In 2015, 55% of the energy used in homes in the United States was used for heating and cooling. When you have a heating system that is inefficient, it can increase your energy costs and make your home less energy efficient.
However, there are ways that you can combat rising heating costs by improving your heating system efficiency.
Do you want to learn more about how to create an energy-efficient home and lower energy bills? Keep reading this article for tips on improving your heating efficiency!
Change Air Filters
One of the easiest steps you can take to make your heater more efficient during the winter is to change air filters. Often, the filter in the furnace can get clogged with dirt, dust, and other debris. While this improves your indoor air quality, having a dirty filter will make it harder for your furnace to push air through the filter.
This means your furnace has to work harder and for longer to get your house warm and circulate the air.
By changing out dirty air filters, it will be easier for your furnace to work and it will consume much less energy. Typically, these filters should be changed every three to six months.
Buy a Programmable Thermostat
Something else that can make it easier to control the efficiency of your heating system is buying a programmable thermostat. Using a smart thermostat or one that runs on Wi-Fi makes it easy to turn the heat on or off, no matter where you are.
They are typically easy to install and make it easy to lower your energy bills. For example, programmable thermostats allow you to adjust the temperature of your home while you are out of town so you don’t have to waste money heating up an empty house.
Programmable thermostats are also more accurate. This means that you can heat up your home to the exact temperature you want and save money on your monthly energy bills.
Lastly, you can create a heating schedule with a programmable thermostat. This way, you can lower the heat when no one is home during the day and automatically turn on the heater later at night when people return.
Distribute the Heat in Your Home
Often, the warm air from our heaters is not distributed throughout our entire home. Hot air can get trapped near your ceiling and is wasted. However, you can easily circulate this air by reversing the direction of ceiling fans in your home.
By simply flipping a small switch at the base of your fan, it will blow the hot air down to the bottom of your room, rather than pushing the warm air up.
Seal Air Ducts & Other Air Leaks
Heat loss in your home may be coming from holes or leaks in your air ducts. If there are parts of your ducts that are easily accessible, you can seal all of the joints of these ducts to keep them from wasting the hot air.
Most people use caulk or silicone to cover these leaks. However, you can also hire a professional company to identify leaks in your air ducts and seal them.
There are also other areas of your home that may be leaking warm air or letting cold air inside. Common sources of air leaks include areas around windows and doors, near your foundation, and other places where pipes or wires come into your home from outside.
Sealing these leaks and insulating the rest of your home is an easy way to make your heater work more efficiently. This is because it prevents the warm air from escaping outside and allows the air to heat your home faster.
Open Each Air Vent
Some homeowners close air vents in their homes or cover them with furniture if they do not need to use them. For example, they may shut the vent registers in parts of their home that they do not use.
However, closing the air vents can create pressure in your air ducts. While you may be able to redirect the heat to another part of your home, it is not an efficient method of directing heat. This makes your heater less efficient.
Instead, you should open each of your air vent registers and avoid covering them with furniture.
Get a Professional Service
Finally, you need to get your heating system serviced by a professional HVAC technician. This should be done every year, as it can prevent problems from developing with your heating system.
Your HVAC technician will be able to identify potential problems with your heater and can help you make simple changes to make your heating system run more efficiently. If your furnace is getting old, your HVAC technician can even recommend a new, energy-efficient heater to replace your old unit.
By hiring a professional HVAC technician before the winter months, you can make sure your heater is prepared to run smoothly and more efficiently throughout the heating season.
Get Help Improving Your Heating System Efficiency Today
To keep your energy bills from skyrocketing during the cold winter months, there are a few tips that you can follow to improve your heating system efficiency.
Do you want to learn more about installing an energy-efficient heater or getting your heater serviced to improve its efficiency? P&M HVAC can help! We offer heater replacement, repair, and other maintenance services to improve your heating efficiency.
Contact our team today to learn more about our heating services in the Houston, Bellaire, Pearland, West University, and Friendswood, TX areas!