With the temps dropping, the last thing you need to be concerned about is keeping a comfortable home. In an ideal world, you would be able to relax in a warm home and not even concerned with the cold temps. Of course, things don’t work that way, and there are a few things that could be occurring in your home that might result in a need for furnace repair or trying to figure out why your bill is so high.
There are a variety 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, that air loses some of its heat. An option to help minimize that impact is to make sure you’re closing 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 – with older homes there’s a likelihood 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 harm your furnace. When you go to check out your attic’s insulation, you’ll want to see if the insulation is even or below 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. Be sure to thoroughly 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 force your furnace 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 979-335-4262.