Boost Your Heating Efficiency and Comfort in Central Pennsylvania

Does your furnace simply run, or does it operate efficiently?

There is a big difference between the two concepts.

At H.L. Bowman, we know that an inefficient system costs you more on monthly utility bills and wears out prematurely. We’ve spent decades helping our neighbors in Red Lion, PA, stay warm and comfortable. We understand that your heating system can take a beating in cold winter weather, so we’ve put together this guide to help you improve heating efficiency.

With heating accounting for 29 percent of your energy bill, it makes sense to minimize heating costs this season while maintaining maximum comfort.

Airflow Is Essential for Your Furnace

If you take only one thing away from this guide, let it be this: Airflow is everything. Your furnace works by pulling in cool air, heating it, and pushing it back out. If that airflow is restricted, your furnace has to run longer and hotter to reach the temperature set on your thermostat.

How can you ensure your furnace can breathe without circulating dust, dirt, and other debris? It starts with your furnace air filter. 

Caring for Your Air Filter

Running your furnace without an air filter is like breathing during a sandstorm. Without a mask, the particles will infiltrate your lungs and irritate your eyes, nose, and throat. Similarly, without a filter, your furnace loses efficiency, recirculates dust into your living space, and may break down due to clogged components. 

Running your furnace with a dirty air filter is barely better than operating it with no filter at all. Replacing a dirty, dust-clogged air filter with a clean one can reduce your furnace’s energy consumption by up to 15 percent, lowering your utility bills. You’ll save money just by taking a few minutes to check your filter and swap it with a clean one. 

If you use a standard filter, check it monthly and replace it at least every 90 days—or more if you have pets, allerges, or notice extra dust in your Red Lion home.

A media filter, which is wider and has a larger surface area with deeper pleats, can last from six months to a year before ineeding replacement. 

Check Your Registers

Move any obstructions, such as furniture or heavy drapes, away from registers. Keep air vents open to encourage good airflow. 

Closing vents in unused rooms does not save money, but can cause pressure buildup in your ductwork, which can lead to leaks and premature failure of the blower motor. 

There is a better way to heat rooms selectively in your home. It’s called zone control, and it allows you to control where and how much heated air your ductwork delivers throughout your home. Dampers installed in your air ducts open and close in response to independent thermostats that control comfort in designated zones you create. You save money by dialing down the thermostats in unused areas. 

If you are interested in learning more about zone control systems and how one might work in your home, ask us for a consultation.

Don’t Skip Professional Furnace Tune-Ups

You can complete some furnace maintenance tasks, such as filter changes, without professional help, but you can’t DIY your way through winter, hoping a filter change is sufficient to ensure furnace safety, performance, and efficiency. 

Your furnace is a complex system that involves high-voltage electricity, combustible gas, and the potential for carbon monoxide emissions. You shouldn’t tinker with your heating system unless you are schooled in HVAC installation, repair, and maintenance. 

Our H.L. Bowman professionals combine professional tools and expertise to maintain and calibrate your furnace, ensuring it runs more efficiently. During a professional maintenance visit, we perform several efficiency checks, including:

Heat Exchanger Inspection: We check for cracks or soot buildup that can hinder heat transfer and pose safety risks.

Burner Adjustment: We ensure the flame is a crisp blue color. A yellow or flickering flame means gas is being wasted and not burned efficiently.

Lubrication and Calibration: We lubricate moving parts to reduce friction and check the thermostat’s calibration to ensure the system isn’t overshooting your target temperature.

A well-maintained furnace runs more efficiently, which saves money on heating bills, and lasts longer. Our Maintenance Value Plans include seasonal precision tune-ups with benefits such as discounted service fees, maintenance reminders, and free plumbing and electrical inspections. Ask us about our maintenance plans. 

Reduce Heating Costs by Stopping Leaks

Sometimes, heating inefficiency isn’t the furnace’s fault. You can have the most efficient furnace on the market, but if your home’s ducts, windows, and doors leak, you are spending money to heat the outdoors.

ENERGY STAR^® says that in a typical house, 20 to 30 percent of the air that moves through the duct system is lost due to leaks, holes, and poorly connected ducts. You can seal holes and cracks you find on accessible ducts with duct sealing mastic or metal-backed tape, or work with us at H.L. Bowman to identify and solve air duct issues throughout your home. 

Give your windows and doors a little TLC with weatherstripping and caulk to seal gaps. A simple “draft stopper” at the bottom of an exterior door can make a noticeable difference in how often your furnace kicks on. 

Try using your curtains or drapes strategically by opening them on south-facing windows to let the sun naturally warm your home. At night, close them. Heavy curtains act as an extra layer of insulation, keeping the heat where it belongs.

Smart Technology Saves Money on Energy Use

How you interact with your thermostat is a major factor in your winter energy expenses. A conventional thermostat relies on you to manually adjust the setting. A smart thermostat learns your schedule. It can automatically lower the heat when you leave for work and have the house toasty again by the time you pull into the driveway. You save money by reducing the heat while you are away from home. 

Humidify for Comfort and Energy Savings

In the winter, the air in Central Pennsylvania gets incredibly dry. Dry air feels colder than moist air because it evaporates moisture off your skin faster.

Consider installing a whole-home humidifier to add moisture and maintain a comfortable indoor humidity level of 35 to 45 percent. You will be able to set your thermostat a few degrees lower without comfort loss, and reap seasonal savings. This minor change in humidity and temperature can result in significant seasonal savings and improved indoor air quality (IAQ). 

Save Energy on Heating Today!

Heating efficiency is a combination of a well-tuned furnace and a well-protected home. At H.L. Bowman, we can assist with furnace tune-ups, smart thermostat and whole-home humidifier installation, as well as ductwork maintenance. Call us at 717-287-5504 or request service online.