Winter is on the horizon. As temperatures drop, you’ll want to prepare your home for the extreme temperatures and weather conditions outside so you can enjoy drinking hot chocolate and cozying up near the fireplace on the inside.
Pennsylvania winters can take a toll on your home’s systems and raise your energy bills as you turn up the heat. Here at Haller, we want to ensure your home and wallet are ready for winter in PA to keep you and your family warm and safe. Be sure to follow some of these basic steps to heat up your home for the cold.
1. Fall HVAC Maintenance
Fall brings on calm and temperate weather, making it a great time to prepare your heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) system for the colder months to come. The The best way to handle HVAC fall maintenance is to follow and annual checklist, including tasks like:
- Cleaning your chimney and making sure your fireplace is working
- Insulating the areas in your home where heat can escape (e.g. attic, doors, and windows)
- Inspecting your ductwork and heating & cooling equipment
At Haller, our team of HVAC technicians can help you tackle these tips to keep your home in shape. From HVAC inspections to tune-ups, we want to make sure your system is working properly so you can avoid losing heat at the peak of winter.
- For more tips, check out our fall maintenance checklist and multi-level service memberships to cover all your home’s bases as winter approaches.
2. Winter-proofing the House
The time for winter-proofing the house is not when it’s already cold and snowing. You want to take steps before the cold weather strikes to avoid losing critical heat in the winter months. Steps you can take to winter-proof your home include:
- Shut down the patio. Bring in any patio furniture or if you can’t, at least cover it up to protect it from harsher weather conditions. Also be sure to drain your garden hoses so water inside doesn’t freeze or consider having a freeze protection outdoor faucet installed.
- Seal gaps. Find any cracks in your walls or foundation where heat can escape and seal them with caulk or foam. Be sure to check around doors and windows where cracking can often be found.
- Upgrade your windows. If escaping heat is a real problem and insulation doesn’t seem to be doing the trick, you may want to upgrade to double- or triple-pane windows, which are much more energy-efficient.
- Insulate, insulate, insulate. Make sure you have quality insulation for your windows, attic, walls and anywhere heat can escape.
- Change your furnace filter. A dirty filter makes your furnace work harder and be less effective. Changing your furnace filter is an easy step you can take yourself that can yield big dividends. Plus, it’ll improve the air you’re breathing in, cutting down on some of the risk of getting sick this winter. Need help to change the filter? One of our expert techs can help you over the phone!
- Check your wiring. Have a professional inspect your electrical system. Having the power go out due to a faulty electric wire, or worse, having a fire in winter, can be incredibly dangerous. Even if everything looks good, make sure you have flashlights, batteries, and extra, non-perishable food and water in an easy-to-find location. Trees or other debris can knock out power lines during harsh winter weather. You may also wish to have Haller size and install a new whole home generator in case your power goes out for an extended period.
3. Other Steps
There are a number of other steps you can take to prepare your home for winter. Get a programmable thermostat that turns down the heat when you’re not at home to save on heating costs. Line the edge of your roof with heat tape to prevent the buildup of snow and formation of icicles. Finally, make sure any needed repairs or replacement of HVAC equipment is taken care of before winter strikes. Once winter hits, not only will you suffer while waiting for professionals to repair your heating equipment, but it could take longer and major fixes are often more difficult and expensive than preventative maintenance.
Haller provides quality heating & cooling maintenance, repair, and replacement, as well as benefits including our Haller App for scheduling and tracking appointments, 24/7 online or over the phone booking, free estimates, and our 100% satisfaction guarantee. We know you’ll feel the difference!
