Winterizing your home can be one of the best ways to cut down on your power consumption and save a little money in the process. Since the winter months are here, there are a few ways that you can easily winterize your home. Saving money is great, but spending money to save money is counter-intuitive. If you’re looking for some very simple ways to winterize your home, there are a few things that you can do for very little money. Here are some suggestions to get you started.
Weather Stripping
Weather Stripping is a great way to keep the warm air inside your home. Over time your doors and windows can warp slightly. This allows the warm air inside your home to escape. Installing weather stripping to your home will trap the air inside and not allow it through the warps in your windows and doors. Rolls of weather stripping can be found at your local hardware shops for just a couple of dollars.
Clean Your Gutters
When your gutters are packed with leaves, snow and rain can easily form ice. Heavy amounts of ice can damage the gutters and even tear them off of your home. Get a ladder and clean your gutters completely. When the leaves fall during the autumn months the gutters can suffer. Remove the leaves to let the rain and the snow drain through the gutters with no resistance.
Have Your Heater Serviced
It’s always a rule of thumb to have your heater serviced prior to the winter months. October is the best time to have your heater serviced, but doing in around the holidays can also be good. The coldest months tend to be December-February so you still have time. When the winter hits, the heater will be working constantly to keep your home warm. If the heater is not serviced properly, it could break down. Keep your heater in good working order to get the winter months without an incident.
Reverse Your Ceiling Fan
Your ceiling fan is used in the summer to pull the hot air up to the ceiling. When you reverse it, the hot air in your room will be pushed down to you. This can keep your very warm on those chilly nights. Get up on a chair or your bed and look for the switch on the top of the ceiling fan. Push the switch to reverse the fan and start pushing your hot air downward.