Everyone looks for ways to stretch their heating during the winter, both in terms of cost and effectiveness. While most people are content to simply keep doors and windows closed to keep as much heat in as possible, there are a number of better ways to ensure that your heating system is operating at peak efficiency. Let’s examine some of the best ways that you can improve your heating for the winter.
Schedule Preventive Maintenance
The best way to make sure that your heating system provides maximum heat output is to have it serviced at least once a year. The prime time to do this is usually during the fall, right before you start using the system more heavily. If you haven’t scheduled it yet this year, however, winter should do just fine. Having preventive maintenance done at this time of year ensures that your system is prepared for the stress of daily use during the winter, saving you the money and stress of repairing it when it breaks down.
Get Your Ducts Sealed
Forced air systems lose an incredible amount of heat each year to leaks in their homes’ ducts. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates this loss at about 30% of total heat, on average. This means that almost a third of the energy you paid for could be going to waste instead of heating your home. Since ducts are largely out of sight, and the leaks are often small, you probably won’t be able to find them yourself. Call a professional to examine and seal your ducts for you, and you’ll be able to significantly cut down on heat loss during the season you need it most.
Replace Your System
If your heating system is more than 15 years old, it’s probably a good time to consider replacing it. Even if you don’t have any mounting issues with the health of your old heating system, replacing it with a new one is almost guaranteed to increase the efficiency of your home’s heating.
If you’d like to know more about how to improve your heating, call Red Rock Mechanical. We provide professional heating services throughout Burlington, VT.
