The holiday season can become hectic as homeowners travel, entertain, and spend their time cooking, cleaning, and shopping for gifts. As your holiday to-do list grows, your heating system should be the last thing you worry about.

If you’re hosting friends and family this year, body heat from the number of people can cause temperature fluctuations in your home. For this reason, it’s important to stay on top of how much you’re heating your home to keep your guests comfortable and increase your home’s energy efficiency.

Holiday Heating Tips

Heating your home during the holidays doesn’t have to be stressful. Consider the following tips to keep your home comfortable and your heating system running effectively and efficiently.

1. Adjust Your Thermostat When Entertaining

If you’re hosting for the holidays, having more people in your home and cooking for them will create a warmer environment. To prevent overheating your system and guests, lower your thermostat by three to five degrees when the day starts.

While you may be chilly before your guests arrive, this strategy will keep your guests comfortable and your holiday heating bill affordable. 

2. Schedule Regular Maintenance

Schedule professional heating inspection and maintenance services before the winter chill sets in. This includes searching for leaks, cleaning or replacing filters, and ensuring all heating system components are in good working order.

Regular maintenance improves efficiency and extends the life of your heating system. This essential step helps prevent breakdowns during dangerously cold temperatures in the winter.

3. Replace Air Filters Regularly

An important holiday heating tip is to stay on top of replacing your air filters. Dirty or clogged filters will force your heating system to work harder than it should. Because of this, you should inspect and replace all filters regularly to maintain optimal efficiency. This helps your system run smoothly and improves your indoor air quality. 

Most HVAC manufacturers recommend installing a new filter each season, or approximately every three months. If there are people in your home who have allergies or upper respiratory problems, you should replace your air filters more often for optimal indoor air quality.

4. Use Your Ceiling Fans

Before cranking up the thermostat, consider using your ceiling fans to keep your home at a preferable temperature. Warm air naturally rises to the ceiling, but setting your ceiling fans to spin clockwise will force warm air back down into your living areas. This solution allows you to redistribute the heat inside your home instead of adding additional heat and costing you more money in the end.

5. Use Sunlight

Take advantage of the natural heat by keeping your curtains open during the day to let sunlight in. Then, close them at night to trap the warmth inside. This simple strategy can help maintain a comfortable and consistent temperature without solely relying on your HVAC system to do all the work.

Natural daylight also helps light up any room, saving you money on your electricity bill.

6. Optimize Ventilation

Ensure that vents and radiators are unobstructed by furniture or curtains. This allows for better airflow and more efficient heating. If not enough outdoor air enters your home, airflow throughout the space can become restricted, and indoor pollutant levels can increase. 

A common mistake many homeowners make is closing their vents in hopes of channeling air to a specific area quicker and more efficiently. When you close your vents, your heating system has to work harder to push air past the obstructions created by the vent closures. 

7. Practice Energy-Efficient Habits

Simple lifestyle changes can contribute to better energy efficiency. Encourage family members to dress warmly, use blankets, and only heat the rooms that are in use. Lower the thermostat a few degrees when you’re asleep or away from home to save on energy.

Programmable thermostats are also a great way to stay energy efficient. They let you set specific schedules for heating, allowing you to reduce energy consumption during the night when you’re sleeping or during the day when you’re away. 

The holidays can be stressful, so don’t spend unnecessary time worrying about your heating system. For a complete system check-up or any holiday emergencies, call us at 859-577-9725. You can also schedule service on our website. Our technicians are available 24/7, even on the holidays, to keep your family comfortable and safe.