With the colder weather settling in, the last thing you need to be concerned about is keeping a comfortable home. Preferably, you would be spending the winter enjoying the comfort of your home and not thinking twice about what’s taking place outside. Of course, it may not be that easy, and there are a few issues that could be occurring in your home that might result in a need for furnace repair or a higher than normal energy bill.
There are a number of causes for an increase in your energy bill, but we are highlighting a few of the more common ones we encounter.
- Heat is getting out through the glass of your windows – the glass on your windows are cold from the outdoor temps and when the warm air makes contact, the indoor air becomes cooler. An option to help minimize that impact is to make sure you’ve closed your drapes during the evening hours and only opening drapes on windows receiving light during the day.
- Lack of attic insulation – if you live in an older home there’s a likelihood that it doesn’t have enough insulation. This means you could be losing heat through your attic, which in-turn makes your furnace work harder, and might eventually result in furnace repair. You can easily check if you have enough insulation by looking in your attic to see if the insulation is below or even with the joists. If it is, you likely need more insulation.
- Gaps in windows and doors – it’s not always easy to tell by just taking a quick look if there are large gaps. Make sure to take a close look at all of your windows and doors to decide whether it requires weather stripping to take care of those gaps. Similar to attic insulation, window and door gaps can make your furnace work harder, increasing the chance of furnace repair down the line.
These are just a few tips to help you determine any potential problem areas in your house that could cause heat loss. If you’d like to speak with our professionals about your furnace or indoor comfort, give us a call at 602-971-0567.