BY MIRANDA BOUTELLE
Winterizing is an important step to keep your home cozy and your bills low. These tried-and-true methods and essential tips will ensure your home is sealed tight and ready for colder weather.
Insulate pipes and the water heater
You can raise the water temperature inside your home’s water pipes by 2 to 4 degrees simply by insulating them, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Insulating allows you to turn down the heat on your water heater, saving energy and money.
Start by insulating the pipes coming out of your water heater. If you have a gas water heater, keep pipe insulation at least 6 inches away from the flue. Insulate hot and cold water lines. The latter can prevent condensation and freezing pipes. Insulating your water heater can save 7% to 16% on water heating costs, according to the DOE. Insulation kits are available at hardware stores, but remember – don’t obstruct the pressure relief valve, thermostats or access valves.
Seal air leaks
Air sealing and insulation are an excellent combination for minimizing home energy use. Insulation is like a warm sweater for your home, and air sealing is the windbreaker. All the cracks, gaps and holes in a typical home can be like having a window open year-round. Air sealing eliminates those leaks. It can be done as a do-it-yourself project or by a professional.
Keep windows tight and add layers
Windows can be a source of drafts and wasted energy, so close windows tightly.
Add weatherstripping around windows to prevent warm air from escaping your home and caulk the gaps where the window trim meets the wall and the window frame. Add curtains to make the room feel warmer.
Storm windows are a lower-cost option for upgrading single-pane windows. They are available with low-emissivity coatings, which insulate better, and are available for installation either from the inside or outside of the window.
Use dampers effectively
When I was little, my dad told me it was too cold to have a fire. I remember thinking that made no sense, but he was right.
We had an open, wood-burning fireplace – not a wood stove. A fireplace can draw the warm air out of the house, cooling it down or causing your heating system to use more energy.
Your fireplace adds ambiance to your home but isn’t necessarily effective at heating it. If you have a wood-burning fireplace, close the damper when your fire is extinguished. An open damper in the winter is an easy exit for the air you paid to heat.
Adding tempered glass doors to a wood-burning fireplace can create an extra buffer between the cold outside and a cozy living space.
Some gas fireplaces require a damper to remain permanently open so that gas can vent out of the home. Check the specifications of your unit to ensure safe operation.
Check your filters
Maintaining a clean filter in your furnace is one of the best ways to keep it running efficiently and prevent costly repairs. Check your furnace or ductless heat pump filter monthly during peak heating season.
ARE YOU CLOSING OFF PART OF YOUR HOME DURING THE WINTER?
Follow these best practices
There is often a lot of debate about the best way to close off rooms or parts of the home in the winter to save energy.
Best practices come down to the type of heat source. If you have a zonal heating system, where individual areas are controlled separately, you can close doors and only heat the areas you use. Examples of zonal systems are wall heaters, baseboard heat, hydronic radiant heat, radiators and ductless heat pumps, also called mini-splits.
Keep areas with plumbing or water lines warm enough so pipes do not freeze.
If you have a central forced-air heating system, leave doors open to all heated areas. Closing doors and register dampers force the system to work harder, use more energy and can shorten the life of heating equipment.
Miranda Boutelle writes on energy efficiency topics for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives.
