Does your house get drafty in the winter? Do you spend a lot of money on home heating, but still aren’t comfortable? Are you looking for ways to stay warm without cranking up the thermostat and spending a fortune?
You can do many things to make your house warmer this winter without spending a ton of extra money. Many home heating hacks are cheap or free! Use these tips and tricks to turn up your comfort this winter.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
Installing a programmable thermostat costs some money, but it’s worth the investment. It’s one of the best things you can do to keep your home comfortable while saving money.
Program your new thermostat to keep your house cooler during the day, when everyone is out, and at night when everyone is sleeping snugly in their beds. You can save three percent on your heating bill for every degree you turn down your thermostat. To maximize savings, you can keep your thermostat at 68 degrees overnight and 60 degrees during the day.
Stop Your Furnace from Rapid Cycling
Rapid cycling happens when your furnace kicks on and off rapidly throughout the day. This happens when the cycle rate adjustment on your thermostat is less than one minute. When installing a new thermostat or adjusting an old one, make sure that the cycle rate adjustment time is one to one-and-a-half minutes.
Use Ceiling Fans to Move Warm Air
Ceiling fans aren’t just for the summer months! You can use ceiling fans in the winter to push warm air back down from the ceiling and into the lower half of the room where it can keep you comfortable. Just flip the switch on the side of the motor housing to reverse the direction of the blades, so they spin clockwise.
If you don’t have ceiling fans in your house, installing them can be worth the money. Ceiling fans can significantly reduce your electricity costs year-round. Purchase a ceiling fan with a light fixture from a reputable manufacturer like Hunter Fan.
Unblock Your Vents
Do you have furniture in front of your vents, radiators, or heat registers? It could be blocking the flow of heat into your room and making your home colder. Move your furniture so that vents, registers, and radiators are unobstructed.
Seal Your Doors and Windows
Leaky doors and windows let cold air in and warm air out. Use a door sweep or a door snake to block drafts coming in from below the door. Install weather stripping around your doors and windows to seal the cold air out. You can even use plastic window sealing film to further insulate your windows.
Open Your Drapes During the Day
Opening up your drapes during the day allows the warmth of the sun into your house, which can help warm things up while relying less on your furnace. Close them again right before the sun goes down to trap the heat of the day inside. Hang insulating curtains to help keep warm air in at night and save on heating.
Keep Your Flue Closed
If you have a fireplace, keeping your flue closed when you aren’t using it is important. An open flue lets in just as much cold air as a wide-open window. And while a roaring fire might seem like just the thing to warm up on a chilly winter’s night, it can dump up to 20,000 cubic feet of heated air per hour out the chimney. All of that heated air gets replaced in your house by cold air that needs to be heated. Try to have fewer fires or, at the very least, buy glass fireplace doors to keep air from escaping up the chimney after the fire goes out.
Turn Down Your Water Heater
Did you know that you use more hot water in the winter? It’s true. You can compensate for the extra utility costs by slightly turning down your water heater. Turn it down to 120 in the winter months or all year round – your water will still be plenty hot enough for showering and washing dishes, but you’ll save a lot of money on gas or electricity.
Wintertime doesn’t have to be frigid – not if you know how to keep your house warm without spending extra money on heat! Stick to your budget and stay comfortable this winter when you use the right home heating hacks.
John Davis is a passionate content writer with a knack for crafting engaging narratives across various subjects. With a keen eye for detail and a love for storytelling, John brings ideas to life through the power of words. His dedication to delivering high-quality and informative content has made him a trusted voice in the digital realm. When he’s not at his desk, you’ll find John exploring new hobbies and seeking inspiration in the world around him.
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