There is definitely a chill in the air in Boston, MA, with colder temperatures still to come this winter. That means that we’ll be counting more and more often on being able to retreat into our homes to enjoy shelter and warmth. Even though you might be chilly, avoid the temptation to turn the furnace way up to get warm. Heat is expensive.
If you plan ahead and do some homeowner maintenance before it gets too cold outside, you can heat your home for a lot less. Start with getting a furnace tune-up. The technician will change your filter, inspect and clean all of the components to make it energy efficient and reliable for the season ahead.
Caulk Your Windows
You’d be surprised at how much warm air can leak out of a small gap. Reduce heat loss by inspecting all of your windows.
For those with loose seals, take time today to caulk them completely. You can significantly reduce heat loss just with that one step.
Similarly, check out your doors for gaps. Sometimes the ground will settle over time, and doors shift in their frames. You can fill those gaps with weather-stripping. If there is a gap between the front step and the door that will seal it up as well.
Reverse Your Ceiling Fan
Although your ceiling fan produces a welcome breeze in the summer, the same breeze can be very helpful in terms of helping with your household heating in the winter.
In the summer, the fan runs counter-clockwise because of the air composition. To take advantage of the rising air, reverse the fan’s direction to clockwise.
The combination of the movement of the blades, combined with the rising warm air, creates an updraft that disburses warm air effectively throughout the room below.
You can turn your furnace down, stay warm and keep the savings. There are estimates that suggest you can cut your heating bills by 10-15 percent just with this one trick.
Window Insulation
It’s not just your walls that need to be insulated to protect from the cold outside; your windows need insulation as well.
Glass is full of pours, which means that you need to block the air from flowing through.
You can reduce heat loss easily by applying window film right on the window pane itself. You tape the film to the window frame and then mold it in place using a hairdryer.
