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Avoid the Winter Blues with Early Preparation
The calendar is not deceiving you – winter is just around the corner. Prepare your home for colder weather with simple checks and tips. After all, the best offense is a good defense!
If You Can’t Stand the Heat
If You Can’t Stand the Heat
Winter is one of the worst times to discover that your furnace isn’t working. Schedule a preventative maintenance inspection of your heating system every year with a HVAC professional — preferably in early fall. During the course of the inspection, the technician will inspect and clean the system and make suggestions for necessary repairs. It’s easier to get an appointment on a balmy day in September than waiting for a cold snap in December when demand is high.
Avoid Heating the Whole Neighborhood
You wouldn’t leave your windows open when temperatures plummet but how often do you forget to close the flue in your fireplace? Each time the damper is left open, warm air escapes right up the chimney!
- Speaking of chimneys, this would be a good time to have it serviced by a good chimney sweep — one accredited by the Chimney Safety Institute of America and a member in good standing with the National Chimney Sweep Guild.
- To contain heat within your home, examine the weather stripping around your windows and doors and replace it when necessary. Caulk any gaps where cold air or moisture can penetrate.
- Stay safe and breathe easy by inspecting smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors for any lights, indicators or batteries that need replacing before winter gets here.
Avoid Heating the Whole Neighborhood
Join the Ceiling Fan Alliance for Warmth
Join the Ceiling Fan Alliance for Warmth
It seems counterintuitive but your ceiling fan can actually make you feel warmer. Heating systems add warm air into your home, but the laws of physics will send that warm air straight to the ceiling, since heat naturally rises. That leaves you sitting in the cool air that you’re trying to avoid!
To bring the heat to your level, reverse the ceiling fan’s rotation. The warm air will be forced up away from the fan, along the ceiling and down the walls, thereby warming the entire room more uniformly and efficiently.
With the fan blades rotating clockwise, the air is not being forced directly down, which eliminates the wind chill effect. And, because the warm air can now reach your thermostat, you can probably set it to a lower temperature without sacrificing comfort.
With just a little forethought you can look forward to a warm, wonderful winter.
