8 Tips to Improve Indoor Comfort This Winter

Regardless of how cold it is outside, you want your home in Cleburne, Texas, to remain warm and cozy. At the same time, you want to keep the energy bills within reasonable limits. Here are eight tips that can help you improve your indoor comfort this winter while keeping costs down:

Change Your Air Filter

To ensure your indoor air quality remains fresh, you must change your air filter throughout the year. It’s important to do so at least twice during the winter months since a dirty or clogged filter can impede the efficiency of your heating system. A dirty filter will be ineffective in trapping pollen, dander and other airborne particles. As a result, these pollutants will enter your living space and harm your family’s health.

Schedule Furnace Maintenance

Contact a professional HVAC service technician to examine and clean your furnace at least once a year, preferably right before winter. That will ensure that it remains in good working order throughout the cold months. You should also ask the HVAC service technician to check and clean your ductwork, as that can help with keeping the indoor air levels clean. It can also improve the heater’s efficiency.

Insulate Your Water Pipes and Heater

Cold weather can cause water pipes to freeze and crack, especially if they’re in an unheated section of the house. You can end up with flooded rooms if you’re not careful. Installing insulated pipes can help, as can insulating the walls around them.

Also, make sure that the area where your heater sits is well-insulated too. It’ll help to set the water heater to a temperature that gives you hot water without exponentially increasing your energy costs.

Get a Programmable Thermostat

A programmable thermostat lets you automate the interior temperatures as per your requirement. You can set the temperature to keep the interior comfortably warm while you’re at home and to a lower temperature when you’re away. That will help to keep the energy bill low, and it will also reduce the strain on your HVAC system. Since the furnace won’t need to provide the same heating level for 24 hours, it’ll last longer and require fewer repairs.

Consider Zoned Heating

Zoned heating lets you heat individual rooms separately. So, if you have a large house with some areas that remain unoccupied, you can keep them unheated and save on energy bills. Ask the HVACservice technician to assess your home’s heating requirements and see if zoned heating will be ideal for you.

Prevent Air Leakage

Make sure that your windows and doors are tightly secured and that there’s no cold air leaking inside through them. If there’s air leakage, your furnace will require more energy to heat the interior. As a result, you’ll experience higher energy bills. You may need to replace your weatherstripping if it has have worn out to remedy this problem. Check the caulking, too, and the attic insulation.

Improve Your Ventilation

Ventilation is essential for improving the air quality in your house. Open your windows on moderate days to let fresh air inside. If that isn’t possible, consider installing an energy recovery ventilator. This device exhausts stale indoor air and replaces it with fresh and filtered outdoor air.

Install a New HVAC System

According to the Department of Energy, if your HVAC system is more than 15 years old, you should consider replacing it. Older systems have outdated and deteriorating components that can be difficult or expensive to repair or replace. They are likely to be less efficient, and you’ll notice that your home interior isn’t as warm and comfortable. Also, the old HVAC system will consume more energy and drive up your utility bills. I’ll be more cost-effective and convenient to install a new HVAC system before the winter season.

It’s best to have experienced professionals handle any adjustments, repairs or overhauling of your HVAC system. Get in touch with Airmasters AC, Heat, Plumbing & Electrical for quality HVAC service. Call us at 817-506-4862 to ensure you stay comfortable this winter.

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