Easy Ways to Lower Your Heating Bill This Winter in Central PA

With winter’s arrival in Pennsylvania, heating costs skyrocket throughout the state. Is it possible to control or even dramatically reduce those costs? It depends on what you’re doing already. Here are a few ideas to help you get started with lowering your heating costs:

1. Inspect Your Furnace

• Planned maintenance is always a good idea with plumbing and heating, and winter is the ideal time for a furnace inspection. Call a trusted pro for an inspection, and that pro should be able to provide any repairs necessary to ensure that your furnace, heat pump, or boiler is at its peak potential for the cold months ahead.
• An inspection can also identify trouble areas and solutions before those trouble areas become bigger and more expensive problems.

2. Replace Weatherstripping

• The last thing you want is for your hot air to escape from your home. Check the weatherstripping around your doors and windows to make sure it’s providing the insulation your home needs. If you see cracks, tears or other wear, consider replacing this weatherstripping. It’s an easy way to prevent hot air from escaping your home, and to prevent your furnace from working overtime to replace that escaped air.

3. Seal Ducts

• Like cracks in weatherstripping, cracks in your ducts can lead to escaped hot air that becomes expensive to replace. Before winter begins, take time to look at your ducts and search for cracks and other openings. You can use heat-resistant tape to fix cracks on-the-spot, and those minor repairs can help you save on your heating bill through winter.
• Sealing ductwork can also alleviate dirty, unwanted air from attics, crawlspaces, and basements from mixing with your conditioned air to your living space.

4. Insulate Your Attic

• Nothing helps quite like insulation. Make sure your attic is fully insulated, Energy Star recommends Central Pennsylvania homes have a total R value of 49 to 60 – that’s 18” to 22” of insulation in the attic! Also, consider insulating your attic door, every little bit of insulation is going to help, and insulating the door gives you full coverage over your home. More of your hot air stays in your living area creating a more comfortable home. We provide attic insulation and air sealing services, let us know if you need more information.

5. Leverage the Sun

• If you always have the drapes and curtains pulled in your home, you’re missing out on an opportunity to naturally heat your home. Use the greenhouse effect to warm your home by leaving windows uncovered. The sun isn’t out for long in wintertime, but make sure you’re using it while it’s out. You’ll be amazed at how your home naturally heats when you let the sunshine in.

6. Keep Registers Clear

• Those grilles on your floor and wall are registers that deliver hot air to your living spaces. Make sure these registers are completely uncovered so you’re getting maximum hot air delivery. It’s sometimes easy to forget about these registers and to cover them up with furniture or rugs. Do a sweep through your home to make sure that all supply and return registers are unblocked.

The Greater Harrisburg area is prone to long, cold winters, and it’s important that your heating system is working to its full potential for these frigid months. At Zimmerman Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, we’re your plumbing and heating experts.

When it comes to preparing your home for winter, planned maintenance for your home’s major systems, as well as other needs, we can quickly and effectively deliver the service you need. Not only do we help maintain heating, cooling and plumbing systems in Central PA, but we also offer heating system repair in Mechanicsburg, Carlisle, Harrisburg and the surrounding areas. If you find yourself without heat in the coldest months, we can quickly arrive and provide the repairs you need to get warm again.

Our clients are always our first focus at Zimmerman. We know that no two clients are exactly alike, which is why we emphasize custom solutions that truly meet your unique needs. Whether you’re calling us to help get your furnace ready for winter, or getting in touch for emergency heating system repair in Mechanicsburg, we gain an in-depth understanding of your needs — which enables us to deliver outstanding support.

Don’t let your home be anything less than its best this winter. Use the tips above to reduce your monthly bill, and count on the team, experience and service you’ll find at Zimmerman should you need maintenance, repair and replacement of your heating system.

Need help getting your heating system ready for winter? Contact us for support and service.