The winters in Oklahoma City can be frigid, to say the least, with many days where the temperature gauge never gets above freezing. This can not only result in rising utility bills but also you and your family members struggling to stay warm if your home isn’t properly prepared to keep the heat in. Luckily, there are a number of simple steps you can take to help conserve heat and ensure that you and your family stay warm throughout the long, cold winter.
1. Keep Your Heating System Properly Maintained
Making sure your heating system is properly maintained is essential when faced with harsh winter weather. Regular maintenance and heating tune-ups help to keep your furnace and heating system functioning optimally and make certain that your house stays warm when the temperature starts to plummet. Still, it’s not just your furnace that you need to worry about. Leaking, damaged, or poorly insulated ductwork can also drastically impact the efficiency of your heating system and result in huge amounts of heat loss. Therefore, one of the best things you can do to conserve heat during the winter is to simply make sure that your furnace, ductwork, and the rest of your heating system are up to the task.
2. Make Sure Your Home Is Adequately Insulated
Inadequate insulation is another major contributor to heat loss. Making sure that your basement or crawlspace, garage, and attic are properly insulated can make a massive difference by retaining much more of the heat produced by your furnace. This is especially true of attics. The fact that heat rises means the attic is the place where heat is most likely to also escape if the area isn’t properly insulated to protect against this.
3. Check That Your Doors and Windows Are Properly Sealed
Poorly sealed windows and doors can be another major source of heat loss. Any cracks or gaps in the caulking or weather stripping around your windows and doors can allow hot air to escape and the cold winter air to creep in. Therefore, it’s vital that you check that all of your windows and doors are free from drafts and properly sealed on both the inside and out. If you notice any damaged or missing weather stripping or caulking, replacing it can make a massive difference in how warm your home stays during the winter.
4. Keep Your Blinds and Window Coverings Open
The sun produces a massive amount of heat, and this heat alone is often enough to raise the temperature of your house by a few degrees. Although it may not sound that important, simply making sure that your window coverings are open as often as possible during the winter can have a huge impact in terms of both heat gain and heat retention.
5. Keep Unused Rooms Closed
Keeping the doors to each of your rooms closed can have a big impact in terms of sealing in heat. This is especially important for rooms that you don’t use very often. Simply put, the more the doors are open, the more heat loss the room will experience and the more your furnace will have to run to keep that room warm. Making sure to shut your bedroom doors is a great way to keep the space warm for the night. You might also want to consider shutting off the vents to any rooms you don’t use often. After all, there’s no reason to pay to heat a room that you rarely, if ever, use.
6. Take Advantage of Your Home Cooking
Cooking and baking can also be great ways to conserve heat. Simply having your oven or stove turned on results in additional heat for your residence. You can also increase this effect by leaving your oven door cracked after you shut it off to let that added heat spread throughout your kitchen and home.
7. Rearrange Your Furniture to Provide Better Airflow
Many homes have sofas, beds, or other furniture positioned in ways that block heating vents or restrict airflow. Simply moving around your furniture to prevent these blockages and provide better airflow can do wonders and make it easier and cheaper to keep your home warm.
8. Use Your Ceiling Fans for Better Air Circulation
If your house has ceiling fans, you can also take advantage of them to better circulate warm air throughout your residence and rooms. Hot air rises, and a ceiling fan can push that warm air downward to ensure you make better use of it.
Your Trusted HVAC Experts
If you’re looking for heating maintenance in Oklahoma City, the experienced team at TS Heat & Air is standing by to assist you. We also offer heating repairs, and we can help with your furnace installation needs as well. Looking to make sure your air conditioning works well all summer long? We can handle any of your cooling maintenance, repair, and installation needs, too. Indoor air quality and air purifiers are just a few of the other areas we specialize in.
Looking for ways to improve your home’s heating efficiency and lower your energy costs? Contact TS Heat & Air today to learn how we can help.
