3 Ways Your Home Can Manage and Use Natural Heat
It seems everywhere you turn these days, people are looking for ways to go green. Fortunately, going green can start inside your home, specifically when it comes to heating and cooling. In fact, let’s look at the causes of indoor temperature imbalances and three ways your home can manage and use natural heat.
Causes of Indoor Temperature Imbalances
Leaky ductwork is one of the main causes of indoor temperature imbalances. A leaky duck has the potential to lose up to 30 percent of its airflow, and even the smallest of leaks can negatively impact airflow throughout the entire home.
Another cause of indoor temperature imbalances is the use of a single thermostat, which is especially disadvantageous in homes that have more than one floor. The rising heat causes the upper floors to be anywhere from eight to 10 degrees higher than the levels below them. Two other causes of temperature imbalances include poor insulation and improper use of windows.
Open and Close the Blinds and Shades
One of the easiest ways to manage and use natural heat is to start opening and closing the blinds and shades the right way. If it’s cold outside but sunny, you will want to open the blinds and shades to let in the natural warmth. When the sun goes down, though, you’ll need to close the blinds and shades because the heat inside your home will try and escape back out of the windows. To maximize trapping heat in your home, install heavy thermal curtains.
Repair Leaky Ductwork
The natural heat in your home has a greater chance of keeping the house warm and cozy when it flows properly throughout the house. To ensure air can flow well, you need to make sure any and all leaky ductwork is repaired.
Many times, leaky ductwork can be repaired with patches. However, if it’s bad enough, you may have to replace all of it with new ductwork. Since a certain type of pressurizing equipment is needed to locate and repair leaks, you will need to team up with a professional who has years of ductwork experience.
Install a Zoning System
When paired with a geothermal heat pump, a zoning system uses heat from the ground to heat and cool rooms at different temperatures according to your own preferences. This means you can keep the rooms you use most at a comfortable temperature while setting unused rooms to a lower temperature, which saves money on your utility bills. Zoning systems are well-known to have the ability to balance temperatures throughout an entire home with the utmost efficiency.
And thanks to thermostats that communicate with dampers installed in the home’s ductwork, you can heat and cool on demand. A zoning system works very well to combat indoor temperature imbalances caused by rising heat issues in multi-level homes.
You don’t have to be an environmental specialist to go green. The three tips outlined above are easy to follow and will help your home better manage and use natural heat. Just remember, for jobs like repairing ductwork and installing a zoning system, you are going to need professional help.
