Tag: Winter

Furnace Maintenance and Winter-Proofing

With winter quickly approaching, bringing increasingly colder weather, we thought it might be a good idea to repost some advice for preparing for the season. If you haven’t already done so, you might go through these items and make sure your home and furnace are ready to keep you warm this holiday season!

Furnace Maintenance

Routine Check: this is the time of the year when you cannot have a faulty furnace. Have your furnace checked to ensure that it is clean, well oiled, and rightly tuned to take you through winter. The plus side is that a furnace that’s in great condition is cheaper to use in the long run.

Change Filters: dirty filters will limit the flow of air and expend more energy. Check your filters to see if they need to be changed and always have extra filters handy. Do not change filters without switching off the power first.

Upgrade: Your furnace was not made to last forever. The average lifespan of a furnace is 20-25 years and its age will determine the kind of maintenance it’ll need and if you’re due for a repair, replacement or upgrade. If your furnace has aged to the point where it’s more faulty than functional, or where its efficiency cannot be guaranteed, you need to consult an expert to upgrade to a new unit.

Your Fan Is Winter Friendly Too: I bet you think of your fan only when you want cool air but that’s not all your fan can do. Check for a handy switch on your fan, this switch reverses the direction in which the blade moves i.e clockwise rotation for warmer air. So you can take the heat off your furnace once in a while and reduce your heating costs by at least 10%.

Winter-proof Your Home

Draft Protection: Cold drafts of air can frustrate the efforts you put towards keeping your home warm or make it seem like your furnace isn’t efficient. So, while you’re thinking of keeping the warmth in, be sure that there are no channels to let in drafts. A thick towel or scraps of fabric rolled and arranged nicely can be put under doors and windows to keep out the cold.

Storm Doors and Windows: Storm doors and windows are designed to increase energy efficiency. They keep drafts out while allowing light and ventilation in.

Insulation Kits: A window insulation kit will increase your home’s ability to retain heat. It comes in invisible and aesthetically appealing kits, so your home will be warm and welcoming. You will also need regular insulation for your attic floors, basement ceilings, pipes, and walls. Have your duct system checked and sealed to avoid the escape of heated air.

Caulking and Weather-stripping: Check along places in your home where different building materials meet such as window and door edges, exit points for pipes and wires, etc. Seal up any gaps accordingly with caulking and weather-stripping.

Home Projects to Help Avoid Winter Repairs

The weather is changing and it’s time to run those heaters. Home improvement may not seem like the first thing to do, but here are a few things you should check around the house. These projects can help avoid costly repair bills later down the road and could possibly help save some money on your energy bill.

You should check your roof and chimney (if applicable) to make sure they’re clean and ready for the winter weather, clean the gutters, and more. More tips are available in this article on Real Simple’s website.

According to the article on realsimple.com, most, if not all, of these projects can be checked by you. If you’re not comfortable, of course call in a home repair professional to help. And don’t forget to call Air Handlers Inc. to have your home heating checked for this winter!

New Year, New Special

Don’t miss out on our latest special!

Get rebates of up to $1,500 on a qualifying Lennox® home comfort system OR take advantage of 0% interest for up to 72 months!

Check out our Specials page for more information!

A Friendly Reminder…

If winter wasn’t here before, it’s knocked on the door a time or two in the last couple weeks. Last month, we gave you a posting about tips for energy efficiency this winter. We’re going to go over some this month, as well. You want your home to be warm and toasty, right? Of course you do. Here are a few tricks to make sure that your heating bill doesn’t grow this winter. Some of these tricks you might know, but there might be one you don’t.

Outside

Just like you wouldn’t ignore problems inside, don’t pass by any problem areas around the outside of your home. Here are a few things you might consider checking:

Insulate the roof. It certainly isn’t the first thing most would think about, but insulating your roof is a cost-effective way to keep heat from escaping and letting the cold air come inside. It’s kind of like a stocking cap for your house. This can range from as simple as making sure the insulation in your attic looks good (and fixing it where it’s not), to as in depth as adding a “radiant barrier” (the stuff that looks a little bit like tin foil) underneath for added protection.

Check your siding. While you can’t insulate your existing siding, it’s more about the builder purchasing siding with good insulation. What you can do is check for problem areas, such as rotten areas on wood siding, cracks where that precious warmth you’re paying for might be escaping, or even caulking that’s shrunken or cracked over time.

Assess windows and doors. I’ve mentioned this before, but it is super easy and important. All you need to do is buy a can of caulk to close any cracks or holes in door and window frames (be sure to check on the outside and inside), and use weather stripping tape on more severe areas. Change your screens if you have storm windows.
 
Clean the gutters. Cleaning the debris out of your gutters will help prevent roof damage.

Check the chimney. If you have a working chimney, this is a big one. Creosote, a flammable substance, can build up in the chimney above a wood-burning fire. So be sure to have the chimney cleaned!

Inside

So, you’ve checked the outside of the house. Still having problems? Just want to be sure you don’t lose any heat? Keep reading for a few tricks to make sure the inside of your home doesn’t aid in the loss of heat (or the general increase in your energy bill.

Hang curtains. If you notice a draft inside, and you’ve already caulked the seals around your windows and doors, you can always hang heavy curtains to help trap the heat.

Change the filters in your HVAC system. This is one of the easiest and most important indoor tips. You should have the HVAC filter changed once a month during heavy-use periods (like winter) and once a season, otherwise. A yearly checkup on the whole system is also encouraged.

Furnace Maintenance and Winter-Proofing For the Home

You can feel the cold air coming in through every available air space and your energy bills increasing with each passing day. Well, that’s winter for you. While you cannot wish winter away and skip to spring, you can put certain things in place at home, such as maintaining your furnace and winter-proofing your home, so that you can stay as warm as possible and enjoy the season for what it is!

Furnace Maintenance

Routine Check: this is the time of the year when you cannot have a faulty furnace. Have your furnace checked to ensure that it is clean, well oiled, and rightly tuned to take you through winter. The plus side is that a furnace that’s in great condition is cheaper to use in the long run.

Change Filters: dirty filters will limit the flow of air and expend more energy. Check your filters to see if they need to be changed and always have extra filters handy. Do not change filters without switching off the power first.

Upgrade: Your furnace was not made to last forever. The average lifespan of a furnace is 20-25 years and its age will determine the kind of maintenance it’ll need and if you’re due for a repair, replacement or upgrade. If your furnace has aged to the point where it’s more faulty than functional, or where its efficiency cannot be guaranteed, you need to consult an expert to upgrade to a new unit.

Your Fan Is Winter Friendly Too: I bet you think of your fan only when you want cool air but that’s not all your fan can do. Check for a handy switch on your fan, this switch reverses the direction in which the blade moves i.e clockwise rotation for warmer air. So you can take the heat off your furnace once in a while and reduce your heating costs by at least 10%.

Winter-proof Your Home

Draft Protection: Cold drafts of air can frustrate the efforts you put towards keeping your home warm or make it seem like your furnace isn’t efficient. So, while you’re thinking of keeping the warmth in, be sure that there are no channels to let in drafts. A thick towel or scraps of fabric rolled and arranged nicely can be put under doors and windows to keep out the cold.

Storm Doors and Windows: Storm doors and windows are designed to increase energy efficiency. They keep drafts out while allowing light and ventilation in.

Insulation Kits: A window insulation kit will increase your home’s ability to retain heat. It comes in invisible and aesthetically appealing kits, so your home will be warm and welcoming. You will also need regular insulation for your attic floors, basement ceilings, pipes, and walls. Have your duct system checked and sealed to avoid the escape of heated air.

Caulking and Weather-stripping: Check along places in your home where different building materials meet such as window and door edges, exit points for pipes and wires, etc. Seal up any gaps accordingly with caulking and weather-stripping.

Winter is Coming… Are You Ready?

Winter is coming, the time of the year that comes with freezing temperatures and a dire need to keep warm all day long. This is one season where you need your furnace working at its best and, while this may seem to require an increase in your energy bills, there are actually ways by which you can be sure of warmth all season long and at little cost.

  1. Seal windows in the right places. This will keep cold air out and allow the rooms to keep warm air in. You can also swap your regular curtains with heavy curtains for the insulating effect, especially if you’re not a fan of window covering and sealants. Curtains will cost you less as it’ll be a one-time purchase, they can be removed after winter and stored for the next year.
  1. Be Fireplace Ready. Clean out your fireplace and chimney. Inspect it inside and outside to ensure there’s no build-up, cracked or broken bricks. Your damper should open and close properly. Stock up with new wood and kindling, at least 30 feet from your house (to avoid house fires) and then you’re ready for the real warmth that the fireplace has to offer.

You can increase the efficiency of your fireplace if you open dampers at the bottom of the fireplace or slightly open the nearest window, while keeping the door locked. This will keep warm air in the room and prevent the entrance of cold air from the rest of the house.

  1. Insulate your pipes. You can insulate exposed pipes with pipe foams. This will keep water flowing and save you money on hot water bills.
  1. More Insulation: Insulation in your attic and crawl space will determine, to a large extent, how warm your home will be. Warm air goes up and out of the house through the roof, so you need to pay attention to insulating your ceilings. You will need more insulation if the ceiling joists in your attic are visible. A tight air wall between the attic and the house proper will prevent ice dams.
  1. Check your heating system. The fact that your heating system has never failed you before, or has been fully functional in recent times, is not an excuse to ignore it. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Let a professional do a quick check of your furnace and venting system, and repair, if need be. Change out your HVAC filters too. Make sure your furnace works properly and blows warm air. Now is a good time to replace the batteries of your carbon dioxide and smoke detectors. You can also schedule periodic checks, just in case.

Check Your Fences

Damage can happen to your wood fence during the winter, so check your fence boards for any leaning, warping or rotting. Be sure Almost one-fifth of these cases are related to male infertility disease? Few amount of semen: Generally speaking, normal ejaculatory amount is about icks.org generic cialis no prescription 2 ~ 6ml. But there are factors which causes the reduction in the desire. cheap cialis pills Likewise, oysters and chocolates have always been viewed as alternatives to cialis fast delivery look at this pharmacy shop that assists in increasing one’s libido. To discover more about the free trial, the customers are king, the consumers seek out what a cheat the brand was and the prescription cialis on line was none but kamagra. to check the base of your posts to see if there’s any deterioration so a strong wind won’t cause it to fall!