If you’ve been putting off winterizing your home because you weren’t sure exactly how to do it, it’s time to stop procrastinating! It’s not as hard as you might think to get your home in shape to save you some money on your heating bills and home repairs through the winter.
Winterizing helps you stay warm and comfortable as you decrease the likelihood of dealing with costly breakdowns that require emergency heating repair in Cordella and other issues. Following are some of the best ways to winterize your home and potentially save hundreds of dollars this season:
Check your ceiling fans. You may or may not know that many fans can turn blades both clockwise and counter-clockwise. It does matter which way the blades turn depending on the season! During the winter, as you look up at your fan, it should be running in a clockwise direction on low speed. Most fans have a switch on the main body that will change the blade direction one way or the other.
Clean the Gutters of Your Home. You’ll want precipitation to be able to flow freely through them during the cold winter months. This is important so that dangerous icicles and ice dams won’t form in or on them. This treacherous ice can injure people and cause major damage to property.
Replace Your Furnace Filters. This cannot be overstated! Set an alarm on your phone, mark it on your calendar – do whatever it takes to remember to check and change filters at least once every month during heating season. Filters are inexpensive, and regularly changing yours can significantly improve the efficiency of your heating system – not to mention its lifespan, too. This will help you enjoy lower heating bills and increase your chances of avoiding expensive breakdowns.
Don’t Neglect Your Fireplace and Chimney. Be sure they both get a good cleaning before the winter sets in. You don’t want to start up your fireplace for the first time of the season only to discover the hard way that there were critters or debris in there. Be sure to contact a professional chimney sweep to examine and clean the system properly and safely.
Check Your Plumbing! This is a big one because burst water pipes in the dead of winter are disastrous. Make sure pipes are properly insulated. Disconnect any hoses you may have from the spigots and turn off the water supply to those, sprinkler systems, and swamp coolers. You may want to have a professional come to blow out extra moisture from your irrigation system with compressed air to avoid having it freeze. Cover your swamp cooler or air conditioner to protect it from the colder temperatures and precipitation of winter.
Seal Up Drafts and Leaks Promptly. You might be shocked to discover just how much “a little breeze” can wreak havoc on your furnace – and your heating bills! Check your roof for loose or missing shingles. Are there any gaps around your flues or chimney? Are there drafts from your windows and doors? Can water seep into your home through anywhere and cause ice to form?
Have an Energy Audit Performed. Our experts in heating repair in Cordella also perform professional energy audits, and having one done on your home is one of the best things you can do for your wallet this winter. With this type of audit, we’ll be able to tell you where you’re losing heat and energy, and we’ll make recommendations on how to improve energy efficiency that can save you hundreds of dollars over the winter.
Winterizing your home is an important step to preparing to keep your family comfortable and safe when temperatures drop. Avoid stressful weather-related problems and save money by tending to your home sooner rather than later, and call on A-1 Guaranteed to help! Call us today at our Solano/Napa location (707.645.0734) or at our Contra Costa location (925.609.8800).
