With the colder weather settling in, the last thing you should have anxiety over is keeping a comfortable home. Preferably, you would be spending the winter enjoying the comfort of your home and not even concerned with the cold temps. Of course, it typically doesn’t happen that way, and there are a few things that could be taking place in your home that could end up with you scheduling furnace repair or a higher than normal energy bill.
There are a number of causes for higher utility bills, but we will share some of the most common reasons.
- Heat is getting out through the glass of your windows – when the warm air in your home reaches windows that are cold from the outdoor air, it impacts the indoor air by reducing some of the heat. 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.
- Lack of attic insulation – if your home is older, there’s a chance that there is a lack of insulation. This means you could be losing heat through your attic, causing your heating system to work harder than necessary, and could 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, you’ll likely want to add some more insulation.
- Gaps in windows and doors – it’s not always easy to tell by just taking a quick look if there are large gaps. Be sure to thoroughly look at all of your windows and doors to decide whether it requires weather stripping to take care of those gaps. As we mentioned with attic insulation, window and door gaps can make your furnace work harder, making the possibility of furnace repair later even greater.
We hope these three tips can help you identify any problem-spaces in your home that could be inhibiting the comfort of your home. If you have any questions about furnaces, furnace repair or other ways to combat heat-loss, give us a call at 937-558-9478.