One of the biggest concerns during the winter months in your home is how to stay warm, even indoors. The easiest answer is having an adequate heating and air conditioning unit. However, if you are not careful and mindful of its use, it can be easy to try and overwork your heating systems. The last thing you want is your heater to break down in the middle of a snowstorm. Here are some tips to help you stay warm during the winter.
A Properly Insulated Home
One of the first important tips to consider when you are trying to stay warm during the winter months is the proper insulation of your home. If your home is not insulated properly, meaning there are cracks where air can easily move or escape, this will lead to difficulty in maintaining certain temperatures in your home. You want to check around windows as well as door frames to ensure that your seals are secure. Not only will you have difficulty in keeping a consistent temperature, but you will also have to use more energy and it will cost more to have your heating and cooling systems running more frequently.
The AC Unit Itself
If you are trying to maintain a certain temperature in your home, you need to consider the heating and cooling unit itself. There are different details and options to learn more about that you, as a consumer, will want to understand and research. The size and power of your heater and air conditioning will play a key role, as will the room that it is installed in. You’ll need to consider your budget, along with the space you have. Floor units are suitable for smaller rooms, while ceiling units may be used for larger homes, but also provide the benefit of being able to save you space. If you live in a larger, more open concept home, you will need to have a significantly more powerful heating unit to ensure that you stay toasty and warm during the winter months.
Close Doors Around Your Home
One easy tip to remember to help you stay warm during colder seasons is to close doors behind you. If you are heating a certain room or even floors in your home, closing doors does a great job of trapping that warm air and keeping it in a specific room. If you leave your doors open, that warm air can easily dissipate. This also means that your heaters will have to be on constantly and work harder to keep your room warm, which could lead to problems if you have to constantly be running your heater without allowing it to rest. Do yourself, and your HVAC units a favor and close doors to rooms that you are leaving and nobody is using.
Keep Vents And Ducts Clear
One way to help keep your home and rooms warm in the cold is to ensure that you always keep your vents and air ducts clean. Change your filters regularly. If you live in climates with regular changing seasons, consider swapping the filter as the seasons change as well. This will ensure that they stay clean, and a clean filter means that your heating and cooling units are not going to have to work as hard in order to provide you the temperature you need. A dirty filter and clogged vents not only result in inefficiency in your heating but also pose a risk and danger for fire, as dust and lint can potentially be combustible at extremely high temperatures.
Use Blankets At Night
If you are looking for ways to give your heating systems a break from time to time, while staying warm when it gets cold, consider using blankets and throws. Having warm blankets handy is a great way for you to keep warm during the winter or autumn months without the need for a heater. Of course, if you want to be extra toasty, having both is also beneficial. However, using these alternatives to staying warm will help lengthen the life of your heater, allowing it to rest from time to time, as well as saving you money on your heating bill. Alongside having blankets, wearing sweaters, jogging pants, and socks are also great ideas to consider to stay toasty and cozy.
To ensure that your air conditioning works all throughout the winter months to keep you warm, be mindful of doing regular maintenance and practicing habits that allow you to maximize its efficiency. It’s nice to stay toasty, but you want to ensure that you’ll have a properly working heater when the temperature drops further as well.
