There are several things you may be doing that is making your home’s furnace unit work too hard. Knowing what you may be doing wrong is important so you can correct those habits and help your system work more efficiently. Here are a couple things you may be doing that is likely costing you money.
Cranking the thermostat when you’re cold.
It may seem only natural to turn up the temperature when returning home from a cold walk, only a couple degrees to help pump out the warm air a bit more quickly, right? Experts claim that this will not help the situation. Turning it up a thermostat to a hotter temperature will not decrease the time it takes to get to the desired temperature.
It can be difficult to resist the urge to crank up the goal temperature when what you are cold and wanting to adjust as quickly as possible, but if you can control yourself, you will be grateful as it will help avoid raising not only your utility bill, but also the temperature in your home above what is actually comfortable.
Blocking vents with furniture.
Most people have a general idea of how they would like to furnish their homes. Sometimes decorating plans can restrict the element of heating and cooling in some rooms if you happen to place furniture in front of the air ducts, Murray says.
it’s very likely that you will experience a more even heating effect if you make the effort to avoid obstructing the air flow from the vents. If the placement of your furniture is non-negotiable, it may be helpful to look for alternative heating options. Hydronic heating, which uses the heat from hot water pipes to warm the rom from under the floorboards, is a great solution that doesn’t affect your design aesthetic. Some vents may be closed individually, but with some systems this may make the heating process less efficient. Consultation with a HVAC professional is recommended by Murray to determine what may be best for your home and lifestyle.
