With the temps dropping, the last thing you want to have to worry about is maintaining a comfortable home. In an ideal world, you would be able to relax in a warm home and not thinking twice about what’s taking place outside. Of course, things don’t work that way, and there are a few issues that could be happening in your home that could end up with you scheduling furnace repair or an unnecessary increase in your utility costs.
There are a variety of causes for a rise in your energy expenses, but these are three of the more common ones we typically hear about at.
- 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. An option to help minimize that impact is to make sure that you close 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 chance 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 could eventually result in furnace repair. 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. If it is, it’s likely your attic needs some additional insulation.
- Gaps in windows and doors – sometimes these gaps are more obvious and visible to the naked eye or large enough to feel drafts coming in, but sometimes that may not be the case. Make sure to take a close look at all of your windows and doors to determine whether it requires weather stripping to take care of those gaps. As we mentioned with attic insulation, window and door gaps can force your furnace to work harder, potentially upping the chance that you’ll need furnace repair.
Hopefully, these tips help you determine any potential issues in your home that impacts your comfort. Our experts are available to answer any of your questions about furnaces, repair or indoor comfort, give us a call at 763-535-2000.