The next few weeks are likely to bring the first blasts of winter, but the wind won’t be the only thing howling. If you listen closely you’ll probably hear the groans from fellow homeowners who’ve just received their first serious heating bills of the season.
While a mild and humid winter would tend to keep those bills more manageable, you can’t do anything but hope for cooperation from Old Man Winter. There are some things, however, that homeowners can do to chip away at their heating bills and at the same time make their homes feel warmer, cozier and more comfortable over the winter months.
“A few simple steps, such as ridding drafts, not only makes your home feel warmer but saves you money,” says David Jones, an energy specialist with the Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources.
“Despite the emphasis on energy usage and the environment in recent years, there is still much homeowners can do to cut heating bills,” says John Katrakis, an independent consultant for Chicago’s Center for Neighborhood Technology, a not-for-profit technical assistance corporation for Chicago residents.
In fact, here are 10 steps to take toward a lower heating bill and a more comfortable home.
Basement sealing
An often overlooked energy-waster is a home’s basement, especially an unfinished one, where cold air infiltration abounds.
“By making the basement `tighter,’ you can prevent a lot of drafting up through the house,” says Katrakis.
Cold basements often cause the “stack effect,” which occurs when the living levels of a home are well-sealed but the basement and attic aren’t.
“The stack effect occurs as hot air rises naturally through a home and creates a small vacuum in the lower spaces,” says Al Rozo, a research architect with the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Energy Resources Center.
“As a result, the vacuum starts to draw air through any cracks in the basement windows, the foundation, and where the foundation ends and the frame of the house begins,” says Rozo. “That cold air infiltrates its way to the living levels.”
To prevent infiltration, caulk windows, foundation cracks and gaps, Rozo advises.
Any broken or cracked basement windows should also be repaired. If you don’t have functioning storm windows on your basement windows, seal them with plastic film kits available at home improvement stores or a temporary insulation seal described below.
Bottom sweeps should also be installed on basement doors leading to the outside. “Sometimes, basement doors are undercut extensively,” says Rozo. “A basement storm door would also help immensely.”
Sweeps can also be placed on basement doors leading upstairs to prevent cold air from reaching living levels.
If you have an unheated crawlspace instead of a basement, the experts strongly suggest insulating both the walls and floor joists above the crawlspace.
Ductwork running through the crawlspace can also be insulated.
Finally, make sure your clothes dryer vent is functioning properly to cut back on drafts. “It should remain in a closed position when the dryer is not working,” says Katrakis. “If it doesn’t, replace it.”
Open chases
Other often-overlooked energy wasters in many older homes are open chases. These are vertical shafts, sometimes just a few inches wide, that run from the basement to the attic. Often, a chimney flue, plumbing vent pipes and electrical conduit run not only help suck warm air out of a home through openings in the wall but also accelerate the infiltration of cold air into the basement through cracks and gaps, again creating the stack effect.
To stem that flow of air, it’s best to cap the chase at the top, says Katrakis. If sealed only in the basement, it will continue to pull warm air out of the house through the living levels.
“What I would do is use a piece of plywood to seal as much of the opening in the attic as possible and then use pieces of insulation-or steel wool around the chimney for fire safety-to seal any gaps around the opening,” says Katrakis.
In addition to the chase, seal any other bypasses that run between floors of the house.
“Look for areas where vent pipes travel through the house and stuff as much insulation as you can into the gap around the pipes or use the spray-in foam insulation,” says Rozo.
Ductwork
For homes with forced-air heating systems, the ductwork-especially in the basement-should also be checked for leaks at junctions and bends.
Go down into the basement while the system is running and feel along the ducts for hot air escaping. “I would seal the leaks with a silicone sealant designed for duct systems,” says Katrakis. “There is also a special aluminized type tape that is much better than duct tape for sealing gaps.”
If you have an older home, look into cleaning the ductwork, which can quickly accumulate dirt and dust.
“Any accumulation in the ducts can cause the system to work harder and also increase the velocity of the air flow, which reduces how comfortable a room can feel,” says Rozo. “A duct cleaning is also good for a home’s environment.”
And always make sure that the filter on a forced-air system is clean.
Balanced heating
An unbalanced heating system is also an energy waster and can make one room in a home warm and another cool.
If you have a forced-air system, you can balance the system simply by opening or closing vents until each room reaches a warm and comfortable temperature.
If you have a radiator system, you can adjust the vents on the radiators to do the same. You can also install thermostatic radiator vents, which automatically control the temperature in individual rooms.
“You could use those to turn down radiators in areas that tend to overheat, such as sunny areas where you can take advantage of solar gain, or kitchens where there’s cooking heat,” says Katrakis.
Also, never allow furniture to block vents or radiators.
For vents in awkward places, there are deflector hoods that can direct heat back toward the middle of a room.
There are also deflector shields that can be placed behind radiators to direct heat away from a cold outer wall and toward the middle of a room.
Furniture
A simple, effective and no-cost way of warming a room involves rearranging its furniture, says Katrakis.
For example, during the cold months, move couches, chairs and beds away from windows to the inner walls. This will remove the temptation to turn up the thermostat to combat window drafts when the wind is blowing.
Again, be careful not to block heating vents or radiators with the furniture.
Storm windows
Storm windows are a good energy-saving investment and make a home feel significantly more comfortable by removing drafts.
“If you have a single-pane window, you will notice a lot of cold drafts around it on the cold winter nights,” says Rozo.
If you don’t have storm windows, consider having them installed. Missing storm windows can usually be refabricated at hardware stores.
And repair any cracked or broken windows to help keep out drafts.
A low-cost alternative to storm windows is the aforementioned window sealing kit-available at home improvement stores.
Temporary seals
If you don’t have storm windows, or if your windows are in bad shape, consider a temporary insulation seal as an option to prevent cold from infiltrating a home, says Jones.
“I’m a big fan of movable insulation,” he says. “Even with a storm window, the R value (the degree to which a material resists heat loss) of glass is very low.”
To make a temporary seal, Jones recommends purchasing a piece of insulated sheeting or insulated foam board large enough to fill the opening. “This is the flat, Styrofoam board-like insulation that you see being installed on the exteriors of homes before they put the siding on,” he says. “Cut a piece carefully to fit a window opening and push it into the opening so that pressure holds it in place.”
To make the seals more aesthetically pleasing, Jones recommends covering them with wallpaper, fabric or contact paper.
“You’ll be amazed at the difference these seals can make on a cold night for an inexpensive price,” he says.
Patio doors
Patio doors and French doors are other often overlooked areas for heat loss.
While there’s not much you can do short of removing the doors and bricking up the entry, Jones suggests creating “window quilts” that can be hung over the doors on cold winter days.
“Fabric stores sell a specific material for window quilts that is sandwiched with insulation and a vapor barrier,” he says. “It comes in a number of patterns or you can cover it with fabric that matches your furniture.”
Fireplaces
If you think sitting around a roaring fireplace is a way to cut back on heating bills this winter, guess again.
While a glowing fire may seem warming, fireplaces are basically energy losers, sending a lot of your home’s heat up the chimney, says Jones.
The problem is the flue, which acts like a vacuum to suck the smoke out of the house. Along with that smoke goes the heated air produced by your furnace.
“While you can feel the radiant heat from the fire and you seem nice and toasty, the furnace is working overtime in the basement to replace that warm air,” says Jones. “When a fireplace damper is open, it’s like having an open window in the room.”
If you’re going to make a fire, use a glass screen to cut back on the loss of warm air from the house.
Warm air can also escape a home through a chimney when the fireplace is not in use, adds Jones. “The damper on the flue may not seal completely and the warm air will escape through the chimney,” he says.
One way to seal the chimney is by using a flue plug, a large Styrofoam block that is sold through home improvement catalogs and environmental stores.
“You can also fabricate a flue plug out of a large block of Styrofoam,” says Jones. “Just remember to remove the plug before you use the fireplace.”
Humidity
Adding humidity to a living space can make a warm temperature feel warmer.
The simplest way to humidify a room is by buying a portable room humidifier. There are also whole-house humidifiers that can be installed on existing forced air heating systems. “If you’re adding a new heating system to your house, a whole-house humidifier will eventually pay for itself as you will be able to dial down the thermostat and save energy dollars,” says Rozo.
