When winters in Spring Hill, Florida, get cold, it’s tempting to turn up the heat, but the more you turn up the heat, the more you turn up your utility bill. We’ve got good news: There are plenty of ways to maximize the heat your HVAC system produces and to stay warm without involving your HVAC system at all. Here are five ways you can stay warm without turning up the heat.
Routine Maintenance
First and foremost (and hopefully you’ve already done this), ensuring that routine maintenance is conducted on your HVAC system is one of the best ways to keep your system running smoothly and boost the heat it creates. Problems ranging from leaky ducts to faulty system equipment may be keeping your system from producing the heat you need. Rather than turning up the temperature and forcing the system to work harder, get the problem fixed and you’ll be able to amplify your system’s heat production.
Also, don’t forget to conduct any maintenance that you could do yourself. Don’t try to do too much, but you can check and change filters once a month. Doing so will keep airflow strong and prevent inhibition of heat flow. Also, keep vents and heat registers clean. Layers of dust will not only ravage your air quality, but it will also keep out some of the heat and force your system to work harder.
Let There Be Light
While an HVAC furnace is great, even in the winter you can utilize nature’s big furnace. When the sun’s out, open curtains and blinds to let the light in. Even if it’s cold outside, the sunlight can heat up the room. You can trap the heat even better by closing the doors to the rooms you’re attempting to heat up. Just make sure you close the blinds and curtains at night to keep extra cold air from seeping in.
Find Drafts and Seal Cracks
Even the tiniest crack could be letting cold air into your home. Make sure that your door frames are adequately sealed, especially at the bottom of the door. Seals can wear with time, especially in the winter when things get dry and crack easier. Check the caulking around windows for cracks and leaks. Seal all of those up, and you should eliminate drafts.
If you have too much cold air seeping in through windows, especially at night, consider hanging a thick blanket or something comparable in front of the window. That should trap some of the heat and keep the room warm. Cold air can also seep in through a tile or hardwood floor, and those surfaces can get pretty cold by themselves. Placing a rug on these areas will serve the same purpose as the blanket in front of the window.
Use a Programmable Thermostat
Programmable thermostats are easy to come by these days, and they are yet another key to keeping your furnace running efficiently during the winter. Program your thermostat to allow your home to get a little cooler while you’re away, then to start warming things up while you’re on your way home. Keeping the furnace running at full blast even while you’re away is wasting valuable energy and money, and it’s even potentially shortening the life of the furnace.
Stay Warm!
All of these previous measures are great for using your home and furnace to keep yourself warm and energy efficient. Remember, though, that as long as you focus on keeping yourself warm, you’ll be fine. Stay active, move around, and don’t let your body get cold from sitting. Add layers; throw on a jacket or a hat. Shower with the door open to let the heat get into the rest of the house. Do some baking, and enjoy that heat coming out of the oven. You don’t need to make sure your whole house is toasty for you to be toasty.
If you have more questions about staying warm, or would like maintenance conducted on your furnace or anywhere on your HVAC system, contact Senica Air Conditioning, Inc. Inc. online, or give us a call at 866-881-5935.
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