Energy Saving & Winter Heating Myths

How You Can Save Money This Winter With LIBERTYAIR

Heading into the crisp temperatures of fall and winter, it is important that homeowners and business owners educate themselves on some of the common energy and heat saving myths that are often shared this time of year. Working with a reputable air-conditioning and heating company can do far more than many of these tried and true heating myths for your home or business. At LIBERTYAIR, we specialize in residential heating and commercial heating repairs and maintenance. We hope these tips help you stay warm this winter.

Myth #1: Turning Your Thermostat Up Higher Will Warm Your Rooms Faster

Truthfully, kicking the thermostat up a notch may seem to make sense, but the reality is it will take about the same amount of time to warm your home or business to a comfortable level whether your thermostat is raised to a very high level or just at normal heating level. In fact, spiking your heat in attempt to get the temperature up faster actually wastes a great deal of energy.

Instead, consider having a digital thermostat installed. Digital thermostats are much more affordable than they used to be and can be programmed to keep the temperature low during work or sleeping hours when no one is using the heat and to warm the house up just before anyone gets up or gets home from work. This home heating method is far more energy efficient and successful.

Myth #2: Closing Registers in Unused Rooms Helps Your Furnace Use Less Energy & Reduces Heating Costs

Actually, though this theory makes sense, it isn’t actually true. Furnaces are installed based on the size of the home they heat, so they produce enough heat to fill their ductwork whether some rooms have the registers closed off or not. While closing registers in unused rooms may direct the heat to the rooms that are being used, this isn’t a good method for your heating system because it increases the air pressure in your system and makes the system work a lot harder, thereby causing its overall lifespan to be shortened.

Instead of closing the registers in hopes of warming your rooms, call in one of our technicians to make sure your ducts are clean and your furnace filters are replaced if need be before each winter season so your furnace can heat your home with the most efficiency.

Myth #3: Some of The Rooms in My House Are Cold; My Furnace Just Isn’t Powerful Enough / Is too Old

Realistically, while furnaces do get old and need replacing, this is more than likely not the problem unless your house and furnace are very old. Sometimes, problems in the ductwork, clogged filters, or clogged vents can cause certain rooms in the house to be extra cold. Likewise, the rooms on the outside walls of a house may be colder if your insulation isn’t thick enough. First, give all your vents and the area around them a thorough cleaning and make sure nothing is blocking them.

If this doesn’t fix the problem, call in one of our heating repair technicians to look at the overall health of your furnace, vents, and ductwork. Sometimes a little maintenance is all that’s necessary to help your furnace heat your entire home. Likewise, your technician can let you know if you may need to call in someone to add more insulation or let you know if you need to replace your heater or furnace.

Myth #4: My Gas Furnace Isn’t as Efficient as an Electric One or Isn’t Working Well; I Should Switch

While it’s true that electric furnaces can heat marginally hotter than gas ones in some cases, gas furnaces are also a very efficient heating method, and if you have a gas furnace it’s likely it can meet your needs without requiring replacement. Instead, it may be that you simply need a gas furnace repair, which we here at LIBERTYAIR would be happy to assist you with. We are experts in the Gainesville heating repair business and we can readily identify the need for repairs and carry them out to keep your home toasty warm this winter. It’s also important to remember that the energy savings from a gas furnace may be no greater than an electric furnace. Looking at the energy efficiency of specific products rather than at gas vs. electric is the way to go when searching for energy efficiency.

We here at LIBERTYAIR offer Gainesville heating repair and service and would love to help you with your maintenance care or any heating concerns or needs. Please contact us by phone or by visiting our website to schedule service or ask questions.