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Home > Energy Efficiency Tips & Tools > Heating and Cooling > Low-Cost Strategies
Low-cost heating and cooling strategies
There are many ways to keep your home warmer in winter and cooler in
summer that are either inexpensive or totally free. Here are some low-cost
ideas you can use in your home.
Low-cost heating strategies
Caulk and weatherstrip
For about $50, a few tubes of caulk and some weatherstripping can
go a long way to tightening up your house for the winter. Check around
windows, vents, and especially the sill plate where your house meets your
foundation. Feel for drafts around any pipes and vents and remember to
look where the sink drains go through the floor. Also, install foam gaskets
and safety plugs in electrical plugs and switches. You may be surprised
how much cold air comes in through your plugs and switches. All of these
jobs are perfect DIY jobs for a weekend. Get all the details on caulking
and weatherstripping and get to work on a job that really pays off.
Tip: How to find air leaks
To hunt for air leaks, get two sticks of incense. On a windy day, hold
them together and light them so you can clearly see the smoke. Now hold
them near areas where there may be air leaks. A strong leak will dissipate
the smoke and cause the tips of the incense to glow brightly. Slower leaks
will blow the smoke in one direction or draw it towards itself.
Check humidity
Humid air feels warmer. If you find your house is too dry in winter, consider
buying a humidifier. You'll likely have to experiment with the settings
to find one that adds just enough humidity, but not so much that condensation
forms on the windows.
Close the chimney damper
If you have fireplaces, be sure the dampers are closed when they are not
in use. A fireplace with an open damper acts as an open chimney, taking
incredible amounts of heat out of the room.
Heat only the rooms you use
By controlling your vents and dampers, or heating units in individual
rooms, you can heat only the rooms you use during the winter. Keep the
door closed on unheated rooms.
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Low-cost cooling strategies
Take a fresh look at your windows
Windows with southern and western exposure will likely allow the most
sun to shine in. There are a few ways to treat windows that will help
you keep your home cooler.
The most obvious thing to do is to close the drapes, blinds, or curtains
during the day. By doing this, and keeping the windows shut, you will
be able to keep the house closer to the temperature it was first thing
in the morning. A more permanent solution would be the addition of window
shades or awnings.
Give household work a midday rest
Most appliances give off heat, so if possible, schedule their use for
early morning or evening. Try not to use appliances such as the stove,
oven, dishwasher, washer, dryer and clothes iron in the middle of the
day. And for mealtime, why not use the barbecue and include more cold
foods and cool salads in your menu?
Strategic landscaping can cool your house
Deciduous trees, trimmed high to allow breezes to pass underneath and
circulate around the house, will contribute to cooling the house exterior.
They are also effective in keeping sun from the windows and if they grow
tall enough, they will help shade the roof. Trees provide natural cooling
inside and out. In the winter when the trees have no leaves, the sun will
help to heat your home. Think about this when you're considering the landscaping
of your property.
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