How Heat Escapes Your Home and Costs you Money

Your furnace is designed to move warm air throughout your home. When that heat remains in your home, you will enjoy warm, stable temperatures. However, that treated air can escape your home in a variety of ways. As your furnace starts working overtime to heat the home, your costs will rise. In addition to using more energy to stay warm, your furnace will also require more repairs due to the extra strain. Here are some of the ways your home can lose heat and cost you money.

Heat Rises

Heat rises, and it can move into the attic and then through the roof. The only way to stop this natural movement is with a thick layer of insulation. Insulation eliminates open spaces and slows the passage of heat. Insulation should be thick and fluffy to further slow the movement of air and keep heat inside your home.

Through the Looking Glass

Windows are notorious for transferring heat out of your home. Single pane windows offer very little resistance to heat transfer. Double glass windows with gas between the panes are more efficient and will lower your heating bills. If you rent your property, you can use special plastic film covers to create the air gap and make your windows more efficient. Thermal drapes can also be used to make a room warmer if new windows aren’t in the budget this year. You can also make your existing windows more efficient by having them repaired. New weather stripping and glazing will help reduce the heat transfer through older widows.

Find the Holes with Smoke

Drafts in the home come from holes that are hidden from view. You can easily find them by going through the home with a lit incense stick. Hold the stick near the walls as you move around the home. The smoke will move when it comes near a draft. Once you know where the holes and cracks are, you can fill them with caulk or insulating foam. The areas around wires, heating ducts and pipes should also be treated with caulk or foam. Insulate around light switches and outlets located on exterior walls with special pre-formed pads that fit under the plate covers.

It takes time to go through a home and look for areas of heat loss. However, pinpointing the areas of heat loss will help you save money. In addition to reducing your energy usage, you’ll also limit the stress on your furnace for long-term savings.