Here are some steps you can take on your own to make sure your heating system is working as efficiently as possible:
- Repair leaky hot water faucets promptly. Even a small drip wastes gallons.
- Insulate heating pipes and heating mains in an unfinished basement or unheated crawl space. Foam pipe insulation can be used to insulate domestic hot water pipes to faucets etc. However, heating pipes must be insulated with paper-fiber-coated fiberglass pipe insulation. You may want to ask an expert for help with handling fiberglass insulation, as proper safety precautions must be taken (e.g. wearing a dust mask).
- Radiator shutters can be opened or closed on baseboard hot water heating, and thermostatic radiator valves can also be installed to obtain even heating.