermostat.
Utilize Your Ceiling Fans
Switch your ceiling fan to turn clockwise during the winter while your furnace is on. This motion creates an updraft, keeping the breeze from blowing down on you. This creates added chill while moving the warm air that rises to the ceiling so it can recirculate with the cooler air down below.
Let the Sunshine In
Your window coverings are great for controlling temperature when the weather turns cold. During the day when the sun is shining through, open the shades and let the sun warm your home a little. At night and during cloudy conditions, close the curtains or blinds to block out the cold, lowering the workload on your furnace a bit.
Change Air Filters
Your furnace air filters block dust and debris from entering your machine and from blowing through the vents. These filters should be changed regularly, usually every three months or more to keep your system clean and improve efficiency.
Schedule Routine Maintenance
Annual maintenance is crucial for the efficiency of your system. This tune-up service focuses on tuning, cleaning, and adjusting your heater to ward off added stress that lowers efficiency. Maintenance also helps prevent damage that results in failures while adding extra seasons to the life of the system. Schedule your maintenance every year in the late summer or early autumn to ensure your heating system is ready to go before the temperatures plummet.
During maintenance, we visually inspect your system, looking for signs of damage and wear. We lubricate moving parts to prevent excess wear and tear from friction and clean the inside of your furnace to remove built-up dust and debris that can slow your system down. Once we’ve thoroughly tuned, adjusted, and cleaned the inside of your heating system, we power it on and make sure you have sufficient airflow with no unusual sounds and smells. Finally, we check that your thermostat is properly calibrated so that you get the best temperature control.
Hire Professional Duct Cleaning
Dirty ductwork makes your furnace work harder to heat your home, resulting in higher energy consumption. Obstructions within the air ducts hinder airflow which means your furnace has to work harder and longer to push heat through to the vents. Professional duct cleaning uses compressed air to blast dust and contaminants out of the ducts, leaving a clear and clear passageway for heat to travel.
Repair and Replace Ductwork
Leaky and gapped air ducts allow heat to escape before it even reaches the vents. This means that your furnace is heating parts of your home that don’t contribute to a comfortable climate. In turn, the system works more to warm the house up. Our technicians seal holes in ductwork, repair areas where gaps are present, and replace corroded and damaged ducts to ensure heat travels through the system efficiently.
Add Insulation
Insulation in exterior walls helps block cold air from coming through any cracks and keeps heat inside where it belongs. If you have little or no insulation, consider hiring a professional to add some.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
Programmable thermostats help you better control your heating system by scheduling different temperatures based on your routine. For example, you can turn the furnace down a couple of degrees while you sleep at night and program the thermostat to warm the house back up in the morning when you first awaken. Likewise, you can lower the temperature in your home while you’re away. Then you can set the thermostat to rise back up just before you return so the house is warm and cozy when you walk in.
Try Zoned Heating
Zoned heating utilizes separate thermostats in different parts of your home along with dampers in the air ducts so that you can control areas separately. This helps you keep some rooms warmer than others based on your comfort preferences and uses less energy to prevent warming less-used areas to the same extent.
Switch to a Heat Pump
Heat pumps pull warm air from the ground to heat your home, making them an environment friendly and efficient option for winter heating. During the winter, your pump pulls cold air out of the house and replaces it with the warm air from the ground and heat produced within the system as it operates. Heat pump systems also provide cooling for summer and easily replace your furnace and air conditioner using the same ductwork you already have in place.
Upgrade Your Furnace
Heating systems lose efficiency as they age, even with the best care and maintenance. If your system is more than 10 years old and showing signs of aging, our technicians will assess the system and decide if it’s time for a replacement. We work with a variety of models, ensuring we find the perfect one to fit your home and your budget. During installation, we take extra care to connect utilities and ensure all ductwork is securely attached for reliable, safe, efficient, and sufficient heating.
Call the Heating Professionals
At Honest Home Services LLC, we take pride in providing advanced heating services to our customers, helping you save money while staying comfortable through the winter. We offer in-depth maintenance, repairs, and replacements for your furnace, air conditioner, heat pump, and ductless mini-split systems. We also provide skilled ductwork cleaning and repair services as well as indoor air quality equipment and service. Finally, count on us for water heaters and thermostats, letting us help you maintain ultimate comfort this winter and beyond.
When you’re ready to take control of winter heating in your Flower Mound, TX home, contact our expert crew of technicians for heating maintenance, repair, installation and so much more. Schedule your services by calling Honest Home Services LLC today.
