Tips to protect your house from the cold without leaving your salary
These basic arrangements will allow you to be comfortable without heating spending going off
It seems that the thermometer begins to say goodbye to temperate temperatures and pick up the cold, which will accentuate and accompany us in the coming months.
With this, heating will once again be one of the great engines of the season and for almost eight million people it is also an important headache .
It is estimated that this is the number of people living in a situation of energy poverty and maintaining an inadequate temperature in their homes during the winter.
Because the resources to be used to heat the home are high. According to Eurostat data , 43.4% of domestic energy consumption is dedicated to home heating .
Therefore, the first objective, before thinking about heating the house, should be to prevent the cold from entering it.
A good insulation system can lead to annual energy savings of 16 million tons less combustion gas. Over a period of more than 60 years, this solution would mean a reduction in emissions of more than 110 million tons of CO 2 and 35,000 million liters of heating oil
One may think that installing a good insulation system is linked to works and a large investment in reforms, but it is not always necessary .
There are many basic arrangements that we can make at home, including ourselves, and that can prevent heating from taking more euros from the bill. These measures can be implemented almost immediately.
Energy saving experts highlight these eight :
1. Cover heat leaks
Keep in mind that a large part of the home’s air conditioning is lost by walls and windows , by small cracks and cracks to which we do not give importance but have it. “It is essential to control the tightness of the envelope, sealing the cracks and gaps through which the cold can enter.
It is estimated that the air that filters through these points of walls and ceilings is equivalent to a window of 1.5 x 1 meter open continuously . That is, what would correspond to a heat loss of up to 25%, ”says Almagro
With adhesive tapes of aluminum, silicone, seals and insulations that are proof of air currents in doors, windows and cracks, 10% more heat generated by heating could be maintained .
And installing these tapes or sealing products can be done without having great knowledge in renovations and works. And, in addition, they are relatively cheap.
With adhesive tapes and insulation on doors, windows and cracks you can keep 10% more heat
In the windows, the polyurethane foam or the contact glue will seal any gap that creates air currents they comment from the online platform of TileFly reform material, adding that the expense is amortized in less than 2 months after its installation with Saving in energy consumption.
Another important point of possible heat loss that Almagro recommends checking is the box where the blind is rolled . “It can be another heat entry and exit point. To avoid this, it is recommended to insulate the interior structure with expanded polystyrene or rock mineral wool, ”shares the energy efficiency expert.
And it offers other homemade tricks to prevent heat leaks, such as installing rubber gaskets (or gaskets) behind the plugs and switches , or using a foam sealant to cover the larger cracks around the windows, the skirting board or any other Another vanishing point.
2. Install thermostatic valves
The Institute for Diversification and Energy Saving (IDAE) advises to program the heating so that it turns on a while before we need it; for example, 30 minutes before getting up. And if the boiler does not have this programming system , thermostatic valves can be incorporated that automatically regulate the flow of hot water from the radiator, increasing or decreasing it according to the temperature of your thermostat.
The latest IDAE studies reveal that the use of these devices provides energy savings of 40% compared to a home without any controller. “They allow to program the heating so that it turns on or off at predefined moments, so that it only uses the energy when it is needed,” they indicate from TileFly.
3. Rearrange furniture
The furniture may be one of those responsible for needing more energy to heat the house. The point is that furniture absorbs heat (which is subtracted from the environment). Therefore, the decoration must follow an efficient structure. The ones that attract the most heat are those made of cloth, such as sofas or armchairs. But also, other textiles, such as curtains.
That is why the advice of interior design specialists is to “ move the furniture away from the radiator , so that hot air can circulate freely. The same goes for curtains or clothes hanging, which should be removed from the radiator to take full advantage of the heat source. ”
4. Clean and check the boiler and radiators
A timely cleaning of the boiler will also save fuel and produce less waste. Likewise, this previous maintenance, before the cold arrives and must be used daily, guarantees safety when it is operating at full capacity.
“If what we have at home is a radiator and we notice that it does not heat up , surely the circuit will have air, and it will have to be purged . If it is a stove or a chimney, we must make sure that the shots are clean, and always use the wood or the right fuel
5. Use sustainable stoves
There are spaces in the home that require extra heat , either because the heating is poor in those areas of the house or because some extra degrees are needed for certain activities. “The stove can be an ecological alternative for heating a home. That is the case of wood or pellets that, in addition, print a current or rustic character, ”shares Martínez.
Those pellets using sustainable fuel that also offers a competitive price and stable compared to fossil fuels, and are characterized by their high calorific power , allowing to achieve very high energy yields.
6. Recover carpets (or tapestries)
With the arrival of the cold, just as it is advisable to review the arrangement of the furniture so that it does not cover the sources of heat, it is also important to recover the carpets . You may think of them as a decorative resource, but the reality is that these elements also have an insulating character .
“Natural fabrics, such as wool or cotton , will provide the necessary warmth in the home. Other natural fabrics, such as jute or wicker, in addition to being a trend, are easier to clean than the first ones, and adapt to any season of the year, ”Martínez details.
Some carpets can even be hung on the walls , as a tapestry, and help with keeping the heat of the rooms, in addition to sending a warm message instantly to the eye.
7. Adjust the temperature
Did you know that for every degree that the temperature of housing increases energy consumption increases by 7% , the same as heating costs and emissions of CO 2 ? Therefore, recreating summer at home while snowfall falls outside is a terrible idea.
The ManoMano experts consulted emphasize that “adapting to a comfortable temperature, without needing to be at home in a short sleeve, helps to save; and the use of thermostats and programmers is very useful to achieve it ”, as already mentioned. The recommended temperature is between 19º and 21º Celsius, going down between 15º and 17º during the night , while we sleep.
8. Turn off the heating when you’re not
One of the great myths that they run is that, to preserve the heat at home and save energy, it is better to have the heating running all day , to avoid the cost of turning the system on and off. Proponents of this way of heating the home argue that, if the temperature inside the house drops, then we will need to use more energy to recover the comfort temperature … and with that, our money will go.
But energy experts say that it is false , that we spend much less money adjusting the operation of the heating system to the hours in which we need it.
“Maintain a precise fixed temperature of a continuous supply of energy, due to heat losses that occur in walls, ceilings, windows or doors and that must be compensated. On the other hand, when the heating is turned off, the system stops spending energy to balance these losses, which, as the house cools, are reduced ”, explain the insulation specialists at Sto Ibérica.
Therefore, it will be advisable to turn off the heating during sleeping hours or when you are not at home, and reinforce the insulation measures so that there are no losses, as already mentioned.
Maintaining a temperature requires a continuous energy expenditure due to heat losses through windows, walls
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