It’s captivating to raise the heat to keep the entire home toasty warm during the winter. However, those high settings come with a high price tag.
High thermostat settings may not help keep one’s house warm.
The experts at the Department of Energy recommend setting the thermostat at around 68°F, or lower each day when the home is empty, or at night when your family is sleeping.
You can raise it a bit when you come home.
You might think that when the temperature is set to a lower setting, it overworks the furnace to raise the whole home’s temperature when you jack up the heat coming home after work.However, DOE says this isn’t true.
They agree that turning your thermostat back by 7°F to 10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting will save you up to 10% a year on heating costs, and keep the home at a lower indoor temperature, actually slows down great loss.
Use a Government grant. “If you own your property, and are up for a long term change, you might even want to think about what type of heating you use,” says Mike. “The government offer grants through their ‘renewable heat incentive’ if you want to switch to some types of electric heating, and move away from fossil fuels when keeping your home warm.”
How to Decide When I Should Turn My Heat On At Home?
The World Health Organization (WHO) has explained standards for healthy indoor temperatures.
WHO recommends a minimum interior temperature of 64.4 degrees Fahrenheit; however, if you have kids or are a senior-aged person at home, 69.8 degrees would be ideal.
For example, you might usually feel alert during the morning, but you may tend to feel a little bit colder or drowsy after lunch (known as the “post lunch dip as the day winds down, your body temperature drops.
The average temperatures in NJ range from the low 40s to the high 60s. Hence, this is typically when many NJ households turn on the furnace for the first time of the season.
What Can We Do to Delay Turning the Heat On?
Invest money in Some Heavy Drapery
Sure, heavy drapes might make the room feel a bit darker. However, it gets dark out so early anyway. You might as well reap some benefit and take advantage of the insulating power of heavy curtains.
Even when your home is well-insulated, windows can always be a source of heat loss. You can add an extra barrier by covering them with thick drapes.
Seal and cover the Doors
Drafts are sneaky. They can slip in through the smallest of crevices. Please make sure to seal your exterior doors are well to prevent a chill from slipping in where you least expect it.
There are many affordable draft-blocking and crack-sealing options available at hardware stores. Hence, you can pick whatever works best for your home.
Do Some Jumping Jacks
Your internal temperature plays a huge role in how warm (or cold) you feel, so elevate that heart rate. When your muscles warm-up, so does your core body temperature.
Just try to avoid breaking a sweat—sweat is designed to cool your body temperature so that it will counteract your efforts. Try doing low-impact exercises like squats while you’re watching TV.
Why Doesn’t My Heat Turn On?
You want to fix your heating system at home, we’ve put together a few troubleshooting tips featured below. Check the Air Filters – Extremely dirty filters can completely block airflow.
Clean or replace HVAC filters as needed and make sure all of the vents in your home are open and free of obstructions.
Ensure the System Is On: You may not realize that your heater (both gas and electric) has a power switch located on the unit. Make sure the switch is turned on.
Additionally, look inside your electrical panel to ensure the breaker that supplies power to your heating system is in the “On” position.
Inspect Your Thermostat:
- First off, ensure your thermostat is set to the “Heat” or “Auto” setting.
- If that doesn’t start warm airflow, raise the temperature to the highest possible setting.
- Wait a few minutes to see if that sets the furnace in motion.
Check the Pilot Light: A dirty or faulty pilot light is one of the main reasons a gas furnace won’t start. Many people will leave this problem to professionals, but you may feel comfortable fixing the issue your-self if you have a mechanical expertise.
Start by turning off the power and a natural gas feed to the furnace. Open the panel on the front of the unit and locate the pilot light.
Refer to your user’s manual for the correct procedure to remove the pilot light from the unit. Gently but thoroughly clean the pilot light with medium-grain sandpaper to remove any debris.
Reattach the pilot light, replace the panel, restore power to the furnace, and return the unit’s gas flow. If the furnace still doesn’t work, it’s time to call in the professionals.
Make Sure Natural Gas Is Flowing into the Furnace – If your furnace doesn’t start, it may be because the unit isn’t getting any fuel. Check the gas control valve to ensure it’s in the “On” position.
What are some Common Heating Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make?
- Letting your house get too cold at night
- Asking your heater to do more than it can
- Leaving the heat on all the time
- Not sealing air leaks and unused spaces during heater season
The Energy Department says this, though: “A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a furnace works harder than normal to warm the space back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings”.
Tips for Remaining Energy Efficient When Your Heating Is On
Fight the draft – Keep heat from escaping by sealing up gaps or leaks around your home. Caulk windows and apply weather-strips to doors, and look for gaps around your electrical outlets.
These simple tasks can save you up to 20% on your heating bill!
Don’t block your vents – Don’t make your heater work harder than it has to – make sure your furniture or drapes aren’t blocking your vents.
For an extra touch, vacuum out dust or pet hair from the dampers to make sure they’re working effectively.
Aux heat kicks in when the heat pump is working, but there’s a difference (typically 2 – 3 degrees) between your thermostat setting and the actual indoor temperature.
Reset Your Water Heater: If you’ve never run out of hot water, you’ve probably set your water heater too high!
Before winter arrives, turn down your thermostat to somewhere between 110 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit and avoid scalding your hands every time you wash up.
Make the switch – Check your furnace filter regularly to make sure you change it when it’s visibly dirty or every 3 months.
Also, consider getting a semi-annual “tune-up” to your heating and cooling system from a qualified contractor to ensure savings over time.
Insulate: The start of the cooler months is a good time to add insulation to your home. If your home uses less than 12 inches of insulation, chances are your home is losing heat.
Add insulation to your attic to prevent it from escaping.
When Should Central Heating Be Turned Off Again?
Experts from Utility Bidder say that the most popular date for turning off central heating for the warm season is the 14th of March.
However, with most of us spending most of our time at home, this may not be that practical this year.
While we all might want to save on heating, the idea of turning our heating off during this transitional season with temperatures barely reaching above 10 degrees has us shivering.
In reality, there’s no perfect time to turn off your heating.
According to Utility Bidder, so much will depend on how well insulated your home is and your ideal home temperature.
‘Better insulated homes will be able to keep warm even when temperatures are low into the early spring, but every home will be different.
The most effective way to control your heating is to use a room thermostat that is set between 18 and 21°C,’ explain the experts.
A comfortable, warm environment is very important for keeping healthy and well, so don’t turn your heating off just because ‘it’s time.’
Before the cold weather setting in, homeowners should make every effort to winterize their homes.
What is the Best Setting for Your Thermostat During the Winter?
General recommendations for winter thermostat settings:
If someone is at home in the daytime, 72° F (22° C) is a preferred temperature, but aim for 68° F (20° C).If everyone is away from home in the daytime, or you’re asleep at night, we feel 66° F (19° C) to 62° F (17° C) is best.
Invest in an energy-efficient furnace or heat pump.
Even when you’re setting your thermostat lower at night and while you’re away, you may not see your electric bill go down if your system isn’t running efficiently.
But instead of focusing on a perfect number, you will benefit from establishing an energy-efficient winter heating strategy that will keep your home warm and your thermostat settings reasonable so you won’t face large energy bills. Here are a few tips.
There is no perfect winter interior temperature for every home, and the savviest homeowners realize there is no perfect temperature for every moment in their homes.
Times when your home is left empty – such as work hours or traveling periods – present ideal opportunities to lower the temperature and reduce expenses.
However, many homeowners miss this opportunity because they find constantly programming their thermostats too time-consuming. Others forget.
It pays to be creative since you still want to reduce your winter energy expenses without feeling the cold.
Constantly raising or lowering the temperature throughout the day or forgetting to set it to the proper temperature can cost you more over time.
Close doors and vents to unused rooms make the home’s furnace easier to deliver the desired temperature to occupied living spaces.
Schedule annual furnace maintenance and inspection. Seal cracks around the windows or door jambs. Bundle up.
Dressing warmly, even inside the home, will make your family less reliant on the furnace, allowing you to turn down the temperature of the thermostat another degree.
Try using an electric blanket for extra warmth.
When should I Set My Heating to Come On?
The trick is to set your heating to come on half an hour before you get home or get up and set it to switch off half an hour before you no longer need it.
An average home takes around 30 minutes to heat up when the heating comes on and 30 minutes to cool down when it goes off.
What’s the Best Temperature Outside to Light a Fire in the Fireplace
It should be at least 15 degrees colder outside than your target temperature. Chimneys will have an initial difficulty drawing smoke properly without a big enough temperature differential.
Using the fireplace when the outdoor temperature is between 40° F and 50° F is ideal.40 is nice for a bonfire.
A programmable thermostat’s job is to turn your heating system on or off as needed to maintain temperature consistency according to your needs.
When it comes to daytime room temperature, a series of psychological experiments by the Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) showed that people have been socialized to believe that 72° F (22° C) is the optimum comfortable room temperature.
