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Preparing for the Cold: Make your Home More Energy Efficient this Winter
Autumn means crisp air, colorful leaves, and getting reacquainted with those sweaters and jackets. It’s also time to think about winter proofing your home before the real cold arrives.
Here are a few tips to prepare your house, increase energy efficiency and save some money.
Keep Cold Air Out
Reducing air leaks in your house can improve home heating efficiency and reduce costs. Windows and doors are typically the culprits with cracks or gaps allowing cold drafts to enter the house. All it takes is some caulk, weather stripping and door sweeps to ensure you seal out the cold and keep warm air in.
Use a bead of caulk to fill visible cracks around windows. For doors, replace or install new weather stripping to fill gaps and ensure a good seal when fully closed. Just measure the length, cut, and adhere where needed. Installing a door sweep is also a good idea as cool air often enters at the bottom of doors.
Help the Heating
Check air vents to ensure they are clean and not obstructed by furniture or other items. It’s also a good time to install new filters and make sure the grates are clean to improve indoor air quality. If you have ceiling fans, reverse them to help circulate the warmer air when your heating system is running. Every small piece adds up, helping the HVAC unit to run more efficiently.
If you have a fireplace, check the flue and damper to make sure they are clean and in good working order. If you’ve not had your chimney inspected, now is a good time as you want to prevent any potential issues during winter when water, snow and freezing temperatures wreak havoc.
If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, now is a great time to get one installed. Instead of your heating system running while you are away, you can program your schedule which saves you money. These unites also provide more consistent temperature and allow your HVAC unit to run more efficiently.
Check the Outside
Before ice and snow hit, head outside and take a look around. Remove any tree branches that are too close to the house or may pose a problem. Check insulation in crawl spaces and wrap any pipes that are exposed to the elements. Garden hoses can be drained and removed before the temperature really drops. And for safety, make sure all outdoor lighting is working well to prevent any falls in the dark.
Contact us for a home heating checkup! Or stop in to learn more about preparing your home for winter!
Photo by Alisa Anton on Unsplash