Keeping your home cozy shouldn’t feel like an endless battle against the elements. Simple strategies can help retain heat without skyrocketing energy bills. From sealing up your windows and doors to refining your daily habits, Neighborhood Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Electrical is here to lay out the top methods for safeguarding your home against cold air.
Reach out to our team today with any questions about keeping your house warm or scheduling an HVAC service. We offer an array of heating services to help your family stay cozy against frigid Minnesota winters.
Seal Those Sneaky Air Leaks
Small gaps in windows, doors, and walls can pull warm air out while allowing cold air to seep in. Checking for drafts and sealing up these cracks goes a long way in keeping your house warm. Inspect each room in your home for gaps where cool air might enter, focusing on areas around windows and doors. Use weatherstripping, caulking, or door sweeps to plug these gaps and prevent warm air from escaping.
Beyond doors and windows, consider looking around electrical outlets, light fixtures, and the edges of walls for similar leaks. These may seem small, but they add up, especially in cold weather when every bit of warmth counts. Seal them up, and you’ll notice a difference in how your space feels warmer.
Improve Your Insulation
Insulation acts like a barrier, blocking cold air from penetrating your walls and holding warm air inside. If your home has older insulation, it may not work as efficiently as modern materials. Over time, insulation settles and can leave spots for cold air to creep in. Adding or upgrading insulation in attics, basements, and walls can significantly affect your heating system’s performance.
Consider blown-in insulation for hard-to-reach spots or spray foam for sealing irregular spaces. Improved insulation holds more hot air in your home, reduces heating costs, and keeps your space warmer for longer, making it a worthwhile investment.
Schedule Professional HVAC Maintenance
Regular maintenance stands as your best defense against skyrocketing heating costs. Over time, issues like dust and debris can clog your heating system, and parts can wear down, making your system work harder and use more energy to do so.
Our skilled technicians deep-clean heat exchangers, adjust fan speeds, and clear blocked air passages — all vital tasks that help your system pull warm air efficiently through your home. This hands-on care prevents the gradual performance decline that leads to cold spots and higher heating costs.
Use a Programmable or Smart Thermostat
A programmable thermostat lets you set temperature changes based on your schedule, which helps save energy when no one is home. For instance, lowering the temperature when you’re away and scheduling it to warm up just before you return can reduce heating costs without sacrificing comfort.
Smart thermostats take this convenience further by adapting to your patterns and adjusting temperatures automatically. They can even detect when cool air seeps in and respond by briefly increasing the temperature to maintain warmth. A well-regulated heating schedule powered by a thermostat keeps your home cozy without the continuous high heat.
Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Windows or Doors
Old windows and doors might as well be holes in your walls when it comes to heat loss. Modern windows and doors offer dramatically improved insulation properties, helping keep cool air outside where it belongs. Double-pane or triple-pane windows create an effective barrier against heat loss, while proper sealing around doors prevents unwanted drafts.
Consider a Heating System Replacement
Sometimes, the smartest long-term solution involves replacing an aging heating system. Installing a new furnace or heat pump may seem daunting, but the latest models offer features that make controlling your home’s climate easier than ever. Plus, the money you save on energy bills often makes the investment worthwhile sooner than you might expect.
Neighborhood can handle every part of the heating system replacement, so you don’t have to break a sweat. We’ll evaluate your current system and recommend options that match your specific needs and financial situation. We then set it up seamlessly and for optimal performance from day one. If any issues pop up, we can tackle the maintenance and repairs.
Daily Habits That Can Make Your Space Feel Warmer
Everyday actions can contribute to keeping warm air inside your home. Small changes to your routine might seem insignificant, but combined, they help you maintain warmth and save money on energy bills. Here are some of the easiest practices you can put in place:
- Reverse Your Ceiling Fans: These devices aren’t just for summer. During winter, set your ceiling fan to rotate clockwise at a low speed. This helps pull warm air down from the ceiling, circulating it back into the room instead of allowing it to rise and dissipate.
- Use Sunlight to Your Advantage: Open curtains and blinds on sunny days to let natural heat into your rooms. Once the sun sets, close them to trap that warmth inside. This simple trick helps save money on heating by reducing how often you need to rely on your heating system.
- Close-Off Unused Rooms: If you have rooms you rarely use, keep them closed off during cold weather. Doing so allows your heating system to focus on the areas you spend time in, maximizing warmth and lowering energy consumption.
- Limit Exhaust Fan Use: Kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans pull warm air out of your home, so use them sparingly during winter. When they’re running, they create an easy exit for warm air, making your heating system work harder to replace that lost heat.
Call and Get Expert Heating Help
Cold weather shouldn’t mean dealing with high energy bills or an uncomfortable home. With the right approach to heating and energy efficiency, you can keep your home warm and cozy all winter. Contact us to learn more about our heating services or to schedule an appointment with our friendly team.