5 Ways to Enhance Your Winter Indoor Comfort

Winter in Northern Massachusetts helps give meaning to the word “hearty”. As in, if you have what it takes to face the bitter cold that occasionally comes calling with barely a whimper, you are indeed one of the heartier soles New England is well known for.

But putting up with biting cold is meant for outdoors, not indoors. When you’re home, regardless of what’s going on outside, you want and expect to be warm and cozy. But not at the expense of soaring energy costs.

So, from our house to yours, here are a few tips for protecting your family, plumbing, and budget.

Water Heater

Do you ever check your water heater thermostat? You should, just to make sure no one has fiddled with it. When you do, make sure it’s set at 120 degrees. That’s plenty to give you all the all hot water you need without wasting energy. Also, if your water heater is in an unheated area of your home, consider wrapping it in a specially made blanket to further reduce your energy costs.

Pipe Insulation

If you have water pipes in unheated spaces, they need a little extra TLC to ensure they won’t freeze, crack, and spill their contents onto your floors and whatever else lies in their path. So, just to play it safe, has the pipes insulated and consider adding insulation in the areas they’re located, such as a crawl space or inside an outdoor facing wall.

Home Heating Costs

Can you feel cold air coming in around windows and doors? Then it’s time beef up or place caulking and weather stripping. If your heating bills are steadily rising, maybe it’s time to check your attic insulation.  It should be at least 6” deep with no gaps. Otherwise, indoor heat could literally be climbing through the roof. To further reduce home heating costs, replace your older thermostats with programmable models, especially if there are multiple hours during the day when no one is home. That way, you can save money on heat while your home is unoccupied, but have a nice warm environment to greet you upon your return.

A Case for Cleaner Air

Replacing a furnace filter couldn’t be easier.  And yet most of the heating repairs we perform stem from dirty and clogged filters that ultimately caused bigger problems.  If you clean or replace your filter even just three or four times per winter, you’ll be miles ahead in the clean air department, less likely to rack up any repair charges, and paying lower heating costs since your furnace or boiler won’t have to work as hard to provide the level of heat you desire.

Here’s another “must” for greater indoor comfort and reduced out-of-pocket expenses: have your heating system cleaned and inspected once a year by your local home heating pros at Correct Temp. It’s just what your system needs to last longer and provide you with added safety, too.