How the Heating Grinch Stole the Holidays

In a place known as Utah, a creature is living
a cruel “heating grinch” who is most unforgiving!

He hates happiness and joy that come from a home cozy and warm.
Even worse, he finds happiness from those stuck in a cold snowstorm.

This holiday grinch hates warm places from furnaces to fire.
He’d rather stay cold, the heat he does not admire.

Don’t invite him to your home this holiday season!
He’ll make your home freeze with no rhyme and no reason.

How can you keep your home safe from the frigid chill
Of this holiday grinch who can make your furnace stop and still?

Take it from us, these tips and these tricks
To keep your house warm, it’s quite easy and quick.

1. Keep Your Furnace Maintained

The easiest way to keep your home safe from that nasty, old grinch
Is to keep your furnace maintained. It will keep it running in a pinch.

Change the Filter

The best way to keep your furnace running all winter long is to replace your furnace’s air filter regularly. How often you should change it depends on your home, but if you haven’t changed it this season, you probably should at least once to keep your furnace running efficiently.

Check Your Thermostat

Checking your thermostat can not only help you know if your furnace is running properly or not, but it can also save you money. If you’re finding that your thermostat is set for a high temperature but your home isn’t warming up, it could be a problem with your furnace. If you don’t have a controllable thermostat, it may be time to invest in one. Having control over your heat can make sure your furnace is running efficiently, saving you heat and money.

Helpful tip: Rather than setting your thermostat to a high temperature whenever it gets cold to warm your house quickly, turn your thermostat on low before it gets cold to slowly warm your home and save on energy bills.

Clean Air Vents

Even if your furnace is working properly, there could still be a chance you’re heating system isn’t running efficiently. Check your vents to make sure the hot air coming from your furnace has sufficient space to flow through each room in your house. Clean any vents you have so the warm air can flow properly and keep dust from being thrown into the air, too.

Get Your Furnace Cleaned

Dust can get in your furnace and cause a lot of problems. Give an HVAC professional a call to clean out your furnace. Making sure that your furnace is well-maintained can keep your home nice and warm during Utah’s cold winters. A good inspection can also check for any parts that may be wearing out. The HVAC technician can replace them before they break, saving you the hassle of a broken furnace in the middle of winter.

2. Cover and Insulate Windows

How does that wicked heating grinch enter your home?
From windows, of course! Cover cracks and leaks, so he can’t roam!

Remove or Cover Window AC Vents

If you have an air conditioner hanging in your window, you’ll want to either take the AC down or at least cover it with an insulated covering so the heat doesn’t escape your home from that open window.

Check for Cracks and Drafts

If you can feel cold air coming from your window, you might have a few cracks or gaps in your windows. You can caulk any gaps you find and put heavy curtains up as insulation to prevent even more heat from leaving through cracks near your windows.

Let in the Sun

Even in winter, the sun can provide much-needed heat, with little to no cost. If you put up heavy curtains for the winter, open them during the day. If you want to cover your windows during the holiday season, choose something clear, like bubble wrap, so you can still insulate your windows while still letting in the warm sunlight.

3. Insulate Your Home

Is a drafty breeze blowing through your attic?
A bit of insulation can warm it up quick.

It’s one thing to have a furnace blowing warm air throughout your home, but it’s another to keep that air in your home. If your home is relatively old, you might need more insulation to keep the warm air inside rather than outside. You can call someone to install more insulation for you, or you can do it yourself.

4. Cover Bare Floors

No one likes stepping on cold wood with bare feet,
That’s why rugs and carpet are pretty sweet.

Believe it or not, you can lose up to 10% of heat through uninsulated floors. While you don’t have to get carpet in every room of your house, rugs can be used to add insulation to your floors and keep your home warmer without turning up the heat.

5. Bundle Up

If worse comes to worse, and the heating grinch invades,
Bundle up, so at least your body heat you’ll save.

While this tip may seem kind of obvious, if you’re finding yourself struggling to keep yourself warm during the winter, bundle up with warm sweaters, blankets, and slippers instead of relying on your furnace. Pull out a nice cup of hot chocolate, coffee, or tea to warm yourself inside and out.

Did the Furnace Grinch Enter Your Home?

After everything is said and done,
The holiday heating grinch may have decided you’ve won.

Who knows? With the beck and call of a cozy and warm home,
A happy grinch he could become.

However, If the heating grinch has entered your hall,
Don’t hesitate to give us a call.