Cooler Temperatures Are Coming: How To Make Your Heater More Energy Efficient

 Now that summer is just about over, it's time to turn your attention to fall. That's the time of year when you'll start turning your heater on again. If you weren't satisfied with your energy efficiency last year, now's the time to get things under control. Waiting until fall or winter to take care of heating issues could leave you waiting for quite a long time, especially once your heater repair company gets busy with emergency calls. Don't wait until the last minute. Here are four steps you can take right now to improve your energy efficiency once the cold weather arrives.

Heat by Zones

If you're tired of turning the furnace up to high just to warm up one section of the house, you might benefit from zoned heating. Zoned heating allows you to adjust the temperatures to various areas of the house. This is particularly beneficial for times when the most activity is occurring in one section of the house. For instance, if everyone is in the living room and kitchen areas of your home, you can turn the temperature down for the bedroom areas. Likewise, overnight when everyone is in bed, you can turn the temperature down for the main house, and up to a comfortable setting for the bedrooms. Not only will you save money on your heating bills, but you'll be able to stop worrying about adjusting the thermostat.

Get Your Ducts Sealed

If the duct work in your home is old, it could be leaking warm air. That's because duct work can deteriorate over time. When that happens, you'll lose a good portion of your warm air through the cracks in your ducts. To make your heating system more energy efficient, schedule an appointment to have your ducts sealed. Your home will stay warmer, and your heater will be more efficient.

Insulate the Crawlspace

If you've got a crawlspace under your house, and you haven't checked the insulation lately, it's time to do that. You could be losing a lot of warm air right through your floors. Adding a fresh layer of insulation, and using spray foam insulation to seal the spaces between the pipes and the walls, will help keep the warm air inside your living area where it belongs.

Don't waste warm air this winter. Use the helpful tips provided here to make your heater more energy efficient. To avoid unexpected breakdowns this winter, schedule a service call with your HVAC technician, such as from HELP Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Electric, before fall arrives.