When Your Front Door Is Wide Open In Winter: What Should Shock You More

In winter, you expect to be safely tucked away in a cozy home, enjoying the warmth of your house. What you do not expect is waking up or coming home to a front door that has been wide open for only-heaven-knows-how long. That is terrifying, because you do not know if anyone has been in your house, or if they are still there. Do you risk looking around to make sure no extra persons are present? Or do you call the police? 

What is more, you need to know if anything was taken. You feel exposed and concerned. You shut the door and look around, checking on your pets and your family to make sure everyone is okay. When everyone and everything is accounted for, you can breathe a sigh of relief- or can you?

You Were Robbed

Guess what? Even though no one in the house has come to harm, nothing of value appears to be missing,  and your pets are safe inside, you were robbed. You were robbed of heat, and your furnace had to work double-time to raise the temperature of your home while your front door swung to and fro in the breeze. So much warm air escaped, and your furnace was working overtime to keep up with the escaping heat. Your heating bill next month will be astronomical.

Finding the Cause

Clearly, you do not want giant heating bills every month because you keep finding your front door open. You need to find the cause. Maybe it is pranksters in the night, or burglars checking to see which houses would have the easiest means of entry. Maybe your door does not latch fully, and a harsh winter wind can force it open. Maybe your foundation is sinking, and your door does not sit straight in the door frame.

Addressing the Problem to Avoid High Heating Bills and/or Wasted Fuel

Whatever it is, you need to approach the problem from all sides proactively. Buy a surveillance camera to catch pranksters and would-be burglars.

  • Get a door contractor to check out the door for levelness.
  • Talk to a foundation contractor to make sure your house is not sinking.
  • Consult with a locksmith when everything else checks out.
  • Finally, ask your heating contractor to install a programmable smart thermostat that knows it should turn off after running for more than five minutes.

The smart thermostat can also alert you via your smartphone if the furnace keeps kicking in to warm the house. That way, you can run to the front door and shut it again.

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