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 worrying about the colder weather outside. Of course, it may not be that easy, and there are a few things that could be taking place in your home that might result in a need for furnace repair or an unnecessary increase in your utility costs.
There are a variety of causes for an increase in your energy bill, but we are highlighting a few of the more common ones we encounter.
- Heat is getting out through the glass of your windows – when hot air comes in to contact with cold glass on your windows, the indoor air becomes cooler. To help reduce the effect that the glass has on your cozy home, make sure you’ve closed your drapes during the evening hours and make sure that your windows are receiving light during the day before opening them.
- Lack of attic insulation – if you live in an older home there’s a likelihood that it doesn’t have enough insulation. This means you could be losing heat through your attic, which forces your furnace to work harder to keep up, 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 – as you are taking a look to see if there are any gaps around your doors or windows, keep in mind that they aren’t always easy to notice. Be sure to thoroughly look at all of your windows and doors to decide whether weather stripping is needed 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’d like to speak with our professionals about your furnace or indoor comfort, give us a call at 334-524-2458.