5 Quick Tips to Winterize Your Home

Winter will be here before you know it, bringing low temperatures and cold, blustery winds. When there’s a chill in the air, there’s nothing quite like cranking up the heat and hunkering down in your warm, cozy home.

While comfort is key, you also don’t want to throw your energy savings out the window (or the door!). Taking the time to properly prepare your home now will help you stay warm all winter without spending a fortune on your heating bills. Here are five simple tips to help you get started.

1. Schedule an HVAC Inspection

Make sure your HAVC system is ready for the challenges of keeping up with cold winter nights by scheduling an appointment with a professional HVAC technician. A thorough inspection ensures your system is clean and ready to go and will alert you of any potential problems so you can take care of them before they become a bigger issue.

2. Set Your Thermostat at a Comfortable Level

Use a programmable thermostat to preset your home’s temperature to comfortable levels when you’re at home and away. If you don’t already have one, now is a great time to get one. You can find them online or in the store for less than $30. If you program your new thermostat correctly, it can save you about $180 per year in energy costs.

Many homeowners find that this is a fairly easy DIY project. However, if you need assistance, a licensed HVAC technician can quickly install and program your new thermostat for you.

3. Inspect Your Insulation

Insufficient insulation can allow cold drafts to leak into your home. Ideally, the insulation in your walls and attic should provide complete, uniform coverage. Adding insulation when needed can eliminate drafts, lower your cooling and heating costs, and keep you more comfortable all year long.

4. Seal Gaps

Almost every home has gaps under doorways, along window seams, or in the air ducts – and each of these gaps is an escape route for warm air. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, the small leaks in your home can add up to the equivalent of a two-foot hole! That’s like leaving a window open around the clock, all winter long.

Using weather stripping and caulking to seal those small gaps will save you money by keeping the heat inside where it belongs.

5. Reverse Your Ceiling Fans

During the summer months, ceiling fans are an absolute necessity. But you don’t have to turn them off when it starts to get cold. Instead, simply switch the direction.

Almost all fans have a switch that allow you to toggle between a clockwise and counterclockwise motion. Switching the way the blades spin during the winter months will allow your ceiling fans to push warm air that rises to the ceiling back down to the floor.

Start Your Winter Preparations Today

When it’s time to get your home ready for winter, the experts at AC Warehouse are here to help. Contact us today to schedule an appointment for your HVAC maintenance and inspection.