Many people (wisely) choose to invest in an up-to-date HVAC system only to find that their bills aren’t as low as they might expect. When we speak to them, they tell us that they thought upgrading to an energy-efficient and newly updated setup would save them more money.
After a brief conversation, it inevitably becomes obvious that these folks are engaging in some inefficient home heating practices. They’re leaving windows open, heating empty houses, cranking their thermostat as high as it’ll go, and not maintaining their system.
Even the best, most state-of-the-art HVAC system can’t stop you from making these crucial home heating mistakes. Continue reading below to find out how to protect yourself, and your wallet, from these missteps.
Bad timing
Running your heating system at the wrong times is a classic mistake that a ton of homeowners make when they manually run their heat. They’ll frequently forget to turn it down before taking a long trip or before leaving for work in the morning.
An automated timer for your HVAC system can go a long way towards preventing this from happening. Modern smart thermometers can even learn when you’re likely to be home and when you’re likely to be out and change the temperature accordingly.
Also, keep in mind that you likely don’t need it as warm at night when you’re cozy under the covers as you do during the day. So give that HVAC system a little rest before you hop in bed.
Bad maintenance
Monitoring the condition of your air filters and replacing them when necessary is job number one for homeowners looking to get the best performance out of their HVAC systems. Clogged and dirty air filters can restrict the flow of air through your vents, make your system work harder than it has to, and even allow particulate matter to flow through your home and into your lungs.
Change that filter on a regular basis and give your heating system a break. It can be really helpful to schedule air filter changes in your regular calendar so you don’t forget. Just pop a reminder into Google Calendar or your organizer of choice and wait for the reminder to show up on your phone.
Carelessness with doors and windows
Remember when your dad yelled at you to close the door cause he wasn’t “paying to heat the whole neighborhood?” Well, he had a point. Especially during Michigan winters, leaving your windows and doors open, or even just unlocked, can cause heat to quickly leech out of your home and cause your HVAC system to play catch-up.
So keep your doors and windows closed and locked up tight.
Final Thoughts
While some of the items on this list might seem like common sense, they can be surprisingly difficult to put into practice once you’ve developed some bad habits. Your best bet is to address these issues early before you fall into any of the patterns we’ve described above.