Dallas Plumbers • Saving Money During Winter
Most homeowners don’t realize they can save a fair amount of money in their heating bill by simply winterizing their home. Regardless of whether you have an older home with radiators or a newer home with a furnace and forced air, heat can escape easily through your windows, doors, and attic space. If you don’t have insulation in certain key areas of your home, your essentially throwing money out the window. With a few simple fixes, however, you can begin saving hundreds of dollars every winter.
Winterizing Your Windows – Preventing the loss of Heat
Experts estimate that windows account for 25% of heat loss in a home. So, how do you know if your windows are letting heat out? A simple way to determine where you have drafty windows is to get a candle or incense stick and hold it up to your windows on a windy day. If you see the candle or smoke from the incense flicker or move, you know you have drafty windows.
Once you’ve determined you have drafty windows, you can caulk the areas around them or use a window insulator kit to prevent heat from escaping. Window insulator kits are easy to install, inexpensive, and very effective.
Doors and Cold Winter Days
Most people don’t realize how much heat their doors let escape. If there are small gaps between your door and its frame, cold air will get in and heat will escape. To prevent or minimize heat loss through your doors you can purchase door jams that are placed at the bottom of the door to effectively seal it off. For the doorframe itself you can use weatherstripping or caulk, depending on the area that needs to be sealed.
Insulation – Preventing Heat Loss through Your Walls and Roof
Heat loss through your roof can account for as much as 25% of the heat loss in your home; heat loss through your walls can account for as much as 35%. For these reasons, it’s essential that you insulate your home. While paying for the installation of insulation can cost a bit of money, the long-term payoff is indisputable – anywhere from a 10% to 50% reduction in heating bills.
There are a number of options when considering the installation of insulation and, depending on your home and its unique heating issues, one form of insulation may be recommended over others.
Contact Public Service Plumbers
In addition to these tips for winterizing your home, you may want to upgrade your boiler or furnace, depending on whether or not you’ve noticed certain issues with properly heating your home. At Public Service Plumbers, we can inspect your heating system and discuss the best options available to you.
To learn more about how we can help you, call Public Service Plumbers at (214) 753-4633 or email us today.
