No one likes to get a big utility bill for heat over the winter, and this is especially true after the holiday season. However, there are a few ways to make sure that you save money on home heating this winter. Of course, at Max Air, we know every trick in the book, and we are always happy to help our customers save money by reducing their need for heat service in the first place. Although many of these suggestions require work on the homeowner’s part, there are a few ways that our technicians can do heater repair now to make sure it does not cost you more money than it should, later.
Do the candle test
One of the easiest ways to prevent overspending on home heating bills is to keep as much of the heat indoors as possible. Unfortunately, there can be drafts in a home that are virtually undetected. Nevertheless, there are simple ways to isolate drafty areas in the home and address the problems with something simple like a smear clear silicon caulk to fill in the gap. This simple test can be done with a heat gauge that you buy at a hardware store or a candle that is lit. To use the candle method, all you need to do is walk around and notice if the flame starts to flicker when you are standing still. If there is a flicker, you know that there is a cold draft nearby that you will be able to identify by feeling with your bare hands.
Buy a thermostat lock box
Especially when children are young, they may not know the importance of leaving the thermostat box alone. All they know is that they feel cold and if they press the button, they won’t feel cold anymore. To prevent children and other residents of your home from increasing your utility bills by fiddling with the thermostat box, consider a quick installation of a lock box specifically designed for thermostat.
Get an app for your thermostat
One of the easiest ways to control the thermostat in your home is with a remote app that controls the temperature. Although it may not be as effective as a lock box, it will help you as the homeowner and energy bill payer to have a chance to remotely turn down the heater service when it is not being used. For example, if your spouse calls you from the grocery store and you notice that no one is home, you can turn down the heat for an hour until they get back inside. This is also helpful for people that travel during the holidays that may have a cold snap or a particularly warm day for winter while they are away.
Create a cold trap for entry doors
Whenever somebody opens the door, the heat goes out and the cold comes in. Instead of continuing the cycle of yelling at anyone that holds the front door open for too long, you can create a place for that cold air to get trapped before they come inside. In some cases, this involves using plastic tarps to box in the front entrance from the outside by using a porch structure already in place. For other families, their home is designed so they can close off the small entryway room with blankets or heavy curtains over the doorways leading to the rest of the house. One other aspect that few homeowners think of is moving the thermostat to a different part of the house to keep heat bills low. One obvious signs that your thermostat may be located in or around a main front entrance is hearing the heater click-on the minute someone opens the door.
Get maintenance inspections on your heater
Of course, if your heater unit is not working correctly, it will draw more energy. Although many people get and inspection or maintenance for their heater scheduled before winter, doing this at any time can save significant amounts of money. One other reason that maintenance inspections of heaters will save cash is that it will prevent the heater from breaking down in winter when you need it most and causing subsequent problems like frozen, burst pipes.
Give us a call today and we will help your winter heat budget
Your heating unit is one of your main tools of survival against the winter elements, and we know how to give you an edge with maintenance, heater repair, installation, inspections and other heater services. At Max Air, we are always happy to help our customers have all of the knowledge they need to make the right decisions about the heater service in their home. Whether it is talking about the best thermostat temperature that will save dollars without causing your pipes to freeze or completely replacing a heating unit to get the most energy efficiency, we have the skills and tools you need. To get started, contact us today, and thank you in advance for choosing us.
