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 even concerned with the cold temps. Of course, things don’t work that way, and there are a few items that could be occurring in your home that might result in a need for furnace repair or trying to figure out why your bill is so high.
There are a variety of causes for an increase in your energy bill, but these are three of the more common ones we typically hear about at.
- Heat is getting out through the glass of your windows – the glass on your windows are cold from the outdoor temps and when the warm air makes contact, it impacts the indoor air by reducing some of the heat. One way to help reduce the loss of heat is to make sure you’re closing your drapes during the evening hours and only opening drapes on windows receiving light during the day.
- Lack of attic insulation – with older homes there’s a likelihood that there is a lack of insulation. This means you could be losing heat through your attic, which forces your furnace to work harder to keep up, and may eventually harm your furnace. It’s not hard to determine if you have enough insulation, take a look and 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. Make sure to take a close look at all of your windows and doors to decide whether it requires weather stripping to take care of those gaps. Similar to attic insulation, window and door gaps can require your heating system to work harder, making the possibility of furnace repair later even greater.
Hopefully, these tips help you determine any potential issues in your home that impacts your comfort. If you’d like to speak with our professionals about your furnace or indoor comfort, give us a call at 717-216-0846.