The winter is fast approaching, and temperatures can get ridiculously low, especially in San Antonio, TX, making your living space unbearably cold. This means your HVAC system will likely work longer and use more energy than usual, contributing to a sharp rise in energy bills. The situation is even worse with poor heat conservation efforts. This winter, combat the chill with these tricks from MD Air Conditioning & Heating.
Install a Smart Thermostat
A smart thermostat is a crucial solution for cold weather and will help you save up to 30% of your heating cost. This thermostat learns your schedules and preferable room temperature and then saves the data. Using that information, it adjusts itself accordingly every time you are in the home.
The thermostat has sensors to detect the presence of people in the home, so it can avoid overworking and unnecessary temperature fluctuations. If you are not comfortable with the current temperature settings, you can easily adjust them to your liking through your smartphone.
With a smart thermostat, you can zone your home accordingly to avoid heating rooms that are not in use. This feature helps you save money and conserve energy to heat only required rooms. If you are deliberate about heat conservation this winter, then a smart thermostat is a must-have.
Switch the Ceiling Fan to Reverse
Many people in San Antonio use ceiling fans to cool their bodies during the summertime. However, did you know the ceiling fan can help make your home warm during the wintertime?
The ceiling fan can move either clockwise or counterclockwise. In hot seasons, you’ll want your ceiling fan to move in a counterclockwise direction to cause a downward draft. This draft is responsible for the cooling effect on your body.
During the cold season, turn the fan clockwise to cause an upward draft that pushes the breeze upward, displacing the air above the ceiling. The warm air is directed downward, causing a warming effect inside the room.
Instead of turning off your ceilings fan, consider changing its direction to clockwise. It is easy to switch the direction by pushing the control button or using voice commands for intelligent fans.
Don’t Block the Heat
Natural light can help add heat to your home. In daylight, opening the curtains and blinds allows the sun to get inside your home. This increases warmth in your home and reduces the workload on your HVAC system. Remember to close the curtains at sundown to maintain the warmth and avoid cold air seeping into your home. Investing in insulated curtains and windows will help you trap the solar heat in your home at night.
Never Close the Vents
There is a popular myth that shutting off the vents in unused rooms will help to conserve energy. However, it invites more problems to your HVAC system, comprises air quality, and increases your heating expenses.
Closing the vents causes air pressure to reduce in unused spaces, leading to imbalances in the entire system. To restore the air pressure to normal, cold air from outside seeps through tiny holes or gaps. The result is reduced temperature, poor air circulation, and overworking of your HVAC.
It’s crucial for you to understand that the HVAC system produces the same amount of air irrespective of the number of open vents in your home. Therefore, closing any vent leads to inefficiencies, causing strain in the system and the use of more energy. In addition, you reduce your equipment’s lifetime, promote mold growth in rooms with shut vents, and restrict quality airflow.
Consider Your Insulation
Your heating and cooling system works on the concept of air circulation. During winter, the goal is to push cold air outside and increase the amount of warm air in the home. Holes, gaps, cracks, and spaces between electrical and plumbing fittings can lead to heat losses.
When cold air seeps through the gaps within your home, the HVAC system works harder and uses extra energy for heating. This situation implies you have to spend more to keep your home warm. The solution to this predicament is proper insulation.
Scientifically, hot air rises, which means if the attic or ceiling is not insulated correctly, your home will experience heat loss. Fiberglass and cellulose are excellent materials for insulating the attic. The doors and windows require extra weather stripping to help keep cold air out. Use caulking, spray foam, or plastic window films around the doors and windows.
From HVAC installations, repairs and maintenance to heat pumps to indoor air quality, there are various ways of improving your home comfort in San Antonio. If you want further information on conserving heat this winter, contact MD Air Conditioning & Heating today.
Tags: Conserving Heat