chill the bill

Take steps now to keep your heating bill affordable.

Ice, snow, cold. It’s all coming soon for much of the country. While that may or may not be welcome news, nobody wants the high that cancome with it. What can you do to help to bring costs down? Spring into action before winter takes hold.

BLOCK AIR LEAKS AT DOORS AND WINDOWS:

You can’t see it, but air could be leaking from behind interior window and door trim. Carefully remove the trim and take a look. Is there insulation between the jamb and the wall frame? If not, add foam or fiberglass insulation. When you re-install the trim, caulk around it. And consider installing heavy curtains that you can close to help block cold air and open to let in heat from the sun on clear days. Seal air leaks on the exterior by caulking the trim around doors and windows. Close gaps at doors by replacing worn weatherstripping. Adjust the threshold or replace it to seal air leaks at the bottom of the door. If your windows or exterior doors are old and deteriorated, consider replacing them.

SEAL HEATING DUCTS AND AIR VENTS:

Caulk heating duct seams (for square air ducts) or wrap with high-temperature aluminum foil tape (for the round ducts). Consider insulating the ducts yourself or hire someone to do it for you. Inspect air vents around the house to make sure they’re fully open and air flows freely.

BEEF UP ATTIC INSULATION:

This is one of the most effective ways to save money on heat (and air conditioning in the summer). The U.S. Department of Energy (energy.gov) has free resources to help you determine what insulation to use and how much is best for your situation. You can do the work yourself or hire a contractor.

USE A PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT:

Being able to set times to raise and lower the temperature minimizes heat usage and maximizes your furnace’s efficiency. A programmable thermostat like the American Standard AccuLink™ Platinum

850 Control lets you create up to six daily heating (and cooling) schedules. Plus, it has wi-fi connectivity so you can adjust settings remotely and monitor the health of your HVAC system.

Set the thermostat as low as possible while still being comfortable-usually that’s between 65 and 70 degrees. If you’re gone during the day, consider lowering it even more. At night, you can lower the thermostat by 10 to 15 degrees and still have a comfortable sleep.

TEND TO YOUR FURNACE:

Get your furnace tuned up each year to ensure it’s both safe and efficient. If it was installed prior to 2006, you could see as much as 54 percent in energy savings by upgrading to a high-efficiency model like the American Standard Platinum 95 Gas Furnace. It has an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating of up to 97.3percent, converting nearly 100 percent of fuel into usable heat. And it’s compatible with AccuLink™ Platinum 1050 Control, the American Standard communicating control system that gives you full control of your home’s HVAC system.

Don’t miss the The Getaway house in this issue. The Family Handyman team designed and built this highly functional and efficient home during the past year using innovative building materials and components, including a furnace, air conditioner, air filtration system and programmable thermostat from American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning.