How Do I Conserve Heat During the Winter?

Winters in Puyallup, WA, are chilly, and your heating system will work hard in order to keep your home warm and comfortable. You don’t want to pay any more for home heating costs than necessary, so it’s important to consider how you can conserve heat during the wintertime. Use these eight tips to reduce heat loss from your home during the winter months of the year. 1. Seal Gaps and Cracks Your heating system works hard to warm your home. You don’t want the heat to leak to the outdoors. Inspect the caulk and weatherstripping around doors, windows, and vent openings. If it’s damaged, cracked, or missing, replace it with the right type. Check around the openings for cable, plumbing, and electrical components. There may be gaps where cold air can infiltrate your home. If you have a fireplace, make sure that its damper and glass doors are closed when it’s not in use. 2. Add Insulation Determine if your home meets the Department of Energy’s recommended R-value for insulation. If it doesn’t, add enough sprayed foam, blown-in, or rolled insulation. Focus on your attic and perimeter walls. An energy audit of your home can find where the air is...

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How To Humidify Your House In The Winter

During winter, naturally lower humidity levels and more time spent running a heater can lead to low humidity inside your house. Once relative humidity drops below about 40%, it can be quite unpleasant. Low humidity can cause respiratory issues, rough skin and hair, and static electricity shocks. It may also harm your home by causing wood to shrink or warp. If you want to avoid all the unpleasant effects of low humidity, follow these helpful methods. Dry Your Laundry on an Indoor Line When it gets cold, consider using a clothes drying rack inside. This allows the moisture from your freshly washed laundry to naturally humidify your home. Just remember to place the clothes near a radiator or heating vent since it might take them a long time to dry otherwise, and if the clothes aren’t near the heating vent, the moisture won’t disperse into the home as well. If you feel like it still takes too long to dry clothes on the line, consider drying them halfway in the dryer and then letting them air dry the rest of the way. This can still boost humidity quite a bit. Weatherproof Your Home When your home is not weatherproofed, your...

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