How to Insulate Your Home and Keep Heating Costs Down

2/19/2018 (Permalink)

How to insulate your home and cut heating costs.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average U.S. family spends at least $2,200 a year on energy bills – with nearly half of that going towards heating and cooling.

And as the temperature begins to fall, the cost to heat our homes starts to rise.

Now’s the time to make sure your home is well-insulated. A properly insulated home will keep the warmth inside, reducing your heating costs and improving comfort.

Use the five tips for insulating your home below to save on energy bills and keep you and your family nice and cozy this winter.

1. Seal Gaps Around Doors

Doors that aren’t correctly fitted to the frame form gaps. One of the simplest ways to insulate your home is to seal the gaps, typically found at the bottom of the door. These can easily be fixed by:

• Using weather strips: Weather strips are an easy, inexpensive way to stop air leaks.
• Installing draft stoppers: Also known as a door snake or door pillow, draft stoppers sit beneath the bottom of your door and can be made out of socks.

2. Cover or Repair Windows

Another tip for insulating your home is to cover or repair windows that are letting cold air in. For a quick fix, tape clear plastic film to the inside of your window frames and seal tightly. For a more long-term solution, replace old windows with new ones. Older homes that have single-pane windows lack proper insulation, causing your energy bills to skyrocket. To save money and keep those drafts from coming in, consider replacing with double or triple-pane windows.

3. Use Your Curtains

Curtains provide us with a sense of privacy, but they’re also good for insulating homes, especially if you have drafty windows. When the sun is out, open your curtains to let heat and light in. When it’s dark, close your curtains for an extra layer of insulation.

4. Insulate Your Attic

Proper insulation is not only key to finishing your attic, but increasing your energy savings as well. And when it comes to heat, about 25 percent is lost through the roof. You can reduce this by insulating the ceiling and walls. Loose-fill or batt insulation is typically installed in attics, but according to the U.S. Department of Energy, loose-fill insulation is best because it provides better coverage when properly installed.

5. Close Your Fireplace Damper

Fireplaces are a great source of heat, until they’re not. Unless a fire is burning, make sure you close your fire damper. An open damper is like leaving a window open, and if you’re damper is open, you’re letting heat escape. If you have installed gas logs in your fireplace, however, leave the damper open. Gas fireplaces release large amounts of carbon monoxide and therefore must always have an open damper. If your pilot light is not lit, close the damper to ensure you’re not losing any heat, but be sure to open it back up when your gas fireplace is in use.

Source: https://www.budgetdumpster.com/blog/insulate-home-cut-heating-costs/

Furnace Blowing Cold Air? Here’s What You Can Do

2/5/2018 (Permalink)

Furnace blowing cold air.

Brrr! Why does the furnace quit on the coldest day of the year and always on a weekend?

We feel your pain! So, to help, here are a few things you can do to troubleshoot the problem before you have to call for an emergency repair.

Top 3 Reasons a Furnace Blows Cold Air

#1 – Your Thermostat Is in the ON Position

Your thermostat has an ON and AUTO switch that runs your blower. If the switch is in the ON position, then the blower keeps running, even when the furnace is not heating. As soon as the furnace cycles back on the air will warm up again. All you have to do is switch the thermostat to the AUTO position. Then, the blower only comes on when the furnace heats.

#2 – The Pilot Light Is Out

A gas furnace has a small pilot light that stays on all the time. When the furnace cycles on, then the pilot light provides the flame that lights the gas and warms the air. If the pilot light goes out, then there is nothing to light the gas that fires the furnace. Lighting a pilot light is not hard but there are a few safety measures you need to follow.

Never try to light a pilot light if you smell gas in the room. Call your gas company’s emergency line and they will send someone to inspect your furnace lines.

If you don’t smell gas, then find the pilot light assembly. Most furnaces have a sticker with instructions on how to light the pilot light. If yours does not, then try to locate the gas valve. Switch it to the PILOT setting. Hold a lighted match to the pilot opening. If there is a reset button on the control panel, hold the button until the pilot light burns. Once it is going, set the valve to the ON position.  If the pilot light won’t stay lit, then you may have a faulty thermocouple or a dirty port. You can try cleaning the port with a piece of wire. If the thermocouple is bad, you will need to call a professional to make the repair.

Some furnaces have an electric starter instead of a pilot light. If you cannot find a pilot light, then an electric heating element is probably what ignites your furnace. When an element malfunctions, you will need to call an HVAC professional.

#3 – The Furnace Has Overheated

If you can’t get your furnace to blow any air, hot or cold, it’s possible it has overheated. Safeguards are in place that shut off the burners when the unit gets too hot. More often than not, the problem is a dirty air filter. Furnace filters should be checked frequently for dirt and debris. If you have pets you may find that you have to change out your filter as often as once a month. Once the air flow is no longer restricted and the unit cools down, the furnace should start blowing warm air.

Source: http://rheemteamcomfort.com/furnace-blowing-cold-air-heres-can/