Heating and cooling your home: the never-ending battle against the elements. Learn how to best keep the warmth in and the cold out this year. Need an HVAC specialist? Call us today!
Heating and Cooling
Depending on the season, you’re probably concerned about heating or cooling your house in the most energy-efficient manner possible. This will both save you money and save on the environment. With another Canadian winter looming on the horizon, we’ll turn your attention to keeping your home warmer this winter in the most efficient way possible. Here’s how.
Use Your Window Treatments
Whether you have curtains, blinds, shades, or shutters, make the most of them by opening them up on sunny days and closing them up tightly when it is dark outside. Your window treatments have great insulating ability, and shutting them up tightly will help to keep the cold air outside. During the warm summer months, you need to do the opposite; close them on sunny days to keep the heat out.
In the winter, opening up your blinds or curtains means that you can take advantage of the free warming ability of the sun. If you have a hard time remembering to open and close them, you can purchase automated window treatments that you can set to move automatically or remotely from a controller or your mobile device.
Closing your window treatments at night can help keep the warmth in
Turn the Thermostat Down a Few Degrees in Winter and up in Summer
Now, this tip doesn’t exactly keep your house warmer, it’s actually telling you to make it a little colder, but it will save you money. Turning your furnace’s temperature down by even 1 degree Celsius could cut your heating bill by as much as 10%! If you can stand it a couple of degrees cooler, then you could save even more.
Take this as a great opportunity to try out some of your warm sweaters and purchase a fluffy throw blanket to curl up in during the evening. Nothing beats cuddling up in a comfy chair with a blanket and a good book or a great show on Netflix.
A similar trick works in the summer. Turn your thermostat up by a couple of degrees to save on energy costs.
Get a Smart Thermostat
A smart thermostat, like the Nest Learning Thermostat installed with your furnace, can greatly help you to save on fuel costs. You can program it to turn down your furnace during the day when you are away, but turn it back up in time for you to come home. You won’t even notice that it was cooler in your home while you were away, but it will make a difference on your energy bill.
You can also set a schedule on a regular thermostat, but with a smart thermostat, you can control it from your smartphone. You can choose to set it to a cooler temperature while you are sleeping, and then to warm up in time for you to wake up. No one in your home will notice the difference!
A smart thermostat can adjust your home’s temperature and save you money
Add Extra Insulation to Your Attic
Much of your home’s heat, about 25%, is lost through your roof. That’s why it’s important to make sure that your attic is properly insulated. Adding 25 centimetres of insulation can save you one quarter on your home heating bill. The extra insulation will also keep out the heat in the summer and help keep the cooler air in.
Even though it is more expensive to add insulation to your walls than adding it in your attic, if your home is poorly insulated, you may want to consider going ahead. Check out to see if there are any incentive programs running to help you with the cost before you begin.
Move Your Furniture
Take a look at the placement of your furniture and make sure that it isn’t blocking any of your floor vents. Also, move large objects well away from the vents so that they don’t soak up or block the flow of heat in the winter and the cool air of your AC in the summer.
Make sure the area around your vents is clear so that the air can better circulate
Close Off Any Rooms You Aren’t Using
Close the vents in your unused rooms and shut the doors. It doesn’t make sense to be heating or cooling rooms that you are not using. The extra heat will make your other rooms feel warmer in the winter and the extra cool air will make them feel colder in the summer.
Deal with Any Drafts
Dealing with drafts from doors and windows that aren’t properly sealed can really help keep your home warmer this winter. If you can’t afford to replace those old windows and doors, there are some cheaper alternatives that you can try.
Make your own door snake or purchase one online. They are cute and they really do work. You can also inexpensively seal up those drafty windows with a window insulation kit. The following video will show you how easy they are to install.
Seal up your drafty windows to keep the warmth inside
Have Your Furnace and AC Serviced
Like anything mechanical, a furnace or air conditioner that has been regularly serviced and properly maintained will run much more efficiently than one that has been ignored. Make sure you get your HVAC system serviced at least once a year, preferably at the beginning of the cold season for your furnace and the hot season for your AC. Call for service if you suspect that they aren’t running as well as they should.
Replace Your Furnace if It Is Too Old or Not Working
There comes a point when an HVAC system is past its prime and needs to be replaced. If you find that you are constantly calling for repairs or if it an older, non-efficient model, it may be time to get a newer energy-saving unit. Check with your local or provincial governments to find out if you qualify for any incentive plans or rebates. You can also check out the Government of Canada’s EcoEnergy Retrofit Program that offers qualifying applicants with grants to help make your home more energy-efficient.
Make sure the area around your vents is clear so that the air can better circulate
You Can Trust Draft Control with All Your Heating and Cooling Needs
Draft Control HVAC is a highly trusted heating and air conditioning company servicing the East Ottawa region. Unlike other companies, we focus on our customers and their complete satisfaction, not on the brands that we sell. Whether you require installation, repair, or maintenance for your furnace, air conditioner, water heater, gas BBQ and fireplace, or boiler; you can trust Draft Control. Contact us today for all your heating and cooling needs.
“Our furnace was acting up, so I called Draft Control Heating and Cooling. What I like immediately was talking to the owner. You call and he picks up the phone. He offered to come the next day, give a free inspection of our old furnace. If the fix was simple, then he would repair it, if not he would give us a no pressure quote for a new furnace.
He came on time and was very respectful. His knowledge of furnaces blew me away. Originally we has a large heating and cooling contractor come in to service the furnace. Late, never returned calls and simply didn’t give a straight answer on what the problem was.
Draft Controls was my second contractor and I’m very happy I made that call. Selim recommended getting a new furnace. Through the entire process, he answered all my question, always returned calls and was on time. His quote beat all of the other quotes we got.
The installation was fantastic, he didn’t rush, left a clean job site and did everything in a timely manner. After testing everything out, he left me his business card and told me to call or text if I had anymore questions or issues.
We were so impress with Draft Control, that in the spring we are having them replace our 20 year old air conditioner.
If you are looking for an honest contractor that has competitive pricing that installs a very good brand, then definitely put Draft Controls Heating and Cooling on your short list. I’d also recommend him for servicing heating and cooling units.” – Christopher K
Financing Available!
Great news, Draft Control now offers financing through EcoHome Financial. If you know that you need to a new air conditioner and furnace and want to replace HVAC system, but you weren’t sure how you were going to do it financially, we can help. Contact Draft Control to learn more.
We Even Offer a Military Discount!
Draft Control is proud to offer a 10% discount on select services and sales to our military personnel. Contact us today to learn more.
