Tuesday, January 5, 2010

How to Keep Your Home Warm in Winter

Winter season can be tough in many ways. The most difficult thing in winter is to keep your home warm, when there is freezing cold outside. Here are some efficiency tips for keeping your home warm in winter.

Inspect all the area around your house to check if all the windows are properly shut; storm windows should be down and latched. A lit incense stick can be used to check for drafts. The big amount of heat escapes from your home through these drafts, so cover them in a clear plastic or with a towel, or an old t-shirt.

Inspect all doors and seal them if you find drafts in door frame or under the door. To cover drafts, you can use weather stripping or a door sweep. It is better to close rooms that are not in use. It stops the air circulation and prevents heat loss. Magnetic register covers can also be used to shut off unused room registers. This is a good way to keep warmth in the rooms you want. The heater works more efficiently and saves you money.

It is wise to put up sets of heavy curtains; it will block drafts on both windows and doors. You can open these curtains during the day time, when the sun is shining, and draw them at night or when the weather is cloudy to keep the heat in. The curtains can be purchased from the market, or you can also opt to make your own. These curtains should have insulated backing to prevent heat escaping from home.

It is also great to dress up with warm clothes. Cover up your head and feet, because most of the heat escapes from your body through these parts. Wearing a winter coat inside home is not a good idea as it gets cold very quickly.

Cooking at home is always a good idea, and in winters, it helps to keep your home warm, as steam from cooking raises moister level in your home. Cook anything like a soup, make tea or coffee, bake bread or cookies; this will keep your kitchen warm. It is wise to leave the oven door after cooking to permit the heat to spread into your house. To make your thyroid and metabolism function properly and keep you warm, you need to eat healthy fats, so cook such stuff in winters.

You can also light candles in some parts of your home to keep it warm, but do not leave them unattended. Candles can be cheaply purchased from any shopping store, and it is an easy way to keep snug at home. It is good to take hot shower in the winter. It has two benefits; one it makes you warm in a quick time and other it raises moisture level in the house.

In the start of winter season, you should also check the heating system in your home if it is efficiently working. A heating pump or furnace loses its life after every year, and in time of about 12 years, they need replacement. The new system gives you more benefits like efficiency, safety and energy saving.

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