Older homes are filled with character and charm. The unique architecture tells a story about previous residents and about life in Atlanta years ago spanning decades. While preserving a part of local history is great, older and historic homes also come with their challenges. One of the most common challenges is maintaining a comfortable warm temperature during the winter months.
Like most parts of the country, Atlanta is no stranger to winter weather extremes. Whether we’re dealing with record-breaking cold temperatures or high winds from a coastal winter storm, maintaining a comfortable indoor environment is a challenge for many older homes. Thankfully, there are a few tricks and tips you can follow to help.
- Replace Furnace or HVAC Filters Regularly
Your HVAC system requires filters to run, and if you use the same one all year, it has a direct impact on how well your system functions. The filter traps dirt, dust, and debris so these items don’t clog the ductwork and other parts of your furnace. But if the filter itself gets clogged, then you might have a system not running as smoothly.
The resolution to this is easy. Just change the filters! If you have a permanent filter, clean it regularly. If you have pets, allergy or asthma sufferers in your home, consider buying electrostatic filters that trap allergens. However, if you have a regular filter, replace it monthly. This is easy to do yourself, and filters are readily available at grocery and home improvement stores.
- Remember the Whole House Approach
If you own an older home, you might already know that your home’s utilities don’t run as well as newer equipment. That’s why you might want to invest in the “Whole House Approach,” which is a form of building and renovation that creates the most effective method to optimizing home energy.
Consider this: the cost of heating a home consumes roughly 42 percent of a household’s yearly utility costs. If you’re heating your home with equipment that isn’t up-to-date, you might just see those prices skyrocket.
Here are small ways you can apply the Whole House Approach to your older home: - If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, invest in one. These help control the temperature of your house as well as help you save money when it comes to heating and cooling.
- When not at home, turn the heat off. Unless you have pets, there is no need to keep the place warm if no one is there to enjoy it. Think about all the money you’ll save!
- Look at your windows and doors to see if there are gaps that are allowing hot air to escape. This might be a sneaky way your older home continues to be cold. If you are noticing drafts, hardware stores sell weather stripping that you apply to areas around your windows and doors to prevent cold air from seeping in.
- Get a CoolCare™ Comprehensive Maintenance Agreement
If you want to have the confidence knowing your HVAC system will always be taken care of, the best way to do that is through a maintenance agreement from the experts here at Coolray! Here are all of the fantastic benefits our customers receive from this agreement: - If any problems occur, the experts at Coolray are only a phone call away. Your call automatically gets priority over non-CCA customers.
- You’ll receive discounts on trip fees, parts, and new equipment. For instance, while some non-CCA customers pay close to $90 for a tune-up, CCA customers could pay as little as $60 dollars for one system.
- Seasonal checks are essential for prolonging the life of your HVAC system. We’ll be there to inspect your HVAC system before every season to make sure everything is firing up, expanding, cooling off, and compressing just as it should.
- As a CCA customer, you won’t have to worry about your HVAC system. Our experts will be right there if any problems arise, but we’ll also prevent any failures before they happen with our preventative checks.
Keeping your older house warm doesn’t have to be a struggle. When it comes to making sure that your home is safe and comfortable all year long, trust the experts with 50 years of experience in the heating and cooling business in Atlanta: Coolray.
