What Are 5 Ways You Can Winterize Your Home?

What Are 5 Ways You Can Winterize Your Home?

Blog, Clayton, Clayton-Englewood, Englewood, Furnace, Heating, HVAC, Maintenance, OH, Ohio, Tips & Tricks, Winter

Has the colder weather been keeping you indoors more? A home is comfortable and cozy when it is warm and toasty. But that wouldn’t be possible without a running furnace. Suppose your furnace is running just fine, but you have noticed that the warm air doesn’t seem to be staying inside the home for very long. There are a few things that could be causing this issue, so our experts at Clayton-Englewood Heating & Cooling have put together a list so you can do winterize your home for it to hold the heat longer and enable your furnace to run at high efficiency.

Examine Your Plumbing

Plumbing is an important thing to consider when winterizing a home. When water freezes, it expands, thus causing the pipe to burst. It would be utter chaos if this were to happen. Furthermore, it would result in extensive water damage and cost a fortune to repair. So let’s go over an option that would help prevent this disaster. Wrapping your plumbing work in pipe insulation will help to considerably lessen the possibility of your pipes freezing, then bursting.

Examine Your House’s Exterior & Interior

Since heating a home isn’t free, we know the importance of keeping as much heat inside the home as possible. A common reason air escapes out of the house is because it is leaking out of different openings. So go ahead and take a little stroll around the perimeter of your home and examine the exterior. Look for gaps, holes, or cracks where air could leak out. Pay special attention to any areas around doors, windows, or hose faucets. If you happen to find anything, seal them up as soon as possible with a quality sealant.

Examine Your Fireplace

Sometimes the fireplace needs a little more TLC than just the standard quick once over. First, you should inspect your fireplace and see if there is a lot of build-up and soot. Generally, you want to do this before using your fireplace for the winter. Another potential hazard can be animal nests in your chimney. You may not be able to see them yourself. Therefore, it is always a good idea to hire a professional to come and clean your fireplace if possible.

Examine Your Attic’s Insulation

Insulation is crucial to a well winterized home. Insulation should be around 10 to 14 inches deep. You should check your attic and crawl spaces to ensure your house has enough layers to keep the warmth in it. Heat rises, which means the warm air will rise to your ceiling, and if there is not enough insulation in the attic, that air will continue to rise and make its way completely out of your house.

Examine Your Filter

We’ve said it before, and we will say it again. A dirty air filter will clog up the air flowing out from your furnace. So think ahead and change your filter at the beginning of the season. It’s not too late to change it now if you have not yet. Keep in mind; you should change the filter about every two months.

We hope these points have proven helpful to you and your family. Winterizing your home takes a bit of time. But, it doesn’t have to be done all at once. Go at your own pace and make adjustments where needed. Start with the easiest task first, then make your way through the list. If you are still coming across any problems, your experts at Clayton-Englewood Heating & Cooling would be happy to speak with you and get an appointment booked for us to come out to your home and diagnose your issue.