In many parts of the country, particularly on the west coast, spring has sprung and along with it so have warmer temperatures. Of course, for us, winter is taking a little longer to let go. We’re still using our heaters on a fairly regular basis, and we still need them to function at their best for the next several weeks.
Ideally, you would have scheduled heating maintenance this past fall to make sure your heater can make it all the way to the end of our heating season. If not, the good news is that it’s not too late!
Maintenance is certainly an important service, and we’ll touch on that a bit more below. In the meantime, we want to help you save money on your heating use, for however much longer you may need the system! The good news is, there are cheap and even free ways to improve efficiency and therefore lower your energy bills. Read on as we uncover our top tips for boosting heating system efficiency.
Use Your Curtains Wisely
Opening your curtains on your south-facing windows is a great way to bring free heat into your home! It’s no mystery that the sun offers free radiant heat, so why not use it to bring warmth to your home? Just make sure you’re closing your curtains at night to keep that heat inside.
Utilize Your Ceiling Fans
There are a number of homeowners that don’t realize this nice little trick—ceiling fans aren’t just for the summertime! In fact, there’s a switch near the center of your fan, likely above the blades, that allows you to reverse the direction of the fan blades.
This pulls hot air down from the ceiling. This means, ceiling fans help evenly distribute your heated air. You’ll feel warmer faster, so you can either raise the temp on the system or possibly even shut it off altogether to save energy!
Program Your Thermostat
Setting the right temperature on your thermostat is vital to HVAC efficiency. Just by lowering your heater’s settings by 5-10° at night or when you’re not home, you can potentially save hundreds on your annual heating costs. A programmable thermostat enables you to create a heating program based around your own personal schedule.
Check and Replace Your Air Filters
When your furnace’s air filter (or your air conditioner’s air filter, for that matter) gets too clogged up with dirt, dust, and other debris, airflow becomes restricted. This results in a system that runs longer to try to reach your desired temperature and circulate warm air effectively throughout your home. Chancing the air filter every 1-3 months helps everything work as it should—efficiently!
Don’t Forget Your Tune-Up!
We mentioned this briefly above, but it warrants repeating—keeping up on your annual maintenance tune-ups is the best way to boost your heating efficiency. Our professional HVAC technicians can make sure that your system is running as optimally as possible by detecting and correcting minor problems before they become much bigger and costlier.
Additionally, maintenance helps extend the lifespan of your heater, while professional maintenance lets you keep your system warranty.
Roadrunner Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration is your trusted resource for HVAC in Rio Rancho, NM. Contact us today for more great tips and even better service.
