Five Home Heating Mistakes to Avoid

Having a working heating unit is a requirement for a comfortable home during the winter. While heating your home is important, there are several mistakes that homeowners make with their heating systems that could degrade the functionality of a furnace, and additionally culminate in high repair costs for you and your home.

Effectively managing your heating unit can reduce the cost of your energy bill. The following article addresses five common heating mistakes to avoid. With this as a guide, you can both ensure the longevity and effectiveness of your heater as the outdoor climate drastically cools down.

Neglecting Your Unit When It Is Not in Use

It’s easy to tuck away any thoughts of your heating unit when the temperature rises, considering that there is no use for it. This could potentially degrade your unit over time, and in the case where your unit is severely damaged, culminate in repair or replacement costs.

Conduct routine maintenance once every six months, cleaning and additionally powering on your unit for a short period of time. Just like a car engine deters after extended periods of neglect, an unused unit runs the risk of degrading over time.

Switching the Thermostat to the Extremes

Quickly cranking the heat up or down to compensate for the outdoor weather conditions requires your unit to work twice as hard as it should. For example, if the temperature on your thermostat drops significantly during the night, your unit will need to exert more effort in heating the recently chilled house — this is ultimately more expensive than maintaining a practicable temperature. Feel free to adjust the thermometer to a feasible temperature that is right for your home, without reaching dramatically high or low levels.

Heating an Empty Home

While it is always pleasant to walk into the warmth on particularly cold days, heating your home when no one is around to enjoy it is an unnecessary addition to your expenses.  Turn your thermostat down when you leave, and occasionally turn it off to give it a rest. With modern technology there are various applications and devices that offer homeowners the ability to control their thermostat wherever they are. If needed, you can also invest in a programmable thermostat to tailor the temperature in your house around your family’s schedule.

Leaving Windows Ajar

Forgetting to close your windows or leaving them slightly ajar to allow in some cool breeze is a common practice. By doing this, you’re making your unit to work harder to warm your house.

Make it a practice to ensure that windows are locked and sealed by the time winter rolls around. If possible, invest in double paned glass for maximum protection against the cold.   

Keeping the Curtains Drawn During the Day

Opening the curtains during the day allows in heat from the sun, providing your home with optimum warmth during the winter season. This is also a cost efficient way to warm up your dwelling and requires less work from your heating unit.

On the reverse, close all curtains at night to prevent cold air from coming through and to trap the warmth inside your home.   

In conclusion, avoid taking your heating system for granted by opening your windows and curtains when your unit is turned on, by heating your home when it’s empty, and by cranking the heat up or down. These practices degrade your unit overtime and increase the cost of your bill. Lastly, service your unit twice a year, once before you turn it on, to ensure its effectiveness during the winter period.