Keeping your home comfortable through a cold Alberta winter is no easy task for your furnace, and unnecessary heat loss makes its job even harder. The following suggestions can help you get heat loss under control, so you can stay warm and save money.
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Replace your heating system’s filter one a month. A clogged filter makes your furnace work harder to heat your home, which wastes energy.
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Increase the amount of insulation in your attic to help curtail heat loss. Here in the Calgary area, a minimum of R-40 is recommended to stop warm air from rising up into the attic from your living areas.
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Insulate your hot water pipes. This will keep your water hot as it makes its way through your home. You’ll save energy, especially if the pipes are routed through any unheated areas.
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Look for broken or missing shingles on your roof. Replace any damaged spots, and also check inside your attic in case water has found its way inside.
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Tighten up your home by sealing air leaks. Check for gaps and holes in your siding, and around any pipes or outlets that extrude through your foundation. Look for areas of decayed wood, missing weather stripping around your doors, and split or damaged caulk around your windows.
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Check the joints in your windows and exterior doors. Joints can offer easy escape routes for warm air if they’ve loosened with age and use. Test them from inside your home, using a smoke pencil, or even a lit stick of incense. You’ll see the smoke wiggle wherever there’s air movement, and the need for sealant.
For more expert advice about reducing heat loss, please contact us at Arpi’s Industries, Ltd. We’ve proudly served the home comfort needs of Calgary area residents for more than 50 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about preventing heat loss and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide. Image courtesy of Shutterstock
