How to Keep Your Home Warm This Winter

How Can You Keep Your House Warm This Winter?

As the temperature outside drops, you might start thinking about how to keep your home warm. It’s fun to play in the Colorado snow, as long as you have a nice, warm home to come in to. But there must be a way to keep your house heated more efficiently throughout the winter, right? We’ve put together a list of suggestions on how to keep your house warm this winter, and save money at the same time.

Simple Ways to Keep Your House Warm

There are many upgrades and tweaks you can make to keep your home warm, without incurring a lot of extra cost. Even something as simple as closing your curtains at night can make a difference. Here are some other ways to keep your house warm:

Close Doors to Rooms You Aren’t Using and Close Your Heat Vents
This will save you money, since you will not be heating unused space. Be sure not to turn off too many vents, since your furnace does need most of them open in order to operate correctly. Also do not turn off vents to rooms with water pipes in the walls, since they may freeze.

Move Furniture and Decorations Away From Vents
If your vents are covered up or blocked, they won’t be able to allow warm air into your rooms.

Change Your Furnace Filter
A clogged furnace filter could be preventing warm air from circulating through your home.

Cover Holes, Gaps and Cracks Wherever Pipes or Cables Go Into Walls
Cover up any air leaks under your kitchen cupboards, behind your washing machine, or around sinks and toilets. Also watch out for mini drafts coming from mail slots or pet doors. Installing door sweeps will also help keep your home warmer.

Layer Your Curtains to Help Keep the Cold Out
A thicker layer of fabric will help keep the cold out, and the warmth in. Open your curtains during the daytime to let the sunshine in, and close them overnight while it’s colder outside.

Set Your Ceiling Fans to Rotate Clockwise
Clockwise rotation will bring warm air that has risen back down into the room. Just be careful to keep the speed low: if the fan is spinning too fast, it could cool the room instead.

Use Your Fireplace in the Most Efficient Way
A stack effect can pull cold air that’s farther away from the fire into the house. To help mitigate a stack effect from occurring, try covering your fireplace with a glass front. Also be sure to keep the flue closed when the fireplace is not in use.

Keeping Your House Heated More Efficiently Through More Comprehensive Upgrades

If one of your goals is to make the temperature of your home more efficiently consistent throughout the whole year, and you don’t mind doing a little extra planning and investing, then the options below are for you!

Install a Programmable or Smart Thermostat
A programmable thermostat will allow you to pre-set the temperature of your home at any given time. For the most efficient heating, set your thermostat so that the house stays warmer in the morning and evenings when you’re more likely to be at home, and cooler overnight while you’re asleep. Professionals recommend keeping the temperature in the mid-60s Fahrenheit.

A smart thermostat can allow you to adjust your home’s temperature remotely via your mobile device. This allows you to change the temperature of your home remotely, anytime, anywhere.

Consider Double Glazed or Storm Windows
Thicker or more thoroughly sealed windows help keep the warm in, and the cold air out. Alternatively, a more short-term solution would be to seal your windows on the inside of the house with clear plastic.

Upgrade Your Heater or Boiler to a More Efficient Model
There are many energy efficient and energy-saving appliances available for purchase. Consult your HVAC professionals for a customized recommendation based on your home and needs.

Keep Yourself Warm

The most important part of keeping your home warm is to keep yourself comfortable. Use flannel sheets instead of cotton, move your sofa closer to the fireplace, and think about wearing layers. Then feel free to watch those snowflakes fall, from inside your warm home!

Tags: boulder heating, Boulder heating ventilation and air conditioning, boulder hvac, denver hvac, hvac preventative maintenance, residential heating, winterize