Is Your House Cold?

Even in Arizona we can experience uncomfortably low temperatures that bring in the extra blankets, hot cocoa, and dreaming about summer.  Regardless of how you spend your time during the winter months, I am sure your family has many practices to ensure your house is as warm as is practical.  So instead of increasing the temperature on the thermostat, savvy and cost conscious people attempt other methods to stay warm. And although wearing 15 layers of clothing and drinking obscene amounts of hot beverages is an option there are other ways that are much more effective. Before I show you good methods I will warn you of some common mistakes you should avoid.

Please do NOT use these methods for warmth:

• Close doors to unused rooms
• Use space heaters (especially while sleeping)
• Close vents in less busy rooms

Even though some of these may seem to help temporarily, they usually cause more severe issues.  Using a space heater without a watchful eye is obviously a potential hazard, but overall it is likely to be more expensive than an efficient heat system.  In a house with ductwork of any kind, closing a door to an unused bedroom is not a good idea because it creates a gap in the air flow cycle (Blog about air flow coming soon).  Closing a vent to a room can cause the same issue, but it can also cause damage to the HVAC system itself.  If the air is pushed all the way through a duct only to get to the end of a closed vent, the only place for it to go is backwards.  This can lead to worsening duct leakage, poor air pressure in other vents, and a harder working HVAC system.

So, what can you do to help keep your house warmer? That’s a great question with answers below:

• Upgrade your insulation
• Hang heavy curtains to cover leaky windows
• Open your blinds during daylight hours and close them during the night
• Look into programmable thermostats

These solutions vary in their effectiveness to maintain a warmer (and cooler) home, but none-the-less work wonderfully.  Energy efficiency and HVAC system care is just as important in Arizona’s winters as it is in the summers here.

If you have any further questions or would like to schedule an appointment to make your home warmer, we would love the opportunity to earn your business!