Top 7 Ways To Prevent Heat Loss

Keeping a home warm during the winter months is a top priority, especially during freezing temperatures, however, keeping a home warm costs money and as we know right now, saving money and energy is just as important as keeping a home warm.

Throughout this article we will be offering some simple ways to reduce heat loss in the home during the winter months.

Insulation

Installing insulation in your home can be one of the best ways to reduce your energy bills, making a house warmer and more comfortable to live in. The issue with houses that are uninsulated is that warm air can escape from your home in all directions; including the roof, walls, floor, windows and doors. This essentially means a bulk of your energy usage and more importantly, cost, goes to waste.

Here at Warma we provide grants to households that need insulation under the Energy Company Obligation initiative. There is certain criteria to apply but it can be a great way to reduce the overall cost of getting insulation work installed in your home.

Chimneys

An open vented heat only gas boiler system with a water tank works in tandem with components that are housed externally from the boiler, such as a circulation pump. A heat only boiler will require cold water, as well as feed and expansion tanks in the loft.

With a heat only boiler you will find that the hot water is stored in a hot water cylinder or hot water storage tank. These types of boilers are most commonly found in apartment complexes and housing of multiple occupants. A heat only boiler will most likely have an on/off switch which allows homeowners to heat the water when they need it and leave it switched off when not in use.

New houses tend not to be built with chimneys anymore as they have become obsolete with the invention of gas central heating, however a large proportion of older houses still feature unused chimneys.

If you still use your chimney during the winter but not during the spring and summer then why not consider getting a removable chimney balloon; these are a great way to prevent excess heat being lost when you are not using the fire.

If your chimney is not being used all year round then we would recommend having this capped by a professional as this would stop a large amount of heat escaping your home.

Windows

System boilers are often referred to as closed vent boilers and are generally a great choice if you might need a heat only boiler but do not want lots of external components. With system boilers the external components are built into the boiler itself.

A system boiler still uses a hot water cylinder, but the feed and expansion tank which is usually placed in the attic is replaced by an expansion reservoir in the boiler.

If your home has natural features such as original single glazed windows then we recommend the use of draught proofing strips, these are great for reducing draughts around the window frame. Draughts can emerge from cracks between the window frame and wall and in this case we would recommend some window sealant to close up the gaps.

Doors

Using draught proofing strips for the doors in your house is another great way to reduce heat loss in your home. We recommend brushed draught excluders for external doors that are letting a fresh air draught in.

Radiator Shelves

Radiator shelves are positioned just above the radiator and help by dispersing the heat from the radiator forward into the room, rather than letting it rise to the ceiling. Most DIY and hardware shops stock purpose made shelves which will clip on most radiators.

Unused Vents

If your home features an upgraded boiler or you are going to get your boiler upgraded then it will most likely feature a balanced flue, which means you no longer need an air brick in an external wall with the boiler. We recommend you seal up any unused vents as this will prevent any heat from escaping your property.

Gaps Between Floorboards

Floorboards are a lovely original feature on an older property and can make a home really stand out. The only issue is that older houses may contain gaps between some of the floorboards which will let valuable heat escape through the rooms below being heated.

If you do not intend to expose the floorboards as a feature then we recommend using wood filler to seal up medium sized gaps.