As the holidays approach, now is the time to optimize your heating for White Plains, MD gatherings. When you have extra people in your home, this can change your heating needs. Other impacting factors include cooking and doors opening and closing frequently. Luckily, there are adjustments you can make to keep your home comfortable without facing astronomical energy bills. Let our team at Southern Pride Service help you plan for the holidays.
Additional Heating Demands
It’s estimated that each additional person that you have come into your home will equate to about 400 BTU of extra energy per hour. This has an impact on thermostat responses, especially if you have many people in your home. Not to mention that having your oven and other kitchen appliances on can generate more heat than usual. We recommend that you think about this when you are setting your thermostat for your holiday gatherings. It’s likely necessary to adjust settings for something different than you’re used to. It’s also important to pay attention to ventilation and airflow in your home.
Schedule a Professional Inspection
Before the holidays arrive, have our team come to your home for a professional inspection and maintenance. This process reduces the risk of an HVAC breakdown in the middle of a holiday party. We will check components like your belts, motor, fan blades, wires, and connections. If any repairs need to be made, we can do so before these issues lead to malfunctions.
Consider adding on the service of having your ductwork inspected. If there is any damage to these ducts, you can experience heat loss. There are products like mastic tape and sealants that can close open areas. Larger areas of damage may need to be replaced. We recommend that you schedule duct sealing once every three to five years to maintain a tight and efficient HVAC system. You should also have your ducts cleaned periodically to support optimal air quality and to protect your HVAC system.
Routine Maintenance
Make sure you change the filter in your HVAC system once every 30 to 90 days. If you leave a dirty filter in your unit, this can restrict airflow. Not only will this strain your system, but it can reduce comfort and increase your utility bills.
Go around your home and seal up any areas around windows, doors, and your foundation that are allowing heat loss. There are different products you can use, including expanding spray foam, caulk, and weatherstripping. This will improve the comfort of your home while keeping energy bills to a minimum.
Considering Your Thermostat Settings
Because there is additional heat to account for during holiday gatherings, expect lower thermostat settings. Try setting your thermostat three to five degrees lower than usual. Make this change a few hours before guests arrive so your heating equipment has time to adjust. The goal is to avoid overheating your home so guests don’t feel uncomfortable.
A smart thermostat is a great upgrade to consider before the holiday season. This device allows you to make remote changes using your smart device. This gives you more time to socialize with guests rather than having to continually visit the location of your thermostat. Your smart thermostat can also provide other great features, like learning your heating and cooling habits, alerting you to maintenance needs, and functions using voice integration technology. Avoid making multiple changes during a gathering. You could end up causing short cycling or system damage, not to mention reducing comfort.
Considering Airflow and Ventilation
Make sure that all your vents and registers are open. You may have set up holiday decorations or additional seating in anticipation of your party. None of your vents should be blocked by these items. A reduction in airflow can create uneven airflow and balance issues in your system. Heating equipment can have a harder time achieving your set temperature when airflow is a problem.
If you have ceiling fans in your home, make sure they are moving in a clockwise direction. This ensures that cool air will be pushed upward so that warm air can circulate back down. Plus, the slight breeze can make guests more comfortable.
If you have a zoned HVAC system, this is a great time to utilize different settings. Allow more heat to be directed to occupied areas of your home, lowering the temperature in areas that you don’t use. Just make sure you maintain airflow in every area to some degree.
The humidity level in your home can rise as you cook and clean in anticipation of guests. Indoor air quality can also decrease due to cooking, people’s fragrances, and air fresheners. Make sure you’re using your exhaust-only fans to remove stale air. Most homes have these exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathrooms. If you have a lot of cooking to do, consider doing some preparation ahead of time to minimize heat generation all at one time.
Limit Frequent Door Opening
Attempt to allow guests to enter and leave your home through one dedicated entrance. This can minimize cross drafts that can quickly cool your home.
Providing Supplemental Warmth
If you want to lower your thermostat and minimize use of your HVAC system, provide ways for guests to stay warm. Have throw blankets around your home so that guests can grab one if they are chilly. You can also use space heaters in specific gathering areas to minimize HVAC use. Just make sure your space heaters are out of the way of foot traffic. Otherwise, they can get knocked over and increase your risk of a house fire or electrocution.
Troubleshooting Heating Issues
This is where a smart thermostat is beneficial. You can monitor energy usage and system response using the provided app and your smart device. If you notice any short cycling occurring or your system is turning on more frequently than normal, try making an adjustment. If changing your thermostat settings doesn’t fix the situation, give our team a call. We can provide fast diagnostics so that your party doesn’t get interrupted by HVAC issues.
Before your holiday gathering, make sure your filter is changed and that there isn’t any debris around your equipment. Make sure you know where your circuit breaker is located in case any issues occur.
After Your Holiday Party
Once all your guests have gone home, you can resume a normal heating schedule. Make sure you’ve turned off all space heaters and unplugged them. If you’ve had guests stay overnight, replace your furnace filter once the holidays have passed. It can be beneficial to schedule a professional inspection and maintenance after periods of heavy HVAC use. We offer tune-ups and maintenance services that can help you save on energy costs.
Before the holidays arrive in the White Plains area, Southern Pride Service can ensure your heating system is ready for guests. We also install new equipment that can have a big impact on your home’s efficiency. Reach out to us at Southern Pride Service in White Plains for more information or to schedule an appointment.
