fbpx

Three Common Mistakes to Avoid When the Weather Gets Cold

If only getting warm was as easy as dreaming about flowers, sunshine, and blue skies.

While many days this winter have trended into milder temperatures, there are cold days still ahead. Are you prepared with effective strategies for staying warm at home?

When the mercury plummets, our first inclination is to immediately turn up the heat. If you are in a small space like a car, this can be a fast and effective process. Turning up the heat higher can help you to feel oh-so-warm (fast).

Your furnace warming up a larger house is a process. Consider how turning up the thermostat in your house works. First, the thermostat will sense the current ambient air temperature in your house. Then it will calculate what needs to change to meet your new air temperature request.

Then the thermostat will get to work warming up the air. If you have set the temperature five degrees higher, for example, your home’s temperature will be increased as evenly as possible.

Your furnace will be working hard to keep you comfortable. If you suddenly set the thermostat way up, it is possible that you will negatively impact your home comfort and savings.

Here are three common mistakes to avoid in the winter time for optimal home comfort.

First Mistake: Ignoring Air Leaks and Unused Spaces

Consider the actual living spaces in your home when the weather gets cold. Can you minimize air leaks by weatherizing windows? Weatherstripping can ensure that your house is not leaking warm air.

You can also consider closing air vents in unused spaces in the home to minimize the square footage of space that you’re heating.

A properly insulated attic, although often an unused living space, can be important in managing your heating bill. Attic insulation is like a ‘blanket’ around the house. It serves to stabilize temperatures throughout the house and provides added comfort to occupants.

Second Mistake: Setting the Thermostat at One Temperature

A programmable thermostat is an essential tool to your home comfort. It allows you to maintain the temperature consistency according to your needs. It can take some trial and error to figure out a schedule that is comfortable and cost-efficient – but well worth it!

Scheduling your thermostat to gradually increase in temperature in the morning before everyone gets out of bed can be very helpful.

Taking this approach means that you can sleep comfortably and wake up feeling cozy in your bedroom.

Third Mistake: Placing Stress on Your Furnace

When the temperature outdoors drops to extreme lows, your heating system can become stressed. High-efficiency furnaces will do all that they can to heat your home efficiently during cold temperatures.

If you keep turning up the thermostat and nothing changes, this may indicate that your system is in need of a repair. Read our troubleshooting list if you continue to experience issues in the heating of your home.

These three tips are a resource to help keep you comfy during the winter days still to come.

Turning up the heat higher in your house is more of a process than simply blasting the warm air in a small space like your car. Optimize your home comfort and manage your energy bills this winter with the help of the experts at Applewood Air! Contact us at 1 (800) 487-7307.

Related Articles