As frost fills the fall air and rages onward during the winter months, keeping your home warm and toasty can be costly. Don’t allow fall and winter heating bills to skyrocket. With the help of our HVAC repair company, you can boost your home’s efficiency, reduce wasted energy, and lower your overall heating costs — here are five of our favorite winter heating tips. Contact Bloomington Heating & Air today for all of your heating needs this fall and winter.
1. Adjust The Thermostat
According to the United States Department of Energy, lowering the thermostat in your home just 7-10 degrees for 8 hours each day can reduce your annual heating bills by 10 percent. In order to ensure optimal heating efficiency, we recommend setting your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit during the cold season. We likewise recommend installing a smart thermostat, or programmable thermostat, which can help save you money without requiring you to sacrifice home comfort. Smart thermostats offer automation, individualized control, and greater accuracy over your home’s heating and cooling system.
2. Repair Your Furnace
Even the most efficient heating system can function improperly, especially during high-use months during the fall and winter. If you require a furnace repair, it’s important that you promptly call our HVAC company for services you can count on — otherwise, you may risk struggling through a sudden cold-snap, having to pay higher-than-usual utility bills, reducing the system’s functional lifespan, or even needing an whole-system replacement and new furnace installation. Our technicians will inspect all components of your system to ensure that any issues are identified and remediated.
3. Check The Insulation
A well-insulated home can use up to 50 percent less energy than a home without property insulation in place. Reducing the amount of air that leaks into and out of your home is a cost-effective method for reducing heating costs, improving the functional capability of your system, increasing home comfort, and creating an overall healthier indoor environment. Contact Bloomington Heating & Air to schedule a home energy audit — our technicians will identify the sources of both indoor and outdoor air leaks and provide solutions to help maximize your home’s insulation efficiency.
4. Schedule HVAC Maintenance
Among the most effective ways to reduce your heating costs is scheduling regularly planned HVAC maintenance. Poorly maintained heating units and unclean exhaust filters can reduce the efficiency of your heating system and may even render the unit obsolete. A properly working furnace costs much less to operate than a system that is unable to adequately heat your home. Alternatively, if you’re looking to upgrade your system, our technicians can help you choose the right types of heating systems that can help you ensure low operating costs and high indoor comfort.
5. Cool-Down The Water Heater
Your HVAC system comprises only one part of your heating bill — on average, water heaters comprise nearly 17 percent of overall energy use in a home, which is more than all other household appliances combined. The majority of appliance manufacturers configure water heater thermostats to be 140 degrees Fahrenheit, however, most households only require them to be set at 120 degrees Fahrenheit. You can save 3-5 percent on your water heating costs for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit reduced on your system. Call us today for help with cooling down your home’s water heater for maximum savings!