The temperatures have dropped, the leaves are gone from the trees, and winter is here for Utahns. For homeowners this means preparing a few important areas, including your furnace or other heater setup to ensure the home remains warm and comfortable throughout the winter.
At Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric, we’re here to help. We provide a wide variety of furnace repair and replacement services for those who need equipment tweaks or upgrades headed into the cold season, but we’re also on-hand to offer important expertise on how to properly utilize your heating system – and related home components – for a comfortable home that comes without a crazy heating bill at the end of each month. As much as anything, accomplishing this involves avoiding common errors many homeowners make while trying to heat their homes – this two-part blog series will evaluate these common mistakes and help you avoid them.
Cranking the Thermostat
When the home is cold, perhaps after you’ve just woken up or gotten home from a day of work, there may be an impulse to simply crank the thermostat up really high. Some assume this will cause the home to heat up faster than just raising the temperature to the desired range.
This is a mistaken assumption. Not only will this technique fail to heat the home faster, it will also put more strain on the system that leads to not only higher bills, but also an inefficient heating setup where the unit works much harder than it needs to. The best move here is to slowly, gradually increase the temperature so the system runs optimally.
Heating Empty House
If your home sits empty for large chunks of the day while its occupants are at work or school, why waste money on heating it during these hours? You could be wasting countless dollars on energy costs that are simply serving no purpose.
For those with older thermostats, this area is a major reason to consider an upgrade. Programmable or smart thermostats allow you to set temperatures based on your daily schedule and related factors, optimizing the heater’s use so it’s only working when it’s truly needed.
Space Heaters to “Save Money”
Some assume that they’ll save money by using space heaters for direct heating needs, but the opposite is actually the case. Space heaters simply add to your energy costs – and not only this, but they also may create safety issues or even fire hazards when connected to improper power sources.
Filter Concerns
Finally, an HVAC concern throughout the year that remains vital in the winter is changing or cleaning filters regularly. Clogged filters will not allow for air to pass through as easily, which will limit your heating capacity while also raising your bill. Ensure that you follow manufacturer guidelines for frequency of changing or cleaning filters, or even exceed them if you have pets or other home factors that increase your dust, hair or debris content.
For more on how to avoid common heating errors during the winter, or to learn about any of our HVAC or plumbing services, speak to the staff at Action Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric today.