Overview: You walk into your house on a frighteningly cold day in Calgary and you notice it’s just as cold inside as it is outside! You have to make like an Olympic sprinter to the thermostat, so you can crank it to the maximum. In the mean time you’ll walk around the house like you’re living in an igloo. But don’t worry – life doesn’t have to be this way. Read the following blog for tips on heating your home.
Thermostat
Installing a programmable thermostat will not only heat your home upon arriving from work, but it will also save you money on your energy bills. There are several new home-automation products that are easy to install and can be controlled by your smartphone. With a programmable thermostat, your home won’t seem like a meat locker when you walk in from outside. Instead, it will feel like a warm summer day!
Sunlight & Curtains
If the Mars rovers can use sunlight to maximize their energy, you can use it to warm up your house. Before going to work, open up the curtains so the sun can shine in and heat up your house. But once night falls, quickly close those curtains, avoiding any precious heat loss. If your home happens to be exceptionally cold, you can cover up the doors with blankets or curtains when you go to sleep.
Feng Shui
Not exactly Feng Shui, but the way you arrange your furniture can dramatically increase the warmth of your home. From time to time you might have rearranged your furniture and without even knowing it, you’ve covered some of the heating vents. By moving any obstructions that are over the vents, your home will immediately feel warmer and will maximize its heat potential. Use the winter as an opportunity to reconfigure your living room. Avoiding having couches by large windows and if you work at your desk often, place it near a heat source, so your feet stay toasty warm.
Leaks
The warm air in your home will pull in the cold Calgary air from outside through any gaps in your house. This is essentially wasting all the hard work your furnace is performing! The most common places where gaps can occur are around windows and doors. Weather strips and caulking can seal up most air leaks around a window and you can block draughts from the ceiling vents using sticky plastic. Beyond the windows and doors, cool air can be pulled in by gaps in the basement and or attic. If your home has leaks that are beyond your level of experience, you will need to call Lone Star Plumbing and Heating to seal them up.
Chimney
There is nothing like relaxing in front of a warm cozy fire on a cold Calgary day, but if you notice that the house is twice as cold after the fire is burned out, you probably forgot to close the chimney flue. You’re not alone, it happens frequently, so remember to close the flue after your cozy fire has warmed up your home. It’s also important to routinely service your chimney, to ensure safety and function.
Sweater
If everyone in your house is sweating from all the heating tips mentioned and you’re still cold…. it’s time to grab a warm sweater for yourself! If you have hardwood floors and don’t have an area rug, grab some socks to go with that sweater. Everyone warms up and adapts differently in the climate of your home, so you don’t have to turn it into a sauna, you just have to find that right balance.
The Bottom Line: The short cold winter days in Calgary can be a drag but that doesn’t mean your house should be cold! In addition to the tips above, make sure you change filters on your furnace when needed and turn down your hot water tank. Lone Star Plumbing and Heating suggest using the tips mentioned above to efficiently heat up your home so the deep freeze of Calgary doesn’t get the best of you!
To find out more about heating your home efficiently, contact Lone Star Plumbing and Heating today on 403-295-3028 for Plumbing in Calgary.
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