Heating Tips
Heating Tips, Advice, & How-To’s
The Washington, DC, Maryland, Northern Virginia area has cold winters, which always results in high heating costs. With the ever increasing prices of oil and gas, you’re probably spending more today than you did a few years ago to heat your home or commercial building. Check out our tips and suggestions on this page to help save money on heating this winter:
Clean your furnace filters. Over time, furnace filters will become clogged with dust and other undesirable particles. Clogged filters lower your heater’s efficiency by restricting the airflow passing through your furnace. Most filters last for 30-days and can be purchased at your local hardware store. Having your furnace and HVAC system cleaned and tuned up annually will help increase efficiency and shave money off your month bill. Contact Magnolia Heating & Air Conditioning today to receive a quote on HVAC tune-ups!
Keep cold air out! Most of the heat that is pumped into our homes does not stay in our home. It is important to close all storm windows and doors as well as make sure your fireplace and stove vents are shut when not in use. Checking and replacing weather stripping on doors and windows can also keep your heat from escaping. Air leaks around windows not only let warm air out but also let cold air in. The air drafts alone can lower the temperature in your home significantly. Before you turn on your heat this fall/winter, make sure all weather stripping on doors and windows is in place.
Set your thermostat as low as you are comfortable with in the winter. We recommend setting your thermostat from 68 to 70 degrees. Once you have the thermostat set and you are content with the comfort level we also recommend that you leave it there. It takes less energy to heat air 3-4 degrees than it does to heat air 6-8 degrees. This will also help save on your heating bills. Washington, DC winters can be cold so set that thermostat and leave it to save money!
Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, radiators, etc. as necessary and make sure they are not being blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes.
Consider placing heat-resistant radiator reflectors between any exterior walls and the radiators.
Keep your fan use to a minimum. Although fans may help you save money in on your air conditioning bill in the spring and summer, we recommend that you use kitchen, bath, and other ventilating fans sparingly in the winter. These fans can pull out a houseful of heated air in no time, so be sure to turn them off as soon as they have done their job.
Keep your blinds, draperies or shades open during the winter to allow sunlight to enter your home and close them at night to reduce the cold.
Go green. Whenever possible, purchase energy-efficient equipment if you are replacing any of the appliances or the furnaces in your home. Magnolia technicians are trained on repair, maintenance and installation of all major energy efficient brands and are also an authorized re-seller of most major well known brands.
Do you really need that service call? Before calling Magnolia Heating & Air Conditioning, check these three items to make certain you really need a heating service call (yes, we’re trying to prevent unnecessary service calls to help you save money!):
- Verify that your thermostat is set for "heating."
- Go to your breaker box and make sure that the breaker is on.
- Check your furnace’s switch to verify that your gas is on.
Have additional questions about your home or commercial building’s heating system?