How to Improve Your Home's Heating When Cold Air Returns
Improve the efficiency of your home's heating by taking several specific actions as cold air returns in the late fall and early winter. Each problem that you identify and correct will add some efficiency to your home's heating and you will realize the greatest efficiency by using as many improvements as possible. Efficiency increases the potential for indoor air pollution, however so you need to find a balance between improved heating outcome and the possibility of increased indoor air pollution. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Perform regular maintenance checks on your heating system each year, such as changing the filters and scheduling service from a qualified technician. Service your furnace or heating system before cold weather arrives. Consult the owner's manual for your heating system to find out the typical life span for the system so that you can replace the system before it becomes inefficient.
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Conduct a home-energy assessment, also known as a home-energy audit, to determine any causes of heating inefficiency. The U.S. Department of Energy's Energysavers website offers tips on how to perform an audit. Look for air leaks, especially around electrical outlets, baseboards, fireplace dampers, weather stripping around doors, electrical outlets, and window frames.
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Inspect windows and doors. Rattling windows means a possible air leak; the ability to see daylight around a door frame or a window frame definitely indicates a leak. Repair leaks in doors by adding weather stripping to a the frame and caulk around windows to block the flow of air.
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Hold a burning incense stick around electrical outlets and baseboards to test for air flow that hurts energy efficiency. Such an air current will cause the smoke from the incense stick to waver in response. You can get more accurate results from such a test by closing all fireplace flues, windows, and doors, shutting off furnaces and water heaters, and then using exhaust fans to draw air out of the rooms.
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Examine the places on your home's exterior where junctions between two different building materials occur. If you find cracks or holes, caulk or plug these locations to seal off external air leaks.
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Tips & Warnings
As with the furnace, you may want to consider replacing older windows or doors.
