Time to Winterize? Tips to Get Started

Time to Winterize? Tips to Get Started

Winterizing Your Home: What You Can DoWinter is a time when many homes get drafty and uncomfortable, but this is preventable. By installing insulation, weatherstripping around doors and windows, addressing furnace maintenance issues and by programming the thermostat, many homeowners will help keep their homes warmer more affordably. These tips can help.

Weatherstrip

Gaps between doors and windows allow drafts to enter the home. Weatherstripping can help solve this problem. Like so many other things, weatherstripping's service life depends on its quality. Some weatherstripping will last for many years, other types will need to be replaced annually. Homeowners who don't want to find themselves re-weatherstripping every year can prevent this problem by purchasing better quality weatherstripping.

Insulate Your Pipes

Pipes have a way of getting very cold at night when the temperature outside has dropped. When this happens, some pipes will freeze. The pipes most in danger of freezing are those positioned around exterior walls.

Pipe insulation can prevent this problem. Pipe insulation comes in round tubes that can be wrapped around the pipe. Typically, pipe insulation will have a self-adhesive inside that can be used to secure the insulation around the pipes. To install the pipe insulation, homeowners must cut the insulation down to the proper length, and then install the insulation around the pipe.

Give Your Furnace a Tune-Up

Furnaces can become inefficient over time. Homeowners can prevent this from happening by getting their furnace a tune-up with an HVAC professional. During the tune-up, the HVAC contractor will clean out the system, replace the filter, check the wiring and connections and inspect the mechanical parts. If there are any problems, the HVAC contractor will recommend repairs. This can help ensure that the furnace is working properly.

Set Your Programmable Thermostat

Homeowners waste a lot of money by setting their furnace at the most comfortable temperature and then leaving it that way, no matter what's happening in the house. Programmable thermostats can prevent waste by lowering the temperature when no one is in the house or when everyone is in bed. Homeowners can program their programmable thermostats based on their activities and behavior.

If you're a Suncrest homeowner, following these tips will help you save money on your home's utility bills throughout the winter. For more information, talk to a contractor or an energy auditor.

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