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Posted on January 27, 2017 by

Staying Warm This Winter: 4 Useful Tips

Whether you love the winter because it means holidays and snow or hate it for those same reasons, it’s important to keep your home and family warm during these colder months.

There are a few easy things you can do around the house to make sure that your home is ready for winter, and not only will these steps make sure your family stays cozy this season, but they’ll also ensure you consistently save money on your power bills during this traditionally energy-intensive time.

humidifier_staywarm_winter1. Run a Humidifier

Humidifiers are important in winter for a couple of reasons. For one, they prevent dryness and static buildup and generally keep the atmosphere inside more comfortable. But they're also good for keeping the air warmer because moist air retains heat better than cold air. By running a humidifier in winter, you can actually turn down the furnace by a few degrees while still making the air feel warmer.

Expert tip: The ideal humidity in winter is between 30 and 50 percent. Any higher and you'll be risking mold growth.

2. Prepare Your Home for the Cold

You may have heard people talking about winterizing things like boats and cottages to prepare them for the colder months, and this same principle can be applied to your home.

The key to winterizing is protecting your home from the cold, and this means preventing warm air from escaping and cold air from seeping in. There are a number of things you can do to winterize your home, including:

  • Seal leaks and cracks around doors and windows with caulk
  • Install weather stripping and draft guards
  • Install plastic film (on windows) or storm windows
  • Switch ceiling fans to run clockwise, so they blow warm air to the ground level
  • Add more insulation to pipes, walls, and in between floors
  • Seal leaks in ducts and air vents

3. Get Your Heating System Inspected

An inspection on your furnace may seem unnecessary when you’ve already been running your heat for over a month without problems. However, unless you have your furnace checked out regularly by a professional, it could break down at any time, leaving you in the dead of winter without any heat.

A proper annual inspection will find damage, corrosion, or cracks in the heating system, will ensure that all cleaning and repairs are performed, and this will keep your furnace running optimally all winter long.

4. Install a High-Tech Thermostat

how_old_is_your_thermostatUpgrading your thermostat may require you to fork out some money up front, but in the long run it will save you quite a bit on energy bills. With a programmable thermostat, you can have your house heated to different levels depending on the time of day.

For instance, during the day when nobody is home and at night when everyone is sleeping, you can program the thermostat to lower the heat so you can save money. And for peak times when everybody is home and awake, you can set the thermostat to automatically increase the temperature to keep everyone toasty and happy.

Winter can be a very enjoyable time of year, but it’s integral that you keep your house and family warm and comfortable during these cooler months. And if you want to save money while you're at it, simply follow these four useful tips that will keep your house at the ideal temperature while keeping your money where it belongs (in the bank).

For help with any of these tips, or for assistance with any other issues, call 603-674-9885 to speak with the professionals at Skovron Mechanical Services LLC.