Emerald Heating and Cooling wants to wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving.
With the weather forecast predicting lake effect snow, we wanted to remind you that your home does not have to be cool and drafty this winter – no matter how cold it gets. There are a number of steps you can take to keep your home more comfortable this winter and Buffalo heating ready!
Start with a full-system inspection. Ask us to examine your entire heating system, including your furnace or heat pump plus duct work, registers, and insulation.
Use your fireplace carefully. When you’re not using the fireplace, keep the chimney damper tightly closed. Leaving the damper open is like leaving a small window open. It lets your precious heated air slip quietly up the chimney.
Plant more pine trees. Plant pine trees, cedar trees and other evergreens on the north and west sides of your house. Since they do not have leaves to lose in the autumn, evergreens help block cold winds all winter long.
Plug those plugs. Electrical outlets on outside walls can allow cold winter aid into your house. Seal them off with easy-to-install insulating kits available at most hardware and home-supply stores. Also, seal and insulate around attic doors, vents, water pipes and other openings.
Close the door. Keep your outside doors closed, or at least try to minimize the number of times the doors are opened and closed. Each time you open a door, warm air rushes out and cold air blows in.
Step up to a two-stage gas furnace. Most furnaces have one speed – full blast, even on mild days when you need just a little heat. However, some newer furnaces use a two-stage ignition system that provides just the right amount of heating output to achieve maximum comfort. They operate on a lower heating output setting most of the time, then power up to full capacity when the weather turns really cold. The result is smoother, more even heating throughout your home.