Dec 31 2008
Gearing up for winter
About 2 weeks ago we were complaining because we we’re having halloween in 80 degree weather. Now it’s getting colder and I’m sure a lot of people are thinking about how to gear up for winter. As you start pulling out your winter clothes and start making your skiing plans, one thing to think about is gearing up your house for winter as well. You might think that you don’t have to get your house ready for the cold but by doing a few little things to get ready for those cold winter months you could be saving yourself some time and money in the long run. Here are a few thing to look at that will hopefully become routine as the years go by.
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Change out your furnace filter. We change this out every year around this time. It’s something that a lot of people forget to do. If your filter is dirty and old because you haven’t replaced it in a while, think about all the heat your loosing because the filter is dirty. Not only that, think about the dust your breathing in because your furnace cant’ get clean air!
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Clean your duct work. You might not need to do this every year, but if you haven’t done it in a while, you really should get it cleaned. You will be amazed about the amount of dust and dirt that can get trapped there and then you furnace is essentially blowing it out every time it turns on. Not a good thing to be breathing especially if you have little kids.
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Change the battery on your smoke detectors. Of course you probably are saying the smoke detector will tell you if the battery is dead but it’s always a good idea to check it and replace it every year. If you smoke detector is over 10 years old you should really replace it. They aren’t that expensive when you consider what could happen if you don’t have a working one.
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Check doors and windows for leaks. Leaks in doors and windows can drive up your heating bill. If you have a leak, caulk it. If it’s really bad, replace the window or door. If you can’t afford to do that, find a way to seal it. We use those draft stops on my daughters window because it was just so cold all the time and we couldn’t afford to replace the window. If all else fails, install curtains. They help to keep the cold air out.
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Close vents and doors in rooms that won’t be occupied during the night. If you have a guest room or an office that you aren’t going to be in during the night when it’s the coldest, close the vent in there and the door so the heater won’t be kicking on trying to heat a room that no one is in. Save all the heat for the bedrooms where people are sleeping.
Hope these tips help a few people. They can save you some money during those cold winter months and they also help keep your house in good shape so that you can enjoy it for the years to come.
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