Heat pumps, furnaces and boilers are common sights in Roanoke homes. But unless you’re an HVAC technician, how they work and how to keep them in top shape can be a mystery, creating myths that some homeowners cling to even today. Here are five of those myths, so you can be better informed about your home’s heating system this winter.
1. Can Closing Air Vents Reduce Heating Costs?
Many homeowners believe that they should close off vents around their home, seal off unused rooms or even use space heaters to save energy and money on heating bills. While this may have been true in the old days, today’s modern heating systems are designed to be most efficient when they’re heating the entire home. This means you should actually leave those vents open, and keep the interior doors open too so the hot air can easily spread throughout the house.
2. Should I Use Ceiling Fans in the Winter?
Nobody wants a draft in the winter, so it makes sense to switch off the ceiling fan, right? But you’re better served flipping the switch on the fan itself instead. In the winter, fans can be set to pull cold air up, pushing warm air down and more evenly distributing heat across the room.
3. Will A Higher Thermostat Heat Faster?
Furnaces typically have one heat setting, and they cycle on and off to build or maintain heat across the home. Turning the thermostat up won’t make the home heat any faster, but it will heat past your ideal target, meaning wasted energy and money.
4. Can Using A Fireplace Save On Heating Costs?
In order to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, you need to open your fireplace flue when using it. Most of the time, that means it’s not just exhausting toxic gasses; it’s also funneling precious warm air to the outdoors. Instead, keep the flue closed and only use fireplaces sparingly to avoid wasting energy, unless you have a fireplace designed for heating.
5. Should I Turn Off My Heat at Night?
If a home is being heated but nobody’s there to enjoy it, does it cost money? Of course, it does! Rather than leaving a home heated to a comfortable temperature all day, reduce the temperature to 68 degrees while nobody’s at home, and if the home has a programmable thermostat, set it to reach a target temperature closer to when you or your family returns home. You can also lower the temperature at night to sleep better and save money.
If you’re following this advice and your heating system still isn’t cutting it, call your Roanoke heating experts at Southern Trust Home Services today at (540) 343-4348 or contact us online to find the solution to your winter woes.
