Getting Ready For Winter

As a home owner, you have preparations that must be made in order to get ready for winter. From cleaning up the leaves in the yard to putting away summer outdoor items, you must have your home ready for the harsher months of the year. When winter arrives, it is imperative that the home is nice and cozy warm, so you must take the proper steps to ensure that all you feel is warmth and never cold. Below are a few tips on how you can get ready for winter in your home.

Sealing the Home

First of all, you need a properly sealed home to be able to contain the warm heat your heating system is providing. From the windows to entry points, each area needs to be sealed correctly. Before winter arrives, walk around the home and check for drafts. If you feel air coming in from a window or entry door, you will need to add caulking or other sealant to close off the area. By sealing the home properly, you will use your HVAC system less when heating the home and see a nice savings on your monthly utility bill, not to mention you will be toasty warm!

Insulation

Insulation is a key factor when it comes to keeping the home warm. A properly insulated home will be able to contain the heat produced by a furnace or central system better than a home that is not insulated. Take a look at your attic insulation and see if you should add more to provide a better barrier for escaping heat. Insulation can be added by you or by a professional to add an additional layer of protection for the heat in the home.

Maintaining your Heating System

The heating system is essential to the overall comfort of the home. Heating systems come in all forms from geothermal and central to furnace and boilers. Each unit operates a particular way to provide heat in the home. These systems must be maintained on a regular basis to ensure that the home is warm and the inhabitants are comfortable. Without a properly functioning heating system, you will not be warm and so you will not be comfortable and you may even experience sickness or irritability in the home.

With your existing heating system, be sure to have the unit serviced on a regular basis. Servicing should include the overall inspection of the system as well as cleaning. The unit needs to be reviewed at least once to twice a year to ensure the system is not in need of repair and functioning properly. If not, the unit can easily break down and you will be without heat during the colder months of the year. Contact your local HVAC Company to schedule regular maintenance for your heating system. And remember, if your unit is in need of repair, contact help immediately. Do not let the repair go unfixed as it can lead to major damage within the system.

Air Filters

A common need of heating systems is an air filter. The filter helps to remove particles from the air that are harmful to breathe but also helps the unit to operate smoothly without overworking. The air filter needs to be changed out on a regular basis so when winter arrives and you begin to use your heating system, be sure to change out the filter regularly so your unit can operate normally.

By taking these few tips into consideration, you can spend less time worrying about the comfort in the home this winter and spend more time with family and friends!