With the temps dropping, the last thing you need to be concerned about is keeping a comfortable home. Preferably, you would be spending the winter enjoying the comfort of your home and not worrying about the colder weather outside. Of course, it may not be that easy, and there are a few items that could be occurring in your home that might result in a need for furnace repair or an unnecessary increase in your utility costs.
There are several causes for higher utility bills, but we are highlighting a few of the more common ones we encounter.
- Heat is getting out through the glass of your windows – when hot air comes in to contact with cold glass on your windows, the indoor air becomes cooler. One way to help reduce the loss of heat is to make sure you’ve closed your drapes during the evening hours and make sure that your windows are receiving light during the day before opening them.
- Lack of attic insulation – with older homes there’s a likelihood that it doesn’t have enough insulation. This means you could be losing heat through your attic, which forces your furnace to work harder to keep up, and might eventually lead to the need for a furnace repair. You can easily check if you have enough insulation by looking in your attic to see if the insulation is below or even with the joists. When the insulation is even or below the joists, you likely need more insulation.
- Gaps in windows and doors – as you are taking a look to see if there are any gaps around your doors or windows, keep in mind that they aren’t always easy to notice. Be sure to thoroughly look at all of your windows and doors to determine whether you need to add weather stripping to take care of those gaps. Just like it is with attic insulation, window and door gaps can make your furnace work harder, potentially upping the chance that you’ll need furnace repair.
These are just a few tips to help you determine any potential problem areas in your house that could cause heat loss. If you have any questions about furnaces, furnace repair or other ways to combat heat-loss, give us a call at 715-301-0256.