No matter where you live, chances are you use some form of heating or cooling to make it through the year comfortably. In areas where it gets incredibly hot or cold, heating and cooling are a must. However, they can also be very expensive, and sometimes it seems like they aren’t effective at all. If your energy bill is too high or the temperature in your home isn’t right, there are a number of possible causes.
AC or Furnace Issues
If you have a central AC system or a furnace and you still can’t keep your home at the right temperature, there may be something wrong with your heating and cooling. Like everything, furnaces and ACs need to be replaced every so often, and they may have problems well before their expected lifespan is over. This is why it’s so important to schedule regular maintenance to keep your heating and cooling systems in tip-top shape.
If you suspect there’s a problem with your furnace or AC, call an HVAC professional to come take a look at it. What seems like a major issue often requires a minor repair, and it’s best to catch these problems early before they get out of hand.
Thermostat
Your furnace and AC may be what actually keeps your home at the right temperature, but they can’t do their job unless your thermostat is working properly. Your thermostat measures the ambient temperature of the room against your desired temperature to determine whether to heat, cool, or simply do nothing.
You can test your thermostat by using another thermometer to measure the temperature right near the thermostat. If the thermostat and thermometer have different readings, there’s a good chance your thermostat isn’t accurate.
Insulation
Of course, your heating and cooling systems can only do so much to keep your home at a comfortable temperature—the rest is up to your home’s insulation. If you don’t have good insulation throughout your home, you could spend hundreds on heating or cooling only for that air to escape through the porous walls.
While foam insulation used in walls is the most common form of insulation in homes, there are a number of different factors which help determine how well-insulated your home is. Insulation is also important in lesser-used areas like your attic. Even simply opting for replacement fiberglass windows which are double-paned can greatly increase the insulation value of your home.
Depending on how poorly your home holds its temperature, you may even recoup your entire investment in a couple of years if you choose to add insulation or new windows. Return on investment is something you should discuss with a professional contractor before you decide to completely upgrade the insulation in your home. If you’ll only be saving $20 or $30 a year after investing thousands, it probably isn’t worth the investment for you.
Keeping the perfect temperature in your home can be difficult but it’s well worth it. As long as you make sure your furnace, AC, thermostat and insulation are all good, you shouldn’t have any problems.
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