As you see those expensive heating bills coming in during the fall and winter months, you may be wondering, what can I do about this? The answer is lots, and a lot of energy-saving measures are easy to do. Every little bit counts and you’ll see an impact and reduce heating bills.

Do an energy audit of your home to start, looking at areas that let warm air escape or let cold air in.

Dodge the Drafts

Your number one culprit for warm air escape is your windows. If you are in an older home, or if you have a large number of windows, you are very vulnerable. It’s easy to fix though. First, repair any cracks in the seals around the window with caulk.

Apply a film over top of the windows (you can tape it to the window frame, or apply it directly against the window pane itself). This is an effective barrier. Another trick is to install snugly fitting draperies and window treatments.

Run the Ceiling Fan

Although we tend to run the ceiling fan to keep cool when it is warm outside, keeping it going year round can help you save some cash and reduce heating bills by moving warm air around. If you have desktop or standalone fans, they work too. Conversely, try not to run the bathroom and kitchen fans, because they actually suck warm air out.

Even the Threshold

Block air from leaving through gaps between the exterior doors and the threshold by raising the threshold. An easy-to-apply adjustable threshold will do the trick.

Use the Sun to Your Advantage

You shouldn’t just seek the sun in the fall and winter for your daily dose of Vitamin D. Opening the curtains during the day lets the sun shine in- and lets you take advantage of some no-cost, very helpful solar power.

Protect the Chimney

Would you leave the window wide open in the living room in January? Of course not. However, that’s what you are effectively doing when you leave your chimney flue open when you’re not using your fireplace.

Make sure that it is closed tightly. Similarly, for extra energy savings put a chimney pillow in, which will act as an inflatable plug, blocking hot air from escaping.

Furnace Attention

It’s the season to get your furnace tuned up. A professional will clean the components, look for damage, attend to the pilot light and change the air filter. All of these items are important in helping your furnace run efficiently.

Fall and winter heating bills draining your wallet? We’ve got lots of energy efficient tips and more to help your reduce heating in your home. Contact our service professionals at Peterson Plumbing, In Grand Junction, CO, at Call us at (970)-399-7063.

Are you ready for winter? One area you shouldn’t forget about while preparing for the colder months is maintaining your home’s heating system before you begin using it every day.

This includes scheduling maintenance on your furnace from a qualified professional to ensure that there are no issues with your unit and that it will work reliably all season long.

Why should you invest in furnace maintenance this season? Keep reading to find out:

1. Your Unit Hasn’t Been Used All Summer

Most of us don’t need to use our furnaces during the warmer months, and while the warmer days are great they also mean that our furnaces have been inactive for months at a time and issues such as worn-out mechanical parts, will still be present as you begin using it again.

This makes it especially important to book furnace maintenance before you begin using your unit consistently so that a professional can ensure that it is working perfectly and no problems have crept up during the summer.

2. Colder Days are Coming

As the colder days set in, we will be using our furnaces more and more, which means that furnace maintenance is imperative to ensure that it will work reliably. There’s nothing worse than waking up or coming home during the middle of a cold snap to discover that your furnace has failed you!

3. Keep Your Family Safe

A heating professional can tell you if your furnace has become compromised in some way, or has a crack which may begin leaking carbon monoxide into your home.

This gas is potentially lethal and is especially dangerous because it is colorless and odorless, which means that unless you have functioning carbon monoxide detectors (which should also be inspected and tested with the change of seasons), you may be putting your family at risk.

4. Extend the Lifetime of Your Furnace

A furnace which has been well maintained will have to work less hard to heat the air in your home throughout the winter.

This is important to remember because a furnace which is breaking down or worn-out will attempt to overcompensate to deliver the same level of warm air that it once did, which can cause it to wear out faster.

Investing in annual furnace maintenance can dramatically extend the lifetime of your furnace by resolving smaller issues and performing repairs which may escalate into larger issues down the line.

5. Save Money in the Long Term

Paying for scheduled annual maintenance is significantly cheaper than calling for emergency furnace repair and replacement in the middle of the winter when it matters most.

Not just that, but heating systems which are well-maintained work more efficiently and use less energy, which means that your monthly bills will be lower.

If you’re interested in scheduling a professional furnace maintenance appointment this fall, call Peterson Plumbing at 970-339-7063 for service in Grand Junction, CO and the surrounding area.

Have you been struggling to adequately cool your home during the summer months? If you’ve been noticing a noticeable difference in temperature when you walk from one room to another or when you move between levels of your multi-story residence, then your HVAC system may be having problems evenly distributing cool, comfortable air throughout your home.

Suffering from uneven cooling isn’t just uncomfortable; it can also drive up your energy costs as your cooling system overworks to compensate for the uneven temperature, and it can cause your air conditioner to wear out and break down faster.

How can you reduce uneven cooling, keep your energy costs low, and minimize strain on your HVAC system? Read on to find out three easy ways:

1. Increase Your Attic Insulation

Most homeowners rarely give their attic insulation a second thought, but it plays a vital role in temperature control inside their homes. Insulation not only keeps outdoor air from getting into their homes, but it also prevents the air indoors from escaping out into the world.

This means that if you have inadequate insulation or if your insulation isn’t the appropriate kind for your region, you may be allowing valuable, cool air to escape through your home’s roof.

2. Check Your Air Ducts for Leaks

Your air ducts are the components of your home’s heating and cooling system, which are responsible for transferring air throughout your home and from room to room. When this system works perfectly, you can enjoy consistent and even temperatures throughout your home, but if it becomes compromised, then you may begin experiencing issues with inconsistent temperatures.

Holes and tears in your air ducts can cause air to leak out into unwanted areas, resulting in uneven air distribution and forcing your system to work harder to produce consistent temperatures.

3. Invest in a Zoning System for Your Home

Zoning systems allow you to have complete control over different areas of your home and provide the opportunity to create custom “zones” that can be heated or cooled independently of one another.

When installing your zoning system, be sure to discuss the appropriate zones with your cooling technician, as they can help you identify the rooms or areas of your home that may need special attention and their own “zones” to stay comfortable. For example, a zoning system allows you to keep bedrooms on the second storey of your home cooler and more comfortable for sleep than your basement.

For professional assistance with eliminating uneven cooling in your Grand Junction, CO home contact your local HVAC experts at Peterson Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling. We’re just a phone call away, so dial 970-399-7063 and enjoy the comfort that comes with cool, controlled indoor temperatures now.