There’s no a place in the country we can think of where homeowners want to pay more than necessary on their home heating bills. That is particularly true for cold-weather states such as ours. We may not have as severe winter weather as the east coast, but we experience more than our fair share of cooler temperatures all year long, and therefore need heating systems in our homes that will work as effectively and efficiently as possible, for as long as possible.
Since heaters are mostly “out of sight, out of mind,” you may not think much about them, let alone what could be causing them to operate inefficiently. We’ve provided some tips below that should help you make small changes (which equate to big differences in efficiency) that can help your heater perform better, and help you prevent the biggest and most costly of Bellevue, WA heating repairs.
First, Only Trust Professional Installation
Without following this one piece of advice, you could be left with no chance of improving your heating efficiency. Without proper installation—or subsequent heater sizing—your heater won’t be able to perform as it should. This is true for heaters that are not only too small, but for those which are too big.
It’s probably easy for you to understand why a heating system that’s too small for the space it is in can’t properly heat the space. It will need to run constantly to try to keep temperatures up. This results in higher energy bills. However, if you invest in too large of a system, you could have just as many problems. A heating system that is too big will run for brief cycles and turn on and off too frequently. This process is known as short cycling, and will result in components wearing down much faster than they otherwise would. Plus, short cycling requires too much energy from your heater in order to operate.
Have Your Ductwork Checked
Your heating system’s ductwork plays an essential role in how effectively (and in turn, efficiently) your heating system can do its job. Poor sealing, ductwork breaches, and badly installed air ducts can let heat out of the system and into unoccupied portions of your house, such as your crawlspace or wherever else the air ducts run.
If there are any particular spots in your home that you notice feel less comfortable, then you may be dealing with damaged ductwork. This means you’re paying for heating that you aren’t even receiving.
Schedule Regular Maintenance
Professional installation and repairs are an important part of ensuring optimal heating efficiency, but maintenance is the true game-changer. Regular tune-ups (once a year, or twice a year for heat pumps) are the best way to ensure your heater works as effectively as possible for many years. During your maintenance session, our technicians will provide a comprehensive inspection of your entire system, and check for any components that need adjusting or repair.
We’ll also thoroughly clean the system. If we do notice any pending repair needs, we’ll let you know right away to allow you to schedule them at your earliest convenience, rather than waiting it out and potentially having a heating emergency later.
Contact Sound Heating today! We take your comfort as serious as you do.