10 Mistakes You’re Making That Keep Your House Cold, Experts Say

Media: BestLife
Link: 10 Mistakes You’re Making That Keep Your House Cold, Experts Say

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CHECK THIS FIX-IT LIST FOR WAYS TO LOWER YOUR HEATING BILL THIS WINTER.

Overlooking air ducts and ignoring attic bypasses.
Not optimizing your thermostat.
Not flipping your ceiling fan in winter.
Not checking for drafts and sealing around windows and doors.
Not insulating your attic.
Skipping regular maintenance on the furnace and heater.
Not changing air filters and furnace filters.
Closing vents and doors.
Not checking chimneys and fireplaces.
Not using your curtains and blinds.

1. Overlooking air ducts and ignoring attic bypasses.

Attic bypasses are another major way a home can lose heat, and they can lead to scary things known as ice dams. “These bypasses are unseen passageways where interior heat escapes into the attic,” explains Joe Palumbo, president of the Minneapolis-based Ice Dam Guys. “If your home is set up properly, your interior heat should remain within the sheetrock in the livable space and not escape into the attic. When it does, that heats the attic unnaturally and it becomes too warm compared to the exterior freezing temperatures. This warms enough of the snow on your roof to melt but not enough to escape the entirety of your roof. So this snowmelt pools at the gutters and eventually re-freezes. This is an ice dam, and they’re incredibly destructive and can be costly to remove.”

You can reduce or eliminate these bypasses by having a home energy audit performed by a local provider. They’ll find any bypasses, which are often at or around chimneys, dropped ceilings, the tops of interior walls, canned lighting features, or where electrical wiring comes into the home from the attic.

“The good news is there’s usually a solution that involves tightening a fixture, adding insulation or sealed tape, and more,” says Palumbo. “It’s just about closing those passageways so your home’s HVAC system runs efficiently and effectively without the previous waste.”