As the temperatures drop outside and weather becomes colder, maintenance and preparation for your home is important.
Cleaning gutters, reversing the rotation on your ceiling fans, and checking your furnace are just a few things you can do to winterize your home and prepare for the cold temperatures. Winterizing your home can be an easy task that you can do yourself without having to call a HVAC professional. One thing you can do is to purchase some new filters for your furnace and have them in your home ready to go to ensure they are changed often. If you own a fireplace, make sure you stock up on wood or coal for it. Having a properly maintained and functioning fireplace will reduce heating energy costs and keep you very warm and comfortable in the winter. Cold air tends to make its way into the tiniest cracks and openings in your home. Caulking your windows and doors is a great way to fill in gaps and cracks and sealing out the cold air and sealing in the warm air. Reversing the rotation of your ceiling fans will push the warm air downwards instead of up and will warm your home. Ceiling fans should run clockwise in the winter. All the hot air that your furnace is generating will be pushed down by the fan if it is rotating the correct way. Depending on where you live, frigid temperatures can cause your pipes to freeze and cause costly problems later. Wrapping your pipes with insulation will save your costly repairs later. Winterizing your home is necessary for people that live in colder climates and performing these easy do it yourself steps can prevent several problems that could occur later and keep you comfortable and warm in your home, while saving money on your energy bill.