With the temps dropping, the last thing you want to have to worry about is keeping a comfortable home. Preferably, you would be spending the winter enjoying the comfort of your home and not even concerned with the cold temps. 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 variety of causes for an increase in your energy bill, but these are three of the more common ones we typically hear about at.
- Heat is getting out through the glass of your windows – when hot air comes in to contact with cold glass on your windows, the indoor air becomes cooler. One way to help reduce the loss of heat is to make sure you’ve closed your drapes during the evening hours and only open the drapes on windows that have light coming in during the day.
- Lack of attic insulation – if you live in an older home there’s a possibility that there is insufficient insulation. This means you could be losing heat through your attic, which forces your furnace to work harder to keep up, and might eventually lead to the need for a 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. When the insulation is even or below the joists, you’ll likely want to add some 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. Take a closer look at all of your windows and doors to decide whether it requires weather stripping to take care of those gaps. Just like it is with attic insulation, window and door gaps can require your heating system to work harder, making the possibility of furnace repair later even greater.
We hope these three tips can help you identify any problem-spaces in your home that could be inhibiting the comfort of your home. Our experts are available to answer any of your questions about furnaces, repair or indoor comfort, give us a call at 204-272-8128.