As colder temperatures are expected in our area, homeowners can take simple steps inside their homes to keep warm air in and heating bills down.
Home improvement expert Adam Helfman, owner and founder of Hire It Done, said many effective fixes can be done in minutes and with items most people already have at home.
One of his first tips starts at the thermostat.
Helfman recommends switching the fan setting from “auto” to “on,” so the fan runs continuously rather than cycling on and off.
“You’re going to have a failure in your furnace when the motor goes on and off all the time,” Helfman said. “So you’re actually doing yourself a favor and saving energy.”
He also suggested using ceiling fans, but not the way many might think. Set the fan on low and make sure the blades are turning counterclockwise.
“What we want to have happen is the ceiling fan blades blow the heat back down,” Helfman said. “Heat rises, and you don’t want it to go all the way up to the ceiling. We want it to be pushing the heat down here.”
Windows and doors are another major source of heat loss.
Helfman advises closing blinds to add an extra layer between warm indoor air and cold glass.
“That adds an extra layer of protection where the heat now has to travel through the blinds before it hits the glass and gets outside,” Helfman said.
To protect pipes under sinks on exterior walls, Helfman said simply opening cabinet doors can help warm air circulate around the plumbing, reducing the risk of freezing.
Helfman also recommended letting a stream of water as thin as a pencil run from faucets in extreme cold to keep water moving through the pipes.
Drafts around exterior doors can often be reduced by placing a towel at the bottom.
“Just take a towel, place it up against the threshold of the door, and again it acts like an insulator,” Helfman said. “You won’t have any air loss, or it’ll slow it down.”
All of these steps, he said, can help keep heat inside, reduce strain on furnaces, and potentially trim energy costs during cold snaps.