{"id":4674,"date":"2024-12-16T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/?p=4674"},"modified":"2024-12-14T20:29:12","modified_gmt":"2024-12-15T01:29:12","slug":"5-tips-for-a-more-efficient-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/heating-service\/5-tips-for-a-more-efficient-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips for a More Efficient Winter"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/5-Tips-for-a-More-Efficient-Winter.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"201\" src=\"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/5-Tips-for-a-More-Efficient-Winter-300x201.jpg\" alt=\"hand-writing-energy-management-on-a-chalkboard-with-drawing-of-a-house\" class=\"wp-image-4675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/5-Tips-for-a-More-Efficient-Winter-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/5-Tips-for-a-More-Efficient-Winter-768x516.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/5-Tips-for-a-More-Efficient-Winter.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Heating is expensive! Here in Michigan, chances are, it\u2019s the largest chunk of your annual utility expenditure. You certainly can\u2019t do without reliable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/service-areas\/east-lansing-mi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">heating in Lansing, MI<\/a>, but you also don\u2019t want to spend any more than you must to keep your home safe and warm. How can you cut your energy spending and still keep your family cozy? Here are 5 heating efficiency tips to help you out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2>1: Schedule Heating Maintenance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many reasons to have professional maintenance done on your heating system each and every winter. It reduces the need for repairs, keeps the system functional for many years longer, ensures that it will remain under warranty, and helps your home stay evenly warm in the coming winter. But it will also maximize your efficiency!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A heating system\u2019s efficiency drops by at least 5% each year. Dusty buildup, clogs that prevent good airflow, lack of lubrication, miscalibrated components, parts loosened by last year\u2019s vibrations and more will force your system to use more energy. Cleaning, lubrication, and a thorough inspection to get all the parts in perfect working order will bring your efficiency back up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>2: Change Your Air Filter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Airflow is critical to <a href=\"\/heating\/central-heating\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">heating system<\/a> efficiency. If the air doesn\u2019t move through the system, heat will build up inside, and the limit switch will be triggered to prevent overheating. This means the system will keep trying to start up over and over, and since the startup uses more energy than any other phase in the cycle, you can quickly double or triple your heating costs! The air filter should be changed every month while you\u2019re using the system daily.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>3: Use Your Ceiling Fans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>First, make sure your ceiling fans are set to turn clockwise during the winter. Then turn them on at a low speed. This will help the heat to reach all the places where it\u2019s needed, rather than simply pooling up by the ceiling where it\u2019s not doing you much good! You may be able to turn your thermostat down a few degrees once the heat is evenly distributed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>4: Seal Drafts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Is there cold air getting in anywhere? A couple of hours with rope caulk or foam weather stripping can block drafts around windows and doorframes. If cold air gets in through a gap under your door, consider purchasing a door-bottom weather strip that fits on the door itself, or use a sand-filled \u201cdoor snake\u201d to block the chill. You want to keep all your heat inside!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>5: Soak up the Sun<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When it\u2019s a sunny day, where does the sun hit at various points of the day? Make sure window shades, curtains, or blinds are open when there\u2019s direct sun on a window. This will make use of the greenhouse effect and significantly warm your home. It\u2019s also helpful to shut window coverings at night, especially if they are heavy or insulated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you\u2019ve followed these five simple tips, you\u2019ll be able to have efficient heating and keep your family warm without spending a fortune.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"\/contact\/send-a-message\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Contact A-1 Mechanical Heating &amp; Cooling<\/strong><\/a><strong> for heating services in Lansing, MI. Comfort and Character You Can Depend On.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How can you cut your energy spending and still keep your family cozy? Here are 5 heating efficiency tips to help you out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[76],"tags":[6,123],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4674"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4674"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4674\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4677,"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4674\/revisions\/4677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.a1mechanical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}