Simple Winter Comfort Tips for Your Avon Home

Winter weather in Northeast Ohio can be brutally cold, so your living environment needs to be cozy and comfortable. Implementing the following winter comfort tips can help make your home a warm haven on even the chilliest days.

Seal your ducts. If the ductwork circulating warm air throughout your home is leaky or uninsulated, you can lose up to 30 percent of your HVAC equipment’s output. Sealing and insulating your ductwork can boost year-round comfort, and reduce your heating and cooling costs.

Eliminate air leaks. You can identify leaks by standing in front of your windows and exterior doors holding a smoke pencil. A leak that needs sealing will pull smoke towards it. To stop drafts, apply caulking around window frames and weatherstripping around doors. Don’t forget to check door thresholds as well. Just adjust the screws to raise the threshold and close any drafty gaps.

Winterize your windows. Open the curtains or blinds on your south-facing windows to let the sun’s warmth radiant inside. Make sure to close all window coverings at night. Keep in mind that thicker or insulated shades and drapes provide more protection against heat loss. If you have older, single-pane windows, seal them up with plastic film to eliminate drafts.

Have your furnace serviced. The heating system is your home’s first line of defense against frigid winter weather, so make sure it’s working properly. Having it inspected and tuned-up by a knowledgeable professional every year will make it easier to keep your home comfortable, ensuring safe and efficient operation.

Boost humidity. The air in your home can become uncomfortably dry during the winter because cold air doesn’t hold moisture well. Dialing up the thermostat only removes more moisture, pushing your heating costs higher. If you’re experiencing dry skin, nosebleeds, nasal congestion, chapped lips and static shock, installing a whole-house humidifier to your heating system can make life much more comfortable.

For more winter comfort tips, contact Stack Heating & Cooling. Our family-owned company has been providing exceptional service to homeowners in the Greater Cleveland area since 1976.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Cleveland, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about winter comfort tips and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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