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Heating and Cooling

Heating Strategies

Many factors contribute to the comfort levels you enjoy in your home and the cost of heating it. Here are useful, low-cost ways to control your interior climate and save money too.

Energy saving thermostats pay off
Your thermostat is the controller for your heating system. If you use it properly, you'll enjoy a comfortable home, and get the best value for your energy dollar.

Naturally, the temperature of your home is a personal choice. As a general rule, the following temperatures will provide heating comfort while still using energy wisely.

Heating costs rise about 5% for every degree above 20°C (68°F) that you set your household thermostat. Dropping the temperature at night will result in savings of 1% for every degree.

For many people, a programmable thermostat is the answer
It's easy to go out for the day and forget to turn down the thermostat. A programmable thermostat can do it for you automatically - just set it once. With wise use, the thermostat can pay for itself over a very short period of time.

If you have a heat pump, use a programmable thermostat designed for use with this system.

With baseboard or other unitary system heating, an electronic thermostat can help you save up to 7% in energy costs because it gives you more accurate control. If line voltage thermostats are already installed, consider upgrading them to electronic thermostats at least in the main living areas.

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Cleaning and maintaining your furnace
It's important to clean your furnace regularly to keep it operating efficiently. It also reduces the dust in your home. You should do this every few months during the year, and every month during heavy winter use.

Check your furnace manual for a suggested maintenance schedule. Many people have an annual tune-up in the late summer or fall. The age and condition of your furnace will help you determine a maintenance schedule. Be sure to use a contractor who is certified to work on your type of furnace.

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Put your ducts and vents to work and save heat
If you have a larger house and aren't using one or more rooms, be sure to shut the heat off to those rooms by closing the vents or turning off the heaters. Check your basement and attic to see that you're not heating areas that aren't occupied.

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Insulating, caulking and weatherstripping

Research shows that if you put together all the cracks and leaks in a typical Canadian home, you'd end up with an 8" X 10" hole in the wall. So it pays to "tighten up" your house to keep the warm air in.

A thorough caulking and weatherstripping job can reduce your heating bill by up to 25%, and it's the perfect "do-it-yourself" project. You don't require a lot of physical strength or specialized tools to do these jobs, and with a little bit of practice anyone can master them.

Look for specific tips on the Caulking and Weatherstripping Checklist and the Renovate for Safety, Comfort, Energy Efficiency pages.

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Controlling humidity may be the answer
The level of humidity can make a big difference in how comfortable your home feels. There are many steps you can take to regulate humidity and perhaps lower your heating costs.

To measure humidity, visit your local hardware or building supply store and purchase a Relative Humidity sensor, also known as a hygrometer.

During the winter, the Relative Humidity in your home should be about 40% - 60%. If it gets very cold bring it down to 30% to prevent condensation on the windows.

Signs of excess humidity

• Condensation on walls, windows, and mirrors
  
• Constant musty smells in the house
  
• Mildew growth, mould, ceiling stains, or peeling paint or wallpaper
  
• Rotting sills and soft gypsum board around windows
  
• Damp basement floors, or white powdery stains on exposed concrete walls or floors
  
• Bulging or rotting siding on the outside of the house
  
• Dark stains on the siding and flaking paint
  
• Moisture, mildew or frost on wood surfaces in the attic

To reduce humidity

• If there is a humidifier built on to your furnace, adjust the setting. Did you remember to turn off your furnace humidifier for the summer?
  
• If you're using portable humidifiers, turn them off.
  
• Avoid air drying clothes in the house. If you have a dryer, be sure it is vented outside.
  
• If you have a crawl space under your home, cover the earth floor with .15-mm (6-mil) polyethylene sheeting. The crawl space may have to be vented in the summer.
  
• Is your basement properly drained and damp-proofed? Spout the eavestroughs away from house so that water does not settle near the foundation.
  
• Don't store firewood in the house. One cord of wood can give off more than 270 litres (60 gallons) of water.
  
• Consider spot ventilation. If most of the humidity comes from the bathrooms and kitchen, install exhaust fans with timers. In the kitchen an exhaust installed right over the stove will take moisture out of the room quickly. Make sure that these fans are vented to the outdoors and not the attic or a crawl space
  
• For the basement, try a portable dehumidifier. It can be adjusted to shut off at certain humidity levels and then automatically turn on when the humidity rises.
  

Is your house too dry?
It is usually very simple to discover whether your home has too little humidity. An arid house will dry out your skin so that it feels tight and itchy, create static electricity and shocks, and after time cause wooden furniture to crack.

If the air is too dry you probably have a leaky house. Although your home produces moisture, it escapes around or through your doors and windows, through the sill plate in the basement, out the light plugs and switches, up into the attic, and up the fireplace. Along with the moisture you're likely also losing a great deal of heat.

In a leaky house there is a complete change of air every 30 minutes to two hours. You're practically heating your backyard!

Cut 10 - 25% off your heating bill
A thorough check will probably reveal many opportunities for caulking, weatherstripping, and insulating. Seal the leaks and cracks in your house, and you'll raise the humidity levels and have a more comfortable indoor environment. You'll be able to turn the furnace down which means a lower heating bill. In fact, just by caulking and weatherstripping, you could cut 10 - 25% off your heating bill.

You may need a humidifier in the winter. But buy one only as a last resort. Tighten up your house first. If you do buy one, remember to shut it off when it's not needed.

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