Although winter is the pleasant season in Yuma, it still gets cold enough to be mindful of energy savings. Some of the energy savings come from improvements that last for years, while others are practices limited to the winter months.
Enjoy the sunshine.
During the day, open your window coverings and let the sun warm your home. If you use sunscreens, take them down to warm your house even more. Some of these screens block the heat of the sun by 95 percent.
Seal the air leaks.
Find them by inspecting your house carefully using an instant-read digital temperature gun. On a cold, windy day, walk around the exterior walls inside your home and identify what the temperatures are.
You may find that they’re colder around window and exterior door frames, along the floor trim or near electric switches and outlets. Caulk works well around window and exterior door frames, weatherstripping around exterior door frames and expanding foam for larger holes and gaps.
Schedule an energy audit.
The investment you make in a professional audit will pay for itself in energy savings. You’ll know precisely where you need insulation and the size and number of air leaks you have. Whether you hire someone to reinsulated your home and stop the air infiltration or do it yourself, you’ll see lower energy costs.
Have your HVAC system serviced.
When your HVAC technician goes through your furnace or heat pump, he will clean and adjust all the components. Over the summer, your HVAC system works hard to keep your home cool and your furnace shares some of the air conditioner’s components.
If it’s a heat pump, it uses the very same parts as it did to cool. Besides using less energy, your HVAC system will run dependably when you most need it.
Energy savings in the winter translate to savings in the summer, especially when you seal the air leaks and tend to your HVAC system. For more information, contact Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company, providing HVAC services for Yuma-area homeowners.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 928-723-3183.
