Winterizing Your Home.

As the really cold weather sets in, you need to winterize your home to keep it in good shape through the fall, winter, and spring months. Save money on heating bills and protect your investment from winter damage by taking the steps described below.

Clean the Gutters
Don't skip this step, it's an important one to prepare the home for winter. By making sure water can freely flow throughout your entire gutter system you prevent ice dams from forming during the winter, and ice dams can do a lot of damage to your house.

Prep the Heating System
Do a test run to make sure that everything's working before you really need it. Set the thermostat to 80 degrees and listen. If the furnace does not turn on immediately, or if warm air does not start to blow in just a few minutes, then something is wrong. You need to replace the furnace's air filter as well, and check that there is enough fuel or heating oil. Clear obstacles away from all of the vents so that air can flow freely. Make sure that the battery in the carbon monoxide detector is fresh.

If it is not too late, look into a furnace tune up. You can even hire an HVAC company to do this to help maintain your furnace or AC unit too, as it can extend the life of those units. Continue with saving money on heating bills with furnace cleaning.

Find and Plug Cold Air Entry Points
Go around the outside of your house and look for places where pipes enter your house. If there is a gap between the pipe and the structure, seal it with caulk. Also eliminate drafts inside of home, Put weatherstripping around your doors, and caulk around the window frames. Replace any cracked glass in your windows. While studies vary, based on the age of the home and how energy efficient it is already, caulking drafty spots can save anywhere from 5% to 35% of winter heating bills. Continue with steps to plug air leaks.

 

 

Use Window Film
It may not look great, but putting window film over your windows in the winter can reduce leaking heat by 70% or more. That weatherizing step can translate into a huge savings in your heating bill. More information on window films.

Install a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat allows you to keep your home's temperature automatically adjusted for optimum savings. Almost all units cost under $100, with some thermostats as low as $50. It can turn the heat down when everyone is out of the house, or at night when everybody is under the covers. This constant adjustment can translate into significant savings that are estimated at 10 to 20% of annual utility bills.

Prep the Exterior Faucets
Turn off the water supply to each of the exterior faucets. The supply taps should be inside the house. After the water has been shut off you have to drain water from the pipes by opening the exterior faucets until the water stops running from them. If you don't do this, the pipes leading outside could burst, causing some serious property damage. You should also disconnect any garden hoses and drain them before putting them away for the winter.

Get a Free Energy Audit:
If it is not too late in the fall/winter months, call your utility company for an energy audit. Many offer these for free to low income families. What is learned can be used to help with the winterizing process. Find how to get an energy audit.

 

 

Seasonal Shut-Downs
If you are shutting your house down for the winter, such as a second or vacation home, you need to take weatherizing steps there too. You need to shut off all of the water in the house and drain the pipes. If a leak happened or a pipe burst when you are not there, the damage done to your house could easily be disastrous.

In Conclusion
Take a little time to get your home propped for winter by winterizing it. Even if the cold weather has already started, it's never too late. A little effort now could save you a lot of money and hassle down the road.