As the temps continue to get cooler, the last thing you should have anxiety over is maintaining a comfortable home. In an ideal world, you would be able to relax in a warm home and not thinking twice about what’s taking place outside. Of course, it may not be that easy, and there are a few things that could be taking place in your home that might result in a need for furnace repair or trying to figure out why your bill is so high.
There are a number of causes for an increase in your energy bill, but we will share some of the most common reasons.
- Heat is getting out through the glass of your windows – when hot air comes in to contact with cold glass on your windows, that air loses some of its heat. One way to help reduce the loss of heat is to make sure you’re closing your drapes during the evening hours and only open the drapes on windows that have light coming in during the day.
- Lack of attic insulation – if your home is older, there’s a chance that there is insufficient insulation. This means you could be losing heat through your attic, which forces your furnace to work harder to keep up, and might eventually lead to the need for a furnace repair. You can easily check if you have enough insulation by looking in your attic to see if the insulation is below or even with the joists. When the insulation is even or below the joists, you’ll likely want to add some more insulation.
- Gaps in windows and doors – sometimes these gaps are more obvious and visible to the naked eye or large enough to feel drafts coming in, but sometimes that may not be the case. Make sure to take a close look at all of your windows and doors to determine whether you need to add weather stripping to take care of those gaps. As we mentioned with attic insulation, window and door gaps can make your furnace work harder, increasing the chance of furnace repair down the line.
These are just a few tips to help you determine any potential problem areas in your house that could cause heat loss. Our experts are available to answer any of your questions about furnaces, repair or indoor comfort, give us a call at 928-251-4327.