Keeping Your Northeast Home Warm in Winter
Living in the cold northeast can be a challenge for those living in homes that are not properly insulated and heated. Keeping warm during the cold winter months requires attention to both insulation and efficient heating methods.
Homeowners in the northeast should have a thorough home energy audit completed annually and should take measures to ensure their home is insulated properly. Windows should be insulated with weatherstripping and double-paned windows are recommended for added insulation from cold air drafts.
A well-insulated home will also need properly heating equipment. An older, inefficient furnace should be replaced with modern energy-efficient models that can save homeowners money in the long run.
Maintaining Your Home Heating Equipment
Family’s living in the northeast should also keep up with routine maintenance for their home heating equipment. Changing the air filters, cleaning the vents and having annual maintenance done on the furnace or boiler should be routine to ensure the equipment is running efficiently and to minimize repair bills.
Simpler factors, such as leaving windows and doors closed as tightly as possible, especially on cold days, or shutting vents off in parts of the house that are leaking can also help to keep a northeast home warm in winter.
Additional Home Heating Solutions
If the necessary steps are taken to ensure proper insulation, home heating maintenance is completed and windows and vents are properly closed, additional sources of home heating can be investigated. Installing a fireplace or wood stove is a great way to supplement an existing home heating system.
Electric space heaters and patio heaters are also useful in certain areas of the home and can be an economical and effective solution if used in moderation.
Ways to Stay Warm
- Have a thorough home energy audit done annually to identify insulation issues.
- Replace an old, inefficient furnace with a more energy efficient model.
- Complete and schedule regular maintenance for your home heating equipment.
- Leave windows and doors closed as tightly as possible.
- Shut off vents in parts of the house that have cold air drafts.
- Investigate additional home heating solutions such as fireplaces and electric space heaters.
Keeping a northeast home warm in winter doesn’t have to be an impossible task and with the right steps, a homeowner can maintain the necessary level of warmth and energy savings during the cold months.