Winterizing Your Home
Winterizing your home will help you stay comfortable and help save you money on your total energy bill! The following steps will help get your home ready for cold weather!
Install a programmable thermostat. You can program the thermostat to a lower temperature while you are at work or sleeping and save up to 30% on your energy cost.
Change the filters in your heating units. Dirty filters do nothing for your indoor air quality and will keep your unit running longer. Invest in pleated filters, they trap more dirt and will keep your indoor air cleaner.
Have your HVAC system cleaned and checked. It's like tuning up a car; you get better mileage when things are running right.
Add weather stripping around windows and doors. This has a major impact on drafts and conserving energy. If you live in a drafty home, you could save up to 20% with an investment of as little as $25.
Winter means cold and cold can lead to frozen pipes. Make sure all of your outdoor water spigots are turned off from the inside. And that you have removed all hoses off of them as well. If you are not sure if your spigots are the frost proof kind use an insulating cap or faucet sock. These caps and/or sock lessen the chance that the spigot will freeze and crack. The $10.00 item can save you hundreds of dollars in possible repair bills from broken pipes and a flooded basement.
Check the arrangement of your furniture. Make sure the heating vents are not blocked. Using deflectors you can aid the vents ability to direct the heat where you need it. These are inexpensive and use a magnet to keep them in place.
Even when you do all these improvements sometimes your home can still feel cold. Many of us use portable heaters to heat up those spaces. While this can be a good solution care must be taken to select the right heater for your home. The very first step is to make sure that you have a working smoke detector and that you have new batteries installed. Never use a heater that uses fuel inside your home.
Oxford Lumber Stores hope these tips will help you save money on your energy bills and keep you and your family safe.