I don’t care where in the Northern hemisphere you live. The weather is changing. It is getting colder. This means air conditioners are use little or not at all. In a few weeks, if not already heater are starting up for the first time in months.
If certain things are not done, you could be spending double or triple what you should for heating this winter. That is why I would be amiss if I did not take one day a look at way you can make your home or apartment more energy efficient for this winter.
Plug the Holes - The first thing to do is walk around your home on a sunny day with light out and curtains drawn. Look for gaps around windows and doors. If you see light it is guaranteed that heat will be escape at that point. Weather stripping and door threshold stripping are great for around windows. If you are seeing light through walls then it is time to get a professional contractor involved.
Do the reverse at night. Have all your lights turned on. walk around the outside of your home. If you see light coming through any place your should not, that is a potential for heat loss. Get it plugged.
Add Insulation – It never hurts to add insulation to walls, ceilings, and and under floors. Then the places that are already insulated add more to existing areas.
R-values is just a measuring tape for the resistance of heat loss. Don’t get hung up of those numbers unless you are an HVAC engineer. 12″ of good insulation in the attic is a good start.
Furnace and Filters – This is an excellent time to have you furnace checked. Make sure it is working, especially before the coldest weather hits.
Changing the furnace filter is must. A dirty filter will reduce the flow of air across it. This will reduce the amount of heat that gets from the furnace to the needed areas. Meaning your furnace will be working harder and costing you more money.
Reversing Ceiling Fans – As strange as it may sound change the direction of a ceiling fan can make a big difference. It has the ability to take the heat that is next to the ceiling and put it closer to the floor.
Insulate Your Pipes - A busted water pipe caused by a water freezing is a major nightmare. To prevent it from happening. have all pipes that are exposed to outside temperatures wrapped with insulation. In some extremely cold area you may want to consider wrapping water pipes with electrical heat tape specially designed to keep water pipes from freezing.
In climes such as Portland, Oregon, or Seattle, Washington where freezing nights isn’t very common, you may want to install Styrofoam cups with a screw attachment to help insulate water spigots. In much colder climate, you may want to pack the outside water spigots in a box that is heavily insulated.
Protect Yourself from the Unthinkable - I am not going to quote morbid statistic about people dying from carbon monoxide or fire in the winter time. However, a good insurance policy is to have a good working alarm to warn you if your furnace or hot water heater develops a leak in what is call the heat exchanger.
You should be;
- Testing your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they work, at least twice a year. Once in the Spring and again in the Fall.
- Check, test your fire extinguisher. If it is older 5 years; replace it.
For more idea of how you can save money this winter on your home heating bill. Check out the following links.
