Heat has a habit of going where we don’t want it. It enters our home on hot days and escapes it on cold days. You can’t completely eliminate heat loss, but there are several things that you can do to reduce the amount of heat loss in your home. But why should you care? Reducing heat loss will save you money on your energy bills. It will also lower your energy consumption which is good for the environment.
Upgrade Your Insulation
Insulating your home is an important step in reducing heat loss. The energy from the warm air in your home transmits to the walls of your home which then transmits to the cold air outside. Insulation slows down the rate at which this transmission occurs. All exterior walls of your home must be insulated. This includes the roof and the floors. There has been a lot of progress in the development of insulation over the years. If your home is old, you may prevent a lot of heat loss by upgrading to newer insulation that operates more efficiently.
Keep Your HVAC Maintained
Your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system is responsible for heat generation and heat elimination in your home. Keeping your system properly maintained will make sure that heat is properly efficiently directed throughout the house. Keeping your pilot light on is one of the most important aspects of furnace maintenance. It is not unheard of for your pilot light to go out due to poor ventilation. However, if your pilot light keeps going out, this may be a sign of deeper issues in your system. If this is the case, you may need to bring in an HVAC professional.
Windows and Doors
Windows and doors tend to be responsible for most of the heat loss in the home. Keeping doors closed is the biggest step towards eliminating this. The next step is to make sure that the weather stripping around the door creates a proper seal. To reduce heat loss through windows you should check the caulking to make sure there are no gaps through which air can escape. You can also use insulating curtains. Curtains and blinds on windows will help prevent heat loss by reducing the amount of heat radiation leaving your home. Heat radiation is heat transported in light form. This type of heat escapes easily through clear surfaces like windows.
Reducing heat loss is something that will bring you multiple benefits. First, you will be more comfortable during the cold months of the year. Second, you are going to feel more comfortable looking at your energy bill. And finally, you’ll feel more comfortable knowing you are reducing your impact on the environment.
Read this next: Why You Should Always Read the Fine Print When It Comes to Your Money