How to increase the heating efficiency of a forced air system

energy efficiencyheatinghvac

What are some DIY ways to increase the efficiency of a forced air heating system?

Please answer in Community wiki fashion: 1 tip per answer.

As @Jay Bazuzi pointed out, tips can also include ways to increase heat retention or other ways to save money on heating bills.

Best Answer

Look for cold spots in your home. A room that tends to stay cold, despite your attempts to keep it warm is a signal of trouble. A nice tool for all such problems is the hand-held thermal sensor you can now buy, like this Black and Decker Thermal leak detector. Just aim it at a spot on a wall, ceiling, etc., and click the button. It gives you the temperature. Now move the sensing spot around, and look for cold spots. This can tell you if you have missing insulation in a wall cavity, or a spot of cold air entry into your home. Use this to decide to add weather stripping to a window or door for example, or to inject foam insulation into a deficient wall cavity, or simply to help you balance warm air flow through your heating system.