Carter Oosterhouse, of HGTV’s “Carter Can,” offers these Top 10 Winter Weather Preparation Tips to help lower your utility bills and protect your home investment:
Get an energy audit on your home: A home energy audit is the first step in making your home more efficient. It will help you figure out if you are throwing money out the window by heating the outside.
Replace your water heater: If you don’t remember the last time your water heater was replaced, chances are you may need a new one. Consider a natural gas, tankless water heater. A gas water heater can heat water up to twice as fast as an electric one, so your family always has hot water. A tankless water heater heats water on demand, only when you need it. This reduces stand-by energy loss from unused water left to cool in the tank. Install a natural gas tankless water heater near the point of use and you could save hundreds of gallons of water a year simply by reducing the amount of cold water standing in the pipes between your water heater and faucets. Tankless water heaters save money with every use, and they last almost twice as long as tank water heaters (up to 20 years).
Give your heating system a checkup: If the filter looks dirty after a month, change it. At a minimum, change the filter every three months. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you warm or cool — wasting energy. A clean filter will also prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system — leading to expensive maintenance and/or early system failure.
Buy a programmable thermostat: Or if you already have one, double-check the settings. Energy Star says that, on average for an initial investment of $50 to $100, you will save $180 annually on heating (and cooling) bills if you keep the thermostat set to no higher than 70 degrees Fahrenheit when you’re at home and awake and no more than 62 degrees when you’re away or asleep.
Seal your windows: If your windows are single pane, make sure they are sealed properly. This can easily be done by adding new caulk to the seam where the window meets the frame.
Close the gap between the front door and the floor: A quarter inch gap can be the equivalent of a 5-inch hole in the wall. Try applying vinyl weather stripping.
Clean the gutters: Dirty, clogged gutters can cause a multitude of problems during the winter months including flooded basements and damage to your foundation and landscaping. Cleaning them out can be a pain but gutter helmets are clever gadgets that fit over your gutters, allowing rain to come in, but not leaves, pine needles, or other debris. The gutter helmet system boasts a number of other benefits such as prevention of landscape erosion due to poor drainage and protection from insect or rodent infestation through the gutters.
Storing tools and equipment: When it comes time to put away the backyard tools for the season, don’t just shove them into your garage corner or shed. Spend a few minutes wiping them down and removing debris and dirt, then apply a light layer of oil to keep them from rusting over the winter. This will save you time and energy in the spring when you need to use them again. And as for your lawnmower, if you are not going to drain the fuel from the tank and carburetor make sure to add some fuel stabilizer to the gas. Doing this will prevent your gas from going bad and keep the carburetor in good working order.
Hit the roof: From the ground, use binoculars to look for missing, loose, or damaged shingles. Then note any leaks from inside, which might include checking your attic. Fall is a good time to replace missing shingles, cement down curled edges, and re-caulk where plumbing stacks, cable brackets, or antennae penetrate the roof.
Keep drapes open during the day: Take advantage of the sun’s warmth this winter. It will help you conserve on your heating bill.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/
http://furnasmanonehourfurnace.ca/
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