As the Stark family motto from the HBO series Game of Thrones goes: “Winter is coming.” Thankfully, we do not live in an era where fireplaces and animal furs are the only means of keeping warm. However, our homes are not fortresses built of stone and massive timber frames.
Most of us live in less than perfectly insulated environments. We rely heavily on our heating systems to keep us warm throughout the winter. Well, winter is here and it’s time to do a little preventative maintenance to make your family more comfortable and to save on those high heating costs.
Here are 5 simple things you can do yourself to prepare for winter:
- Remove or encase window air conditioning units.
AC units and the openings they are in provide easy entry paths for incoming cold air and outgoing warm air. Removing units and closing windows tightly can be a chore, but it is an effective way to stop the air drafts. Finding a place to store window AC units isn’t always practical.
Alternatively, you can purchase insulated protective covers for the outsides of your units. On the inside, you can use heat sealed or taped plastic over the expandable side extensions of the AC unit. The Department of Energy offers some advice on sealing around AC units here.
- Replace the filters on your forced air heating units.
Filters need to be replaced at least annually. Some service companies recommend replacing filters monthly or switching to permanent filters. Air flow is restricted when there is a clogged filter. Filters are inexpensive and most large hardware stores carry them. Measure before you purchase.
A filter that is too small won’t do any good. If you have an annual service contract with your HVAC company, ask them to change out the filter as part of their scheduled service.
- Drain hose bibs and turn off the water supply to them.
That last thing you need is for a frozen pipe to burst. Turn on the spigot to drain, then turn off the valves on the inside of the house. The pipes will continue to run water until they are drained.
After that, it is a good idea to check the seal around the hose bib at the house exterior. If there is a gap, seal it with caulk to keep drafts out. If the pipes are exposed in an unheated basement or crawl space, consider wrapping pipe insulation around them. It is inexpensive and not hard to do.
- Reverse the direction of your ceiling fans
Warm air rises naturally. By switching your fan from the counter-clockwise position to the clockwise position, it will recirculate the warm air at the ceiling level back into the room.
- Seal openings and cracks.
This is a good time of year to look at your window and door frames and sills, inside and out. Fill any gaps using a tube of caulk from the hardware store. If you are feeling a little more ambitious, remove switch plates and outlet covers. Place a piece of foam insulation over the wall openings and screw the plates and covers back on. The foam is precut to fit the opening. You can get instructions here.
Many electric utility companies offer these insulation packets for free. Otherwise, you can purchase them at a hardware store.
Winter is here. Now is the time to prepare for the cold weather before the snow starts to fall. The benefit will be lower utility bills and a warmer home.
Further reading: Fiery Facts About Home Heating.
