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 even concerned with the cold temps. Of course, it typically doesn’t happen that way, and there are a few things that could be happening 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 several causes for higher utility bills, 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, that air loses some of its heat. 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 chance that there is a lack of insulation. This means you could be losing heat through your attic, causing your heating system to work harder than necessary, 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. If that’s the case, you likely need more insulation.
- Gaps in windows and doors – it’s not always easy to tell by just taking a quick look if there are large gaps. Be sure to thoroughly look at all of your windows and doors to establish whether it requires weather stripping to take care of those gaps. Similar to attic insulation, window and door gaps can make your furnace work harder, increasing the chance of furnace repair down the line.
We hope these three tips can help you identify any problem-spaces in your home that could be inhibiting the comfort of your home. If you have any questions about furnaces, furnace repair or other ways to combat heat-loss, give us a call at 251-471-2674.