Keeping warm at home is one of the easiest things in the world. Just turn up the thermostat to as high as you can stand it, sit back, and pretend it’s summer!
Of course, that’s IF you don’t mind wasting tons of energy, driving your furnace into an early grave, and living with all that dry air that’s neither good for your health or your home.
The job of keeping responsibly and sufficiently warm is a multi-stepped endeavor for the truly energy conscious, and here are just some of the ways you can enjoy the energy-saving crowd right here in south central Tennessee.
Wear multiple layers of clothes – If you’re the only complaining it’s too cold and you’re the only one hanging around in underwear with no socks, then the problem is waiting to stare back at you in the mirror.
Run a ceiling fan in reverse – you’ve known probably since 1st grade or so that heat rises. Well, we’re here to tell you that it still does. More importantly, you can use that law of physics to your advantage by installing a ceiling fan and running it in reverse during the winter. That serves to push the heat back down, and thus allowing you to feel perfectly warm at a lower thermostat setting.
Close up drafty spaces around windows and doors – If you have even a modicum of DIY skill, simply run your hand around your windows and doors to find out where heat is escaping and cold air is rushing in to take its place. Then purchase the appropriate amounts of caulk and weather-stripping to keep more heat indoors where it belongs.
Install a programmable thermostat – If you keep the heat running full throttle every day so it’s “condition normal” when you return home from work, then you could really benefit from one or more programmable thermostats. These allow you to keep the heat on low while no one’s home but still have things nice and toasty upon your return.
Central to the whole home comfort thing is your heating system itself. As in, unless it’s well-maintained from year to year, there’s no way it can continue to effectively and efficiently heat your home. That’s why we urge you to contact GBT Heating & Cooling for our annual heating system cleaning and inspection service, especially if it’s been a year or more since service was last provided. With annual preventative maintenance, your system will run better, last longer, and help keep your heating costs in check. Plus, you’ll have fewer repair problems to contend with. Contact us today for service, and take some of the sting out of the winter cold.
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