Winter is fast approaching, and even if you like the weather outside, the coming heating bills are still frightful. By taking steps to prepare your home now, you can keep yourself comfortable, safe, and on-budget throughout the season. Here's what you should do first.
Seal Air Leaks
If you feel a little draft, you could be costing yourself just as much money as if you were running your furnace with the windows open. Drafts are not something you have to deal with if you have an older home. They come from easily fixable problems like worn weatherstripping around doors, gaps in window caulk and openings in your walls around pipes, electrical outlets and lighting fixtures.
Check Your Chimney
If you have a fireplace, inspect your chimney before using it. Squirrels or birds may have built a nest in it during spring, or fall leaves may have been blown inside. Any debris could be ignited by embers or hot gases rising from your fireplace, and the updraft could carry the flaming material up and onto your roof.
Change Your Bedding
One of the most common reasons people give for cranking up the furnace is not being able to sleep well in a cold house or not liking being cold when they wake up. For the winter, switch to layered heavy blankets that will keep you warm naturally.
Schedule a Furnace Tune-Up
Before each winter, it's always a good idea to have an HVAC and plumber service inspect your heating system. Even if everything seems like it's fine, you may have a small mechanical problem reducing your energy efficiency and costing you money, or you could have an old, fraying wire that's creating a fire hazard. Plus, most major heating problems actually build up gradually, so you may be able to stop them early with an inexpensive fix rather than being suddenly without heat on Christmas morning.
Insulate Exposed Pipes
As a backup measure to prevent bursting pipes in case your heating system fails or stops reaching a certain section of your home, insulate any pipes you can reach. Ready-made padded insulation can be quickly wrapped around the pipes under your sink, in your basement or out to your garden hose. If you need help getting those hard-to-reach pipes insulated, our residential plumbing service is here to help.
Have any other tips to staying warm this winter? Leave them in the comments below. Need more assistance with your home heating needs? Give the professionals a call at Stahl Plumbing, Heating & Air today!