5 Tips to Help You Get Ready for Heating Season

The colder, winter weather is coming and before you know it, you’ll be reaching for the thermostat. It's time to get ready for the dreaded drop in temperatures, snow, and higher heating costs. Before you fire up your home heating system, there are some simple and affordable things you can do before the cold weather strikes to help keep the rise in your heating bills under control.

Here are some tips to help get your home in winter-ready condition:

Thermostat Upgrade or Reprogramming.

The best way to control the temperature in your home is with a programmable thermostat. Programmable thermostats allow you to keep your home cooler and save energy when you’re either sleeping or not at home. The Environmental Protection Agency says that installing a programmable thermostat can save homeowners anywhere from 10 to 30% on the space heating and cooling portion of their energy bills.

Seal Any Cracks or Gaps.

It can be hard to find leaks in your home on a mild day, but if your home is leaky, you could be losing the heat inside your home to the outdoors on a cold day. Before winter makes its quick arrival in the coming months, while walking through your home, stop in front of your windows and doors to see if you feel a draft and make sure that all weather stripping isn’t cracked or missing. However, it can be difficult to identify all leaks or gaps in your home if you don’t know where to look or what you are looking for. The home heating specialists at Cerrone can help you find and seal any leaks in your home.

Check Your Heat Ducts.

If your heat ducts aren’t sealed, you could be losing a lot of hot air even if you’ve sealed the rest of your home. Ducts are usually out-of-sight, out-of-mind in your basement, attic or inside walls, so checking for leaks is not an easy task for a home repair DIY enthusiast. The HVAC professionals at Cerrone can help you save over $100 on your annual heating bill just by fixing any leaks in your duct system.

Make Sure Your Vents Aren’t Blocked.

Did you move your furniture recently and forget about your heating vents? When colder weather comes, your heating system may be functioning correctly and everything may be sealed, but if your air vents are blocked, the hot air will never make it into your home. Locate all of your heating vents. Make sure they are not being blocked by furniture or rugs. You can also save on energy costs by closing vents in rooms that you aren’t using in the winter months. 

Schedule a Maintenance Appointment and Replace Your HVAC Filter.

Extend the life of your system and make a maintenance appointment with Cerrone to have your heating system professionally serviced and cleaned. Catching any problems early, before the cold weather hits, can save you time, money, and a broken heating system in the middle of winter. And don’t forget to replace your HVAC filter. As a general rule, this should be done every season because filters collect dust, dirt, allergens and dander, and can’t filter the air in your home as efficiently.

Interested in learning more about what we recommend to do before colder weather comes? Give us a call at (518) 798-6560.