Winter is coming, and you want to be prepared. One of the main reasons for owning a home is to provide you with shelter during extreme temperatures and inclement weather, so you want your home to be ready when winter arrives with all the hazards it can bring.
Not only can proper winter preparation keep your family warmer and safer during the winter months, but it can also save you big on energy costs. During a harsh winter, the costs of keeping your home comfortably heated can skyrocket, so any steps you can take to make things a little easier on your heating system could save you lots of money.
If you’ve been thinking about what you can do to prepare your home for winter, now is the time to get started! Here are some of the basic steps you can take in order to prepare a house for winter.
1. Fall HVAC Maintenance Checklist
Fall is a great time to make sure your HVAC system is running properly and efficiently. You don’t want to find out in the dead of winter that your heat isn’t working, especially when a proper inspection and tune-up can prevent any issues for the season. Act now when things are still calm and temperate. The best way for you to handle HVAC fall maintenance is to have a checklist that you follow every year. Your checklist should include items such as:
- Clean your chimney and make sure your fireplace is working
- Make sure your home is fully insulated in areas where heat can escape, (e.g. attic and windows)
- Have your ductwork and heating & cooling equipment inspected by a qualified HVAC professional
Our experienced and certified technicians can help with our comprehensive maintenance checklist and multi-level service memberships!
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 for 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!
