Get the Jump on Heat Loss, It’s an Issue Even in Orlando’s Mild Climate

Living in the Orlando area, you’re probably not terribly concerned with reducing winter heat loss but our winters do get pretty chilly, and anything you can do to reduce the workload on your furnace or heat pump makes sense. Here are some ways to reduce heat loss and your winter heating bill. (The bonus is that most of these tips will also reduce heat gain in the summer, lowering those monthly A/C bills.)

1. Regularly replace your air filters. Clogged air filters slow the flow of heated and cooled air through your home, reducing the amount of conditioned air that reaches your rooms and forcing your HVAC equipment to work harder.
2. Make sure vents are clear. If vents are blocked by dust or other debris, heated air will not be able to flow where it’s supposed to go and may instead be lost through cracks in ducts or other leaks.
3. Check your roof. Heat rises so missing or cracked shingles or other roof problems are a big source of heat loss, and can let moisture into your attic and home. Make sure your attic floor has enough insulation to prevent heat transfer between the living spaces and attic.
4. Check for cracks in and around windows and walls. Even small holes can let out a large amount of heat in the summer and allow it inside in the summer. Use caulk or spray foam to seal any holes you find. One particular area of heat loss is where utility lines and pipes enter the home.
5. Check door frames, window joints and similar areas. If proper weatherstripping isn’t used, or if it hasn’t been replaced in years, the small gaps at these locations can be another major source of heat loss.

If you’re ready to stop heat loss in your Central Florida home, please contact us at Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions. We’ve been serving the Orlando area since 1969 and will work with you to develop a cost-effective plan for lowering your winter and summer heating and cooling costs.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about Heat Loss and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock