Make Your Furnace Work Efficiently, Not Harder
When your furnace doesn't heat your home efficiently, you're basically just burning the cash that you work so hard for. Here, you'll find a few ideas that can help you improve the performance of your furnace and keep your home warm without breaking the bank.
Service Check
How long has it been since the furnace has been fully serviced? You can't expect any appliance to run efficiently if it hasn't been serviced in a few years. There are so many working components inside the furnace, and if they aren't cleaned, checked, and serviced, the system will have to work harder to heat your home. As the furnace strains to heat the home, it uses far more energy to produce the same amount of heat, or possibly less than it would if every component was in good condition. Have a furnace service company come look over your unit.
Introduce Moisture
Moist heat feels much warmer than dry heat. Because of this, if you run a few humidifiers throughout your home, you will feel more comfortable. If you don't have a humidifier, you can add moisture to the air by placing a pot of water on the stove and heating it to a boil. Once it boils, turn it to simmer and allow it to continue to steam.
Utilize Secondary Heat Sources
If your furnace is running as best it can and it still doesn't keep the entire home comfortable, you should consider utilizing a secondary source of heat. This can be as simple as picking up a space heater, or a more permanent option would be a wood or pellet stove.
Tip: Check your local laws to learn if you are allowed to install and operate a wood or pellet-burning stove. Some areas have restrictions on burning wood fuel.
Winterize the House
Have you checked all of the windows and doors for air leaks? If you don't winterize the house, the furnace will continue to run and run to heat a home that is leaking the warm air. So get a stick of incense, and make a trip around the house, stopping at each window and door. Move the incense around the edges of the windows and doors, and watch for movement in the smoke – when the air blows in through any small leaks, the smoke will move, and you'll be able to seal it up with window and door caulk.
Talk with our furnace service professional. He or she will be happy to assist you with your home heating needs.
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