Your furnace will almost always make up the largest portion of your energy bill, but you might currently pay more than you should to heat your home. You may be able to see a reduction in your heating bill when you tweak the way you use your furnace. Here are four home heating habits from our family-owned HVAC company you should avoid to improve the energy efficiency of your furnace.
1. Set the Thermostat Correctly
When asked about their most comfortable temperature, few people will say 80 degrees or more. However, some homeowners may be tempted to set their thermostat above 80 degrees on a cold day. You might get into this habit and set your thermostat too high when you want to heat your home up as quickly as possible.
The mistake, in this case, is that setting your thermostat to a higher temperature doesn’t actually warm your home faster. Instead, it causes your furnace to continue to run longer, even if your home has already reached a comfortable temperature. You should always set your thermostat to the target temperature that you want your home to reach.
2. Don’t Rely Solely on Your Furnace
Because modern furnace systems are so convenient, many people use their furnace as the only source of heat for their homes. Naturally, the less you use your furnace, the lower your energy bill will be and the longer your system will last. When possible, you should take advantage of alternative methods to keep your home at a comfortable temperature.
Opening curtains on warm days instead of running your furnace is one of the simplest methods to save energy that you can use. Temporary use of a space heater can be more affordable when you only need to heat a single room in your home. Wood-burning stoves and fireplaces are other excellent supplemental heat sources.
3. Remember to Change Your Furnace Filter
Changing your furnace filter is a simple routine that helps your furnace run efficiently. If the filter gets clogged, it can reduce airflow enough to potentially damage your furnace. Reduced airflow allows the heat exchanger to get hotter than it should, so it wears out more quickly. There is even a risk that the heat exchanger can crack if a dirty filter causes prolonged overheating.
Low airflow from a clogged furnace filter can make your furnace run longer than it should. More fuel is used to heat the same amount of air, so you will often see an increase in your energy bill. For most standard filters, inspect your filter at least once every three months to see if it needs to be cleaned or replaced.
4. Don’t Block Vent Registers
If you have a central HVAC system, you should know that your furnace will continue to try to distribute warm air evenly throughout your home even when vent registers are closed. If you block vent registers, either when you intentionally close them or when you accidentally place furniture over them, the efficiency of your system will be reduced, and you might even end up needing furnace repair in Denver. If the problem goes on for too long, you may be looking at premature furnace installation in Denver.
This is because your furnace continues to do the same amount of work. If your thermostat is set to the right temperature, you shouldn’t find it necessary to close off any vent registers to maintain a comfortable temperature in your home. If your home heats unevenly no matter how you set the thermostat, you may have leaky ducts that need to be inspected.
Avoid these few common energy-wasting habits to make heating your home much easier on both your furnace and your wallet. Use these heating and cooling tips to keep your home comfortable and your energy bill lower, and contact Lakeside Heating & Air Conditioning for all your needs for heating and cooling in Denver! If you’re looking for an energy-efficient heating and cooling system, ask us about our heat pump installation in Denver and mini-split installation in Denver!
