Residential heating equipment is complex and the prices to operate, install and repair these systems are expensive. Nonetheless, they work quietly day and night to keep our Warren County area homes warm and safe.
However, with all bad information online these days about furnace efficiency and the general lack of experience that comes with the territory, it can become challenging for some residents to discern what is factual from what is misperception.
As such, to address some of the confusion about how best to use our furnaces during an Ohio winter and how to save money on heating costs by optimizing this equipment, we at Springboro Heating & Cooling put together the following:
Myth #1: Closing Vents & Registers in Unused Areas Decreases Heating Costs
This myth is a persistent one here in the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio, area, and in other areas perhaps because it’s somewhat counterintuitive to think shutting your air vents and registers doesn’t do any good, doesn’t save any heat. Nevertheless, we remind homeowners that furnaces are installed and set up in a precise way so that the air pressure stays balanced with vents and registers open in all areas of the house. Because of this and other considerations, closing vents messes with this intricate balance while also not saving you money like you’d expect. Additionally, it adds strain to the system. As such, it’s best to keep all of them open for best results.
Myth #2: Cranking Up the Thermostat Heats the Home Faster
Sometimes, when it’s not as warm as we’d like it to be in our homes, we can be tempted to try to crank up our thermostat several degrees above our normal temperature level in order to try to rush the warming process. Nonetheless, this is another myth, as it’s not the least bit helpful and furthermore it will cause the furnace to keep blowing heat after your home reaches the temperature level you were seeking in the first place. Except for multi-stage systems, all home heating systems always work at maximum capacity when they’re turned on — regardless of what temperature setting you have the thermostat set on. Because of this fact, there’s never a good reason to crank up the temperature above what you’re actually wanting it to be for normal comfort. It’s not going to heat things up any faster. It’s going to cause more harm in the long run.
Myth #3: Newer Homes Are More Energy Efficient Than Older Ones
Newer homes are made with energy efficiency in mind. However, this doesn’t mean that everything is fully optimized when built or that things aren’t overlooked from time to time. Examples of this include winterization, insulation and air sealing. A lot of people don’t know this, however, newer homes only get minimum insulation, which can be a lot less than our winter climate calls for. Moreover, air sealing necessary to seal holes to prevent conditioned air from escaping is rarely done. Both of these items can have a major impact on the overall energy efficiency and comfort of a home. And, without both of them, it makes the age of the home irrelevant as the system will have to work a lot harder to provide the same level of comfort.
Give us a call for all your HVAC needs!
For more on furnace optimization, furnace maintenance, furnace replacement or furnace repair or to find out what your system is or is not doing properly call Springboro Heating & Cooling today at 937-600-6834, or schedule an appointment now by clicking here!
