The winter months are fast approaching. With the bitter cold of Minnesota, it is important to consider ways of optimizing furnace efficiency to ensure that you stay warm all winter long. If you have a high-efficiency furnace, much of that investment will go to waste if you skimp on efficiency measures in your home. If saving some money this winter sounds good to you, check out these ways to improve your furnace’s efficiency:
- Have your ductwork inspected for leaks. These leaks prevent some of your warm air from making it throughout your entire home and will result in uneven heating. Also, ducts often leak air into places that do not need heat, such as th
e attic. Optimizing furnace efficiency cannot be done with leaky ducts. Have your ducts professionally sealed today. - When uneven heating occurs, use register or duct dampers to divert airflow. Often, certain rooms will heat more than others. Using a damper to partially close a register can divert some of that warm air to a different room that could better use it. It’s important to have an experienced technician make these adjustments to ensure that the proper temperature is obtained.
- Many homes do not have enough cold air returns. Because of this, these homes tend to lack the airflow for proper heat distribution. Bedrooms are a common place in which many people spend their time. These rooms frequently lack cold air returns. Optimizing furnace efficiency by adding cold air returns to these rooms will result in better heat distribution and comfort.
- Installing a programmable thermostat is a great way to save energy. In general, if you turn down your thermostat one degree while you sleep overnight on a consistent basis, you will save 2 percent on your energy bill. A programmable thermostat allows you to program preset times in which your thermostat will automatically turn down to save you energy.
Optimizing furnace efficiency will help you save ample money this winter and in the future. For more information about how to keep warm this winter, and save some money in the process, contact us here at Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning. We’ve been serving the Twin Cities Metro area since 1974 and will ensure that you stay warm this winter.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnace efficiency and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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