Saturday, November 3, 2012

Efficiently Heating Our Home


About two weeks ago we had a definite shift in the weather.  We went from A/C in the afternoons to “someone turn on some heat” literally overnight.  Near freezing temperatures at night have prompted me to put the winter blankets on the beds and break out the flannel jammies. 

Our main source of heat at our house is baseboard electric wall mounted heaters.  We have one thermostat that operates the entire downstairs and the bedrooms each have their own thermostat.  Because heat rises we are fortunate in that we  never have to turn on the heaters in the upstairs bedrooms. 

I try to put off turning on the main heat as long as possible.  It operates off the 220V electricity just like the oven and clothes dryer, which is more expensive to run than the regular 110V.   


We have an electric fireplace in our living room.  I bought it about eight years ago because I wanted the look of a crackling fire without having to install a wood burning stove and cut all that firewood.  It plugs right into a regular outlet.  I built a hearth and mantle to further emphasize the effect.  What I quickly discovered was that this little unit pumps out a lot of heat. 

Once the cooler temperatures begin we start using the electric fireplace in the living room.  It heats the main living room, dining room and kitchen quite nicely.  Last year I invested in an infrared heater to help heat our home and prolong turning the baseboard heat on.  I park it in the downstairs hall so it is centrally located and it safely heats the house while we are away or sleeping.  It has a thermostat and I set it around 68°.  Both of those units manage to keep our little house plenty warm for quite awhile. 


Once the temperature gets down around freezing during the daytime I will turn on the main heat but until then I use the 110v units for as long as I can.  They have helped me save a small fortune on our heating bill and make it more comfortable for us as well. 

Additionally, I keep a small space heater in our upstairs bathroom so if it is chilly in there we can add a little heat when we shower.  We wear slippers or fuzzy socks and sweaters during the winter and keep throws handy to cuddle up with while enjoying TV or a movie.  Another thing I like to do is when I am finished baking I prop the oven door open and allow the heat to escape into the kitchen.
 
How are some thrifty ways you keep your home warm?

1 comment:

  1. With the unpredictable weather nowadays, it is an assurance if you have both heating and cooling equipment in hand. Glad the weather shift didn’t catch you off guard at all. And it’s cool that you have efficient equipment at your house since they can absolutely lower your energy consumption.

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