The colder months of the year are approaching, so what better time than now to talk about how important it is to keep the home warm? Heating efficiency in the home isn’t just about keeping warm, however, but it’s also about energy efficiency and how expensive the house can get in the winter.
As such, here, we’re going to look at a few things you need to know about making the home warmer, comfier, and a little less expensive through those frosty months.
7 Ways to Improve Heating Efficiency in Your Home
1 – Forget your old home heating system
First of all, let’s talk about the source of all the heat that you’re trying to keep in the first place. While some might still be relying on a fireplace, the majority of us are going to be using a home heating system as part of our HVAC setup for most of the heat that’s produced in the home.
While these systems are crucial in most modern homes, they aren’t always going to be as effective as you would like them to be. In fact, a lot of them can get a lot less efficient over time. As such, if you’re noticing that the heating hasn’t been as effective, it may be way overdue a service, which should happen every year, and replacing it could genuinely be more cost-effective than trying to repair it instead.
2 – Where is the heat escaping from? The question you must ask to improve heating efficiency
Once you’re ensured that your heating works as efficiently as possible, then you need to look at how your home holds onto heat or, rather, how your home loses heat when you don’t take good enough care of it. One of the primary culprits when it comes to heat escaping is your windows.
In some cases, it might just be a minor air leak that you can caulk. However, older windows lose heating efficiency and let out a lot more heat. So a more modern replacement like Martha’s Vineyard Window might be an appropriate solution. At some point, you need to decide whether you’re going to keep trying to make the best out of old and failing windows, and when you need to bite the bullet and buy new ones, instead.
3 – Stay wrapped up
Heatinf efficiency means than your mechanical systems. There are many other areas that the heat can escape from. While a poorly maintained window will see it all getting sucked out through those points, the overall insulation effectiveness of the home can have a big impact, as well.
To that end, you may want to invest in some insulation with the help of teams like Anderson Insulation. Not only can you insulate the walls but you should also consider the pipes. They may not let much heat escape, but they can freeze in the winter which can lead to the messy tragedy that is the burst pipe.
4 – Keep the roof over your head in good repair
If your heat isn’t escaping through the windows or through the walls, then you might need to think out of the box or, rather, above it. Heat rises, as we should have all learned in physics class and, when given the opportunity, it will rise up out of the house through the attic.
Insulation is, once again, a key means of keeping the heat in the attic from freely leaving, meaning that the rest of the home also stays warm. However, you should also inspect the roof (or hire a professional to do it safely for you) for any missing or damaged tiles, since these can also open a gap for the warm air to escape, not to mention leaving your attic open to all of the elements.
5 – Close up the windows
It might seem like a relatively simple tip compared to the others and, indeed, following the below advice won’t exactly be as effective as replacing old and leaky windows. However, if you want to maximize the heat efficiency of those windows, then making use of thick curtains found at places like Thermal Window Curtains can make a genuine difference. Curtains with a thermal lining are the most effective but, otherwise, the thicker you go, the better.
You can even use curtains for the exterior doors to keep heat from escaping through those, as well. However, if it’s a very sunny day, you might want to let the sunlight in as the light can bring a little extra warmth.
6 – Close up the chimney, too
If you’re like a lot of homeowners, then the fireplace in your home might be purely decorative. If it isn’t, then you can skip this tip. Otherwise, it might be time to consider closing it up if you’re fairly certain that you’re not going to be using it any time soon.
A chimney balloon can stop heat from escaping up and out through the chimney with little hassle. Otherwise, you might consider blocking it up entirely and maybe even replacing it with an electric fire so you can still keep some of the comfort and aesthetic of an open hearth in the winter.
7 – Be smart- take control of your heating system
Aside from stopping heat from escaping, you also want to make sure that you know precisely how much fuel you’re using to heat the home. It can be difficult to control your bills when you leave the heating on and end up leaving it on for much longer than you anticipate.
As such, aside from getting a thermostat that you can control the heating with, you should consider getting smart with it. A smart thermostat can automatically adjust the heating to a level that you prefer, changing it at different times of the day and in different rooms, in some cases. You might even be able to control it with your smartphone.
The Takeaway: Heating Efficiency is Essential to Your Comfort and Your Wallet
Simply put, without the right investments in maintaining the heating efficiency of your home, winter can become a nigh unbearable time of the year. Consider the tips above, how much you’re willing to invest, and the smartest way to keep your home comfortable, warm, and, most importantly, safe.
Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."
Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.
Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and two rescue pets a sweet toy fox terrier and a cat who showed up one day and moved into the house. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.
This blog celebrates all things home.
