Want to warm up your rooms without putting any unnecessary stress on your HVAC system or wallet? Give these heating tricks a try!

Warm Up With Natural Light

Sunlight is a great, natural source for warmth, so be sure to leave your curtains open on sunnier days. Just be sure to close them tightly at night: When the sun goes down, heat energy is going to want to escape your home and go back the way it came, leaving your room feeling chillier.

Close Up the Gaps

All those little nooks and crannies around your old Red Oak home are perfect for letting cold air in and warm air out. Fill up all of the empty spaces you can! Lay down caulk around your window frames to create an air-tight seal, plug up your fireplace to keep warm air from escaping out of your flue, and line the bottoms of your doors with homemade or store-bought draft-stoppers.

Insulate Everywhere

A little insulation can go a long way; while it’s an investment up front, adding new insulation to your home’s attic and walls will save you more than a few bucks down the line. But don’t stop there! Insulate your pipes to help conserve hot water, wrap your windows in saran or bubble wrap to reduce your heat loss, and throw down lots of rugs or carpet scraps to prevent heat escaping from your wood or tile floors.

Leave Your Doors Open

Obviously, we’re not saying you should leave your front door hanging open! But do let heat escape from your steamy shower and warm oven by leaving your bathroom and oven doors ajar after use. That warm air and heat energy will flow throughout the home, and, as an added bonus, leaving your bathroom door open, even a bit, will help improve your ventilation and keep your bathroom dryer and cleaner for longer.

Install a Programmable Thermostat

Your HVAC doesn’t need to be blasting air while you’re away at work! Conserve energy – and save on your bills – by switching to a programmable thermostat, which will allow you to automatically cycle through temperature settings, meaning that you can lower the temperature during hours when you’re away at work or sleeping.

Bundle Up

Our parents always loved telling us to go put on sweaters when we were cold. Turns out, it was great advice! You’d be surprised what a difference bundling up can make, and there are plenty of ways to do it: Wear lots of layers, spread plenty of toasty blankets around your home, and consider switching your lighter bedding out for flannel or another warmer material.

Use Your Space

Consider using a small space heater, or fill hot water bottles and scatter them under your mattress or couch cushions. And how about giving this a try: Reversing the direction on your ceiling fans – from counterclockwise to clockwise – will cause cool air to move upward and mix with rising warm air. The resulting mixed air will make your whole room feel warmer!

Looking for help with your plumbing or HVAC systems this winter? Our team is here to help! Drop Combat Plumbing a line, day or night, for an estimate or immediate service.