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Winter's coming; home heating tips for the months ahead

Posted November 09, 2015 10:00 pm

By Pete Spitler Staff Writer

The nights are getting chillier and the days shorter, but before you turn up the thermostat or tinker with the furnace for the season, there's some things you should know.

"For the last 35 years, I've seen people waste energy for no reason," said Bryce Creamer, district office and member services manager for Egyptian Electric. "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."

Heating costs can burn a hole in your wallet, but there's some ways to reduce the impact of Old Man Winter.

1. Get your system checked for safety and efficiency:

Jeff Korando, owner of Korando Heating and Cooling in Chester, said the biggest thing that people overlook is routine maintenance.

"Have a qualified technician come in and do an inspection," he said. "As complicated as today's furnaces are, they need to do more than just clean them and kick the tires on it.

"You're putting a piece of equipment in there that you expect to start a fire whether you're there or not."

Rich Heuman, owner of Sparta-based Heuman Heating and Air Conditioning, noted that the quality of the installation of the system is also a factor.

"Installation is the key ingredient," he said. "Eighty percent of the problem is the installation, 20 percent is the equipment.

"I'm convinced that it's closer to 90-10 because when things don't work right, it's almost always the installation in that the system is trying to do something that it wasn't designed to do and breaks down frequently."

2. Change out your filters:

"A clean filter is a big issue," Heuman said. "Making sure the filter is clean and kept clean. Registers need to be kept open.

"Closed registers makes the duct system leak more. If it can't come out of the register, it's got to come out somewhere."

Korando also encouraged consumers to change out their filters.

"A lot of people this time of year with think about changing their filters, but the most calls we get are in February when we've had a three-week cold snap," he said. "If you don't keep your filters clean, it shortens the lifespan of your furnace considerably."

3. Open interior doors:

"When you close interior doors, it increases the infiltration immensely," Heuman said. "Keep the doors open and keep the registers open and allow the system to breathe.

"The vast majority of duct systems are undersized and when you close registers, it makes it more difficult for the furnace to heat the house."

4. Move furniture away from registers:

"The air heating up the room is what makes the thermostat shut off and when you impeded the airflow, (the furnace) has to run longer to satisfy the thermostat," Heuman said.

5. Evaluate your duct system:

"The market has completely gone to high-efficiency furnaces, but the thing that is neglected is the duct system," Heuman said. "When a person puts a new furnace in and the bills don't go down, it's almost guaranteed it's leaking someplace.

"The duct system is the place to cut the most amount of money in utility bills."

6. Monitor energy usage for problems:

"Egyptian does have a SmartHub website portal where you can check 'Day behind' useage," Creamer said. "You can't see what you're using today, but you can see what you were using yesterday.

"If you see a big spike, you can correct it before it goes on too long."

7. Seal gaps around wiring, plumbing:

"Your air leaks are caused by static effect," Creamer said. "All your walls have holes driven in them for wiring and plumbing. Use spray foam insulation or even cheap caulk.

"It's amazing the difference that will make in the energy cost of your home."

8. Keep the thermostat within comfort level:

"The biggest mistake a lot of people will do is get a digital thermostat and set it really low while they're gone to save on the energy," Korando said. "Then you're burning a ton of energy when you get home.

"The thermostat should never be set more than 5 to 7 degrees from your comfort level."

9. Nursing along an old furnace may cost more in the long run:

"If you're nursing a furnace that's 15 to 20 years old, you're probably spending more on energy that you need to be and you'd probably pay for a new system with the energy savings," Korando said.

10. Replace carbon monoxide detectors:

"If everybody would please check your carbon monoxide detectors," Korando said. "They save lives and the last thing I want to do is put my family in danger over a piece of equipment that costs less than $100.

"If you do anything else this winter, do that, because it could save your family's lives and it's the law."

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