Who’s Ready for Sweater Weather?

For Atlanta residents, heating is something we only worry about for the few months out of the year when the weather isn’t hot and humid. The result is that many Atlanta residents are well-versed in all the tricks to get the most out of their air conditioning system but may know little about how to maximize their heating during the winter.

Since the leaves are just starting to fall and we’ve still got some time until it truly gets cold in the Atlanta area, there’s no better time for homeowners to start educating themselves about the tips and tricks that can help guarantee a comfortable home during cold weather, and lower heating bills to boot.

Here are some quick tips from R.S. Andrews that can help you make sure your house is nice and warm this winter:

• Double check the seals around your windows – edges should be caulked, and windows should be double paned wherever possible for more effective insulation. In addition, keep in mind that using thick, heavy curtains or drapes can help keep cold air out and warm air in.
• Inspect your house’s attic to ensure that it is properly insulated – an un-insulated attic will cause much of the warmth generated by your heating system to leak out, making your whole system work harder to do the same job. Make sure the attic doesn’t have any openings to the outside.
• If you have a fireplace and don’t plan on using it to help warm your house on those cold winter nights, consider closing the flue.
• Change your furnace filter. A new, clean filter allows air to pass through more freely so your system can operate at peak efficiency. Changing a filter is easy to do, but you can always call R.S. Andrews if you aren’t sure how to proceed with this.
• Make sure your vent registers are open and aren’t obstructed by furniture, wall decorations or rugs.

Once cold weather is in effect, you can take advantage of your preparation by carefully managing your thermostat’s functions. Here are two easy ways to do this:

• Consider programming your thermostat to run the heat a lower temperature during the day when occupants of the house are at work or school, and at night during sleeping hours
• Avoid the “rapid cycle” setting on your thermostat – the more times your heater has to turn on and off, the more energy will be used and the more the indoor temperature will fluctuate.

These quick tips can help you get the most out of your heating system this winter, and help your system run more efficiently, which will save you money on energy bills all year long.

If you have any concerns or questions about your heating system, call R.S. Andrews today, before cold weather sets in – our heating experts can answer any and all of your questions and provide the quality maintenance, service, or new heating system installation that has made us the most trusted name in Atlanta heating for over 40 years.