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Winterize your Home NOW!
10 Ways to Winterize your Home.
Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows.
Install storm windows or cover windows with plastic from the inside.
Wrap pipes
Wrap your water heater
Insulate walls and attic.
Check your furnace
Have your ducts repaired and cleaned
Reverse your Ceiing Fan
Check your chimney and woodstove.
Carbon Monoxide Detector.
Find out how to get one FREE HERE! (includes FREE installation)
Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows.
On a breezy day, walk around inside holding a lit incense stick to the most common drafty areas: recessed lighting, window and door frames, electrical outlets. - Buy door sweeps to close spaces under exterior doors.
- Caulk or apply tacky rope caulk to those drafty spots
- Outlet gaskets can easily be installed in electrical outlets located on outer walls where cold air often enters.
Install storm windows or cover windows with plastic from the inside. - Outside, seal leaks with weather-resistant caulk.
- For brick areas, use masonry sealer, which will better stand up to freezing and thawing. It'll also discourage insects from entering.
Wrap pipes
Insulate Hot Water Pipes for Energy Savings.
Insulating your hot water pipes reduces heat loss and can raise water temperature 2ºF–4ºF hotter than pipes that are not insulated, allowing for a lower water temperature setting. You also won't have to wait as long for hot water when you turn on a faucet or showerhead, which helps conserve water.
Insulate all accessible hot water pipes, especially within 3 feet of the water heater. It's also a good idea to insulate the cold water inlet pipes for the first 3 feet.
Use quality pipe insulation wrap, or neatly tape strips of fiberglass insulation around the pipes. Pipe sleeves made with polyethylene or neoprene foam are the most commonly used insulation. Match the pipe sleeve's inside diameter to the pipe's outside diameter for a snug fit. Place the pipe sleeve so the seam will be face down on the pipe. Tape, wire, or clamp (with a cable tie ) it every foot or two to secure it to the pipe. If you use tape, some recommend using acrylic tape instead of duct tape.
On gas water heaters, keep insulation at least 6 inches from the flue. If pipes are within 8 inches of the flue, your safest choice is to use fiberglass pipe-wrap (at least 1-inch thick) without a facing. You can use either wire or aluminum foil tape to secure it to the pipe.
Let faucets drip a little to avoid freezing.
Know how to shut off water valves.
Wrap your hot water heater
Did you know that simply wrapping your water heater with an insulating blanket cuts the cost (both financial and environmental) of heating the water?
And depending on where you live, if you go tankless or solar, you might be eligible for a tax rebate too.
Lower Water Heating Temperature for Energy Savings
You can reduce your water heating costs by simply lowering the thermostat setting on your water heater. For each 10ºF reduction in water temperature, you can save between 3%–5% in energy costs.
Although some manufacturers set water heater thermostats at 140ºF, most households usually only require them set at 120ºF. Water heated at 140ºF also poses a safety hazard—scalding. However, if you have a dishwasher without a booster heater, it may require a water temperature within a range of 130ºF to 140ºF for optimum cleaning.
Reducing your water temperature to 120ºF also slows mineral buildup and corrosion in your water heater and pipes. This helps your water heater last longer and operate at its maximum efficiency.
For safety and peace of mind contact a specialist for a thorough inspection.
If you choose to maintain your hot water heater yourself, consult your water heater owner's manual for instructions on how to operate the thermostat. You can find a thermostat dial for a gas storage water heater near the bottom of the tank on the gas valve. Electric water heaters, on the other hand, may have thermostats positioned behind screw-on plates or panels. As a safety precaution, shut off the electricity to the water heater before removing/opening the panels. Keep in mind that an electric water heater may have two thermostats—one each for the upper and lower heating elements.
Mark the beginning temperature and the adjusted temperature on the thermostat dial for future reference. After turning it down, check the water temperature with a thermometer at the tap farthest from the water heater. Thermostat dials are often inaccurate. Several adjustments may be necessary before you get the right temperature.
If you plan to be away from home for at least 3 days, turn the thermostat down to the lowest setting or completely turn off the water heater. To turn off an electric water heater, switch off the circuit breaker to it. For a gas water heater, make sure you know how to safely relight the pilot light before turning it off.
Insulate walls and attic.
Add insulation to the existing insulation in the attic.
Regardless of the climate conditions you live in, you need a minimum of 12 inches of insulation in your attic. If you can see the ceiling joists you know you don't have enough A ceiling joist is at most 10 or 11 inches.
If you're layering new insulation atop old insulation, don't use the insulation with a paper backing. It acts as a vapor barrier which can cause moisture problems in the insulation.
Check the furnace NOW
First, turn on your furnace (now) to make sure it's working, before the coldest weather descends. A strong, odd, short-lasting smell is natural when firing up the furnace in the autumn; simply open windows to dissipate it. But if the smell lasts a long time, shut down the furnace and call a professional.
It's a good idea to have furnaces cleaned and tuned annually. Calling an HVAC specialist is money well spent.
Have your Ducts Checked.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a home with central heating can lose up to 60% of its heated air before that air reaches the vents if ductwork is not well-connected and insulated, or if it must travel through unheated spaces. That's a huge amount of wasted money, not to mention a chilly house.
Ducts also should be vacuumed once every few years, to clean out the abundant dust, animal hair and other gunk that can gather in them and cause respiratory problems.
Reverse your ceiling fan
By reversing its direction from the summer operation, the fan will push warm air downward and force it to re-circulate, keeping you more comfortable. Blades should be turning clockwise.
Check your chimney and woodstoves.
A chimney should at least be inspected before use each year to check for debris. Buy a protective cap for your chimney, with a screen. It'll keep out foreign objects as well as rain that can mix with the ash and eat away at the fireplace's walls.
To keep out cold air, fireplace owners should keep their chimney's damper closed when the fireplace isn't in use.
Woodstoves should be swept more than once a year. A general rule of thumb is that a cleaning should be performed for every ¼ inch of creosote. If it's ash, then it's primarily lye -- the same stuff that was once used to make soap, and it's very acidic. It can cause mortar and the metal damper to rot.
Woodstove owners should have glass doors on their stoves, and keep them closed when the stove isn't in use.
Check those alarms
This is a great time to check the operation -- and change the batteries -- on your home's smoke detectors. Detectors should be replaced every 10 years, fire officials say. Test them -- older ones in particular -- with a small bit of actual smoke, and not just by pressing the "test" button. Check to see that your fire extinguisher is still where it should be, and still works.
Also, invest in a carbon monoxide detector* Every home should have at least one.
Finally, if you or one of your family members feels cold while at home, put on a sweater or if you're watching a movie, wrap up in a blanket before cranking up the heat -- and the heating bill.
* Until October 15th, we're offering a free carbon monoxide detector. Find out more NOW! |
Proudly Serving Colorado in the Following Locations:
Longmont, Boulder, Niwot, Gunbarrel, Erie, Frederick
Firestone, Dacono, Louisville, and Lafayette.
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