How to Prepare Your Home For a Cozy & Comfortable Fall
The rustle of falling leaves and the smell of pumpkin pie can only mean one thing—fall is finally here. Keep your home comfortable and energy efficient all fall long by making these smart and simple energy-saving improvements.
Keep your heating system in good working order
Fall is the perfect time for a seasonal HVAC maintenance check. An inspection and tune-up by a trusted and certified HVAC professional will make sure your heating system is clean and that all the parts are in good shape and operating at maximum efficiency. A maintenance check will also help to detect any small problems before they turn into big ones, ensuring that you remain comfortable and trouble-free throughout the fall and winter months.
Contact Hurlburt and schedule your fall HVAC maintenance check today.
Use an Ultra Smart Thermostat
An Ultra Smart Thermostat, can help your home stay energy-efficient and comfortable day and night. For maximum efficiency, it’s recommended that you set your thermostat as low as is comfortable when you are at home and awake. Then, when you are asleep or out of the house, turn your thermostat back 10° to 15° for eight hours and you could save around 10% a year on your utility bill.
Check your windows and doors for air leaks
Keep drafts at bay and heating bills low by checking your windows and doors for air leaks. Fill any cracks you find with caulk. For added insulation, consider investing in window insulation film (plastic shrink film applied to the indoor frame with double-sided tape). Heavy fabric curtains, as well as door and window snakes, can also provide effective protection against drafts. Also, remember to replace worn or insufficient weather stripping to help preserve the barrier between cold and comfort.
Look for energy-savings in every room
When you really start to look, it’s amazing how many ways there are to save energy around your home. Turning off lights when you leave a room is a great way to save energy and reduce your utility bills. And for increased energy savings, install light dimmers. To save even more—up to 75% less electricity per bulb—you could switch out regular florescent bulbs for CFL or LED bulbs.
Remember to keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning. Keeping the damper open is like keeping a window wide open during the winter; it allows warm air to go right up the chimney.
And, since heating water consumes about 18% of the energy consumed in your home, turn down the temperature of your water heater to the warm setting (120°F). You’ll not only save energy, you’ll avoid scalding your hands.
Take advantage of the heat from the sun
The sun’s heat is free, so you may as well take advantage of it. Once the sun is up, you’ll want to capture as much of that heat as possible. Even on cold days, the sun is still warm. So, before you leave the house for the day, open up the curtains and let the sun shine in. And, if there are certain parts of the house that don’t get sunlight, don’t open those curtains. Once the sun goes down, keep all that free heat from escaping through the windows by closing the drapes.
Source Lennox Blog
