During the peak of winter, outside temperatures may drop so much that, even with a functioning furnace, the cold can creep inside your home and disrupt your comfort and productivity. From insulation basics to more creative handiwork, these tips can help you warm up a chilly room as an addition to your heating system or while you wait for residential heating repairs or upgrades.

Hang Thick Curtains

When you were choosing curtains to hang in your home, priorities were probably factors of privacy and aesthetic. You may have picked them based on how much or how little light they let in or because they perfectly match your home’s color scheme and decorations. But the next time you are shopping for curtains, keep in mind they serve a dual purpose. In the winter, thermal-lined curtains can significantly reduce the amount of heat that would be otherwise lost from your home through your windows. However, if you have to improvise, you can sew fleece or flannel onto any curtain, on the side facing the window. During the day, you can open the curtains to let solar warmth in.

Use A Chimney Balloon

If your home has a fireplace that you don’t use very often, experts on heating maintenance in Bloomington recommend plugging it with a chimney balloon between uses. This consists of an inflatable bag that you can place above the firebox and pump up to prevent warm air from escaping through the roof and cold outside air from coming down the chimney. If you need to use the fireplace, simply deflate the balloon and store it for a future use.

Insulate Your Floors

Many people remember to insulate their roofs and walls during winter, but fewer think about insulating the floor. If your most dreaded moment of every winter day is getting out of bed or shower and shivering as your foot touches the frigid floor, you may want to lay boards over concrete floors. Also, cover your home’s high-traffic areas with a blanket, rug or several layered rugs.

Don’t Underestimate Your Fans

If your furnace or heat pump is not providing enough heat and you want to keep warm while you wait for backup electric heating installation, use ceiling and other types of fans to move the warm air around your house. Do this by flipping the switch on the motor housing so the blades spin clockwise. Because warm air tends to rise, the spinning blades of a fan running in reverse can gently nudge the heat down to the chilly areas or even to adjacent rooms.

Install A New HVAC System To Meet Your Needs

If you feel unsatisfied with your home heating system or it keeps giving you trouble, your most practical solution could be to replace it with a new one to match your needs. Your heat pump or furnace could be providing insufficient heat because:

  • It is not the correct size for your home;
  • It has a malfunctioning thermostat and/or dirty filters; or
  • It is not operating at maximum efficiency or several other reasons.

Moreover, as technologies advance every year, more systems are engineered to operate quietly and unobtrusively. If you think it’s time to replace your old, loud, or problematic heater, Bloomington Heating & Air can recommend a system that suits your home and lifestyle and install it promptly so you can begin to feel comfortable as soon as possible. Aside from installations, we also provide Bloomington heating repairs and HVAC maintenance. Call us today for a consultation!