An expert has revealed a series of easy hacks to keep the average house warm. This comes as U.K. online searches for ‘keep house warm’ explode to 1,042 percent, in the fall-out from the global energy crisis.
A recent poll has revealed that almost one in four adults in the U.K. will not switch their central heating on this winter. With this in mind, the company Unbeatable Blinds has revealed several so-termed hacks that can help a person to keep their house warm this autumn and winter.
Among these hacks are switching out regular blinds or curtains to Quick Fit blinds, bleeding radiators, leaving the oven open after cooking, and putting foil behind radiators.
Quick Fit Blinds
Exposed windows are one of the main causes of heat loss in homes during the winter. This comes down to the fact that glass is not a good insulator and will allow cold air to enter your house. As the option to turn your heating up is becoming less realistic for many households across the UK, covering your windows is an essential way to reduce letting cold air in and importantly, to cut your energy bills.
Leave your oven door open
After cooking a meal for your family, a great way to use the remaining heat from the oven is to leave the oven door open. The heat from inside the oven will enter the home and contribute to keeping it warm. It is worth noting that this hack will save you money on bills, only if your oven is turned off.
Bleeding radiators
Bleeding radiators will release air that has become trapped in your heating system. The process of doing so is straightforward, and there is the added bonus of reducing your heating bills due to increased efficiency.
To bleed a radiator:
- Turn your central heating on
- Feel along the surface of your radiators for any cold spots
- Turn the central heating off and allow it to cool down (this will prevent hot water from burning you)
- Choose the first radiator that you wish to bleed (particularly focusing on those with cold spots).
- Place your towel underneath the radiator and insert your radiator bleed key into the bleed valve (found at the top on the side)
- Turn the key anti-clockwise and listen out for a hissing sound
- When the hissing draws to a close, turn the key back again
- You’ll notice that water will drip from the radiator once the hissing stops – this means that you’ve successfully released any trapped air •Bleed your other radiators
- Check your boiler pressure and adjust if there has been a drop in the pressure gauge
- Turn your central heating back on and check the radiators again for cold spots
- If there are still cold spots at the bottom of the radiator, this may indicate a buildup of sediment and it may be worth flushing the system.
Place foil behind the radiators
Taking a large length of aluminium foil and placing it behind radiators can be a great way to keep a house extra warm. Placing it against the outside wall can reduce the amount of heat escaping from your house.
Leave a gap between your sofa and radiator
The heat radiating from your radiator can move into the room, and the rest of the house, more freely if there is a considerable gap.
Recapping the advice, a spokesperson from Unbeatable tells Digital Journal: “As the cost of living continues to grow, finding ways to defend your home against the cold weather is more important than ever. Adopting these hacks will help to keep your home warm and save you money on heating bills.”
