Busting Common Myths About Home Heating

Busting Common Myths About Home Heating
CHICAGO—Advice about saving money on home heating costs abounds during winter. However, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune, some of it is oversimplified, marketing hype or just plain wrong, while some long-standing myths persist about keeping warm inexpensively. For the article, the newspaper consulted Max H. Sherman, Ph.D., Fellow ASHRAE, to “truth-test” heating advice and unveil some myths. Among Sherman’s pearls of wisdom: duct tape is not good for sealing ducts. This gem, not well known among laymen, garnered Sherman notoriety in the late 1990s as “Dr. Duct Tape.” He added that “A fireplace is a particularly bad way of heating your home.” Also, installing programmable thermostats can actually increase energy bills because homeowners often don’t use them wisely to conserve energy, but rather to “preheat” the home for added comfort. Sherman says that homeowners “can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to 68°F (20°C) while you’re awake and setting it lower while you’re asleep or away from home.”