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When winter comes, you don’t want to be stuck with a lackluster heating experience. And you definitely don’t want to be stuck with a high energy bill because of your heating system. Your heating system should be able to meet all your home heating needs, and if it’s not, there are a few things you can do to assist it.
Heating your Vancouver, WA, home doesn’t have to be a hassle. You can efficiently heat your home by following a few simple tips. Whether it’s by installing more insulation or keeping up with maintenance, these solutions will help ensure you’re getting the most from your heating system. With a little help from HVAC professionals like Entek in Vancouver, you can be well on your way to heating your home efficiently this winter.
Switch to a Heat Pump
If the way you’ve been heating your home hasn’t proven very efficient, maybe it’s time to consider something different. A heat pump is an energy-efficient alternative to your standard furnace. Heat pumps work by moving heat from cool spaces to warm spaces—making the cool spaces cooler and the warm spaces warmer. It grabs the heat from outdoors during the winter and transfers it into your home. A heat pump’s ability to move heat instead of generating it from a conventional heating system allows you to heat your home while saving money and energy.
There are different types of heat pumps you can choose from to best suit your needs. For instance, geothermal heat pumps can achieve better efficiency because they take heat from the ground to warm up your home. According to U.S. Department of Energy:
The technology relies on the fact that the earth (beneath the surface) remains at a relatively constant temperature throughout the year, warmer than the air above it during the winter and cooler in the summer, very much like a cave.
Other heat pumps feature variable-speed motors that minimize drafts while also maximizing energy savings. The advanced technology available through heat pumps can be a great step toward having an efficient heating experience this winter.
Install More Insulation
As your heater gets to work, the heat circulates toward the cooler places in your home to warm them. If that warm air is escaping through insufficient insulation, your system will have to work harder, and so will your bank account. When your home is properly insulated, it helps prevent the heat from escaping a room.
It may seem like you should only focus on insulating the rooms that get the most use from your family but adding additional insulation to less frequently used rooms makes for a warmer winter. Your attic, for instance, isn’t the most used room in the house, especially in the cooler months. You may actually be avoiding it because it can reach such low temperatures. But your heating system is still working hard to get heat in there, and it’s just not able to hold it in without sufficient insulation.
Adding insulation to your attic will help heat that area and keep the warm air from escaping the house altogether. The same can be said for garages and basements. Insulating the areas that are the coldest can greatly improve your heating system’s ability to heat your home.
Make Sure Your Ducts Are Sealed
Your home could be losing heat even if your heating system is in great condition, due to leaking ducts. Even new ductwork has leaks, and up to 45 percent of your monthly energy bill is lost through those leaks. A path to efficiently heating your Vancouver, WA, home could be as simple as making sure your ducts are properly sealed.
One way you can ensure your ducts are properly sealed is by having a professional seal them with AeroSeal, an airborne adhesive. The particles in AeroSeal are released into the ducts and remain suspended until a leak is detected. The particles then attach themselves to the leak until it’s sealed. In only a few hours, this low-cost solution can be applied to your ducts, and your home—and bank account—will reap the benefits.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
It’s likely you won’t want to turn your heat up too high while your family is away at work or school. And there may be other times of the day where it doesn’t make sense to have the heat turned up. But it can be a hassle having to run back and forth from the thermostat multiple times a day. That’s why investing in a programmable thermostat is the best way to take initiative on controlling the temperature in your home.
A programmable thermostat allows you to set a schedule for heating your home in advance. It allows you to create day-by-day schedules so that it can automatically adjust the temperature for you at different times. You can even set it up to turn on just before you wake up or right before you return from work, so you never have to experience a chilly period while your furnace transitions from cooler to warmer temperatures.
Another great feature of some programmable thermostats is that they’re WI-FI-enabled. So you can be in control of your home’s temperature even while you’re away.
Make Sure Your Heating System Is Well-Maintained
Keeping your heating system well-maintained can aid greatly in your efforts to heat your home efficiently. Not having it inspected and cleaned regularly could make your heating system work harder than it should. If your coils, fans, or filters are dirty, that could be contributing to a reduction in airflow through the system, which can damage its compressor. And the extreme weather that comes in the winter can be detrimental to a poorly maintained system.
When it comes to your heating system, preventing a problem from occurring through proper maintenance is the best solution for efficiently heating your home. Professional HVAC companies like Entek can help you create a stress-free heating experience in Vancouver, WA. Entek provides services to ensure your heating system is contributing to healthy air quality and an efficient heating experience, as well as a long life for your system.
To better keep up with maintenance, there are convenient options such as planned maintenance programs, where an HVAC company can keep track of your warranty information and equipment and send you reminders when you’re due for HVAC maintenance. With the right professional on your side, maintaining your heating system can be an easy and enjoyable experience.