The last thing you want to do in the winter is overwork the furnace in your Long Island home. Keeping your furnace operating smoothly will go a long way toward preventing breakdowns and discomfort during cold weather. You can keep your furnace from working too hard by preventing heat loss.

Heating loss not only burdens your furnace, but it can also increase your energy bills. The more heat is lost, the more energy is wasted. Follow these tips for reducing heat loss this winter:

Inspect your home’s exterior. Walk around the outside of your home and look for any cracks or holes where heat could escape from inside. Check the foundation, siding, vent pipes and exterior electrical outlets.
Check your roofing. Missing or cracked shingles can indicate a problem area in your roof. If you find these issues, check your attic to see if areas are exposed.
Look around your windows and doors. Windows and doors often suffer from poor air seals, which can allow heat to escape your home. If you can see light coming through a gap or crack, or worse, feel air blowing through, these areas need sealed immediately.
Replace your air filters. A clear air filter helps warm air move to your living areas faster, minimizing opportunities for heat loss. Clean filters also help prevent the spread of dust in your home.
Inspect your vents. Make sure the floor vents and the areas around them are free of obstructions. Clean away dust and debris which may have gathered on them. Also, look into the vents to find dust and debris which may have fallen into the ductwork.
Cover your water heater. Heat loss doesn’t just concern your furnace. Insulating your water heater can help prevent heat from escaping. You can even turn down your water temperature to save more this winter.
Insulate exposed piping. Pipes that lead from your water heater or run through a basement or crawl space can lose heat, so install insulation around them.

To learn more about preventing heat loss, call T.F. O’Brien Cooling & Heating. Our team of HVAC experts are proud to help Long Island homeowners.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

T.F. O’Brien services the Long Island, New York area. Visit our website to see our special offers to get started today!

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